THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD

DATE: SUNDAY 1ST October 2017

THEME: THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD

Memorise:

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

6:8 By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Message:

Over the years, I have observed that the more powerful some people become, the more wicked they turn out to be. When they are not yet in a position of authority, they will appear to be humble, but once they have a little taste of power, they act as if they are God. This is what makes my Father very different: He is a merciful God. In spite of all His power and majesty, He remains merciful. Having experienced God’s mercy, David thus wrote in Psalm 40:1-2:

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

God is so full of mercy, and there is no one who cannot benefit from His mercy. When powerful people know that no one can query them, they do whatever they like. God is however different! Even though He is the Almighty God and He is all powerful, yet His mercy endures forever. Every time you call upon Him, you can be sure His grace will speak for you. Ephesians 2:4 says

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”

God’s grace grants us access to the things we don’t deserve. There are many of us who are what we are only by His grace. If not for His grace, some of us would not be alive today. If not for His grace, some of us would have no roof over our heads. If not for His grace, how would some of us have anyone willing to help us? There are many opportunities we have misused in the past, and yet we have not lived to regret this because of His grace. If not for His mercy, some of us wouldn’t have recovered from the consequences of our past time.

Can you imagine a person like Saul, who persecuted the church of God, becoming a mighty apostle of the gospel? If I were God, I would not have saved His soul, especially when I think of the extent of damage he single-handedly caused the Body of Christ. I then suddenly realized that I also was once in sin like him. When grace and mercy are at work in a person’s life, he will begin to make his boast in the Lord. Can you imagine Paul saying he had wronged no one (2 Corinthians 7:2)? He could say this because the grace and mercy of God had washed away all his past misdeeds. When mercy is at work, every sinner has a future, and when grace is speaking, every saint has no past. God is telling you today that He can have mercy on you. All you need to do is to make up your mind that all the days of your life, you will continue to fear Him and walk in His ways.

Prayer Point:

Father, let Your mercy and grace never depart from my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Romans 4-6

Daniel 2:1-16                                                                                                                            

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

1. Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain:

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

[Refrain]

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

[Refrain]

NO SKIPPING DETAILS

DATE: MONDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: NO SKIPPING DETAILS          

Memorise:

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:                                 Isaiah 28:10

Read: 2 Kings 4:1-7

4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

Message:

To avoid financial storm, you need to be careful note all the elements of a divine instruction. God is a God of details. When He gives you a recipe to solve a particular problem, He expects you to leave no details out. In today’s Bible reading, to solve the serious debt problem of the widow of the prophet, Elisha asked her to borrow vessels from all her neighbors, shut the door behind her and pour out her remaining pot of oil into all available vessels. If she had altered the any element of this instruction, it would definitely have affected the result she got. Some people received certain divine instructions and thereafter determine which to obey and which to discard. No! all the details must be observe! Do you know that if the widow had borrowed the vessels but refused to shut her door, the oil would not have flowed?

Beloved, always pay close attention to whatever instructions you receive from God. When it comes to sowing for instance, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says,

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

From the details of this scripture, it is not just sowing that will get you your expected returns, but rather sowing bountifully and cheerfully. Today, many people have chosen to forget these details on sowing, and this accounts for the financial storms in their lives. On tithing, it is not enough to tithe, but to bring in all the tithes. After completing my PhD research, I recalled I still had part of my research grant with the university. So I went to my Head of department (HoD) adding to draw out of it to bind my thesis. He refused to release it to me, and when I insisted, he sent me out of his office. With no other funds available, I wondered how to get the money is needed. A little past midnight, someone came knocking on my door. He said he could not sleep, and so he came to return the money I had loaned him five years earlier. Although I had forgotten this money, God had not. He paid me the exact amount I needed. After binding the thesis, I was scared, wondering if my HoD would accept it and give me a good score. So on the following Sunday, I paid my tithe, and on Monday, when I submitted my thesis to him, he was impressed and offered to personally take it to the external examiner. He also waited on the examiner until he finished his job in three days instead of six months. After this, my PhD grant was paid, and it became useful pocket money for me. You cannot tell the extent God will go to satisfy those who are totally obedient.

Action Point:

Ask God to lead our youths aright in their choice of life partner.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Nehemiah 10-11 and Exodus 46:13-24

 AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14:  TAKE MY LIFE

1. Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5.  Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

WHEN YOU ARE BLESSED

DATE: FRIDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: WHEN YOU ARE BLESSED 

Memorise:

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Hebrews 11:20

Read: Genesis 27:20-29

27:20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.

27:21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

27:22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

27:23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

27:24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

27:25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.

27:26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27:27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

27:29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

Message:

A blessing is an invitation to all the forces in Heaven, on earth and underneath the earth to cooperate with an individual and assist him or her to succeed. When Isaac pronounced a blessing on Jacob in today’s Bible reading, he summoned the dew of heaven, the land and all the forces on earth to be of assistance to Jacob. As a result of this blessing, Jacob became exceedingly great. Hear what Genesis 30:43 says about his greatness:

“ And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”

How about his brother Esau? Genesis 27:38-40 says after Jacob had stolen the cream of the blessing from him. Esau came to ask for the remnant. What was the result of this “remnant”? From Genesis 32:3-6, we understand that this remnant got him so blessed that he could afford to retain the services of 400 personal bodyguards. If you become so rich that you require 400 men to go with you wherever you go, that is something remarkable. I can recall the first time a president visited us at the Redemption Camp; he came with an entourage of 250 people. So imagine how blessed Esau was for him to have had 400 people in his entourage! I believe he was really blessed.

Moreover, let me add here that after a blessing is pronounced on you, it may not be obvious how the blessing will be fulfilled. Most times, it may not even make sense. You may not even be able to afford a bicycle now, and a blessing may be pronounced on you that a time will come when you will need a Boeing 747 to airlift those who will accompany you whenever you are travelling. It may not make sense to you, but that is what a blessing can do. I often say that I am where I am today by the grace of God and by the blessings of my mother. Any time I did something that pleased her, she would bless me. She would say, “You this boy, you will call one person, and two hundred people will respond.” I didn’t know what she meant back then, and I didn’t know how it would happen, but I always said “Amen”. Today, by the grace of God, I can say this has become reality. Have you provoked the blessing of your biological parents? Have you provoked the blessing of your spiritual parents? Most importantly, have you provoked a blessing from God?

Action Point:

When a blessing is pronounced on you, simply sustain a conducive atmosphere for its fulfillment, and it will surely come to pass.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Nehemiah 4-6

Ezekiel 44:28-45:9

                                                                                                                      AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14:  TAKE MY LIFE

1. Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

2.  Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

4.  Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5.  Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

WORSHIP FIRST, REQUEST LAST

DATE: SUNDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: WORSHIP FIRST, REQUEST LAST      

Memorise:

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm100:4

Read: Mark 5:21-24

5:21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

5:23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

5:24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

Message:

How you approach a house will determine whether you will be welcomed or chased out. If you approach the door and knock, you will be attended to as a lady or a gentleman, but if you decide to break through the window, you will surely be taken for a burglar, thief or robber and met with severe resistance. Your approach matters! In the same vein, to enter into God’s presence, you must follow heaven’s protocol. The Holy Spirit in Psalm 100:4 revealed this protocol when He said:

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

If you want to be welcomed into God’s presence and have your requests granted, don’t just crash in, follow heaven’s protocol! Let your heart and mouth be full of thanks for all God has done for you, your family and loved ones. When you approach God, let Him first hear your thanksgiving. Let this be followed by quality praise and worship. Let your request come last, and let the time you use in making your request be shorter than the time you spent giving thanks, praise and worship. Whenever you violate this order, you do damage to your requests and hurt your relationship with the Lover of your soul - the Almighty God Himself.

Moreover, you may want to ask: why must I approach God with reverence, thanksgiving and praise? It is because worshippers always get what they want. In Matthew 8:1-3; a leper approached Jesus, fell at His feet and worship Him, even before he made his request. In the end, he was cleansed. What of the mad man of Gadara whose story is recorded in Mark 5:1-15? As mad as he was, after approaching Jesus, he knew enough to fall down at His feet to worship Him. For this reason, even without verbalizing his desire to be delivered from the demonic siege he was under, Jesus set him free. Effective worship works wonders! Jarius was a top leader in Israel, and yet, when his daughter was seriously sick and he approached Jesus, he forgot his position, power and wealth, fell at the Master’s feet and worshipped Him. Also, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons came to the Lord expressing her need, the Lord ignored her; but when she began to worship Him, the tide turned (Matthew 15:21-28). From today, follow heaven’s protocol in approaching God and you will get your heart’s desires.  

Key Point:

Presenting your request before worshipping God is like placing the cart before the horse.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Ezra 1-3

Ezekiel 42:1-14

                                                                                                                         

 AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3:  HOW GREAT THOU ART

1. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

2. When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Refrain 

3. And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Refrain 

4. When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then shall I bow, in humble adoration,

And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"

Refrain

YOU CAN AVOID WASTAGE

DATE: SATURDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: YOU CAN AVOID WASTAGE      

Memorise:

For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 24:6

Read: Luke 15:11-16

15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

Message:

In life, some people experience provision before they ever need it, while some get provision just in the nick of time. Some others only get the provision they need after the time the need is past. One Bible character who experienced provision before need is the prodigal son in today’s Bible reading. All he would ever need was already provided for and safely kept by his father. Nevertheless, what was his response to his father’s wisdom and grace? He foolishly asked for all that was his, and he wastefully spent it all. Luke 15:13 says,

“And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”

May you never waste God’s provision for your life! There are so many people who engage in wasteful spending. There are some people God has blessed with the funds to buy a piece of land, which they can develop as God enables them, but they use the provision to acquire a flashy car or attempt to live “big” while they are still in rented apartment. This amounts to foolishness. There are some youths who get some big money from legitimate ventures, but because they had no financial intelligence and never sought counsel, they wasted it and struggled thereafter.

“If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. Ecclesiastes 10:10

To manage financial provision, you need wisdom. In fact, the Scripture above says that you can get results from a cutlass whether it is sharp or blunt; the difference is that wisdom helps you make the best decisions to obtain the best results. If you have financial wisdom, you would avoid wasteful spending and increase whatever you have. Do you have financial resources beyond what you need for the moment? Ask God for wisdom to manage it. Also, ask for guidance. Follow the counsel in today’s memory verse: ask those who know better. Ask from experienced fund managers and people skilled in financial investments. More importantly, find out from God, the Provider of that provision, what the purpose of the provision is. If you can diligently ask Him, He will guide you on  how to spend it in such a way as to guarantee repeated provision. You do not need to spend on every item you see or like. Humbly surrender your desires to God and let Him reign over them.

Key Point:

You can completely avoid wastage when you submit your finances to Jesus asking Him for direction and approval of your budget.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

2 Chronicles 35-36

Ezekiel 41:12-26

                                                                                                                        

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: OH JESUS I HAVE PROMISED

1. O Jesus, I have promised

To serve Thee to the end;

Be Thou forever near me,

My Master and my Friend;

I shall not fear the battle

If Thou art by my side,

Nor wander from the pathway

If Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking

In accents clear and still,

I dare not trust my judgment:

Thy way shall be my will;

Oh, speak to reassure me,

To hasten or control;

Oh, speak, and help me listen,

Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised

To all who follow Thee

That where Thou art in glory

There shall Thy servant be;

And Jesus, I have promised

To serve Thee to the end—

Oh, give me grace to follow,

My Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints,

And in them plant mine own;

My hope to follow duly

Is in Thy strength alone;

Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,

Uphold me to the end;

And then in Heav’n receive me,

My Saviour and my Friend.

A DIVINE CURSE

DATE: FRIDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: A DIVINE CURSE     

Memorise:

Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.  Malachi 3:9

Read: Mark 11:12-14; 20-21

11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

11:13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

11:14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

11:21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

Message:

When you go through the Scriptures and see the effect of a divine curse on those who were cursed, you would do just about anything to avoid a curse from God. Although a curse from one man to another can have terrible effects, if spiritual help is sought from someone operating at a higher level than the source of the curse, such curses are terminated. It’s a dilemma however, if the source of a curse is God. There would be no one to run to in such cases. When God cursed the ground after the fall of Adam, from that moment until now, the earth has not been yielding produce to its full potential. Wait until you see what this same ground can produce after the curse is lifted during the millennial reign of Christ! Similarly, when God cursed Cain, it had a terrible effect on him (Genesis 4:9-15). Cain was supposed to be the first born of the whole earth, but when he was cursed, he became a vagabond. Virtually everyone he met desired to kill him, even without offending them. No wonder he cried to God for clemency. Genesis 4:13-14 says,

“And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.”

Moreover, in today’s Bible reading, Jesus cursed a fig tree which appeared to have fruit but had only leaves. By the following morning, the tree had completely withered from its very roots. When God places a curse, it begins to operate from the root upwards. I once visited the capital of a state in Nigeria some years ago. This state had a lot of mighty rivers, yet the state capital had no pipe-borne water. Surprised, I made some inquiries on why this was so, and I was told, “Sir, there is a tree in the center of the capital that should not be uprooted. They even had to build a road around it. As long as the tree remains, nothing good happens to this town.” I said “Is that so?” Then I quietly added, “No problem, we are here.” I then cursed the tree in the Name of the Lord. That very night, there was a storm in the town and by the following morning, the tree was uprooted completely. Any evil tree tying down your progress is cursed today in the Name of Jesus! I command it to dry up and be uprooted in Jesus’ Name! Are you under a divine curse? Immediately run to the cross of Calvary in repentance and make your way right with God, and thereafter, seek His face for mercy. May you find favour in His sight today!

Action Point:

Examine yourself to see if you have brought a divine curse upon yourself and your family by your actions, and immediately return to God in repentance and restitution.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

2 Chronicles 33-34

Ezekiel 40:48-41:11

                                                             

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6:  DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus

Daily let me go;

Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,

More of grace to know.

Refrain:

Oh, deeper yet, I pray,

And higher every day,

And wiser, blessed Lord,

In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,

Take me deeper still,

Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,

And His perfect will.

Refrain:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,

Deeper let me go!

Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,

Let me fruitful grow.

Refrain:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,

Till all conflict past,

Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image

Perfected at last.

Refrain:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,

Holy faith and true;

In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom

Let me peace pursue.

Refrain: