GOOD SUCCESS

DATE: THURSDAY 1ST MARCH 2018

THEME: GOOD SUCCESS.  

MEMORISE:

Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

READ: Proverbs 1:29-33.

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

MESSAGE 

Our memory verse today lets us know straightaway that not all success is the same. While some success can be can be good, others can be bad. If you want your own success to be good, this Book of the law, which is the Bible shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night to ensure that you live according to all that it says. The word of God further emphasizes the fact that not all success is good success. For example, Proverbs 1:32 tells us that if prosperity is put in the hands of a fool, it will eventually destroy him or her. This means there is a kind of success that brings destruction. We see this today in the lives of many seemingly successful people especially celebrities and young starts all over the world. I pray that thekind of success and prosperity that destroys its owner will never come your way in the Name of Jesus.

Good success has many facets. It could mean prosperity without adversity. Proverb 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow. It could also mean promotion without the possibility of demotion. It is better not to be promoted at all, than to be promoted today and demoted tomorrow. Good success also refers to deliverance without any relapse. It is said that some people who were once delivered have later relapsed into bondage again (Luke 11:24-26). Good success also manifest as victory without the possibility of future defeat, as well as processing an anointing that never dries up. Good success is salvation without backsliding, and it could also mean several other things. The Lord will grant you good success in the form of a blessing that last forever in Jesus’ Name.

For you to experience good success, you must first accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Then you must submit to the authority of the Bible as the eternal word of God, through a diligent study of its teachings. You must take the word of God as your absolute guide in all matters relating to human life and existence. Your commitment and obedience to the word of God will bring you to a level of fellowship with God that attracts the assured presence of His almighty power, which enforces the manifestation of good success and prosperity in your life. As you endeavor to live according to God’s word today, good success and prosperity will accompany everything you do, in Jesus Name. 

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me the spirit of wisdom that will produce my desired joy in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Number 4; 1 Corinthians 14:26-15:11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 6: A NEW THING

 (Tune: There shall be showers of Blessing)

1. We will soon shout Halleluyah

Because GOD will do new things

Sinners will soon be forgiven

Prodigals will come home soon.

Chorus:

Shout Halleluyah

Because God will do new things

Rivers in desert now flowing

Halleluyah to our king.

2. We will soon shout Halleluyah

Because God will do new things

Sickness and sorrow will be gone

Bondage will be forgotten.

3. We will soon shout Halleluyah

Because God will do new things

The barren will be fruitful soon

Failure will be forgotten

4. We will soon shout Halleluyah

Because God will do new things

Poverty will be forgotten

Stagnancy will soon be gone.

5. We will soon shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

To all miracles are given

There shall be celebrations

6. We will soon shout Halleluyah

Because God will do new things

Many will have testimonies

Of prayers answered fully

7. We will soon shout Halleluyah

Because God will do new things

One of us will chase a thousand

Two will conquer ten thousands.

8. We will soon shout Halleluyah

Because God will do new things

Songs of praises we will sing

Halleluyah to our King.

JOY TO THE WISE

DATE: WEDNESDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2018

THEME: JOY TO THE WISE

MEMORISE:

The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

Proverbs 15:24

READ: Proverbs 10:8-14.

8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

MESSAGE 

There is a relationship between wisdom and joy. We see this in Ecclesiastes 8:1b

“A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.”

The reason why the wise possess joy is that they work to bring joy to the people around them and not to themselves alone (2 Corinthians 2:3). Who then are the wise? Proverb 10:8a answers the question:

 “The wise in heart will receive commandments:”

It takes wisdom and humility of heart for a man to abide by the command ments of God. Alas, these two are in short supply in today’s world. No wonder joy is fast becoming a scarce commodity. For a lot of people in the world today, God’s commandments are no longer an issue to be considered. Liberal theologians are busy convincing the gullible  that the commandments of God are obsolete, moribund and out of fashion. They argue that the only way to sustain the Christian faith is to abandon the commandments of God as reinforced by Jesus Christ in the gospels. The message of the Bible is being over-contextualized to the point that we have many varieties of beliefs and practices in the body of Christ today. It’s presented as if when God was giving His commandments, he did not have the whole world in mind. We must admit the truth that when Jesus Christ was teaching his disciples, He was preparing them to evangelise the world. He could therefore not have sent them out to different parts of the world to teach a spiritual curriculum that is different from what He already taught them as recorded in the gospels. This is the testimony of one of His disciples about their message to the whole world in 1 john 1:3:

“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

A hymn writer’s advice would suffice as the crux of the message for today’s devotional: “Trust and obey; for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus; but to trust, and obey.” Only the fear of God, can give you joy unspeakable and make you full of His glory. Be wise today.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me the spirit of wisdom that will produce my desired joy in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Number 3; 1 Corinthians 14:6-25

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 4: TRUST AND OBEY

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

ACCESSING DIVINE INFORMATION

DATE: TUESDAY 27TH FEBRUARY 2018

THEME: ACCESSING DIVINE INFORMATION.  

MEMORISE:

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

READ: Daniel 2:13-19

 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:

15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.

17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:

18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

MESSAGE 

Information is very powerful, and the wise do not underestimate its power. It can have positive or negative impact depending on the type of information, the giver of the information and the receiver of that information. The Lord will give you pleasant information today in Jesus Name. It was pleasant information to Abraham and his household, when the Lord announced the coming of the child of promise (Genesis 18:10). However, it was unpleasant information when the Lord later announced the coming total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah where Abraham’s nephew lived (Genesis 18:17-21). However, irrespective of the nature of the information, it is always a privilege to have access to divine information because it enables you to always be one step ahead of the enemy. 

In today’s memory verse, the Lord committed Himself to the principle of sharing divine information with His servants. The wise will scrutinize this principle and apply it to their benefit. Daniel was wise; he therefore tapped into the possibilities made accessible by this commitment. In today’s Bible text, when all the astrologers in Babylon were to be killed because they could not decode the information embedded in the king’s dream, they turned to Daniel who knew how to access divine information from the spirit realm. Beloved where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). We can learn some vital truths on accessing divine information from the experience of Daniel and his companions, one of which is that they got the information from the God of Heaven. For you to access information that will guide you alright in life, you need the God of Heaven. This same God has packaged all the information you need to excel in life in a book called the Bible. Just as divine information made a way of escape for Daniel, it also helped the king of Israel, guided by Elisha, to escape the traps of the king of Syria. 2 Kings 6:9-10 says, 

“And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.”

We will be delivered from the snares of our enemies when we have access to divine information, but we must act on it like the king of Israel did. For example, we have been divinely informed that sinners face eternal damnation but can escape this future through repentance and acceptance of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The wise will act on this information and escape eternal damnation. 

ACTION POINT:

Get acquainted with the God of Heaven through Jesus Christ, and you will on daily basis have access to divine information that will keep you away from evil. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Number 1-2; 1 Corinthians 13:1-14:5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE, OH, I NEED THEE.

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

o Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

5. I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;

Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

LIVING BY DECREES

DATE: MONDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2018

THEME: LIVING BY DECREES.  

MEMORISE:

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. Job 22:28

READ: James 5:14-18 

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

MESSAGE 

Our God is a God of dominion who rules by decrees (Psalm 148:5-6, Jeremiah 5:22). It therefore follows that if He created man in His own image and after His likeness, man should also rule by decrees. Genesis 1:28 gives an insght into the mandate of dominion that God gave to man after he was created:

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

It is unfortunate that man fell from his position of authority where he ruled by decrees and began to be ruled by circumstances. It is however more unfortunate that some children of God have failed to realize the position of dominion that they have been restored to in the new dispensation of the covenant in the Blood of Jesus (Luke 22:20). It is true that man fell and lost his dominion, but it is equally true that this dominion was restored through the second Adam: Jesus. Therefore, man should no longer live under the curse of sin anymore, because he has regained his dominion through Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, who died as a ransom for the sins of the human race (Roman 5:,17,18). This is the confidence by which the apostles of old lived, and the basis of their ability to live by decrees. Paul demonstrated this in Acts 16:18:

“And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”

Even before the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, some men peered into the glory of the dispensation that was to come and were able to partake of the glory which they saw afar off (1 Peter 1:10-11). One of such men is Elijah, who lived and ruled by decrees. Elijah was calling the shots and holding sway on behalf of his God (1 Kings 17:1, 2 Kings 1:10). The good news is that we of the new dispensation have a better covenant than that of Elijah, because the Son of God is at the right hand of power backing our decrees up through His intercession on our behalf (Romans 8:34). You must therefore recognize who you are and the power at your disposal. Recognize and believe that the words of Job 22:28 apply to you. Henceforth, live by decrees and dominion, and never allow yourself become a victim of circumstance again. Jesus is Lord!

ACTION POINT:

Make decree in the Name of Jesus against every negative circumstance in your life, your home, your church, your community and your country. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

1. My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Savior divine!

Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my guilt away,

Oh, let me from this day

Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart

Strength to my fainting heart,

My zeal inspire!

As Thou hast died for me,

Oh, may my love to Thee

Pure, warm, and changeless be,

A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,

And griefs around me spread,

Be Thou my guide;

Bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow’s tears away,

Nor let me ever stray

From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,

When death’s cold, sullen stream

Shall o’er me roll;

Blest Savior, then in love,

Fear and distrust remove;

Oh, bear me safe above,

A ransomed soul!

LIVING BY DECREES

DATE: MONDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2018

THEME: LIVING BY DECREES.  

MEMORISE:

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. Job 22:28

READ: James 5:14-18 

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

MESSAGE 

Our God is a God of dominion who rules by decrees (Psalm 148:5-6, Jeremiah 5:22). It therefore follows that if He created man in His own image and after His likeness, man should also rule by decrees. Genesis 1:28 gives an insght into the mandate of dominion that God gave to man after he was created:

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

It is unfortunate that man fell from his position of authority where he ruled by decrees and began to be ruled by circumstances. It is however more unfortunate that some children of God have failed to realize the position of dominion that they have been restored to in the new dispensation of the covenant in the Blood of Jesus (Luke 22:20). It is true that man fell and lost his dominion, but it is equally true that this dominion was restored through the second Adam: Jesus. Therefore, man should no longer live under the curse of sin anymore, because he has regained his dominion through Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, who died as a ransom for the sins of the human race (Roman 5:,17,18). This is the confidence by which the apostles of old lived, and the basis of their ability to live by decrees. Paul demonstrated this in Acts 16:18:

“And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”

Even before the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, some men peered into the glory of the dispensation that was to come and were able to partake of the glory which they saw afar off (1 Peter 1:10-11). One of such men is Elijah, who lived and ruled by decrees. Elijah was calling the shots and holding sway on behalf of his God (1 Kings 17:1, 2 Kings 1:10). The good news is that we of the new dispensation have a better covenant than that of Elijah, because the Son of God is at the right hand of power backing our decrees up through His intercession on our behalf (Romans 8:34). You must therefore recognize who you are and the power at your disposal. Recognize and believe that the words of Job 22:28 apply to you. Henceforth, live by decrees and dominion, and never allow yourself become a victim of circumstance again. Jesus is Lord!

ACTION POINT:

Make decree in the Name of Jesus against every negative circumstance in your life, your home, your church, your community and your country. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

1. My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Savior divine!

Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my guilt away,

Oh, let me from this day

Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart

Strength to my fainting heart,

My zeal inspire!

As Thou hast died for me,

Oh, may my love to Thee

Pure, warm, and changeless be,

A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,

And griefs around me spread,

Be Thou my guide;

Bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow’s tears away,

Nor let me ever stray

From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,

When death’s cold, sullen stream

Shall o’er me roll;

Blest Savior, then in love,

Fear and distrust remove;

Oh, bear me safe above,

A ransomed soul!

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

DATE: FRIDAY 23RD FEBRUARY 2018

THEME: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 

MEMORISE:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1:17

READ: Exodus 13:20-22

20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

MESSAGE

Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to His disciple a very important aspect of Hs being when He declared Himself as the Light of the world in John 8:12:

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

He followed this up by manifesting this attribute when He performed a creative miracle in order to bring the light into the life of a man who had never been able to see (John 9). Before creating eyes where non existed before, to signify the purpose of what He was about to do, He declared in John 9:5:

 “ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

I pray that any form of darkness engulfing your life will disappear today in Jesus’ Name. You cannot drive away darkness. All you need to do to make darkness disappear is to let in the light. For this reason, I ask you to allow Jesus into every area of your life without exception, because wherever He is, there will be light. If He enters your life today, light has enter into you.

From today’s memory verse, we understand that Jesus is also the Father of lights. It then follows that if Jesus is the Father of lights, He must have children who are lights. Who then are the children of the Father of lights? We Christians are. He revealed our identity to us  in Matthew 5:14, saying:

 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

There is no hiding place for genuine children of Light, because they cannot but function to expose the works of darkness. As lights, we are to guide those who are in darkness out of it (Romans 2:19). As our Lord is the Light of the world, so are we. We must shine on His behalf by exposing the evil of sin and wickedness of the devil and his agents. Doing this will certainly attract persecution and so we must be battle-ready against the kingdom of darkness. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ the Light from whom we obtain our light. Let’s hold on to His message to us in John 15:19: 

“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

This is where the problem lies: children of the Light today are not ready to be hated. They would rather conform to the world instead of using their light to transform the world. God will help you shine brightly as an agent of transformation in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please help me shine for You in the darkness of this world, and according to Your word, don’t let darkness comprehend my light in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 23-24; 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, still I will follow;

Though- none go with me, still I will follow;

Though none go with me, still I will follow;

No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

No turning back, no turning back.