WORLDLINESS DEFINED

DATE: MONDAY 6TH AUGUST 2018

THEME: WORLDLINESS DEFINED.

MEMORISE:

 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. 1 Corinthians 7:3

READ: 1 John 2:15-17 

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

MESSAGE 

Worldliness has been misconstrued by some to mean having the good things of life, such as good cars, comfortable houses, decent clothing and the like. This is not true, because some of the heroes of faith that God loved so much were not only very rich, they also lived a good life. Here is Abraham’s servant’s testimony of Abraham’s status in Genesis 24:35:

“And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.”

The good life Abraham had is evident in the fact that he could afford to entertain three “casual” passersby with a whole calf (Genesis 14:14). In light of these facts, we need to properly define what worldliness is in order to distinguish it from good living. What then is worldliness if it is not synonymous with being wealthy? Today’s memory verse gives us a hint of God’s view on this subject matter. From this verse of scripture we understand that things of this world are meant for our use but not for our abuse. According to today’s Bible reading, simply defined, worldliness is “lust”.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16

From the scripture above, we understand that worldliness is lusting after the following: 

1. Things that are not yours and cannot be yours, but which you still desire by all means, such as another man’s wife.

2. Thing you do not necessarily need but which you still get for the sake of the pride of life. 

3. Things you own that you keep away from those who actually need them.

4. Lack of contentment with what God has made you or given you. For example, a dark person bleaching their skin to become a light person.

Above all, worldliness is denying God what He originally gave you when He demands for it. An example of this is manifested when instead of using the blessing God has deposited in your life for the purpose of propagating the gospel, you choose to keep it away from Him because you need to buy the latest car in town, despite the fact that you already have enough cars to take you around. Learn from Joseph of Arimathaea who selflessly volunteered his own expensive tomb for Jesus’ burial (Matthew 27:57-60). Beloved, a person can be poor and still be worldly if the little he or she has is placed or valued higher than the Almighty God. How highly do you rate your possessions today?

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please keep my heart away from worldliness in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 13-16

Matthew 14:13-33

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 9: THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suff’ring and shame;

And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

o Refrain:

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it someday for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary.

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see,

For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,

To pardon and sanctify me.

4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;

Its shame and reproach gladly bear;

Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,

Where His glory forever I’ll share.

LAUGHTER FROM DIVINE VISITATION II

DATE: SUNDAY 5TH AUGUST 2018

THEME:  LAUGHTER FROM DIVINE VISITATION II

MEMORISE:

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Psalm 126:1

READ: Psalm 126:1-4

1When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.

MESSAGE:

In the course of our reflection yesterday, the Holy Spirit revealed to us some unexpected things that happen when God comes visiting. One outcome of divine visitation is amazing testimonies of sudden turn around, which are so mind-boggling that they lead to laughter. Today’s Bible reading describes this experience. At one of our events, one particular man had a divine visitation and received his own amazing testimony of sudden turn around. This young was born with only one testicle. With the aim of rectifying this problem, his parents took him to a native doctor who ended up destroying the only testicle he had. This ended any possibility of this young man ever having a child of his own. However, God had a plan to bring laughter back to his life. It was the very first programme I held as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at Rowe Park, Lagos Nigeria. In the course of this programme, the young man felt that something sensational was going on between his legs and he checked to see what was happening to him. He discovered that he had received two brand new testicles!  The day he came to visit me in my office after this miracle, he came with his wife and she was pregnant. In his joy and excitement, he said to me, “Sir, do you want me to show you the testicles?” I responded that there was no need for that because I could see the evidence of the new testices on his wife. God will visit you, and creative miracles will be your portion today in Jesus’ Name.

Another of such testimonies is that of a young man brought to my office by one of his friends several years ago. This young man said to me, “Sir, I have a big problem.” We found out that his wife had literarily run mad and was roaming the streets completely naked. It is culturally believed by the Yoruba tribe, which he belongs to, that a mentally unstable person that is still within the house can be cure, but once the spirit of madness takes such a fellow to the market place naked, such a person would remain mad for life. As at the time they came to my office, this woman had been bundled off to an herbal treatment home in Kwara State, Nigeria. I was given the address of the place, and I went there to pray for her. Her husband was informed after I left that I had been there to pray, but he was disappointed that the prayer did not last more than five minutes. “How can a five-minute deal with this serious madness”, they wondered out of doubt. So they took the woman to the psychiatric hospital. As God would have it, the specialist there said to them, “Let us observe her before we know what to do.” After two weeks of observation, they sent for the husband and told him, “Sir, if you say something is wrong with this woman, then something must be wrong with you, because even though we have not given her any medication, this woman is as normal as any normal human being can be.” A divine visitation of less than five minutes brought laughter back to the family of this young man. I decree that in the Name that is above every other name, this month shall be your month of laughter. 

PRAYER POINT:

Father, through your visitation, reverse the irreversible in my life today in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 9-12

Matthew 13:45-14:12

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.

LAUGHTER FROM DIVINE VISITATION I

DATE: SATURDAY 4TH AUGUST 2018

THEME:  LAUGHTER FROM DIVINE VISITATION I

MEMORISE:

And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:8

READ: Genesis 18:1-14

1And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

3 And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

MESSAGE:

There is a link between divine visitation and laughter. When God comes visiting, he ensures He leaves behind something to laugh about before He departs. We see this manifested when Philip the evangelist took the presence of God to Samaria with the preaching of the gospel. The aftermath of this divine visitation was laughter (Acts 8:5-8). Today’s Bible reading also narrates how Abraham invited the presence of God into the tent without even knowing it. Because Abraham was given to hospitality, he was just doing what he knew how to do best. Little did he know that he was entertaining the angels of the Lord! After this visit, he and his wife received something to laugh about. 

When you visit God in His sanctuary, you go home with what your faith can carry. A divine visitation is more awesome than this. During a divine visitation, the Almighty comes to you with His entourage, loaded with blessings, many of which money cannot buy. If God were to judge Sarah by her faith, she would have received nothing from Him. However, as Sarah’s case shows, when God comes visiting, he has already made up His mind to bless you regardless of the level of your faith. Many things happen when you receive an unexpected divine visitation, one of which is that God accepts your offering. When god was passing by Abraham’s tent, Abraham did not even know that it was God coming his way. Nevertheless, he extended an invitation which activated this life-changing visit, which had been preordained by God Himself. It is therefore no surprise that God readily accepted his invitation and also accepted his offerings of food and drink. I pray that God will today accept your invitation of His presence into your life for salvation, healing, breakthrough, joy and great laughter. I also pray that He will accept the offering of your life to Him in Jesus’ Name. when the Shunammite woman invited Elisha into her home, little did she know that she was attracting a divine visitation into her home, little did she know that she was attracting a divine visitation into her life (2 Kings 4:8-17). Because God wanted to bless her, He accepted her invitation to abide under her roof through His prophet. As a result of this, the man of God was moved by God to consider that this woman who had been meeting his needs and those of his servant must also have a need of her own to be met. When he asked what he could do for her, she said she needed nothing. Thank God his servant recognized one need which money could not buy in her life: she had no child and her husband was old. Nine months later, she was carrying her baby. You should learn from this woman’s experience that your need cannot be met unless you realize that you have a need. I pray that the Almighty God will choose your home for His abode today, and this gesture will be a point of contact for meeting your age-long needs in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please visit me today and cause me to laugh in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 5-8

Matthew 13:24-44

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.

DIVINE SET-UP

DATE: FRIDAY 3RD AUGUST 2018

THEME: DIVINE SET-UP.

  

MEMORISE:

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 1 Samuel 10:1 

READ: 1 Samuel 9:15-10:1

15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,

16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?

21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.

23 And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.

24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

25 And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.

26 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on), but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.

10 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

MESSAGE 

The ways of our God are unsearchable and beyond human comprehension (Romans 11:33). You need to understand this if you will not miss out on the good things the Lord has in store for His Children. Using natural methods to search out or predict the plans of God in not just counterproductive, it also leads to frustration. This is why Romans 8:5-6 says:

“5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Anyone who tries to box God into a pattern will definitely miss His visitation when it happens. In Genesis 18:1-6, when the guests from heaven seemed to be passing by Abraham’s tent, little did he know it was a divine set-up for him to be blessed. Thanks be to God that Abraham did not miss his blessing. His gesture of hospitality brought to fulfillment God’s promise which he had waited on for so many years. When the Lord asks you to do something unusual, He is only setting you up for an unusual miracle. In Joshua chapter 2, the visit of the two spies to Rehab was a divine set-up to make her an agent of salvation for her entire household. My prayer is that the grace to do the unusual that will bring the type of miracles nobody has ever experienced before will be given to you today in Jesus’ Name. do you know that God’s commandments on paying tithes, offering and first fruits are nothing but divine set-ups for superabundant blessings? When you get a taste of this, you will testify that the Lord is good indeed. 

Today’s Bible reading narrates the story of divine arrangement in favor of the first king of Israel, Saul. God wanted to anoint him king over Israel, so He caused his father’s donkeys to go missing. This made Saul go searching all over for them, till he got to Samuel the king-maker. Before Saul’s arrival at the place where Samuel was, the Lord had spoken to Samuel about his visit and instructed him to anoint Saul king over Israel. Meanwhile, unknown to Saul, while he and his servants wandered around by divine set-up, the missing donkeys were already found. I pray for you today that the Lord will divinely set you up for promotion and breakthrough in life in Jesus’ Name. Where we cannot see a single way, God can see uncountable ways for carrying out His agenda. When the Lord was leading me to the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1973 in search of peace in my life and home, little did I know it was for the purpose of fulfilling His own agenda for my life. If I had any hint then that I would become a pastor, maybe I would have sought spiritual help somewhere else, where I would not be considered for pastoral work. The Lord’s ways are indeed unsearchable! 

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please cause me to be sensitive to Your set-up for unusual breakthrough in my life, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 1-4

Matthew 13:1-23

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.

ARE YOU IN THE NUMBER

DATE: THURSDAY 2ND AUGUST 2018

THEME: ARE YOU IN THE NUMBER

  

MEMORISE:

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22

READ: Revelation 19:5-9 

5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

MESSAGE 

Based on the erroneous understanding of the scripture in Revelation 7:4, a certain religious group claims that only one hundred and forty-four thousand people will qualify to be in heaven. This cannot be further from the truth because the Bible says in verse nine of the same chapter:

“After this I beheld, and, love, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"

Further, debunking this wrong teaching, Apostle John in today's Bible reading heard the voice of a great multitude shouting Alleluia in worship of the Omnipotent God. They were rejoicing because they were numbered among the participants at the marriage super of the  Lamb. The question for our consideration today is what qualified them to be numbered among these very important guests at the marriage super of the Lamb? The answer to this question is found in Revelation 7:13-14:

“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to shed His blood for the remission of our sins, so that we can qualify as citizens of heaven and be numbered among the saints. What is required of us is to accept the offer of his atonement and live by the articles of the new covenant, which He sealed with His Blood. Doing this will surely attract persecution and tribulation in this world. The challenge with some contemporary Christians is that they don’t want to experience persecution or undergo tribulation for the sake of their faith in Christ. They want the world to accept them, and so they adjust their message to what the world likes. We often forget these words of Jesus in John 15:20c:

“If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

In other words, just as the world did not like the teaching of the Master, they will also not like ours. However, when we introduce gimmicks not found in the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ and His Apostles into our message, the message loses its power. How shall we be numbered among the guest at the marriage super of the Lamb? The answer lies in these words from Acts 14:22: “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” There is no other way.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please grant unto me the grace to endure tribulations.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 8-10

Matthew 12:33-50

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.

KINGS OF THE KING

DATE: WEDNESDAY 1ST AUGUST 2018

THEME: KINGS OF THE KING.

  

MEMORISE:

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9

READ: Daniel 4:28-37

28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

MESSAGE:

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36

It is unfortunate that King Nebuchadnezzar did not know the above scripture; perhaps he would have been spared the agony of experiencing God’s humbling judgment for seven years. While he strolled in his palace on a day like any other, he flippantly attributed his conquests and successes to hi ability, forgetting that there are kings and there is the King of Kings. He did not consider the benevolence of God Almighty in his rise to greatness, and this attitude sent him to God’s school of humility. May you never have to learn humility by passing through this school in Jesus’ Name. As children of God who have been made kings unto God, there are many lessons we should learn from King Nebuchadnezzar. As revealed in today’s memory verse, the reason for our divine election as kings is to show forth the praise of the Almighty  Abba Father, who has called us out of darkness into the marvelous light of His Son, Jesus (Revelation 1:6). We have indeed been made joint-heirs of the throne of our Lord and Savior (Revelation 3:21, Ephesians 2:6). Based on Nebuchadnezzar’s experience, it will be dangerous for us to forget that we are who we are only because of God’s grace. The Holy Spirit reminds us of this in 1 Corinthians 4:7, says:

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

Children of God should be conscious of the fact that we were not redeemed to boast or to please ourselves. Revelations 4:10 reveals that the elders in heaven lay their crowns at God’s feet in worship and adoration; this is exactly what the kings expects from us also. The question is, how seriously do you take the Lordship of Jesus Christ over your life? Christians who live in lawlessness due to unlimited liberty are saying that they have no King above them. Therefore beloved, examine yourself today to see whether you have taken control of your life away from the King of Kings. If you have, quickly return the authority over your life back to Him. Furthermore, do not forget that your crown as a king under the King is called the crown of righteousness; therefore, walk and reign on His behalf in perfection (2 Timothy 4:8).

ACTION POINT:

Confess to the Lord your submission and loyalty to His Lordship over your life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 4-7

Matthew 12:9-32

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

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 pow’r 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.