WHAT A GREAT FATHER HE IS!

DATE: SUNDAY 11TH NOVEMBER 2018

THEME: WHAT A GREAT FATHER HE IS!

MEMORISE:

The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. Psalm 146:9

READ: Psalm 68:4-10

4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.   

7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness;

8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.

MESSAGE

The God that we serve is a Father who is always present and is ever ready to help. He is full of love, compassion and mercy for all of His children, and He gives each one of them uninterrupted attention. As the Almighty Father, He is capable of giving us everything that we can ever need. He knows His children even more than they even know themselves - He knows their tomorrow and every single detail about them even before they were born.

No matter how great and good an earthly father is, he will still fall short and fail in some aspects of his children's wellbeing. An earthly father cannot boast of being with his children always. An earthly father cannot boast of knowing his children so well that he knows how to comfort  them at all times. Even when he says he is capable of giving his children everything they ask for, he cannot give then good health, retentive memory, safe journey, and other things that money can't buy. Our heavenly Father is the perfect Father to the fatherless, and He is a Father that other fathers run to in times of trouble. His love for His children immeasurably surpasses the love that an earthly father has for his children. Some people frown when they hear me call God my Daddy. Well, I don't know about you, but this God is my Daddy. He has shown so much care to me ever since I met Him that I cannot but see Him as my Daddy. He understands me, comforts me, protects me, heals me, corrects me, helps me and carries me. If God has been all these to you, I want you to take a moment, look up to heaven and just say, "Daddy I love You."

Have you been fatherless? Have you been lonely? Has your earthly father been distant and cold? Then you need to experience the loving kindness of Abba Father. To belong to Him, you need to be reborn by Him. His love is enough to wrap you in warmth for evermore. To enter into this special relationship with Him, confess these words:

_Dear God, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived. Lord, I want to start afresh; come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. Make me a new creature in You. Thank You Abba Father for saving me._

After making these confessions in faith, you now need to find a Bible-believing church to attend so that you can build the relationship that has just begun between you and this Great Father.

KEY POINT:

God says to you today, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3). 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Lamentation 1-2, Luke 20:1-26

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

1. The Great Physician now is near,

The sympathizing Jesus;

He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,

Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!

Chorus:

Sweetest note in seraph song,

Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;

Sweetest carol ever sung,

Jesus, blessed Jesus.

2. Your many sins are all forgiv’n,

Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;

Go on your way in peace to heav’n,

And wear a crown with Jesus.

3. All glory to the dying Lamb!

I now believe in Jesus;

I love the blessed Saviour’s Name,

I love the Name of Jesus.

4. His Name dispels my guilt and fear,

No other name but Jesus;

Oh, how my soul delights to hear

The precious Name of Jesus!

KEEP YOUR DREAMS ALIVE

DATE: THURSDAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2018

THEME: KEEP YOUR DREAMS ALIVE

MEMORISE:

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

READ: Habakkuk 2:1-3

1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:  though it tarry, wait for it;  because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

MESSAGE

Every child of God is created to be great. Jesus, the forerunner of our faith and who our life is modeled after, was Himself great. Angel Gabriel spoke these prophetic words about Him in Luke 1:32:

“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:”

Although, you might not feel like you are a great person in your present condition, do not lose sight of who you are. Irrespective of your current condition, God has promised to bring you to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). In other words, He will bring you to a place you have always dreamed of getting to. For this reason, you need to have a dream of what you want your future to look like. You must have dreams, ambitions, hopes and desire to do great things. The good news is that if your dreams are from God, they with surely come to pass if you don't give up on them.

How does a dream possess a man's heart? The seeds of dreams are planted in a man's heart by God Himself. Your dream must be given to you by God for it to stand the test of time. God is the Alpha and Omega who sees the end of a thing from its beginning. He knows your future, and He knows what your capabilities are. If anyone can give you a dream that will come to pass, it is your heavenly Father. Joseph's dreams were given to him by God, and they came to pass despite all the opposing circumstances he went through (Genesis 39-41). To receive a dream from God, let your mind be flooded with holy and righteous thoughts, so that it becomes very easy to hear and see what God has in store for you (Philippians 4:8). You also have to fertilize and water your dreams by being persistent in prayers for their fulfillment. Furthermore, you have to work hard for your dreams to come to pass. Joseph was never idle. When he was in Potiphar's house, he was so hard working that his master left the affairs of his entire household in his hands. Even when he was in prison, he maintained a good relationship with the other inmates and was known for interpreting dreams accurately. You can't be idle and expect your dreams to come to pass. If you expect that somehow your dreams will come to pass by prayers only, you are just joking. You have to work hard at it. Even if what you find yourself doing right now seems not to have any relevance to the attainment of your dreams, still do it diligently. Peter was a diligent fisherman, doing his job when he was linked to the fulfillment of his destiny (Matthew 4:18-19). Finally, you have to wait for your dreams to come true. No matter the situation, you are never to lose sight of the fact that your dreams will come to pass. Even when it seems like everything is working against the fulfillment of your dreams, hold on to that vision, for it will come to pass.

ACTION POINT:

Keep your dreams alive at all cost, and in due season they will become reality. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Jeremiah 50

Luke 18:18-43

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour 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 Saviour, then in love,

Fear and distrust remove;

Oh, bear me safe above,

A ransomed soul!

ARE YOU AN UNFRIENDLY FRIEND?

DATE: WEDNESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER 2018

THEME: ARE YOU AN UNFRIENDLY FRIEND?

MEMORISE:

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6

READ: Psalm 41:7-13

7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

10 But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.

11 By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.

13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting.   Amen, and Amen.

MESSAGE

In today’s world of social media, the real meaning of friendship is fast fading away. It is becoming more frightening to claim to have friends these days because there are so many deceitful friends out there. The magnitude of this problem increases greatly when people have something to gain from their association with you. Are you one of such unfriendly friends? Is your friendship with people built around the furtherance of your interests? Before you begin to identify those who claim to be your friends but are not really so, ask yourself if you are truly friendly. The wisdom of God in Proverbs 18:24 says:

“A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

One cannot but be amazed by the lamentation of the Psalmist in Psalm 41:9, where he said:

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

These words perfectly describe the typical character of an unfriendly friend. More often than not, they are very close to their victims. This makes one wonder if they deliberately got close to their victim in order to wreak their havoc. If that is the case, should we not avoid having close friend or any friend at all? I don't think so; we only need to be prudent in our choice of close friends. An example of Jesus' choice of associate should help us here. While there were multitudes of followers, He had seventy disciples (Luke 10:1). Among the seventy, He had his core of twelve disciples, and within the twelve, He had three close friends (Mark 3:14, Mark 9:2). Finally, amongst the three, He had one beloved (John 19:26). Note that Judas Iscariot was numbered among Christ's close friends, so that His destiny as our Redeemer might be fulfilled according to the pattern indicated by scriptures (John 13:17-21).

We need to have friends, but the challenge is how to identify good ones. There is one antidote against choosing enemies as friends, which is prayer. God knows the hearts of men, and only He can shield us from treacherous friends. Also, the law of harvest applies in friendship. The Lord said you should do unto others what you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31). If you are an unfaithful friend, some other people will also be unfaithful to you. Friendship always come with a price tag; therefore, for those you cannot relate with as friends, I recommend that you relate with them as brethren and co-pilgrims on the way to heaven, doing only that which is needful to help and assist them as God gives you strength.

ACTION POINT:

If you have hurt anyone by taking undue advantage of their friendship with you, repent and make appropriate restitution. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Jeremiah 49

Luke 18:1-17

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.

Chorus:

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.

THE FIELDS ARE RIPE FOR HARVEST

DATE: TUESDAY 6TH NOVEMBER 2018

THEME: THE FIELDS ARE RIPE FOR HARVEST

MEMORISE:

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.  John 4:35

READ: John 4:34-38

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

MESSAGE

In preparation for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, your involvement in soul-winning is an indicator that shows how big your dream of heaven is. Anyone who has a big dream of the second coming will do everything within his or her power to ensure that not only is the gospel preached all over the world, but also that souls are won in multitudes to the kingdom of God. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus said:

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

In other words, our dream of a new heaven and a new earth cannot be realized until we have preached the gospel all over the world. It is therefore incumbent on us to pursue the actualization of our dream of the coming kingdom through aggressive evangelism, missionary works and soul-winning.

No matter how much we discuss and study the second coming of Christ, it is of no use if we do not do what will bring the kingdom of God back to the earth. The task ahead of us is very simple if we really want to be true to our Master. He has assigned the easier part of the assignment to us, which is reaping the harvest of fields we did not cultivate, and receiving the accompanying wages. John 4:36 & 38 says:

“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”

Others, like the early apostles of Jesus Christ, have labored in the fields, expecting that we as reapers will bring in the harvest in the last days. The work ahead of us is easier than ever before; all we need to do is to make ourselves available for the ready-made harvest of souls all over the world. Romans 8:19 says:

“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”

The world is waiting for us; if we do not fulfill our assignment as reapers, the harvest will be wasted. However, if we put in our sickles as commanded, we and the souls rescued from eternal damnation will be happy. If we choose to be complacent in soul winning, our Lord’s return will be delayed, and this would prolong our suffering in this world (Romans 8:23). Therefore, put in your sickle today.

ACTION POINT:

Determine to reap the already white harvest around you, and make disciples of your neighbors who are earnestly seeking God’s deliverance.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Jeremiah 46-48

Luke 17:11-37

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;

Tell it to me again;

Wonderful story of love;

Wake the immortal strain!

Angels with rapture announce it,

Shepherds with wonder receive it;

Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?

Wonderful story of love.

Chorus:

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;

Though you are far away;

Wonderful story of love;

Still He doth call today;

Calling from Calvary’s mountain,

Down from the crystal-bright fountain,

E’en from the dawn of creation,

Wonderful story of love.

3. Wonderful story of love;

Jesus provides a rest;

Wonderful story of love;

For all the pure and blest,

Rest in those mansions above us,

With those who’ve gone on before us,

Singing the rapturous chorus,

Wonderful story of love.

ARE YOU A WORTHY ASSOCIATE?

DATE: SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER 2018

THEME: ARE YOU A WORTHY ASSOCIATE?

MEMORISE:

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach. Mark 3:14

READ: John 15:10-16

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants;  for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

MESSAGE

A great number of people fail to realize that a tree does make a forest, and so they despise the blessings that come with having associates in their lives. God did not design man to attain his full potential as a lone ranger. Genesis 2:18 says:

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

We should however note that the associates we let into our lives must be worthy ones, and unfortunately, the problem of many leaders today is that they are short of worthy associates. For this reason, their organizations don't grow to their full potential. Abraham, the father of faith, had worthy associates who were ready to go to war with him when the need arose (Genesis 14:24). Genesis 14:13 says:

“And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.”

I pray that the Lord will give you worthy associates in Jesus' Name.

Even our Lord needed worthy associates when He was here on earth. The purpose of these associates was first and foremost, to be with Him, and secondly, to send them on assignments that would lead to the fulfillment of His mission here on earth. Mark 3:14 says:

“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach”

Today, I prophesy into your life that worthy associates, whether in business, marriage or ministry will come your way in Jesus' Name. Just as the Lord chose the twelve disciples, He has also chosen us to be His worthy associates and we must be worthy ones indeed. He said to us in John 15:16a:

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:”

We must therefore bear the fruit of the Spirit, so that our Father in heaven may be glorified (Galatians 5:22-25). We must also bear the fruit of souls into God's Kingdom. When we do this, we will have our bountiful rewards, which include express answers to our prayers, and this alone is worth more than silver or gold. May God make you a worthy associate of His Son in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please make me a worthy associate of Jesus Christ through the fruits I bear from today onward in Jesus' Name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Jeremiah 37-39

Luke 15:11-32

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS

1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!

Ye soldiers of the Cross;

Lift high His royal banner,

It must not suffer loss.

From vict'ry unto vict'ry

His army shall He lead,

Till every foe is vanquished

And Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!

The trumpet call obey;

Forth to the mighty conflict

In this His glorious day!

Ye that are men, now serve Him

Against unnumbered foes;

Let courage rise with danger,

And strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!

Stand in His strength alone:

The arm of flesh will fail you;

Ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the Gospel armour,

And watching unto prayer,

Where duty calls, or danger,

Be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!

The strife will not be long;

This day the noise of battle,

The next the victor's song

To him that overcometh

A crown of life shall be;

He, with the King of Glory

Shall reign eternally.

YOU NEED A COUNSELLOR

DATE: FRIDAY 2ND NOVEMBER 2018

THEME: YOU NEED A COUNSELLOR

MEMORISE:

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.  Proverbs 11:14

READ: Isaiah 9:2-7

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder:  and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

MESSAGE

Some Christians feel that they have outgrown the need for counselors in their lives, but nothing could be further from the truth. The unfortunate thing is that such Christians who erroneously think this way gradually graduate to the level of believing that they can also live their Christian lives in isolation. The resultant effect of this is that they stop fellowshipping with other believers, contrary to our Lord's injunction in Hebrews 10:25, which says:

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Every one of us will always need a counselor at one point in time or the other till we see Jesus in glory (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). I recall the story of the first dump truck we bought at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria. It was a result of the wise counsel I got from our Camp Manager. We had received some money that looked substantial to me, and I felt we should go ahead to execute some of our building projects. As I was contemplating on the next project to embark on, the Lord spoke to me, instructing me to seek counsel from our Camp Manager. When my Commander-in-Chief speaks, I don't waste time in carrying out His bidding. I got to the Camp Manager, and contrary to what I had in mind, he recommended that we should buy a dump truck for transporting sand from the quarry, where we could buy sand for construction at a cheaper price, instead of purchasing from resellers at exorbitant rate as we had been doing. He was of the opinion that we would need a lot of sand for the projects at hand, and having our own truck for getting sand at a cheap price would reduce the cost of these building projects substantially. That was how we got the dump truck, and this opened our eyes to other opportunities that further reduced the cost of our construction projects drastically.

Isaiah 9:2 says that the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light, and those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death have received the light of life. How did this happen? The Holy Spirit answers this in Isaiah 9:6, saying:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Jesus is the Counselor of counselors. How yielded are you to the counsel He gives you through His word, through the voice of His Spirit inside you, and through the people He has placed around you? If you do not receive His counsel, His gentle Spirit will not force you, but you will bear the consequences that follow.

PRAYER POINT:

Gentle Holy Spirit, I acknowledge Your knowledge is beyond mine; I therefore yield to Your counsel in all my ways. Please lead me to the place of heaven’s rest in Jesus Christ. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Jeremiah 35-36, 

Luke 14:25-15:10

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.

Chorus:

I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee,

Every hour I need Thee;

Oh bless me now, my Saviour;

I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour;

Stay Thou near by;

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 fulfil.

5. I need Thee every hour,

Most Holy One;

O make me Thine indeed,

Thou blessed Son.