RELYING ON THE ARM OF FLESH?

DATE: THURSDAY 10TH JANUARY 2019

THEME: RELYING ON THE ARM OF FLESH?

MEMORISE:

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

1 Samuel 17:45

READ: 2 Chronicles 32:1-8

1 After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.

2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,

3 He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him.

4 So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?

5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.

6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,

7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

MESSAGE

The ‘arm of flesh’ refers to efforts that are solely based on the wisdom, ability and strength of man. Unfortunately, the best of such efforts is limited in any venture, because the spiritual controls the physical. In today's Bible reading, it is glaring that Hezekiah knew the limitations of the arm of flesh. Concerning the threats of Sennacherib and his army, he boldly declared in 2 Chronicles 32:7-8:

“Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”

Similar to the scenario that played out between Hezekiah and Sennacherib, today's memory verse tells of an encounter between two individuals who went into battle, one divinely armed and the other relying on the arm of flesh. The one with the arm of God was David. He went into battle with what seemed to be the feeblest weapon of war - a simple sling (catapult). On the other hand, Goliath went into battle with the arm of flesh, trusting in his chain armour, helmet of brass, shield, spear and sword, altogether constituting the most sophisticated weapon of war available at that time. Just like Hezekiah, David was aware of the divine arm backing him up, and he proclaimed the great words in today's memory verse. At the end of their duel, Goliath did not live to tell the story of how, within the twinkle of an eye, a feeble stone won a battle that had simmered for more than forty days. The fate that befell Goliath exemplifies how the arm of flesh can let down those who put their trust in it. Beloved, it is time you stopped trusting in the arm of flesh in the form of godfathers, spirits of divination and witchcraft, riches that can fly away overnight and political power that can slip out of your fingers. Learn from the story of Hezekiah and Sennacherib and the decisive battle that saw the demise of the boastful Sennacherib (2 Chronicles 32:21).

Although the Almighty is a great ally to have, He is also a dangerous enemy to engage in battle. Everyone who lives in sin is at war with Him (Psalm 7:11). Are you one of those who have not decided to be a friend of God? You must have a rethink today and stop trusting in the arm of flesh which can lead to perpetual shame. Jesus is Lord, mighty in battle, and He will fight for you if you will let Him be Lord indeed over your life from today.

ACTION POINT:

If you have been putting your trust in the arm of flesh, perhaps in the form of secret societies you belong to or black magic charms in your possession, renounce them today and surrender to Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Matthew 20-21, Isaiah 8:11-9:7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS

1 My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.

Chorus:

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

3 His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

4 When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found;

In Him, my righteousness, alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

YOU NEED STRATEGIC PLANNING

DATE: WEDNESDAY 9TH JANUARY 2019

THEME: YOU NEED STRATEGIC PLANNING

MEMORISE:

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Luke 14:28

READ: Luke 14:28-32, Nehemiah 1:11-2:8

Luke 14:28-32

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

Nehemiah 1:11-2:8

1:11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

2:1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart.   Then I was very sore afraid,

3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;

8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

MESSAGE

Many people do not realise that the Almighty God is a strategist and a God of order. This divine character is evident in the story of creation itself. The orderliness and sequence of the project of creation can only have come from the mind of a master strategist. The light came first, then the firmament, then the gathering together of the waters and the appearance of dry land, followed by the vegetation upon which the animals would feed, before the animals themselves were created (Genesis 1:1-13). Everything was in place before man was created. What a wonderful God we serve! No wonder the Psalmist in Psalm 53:1b says:

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

In today's memory verse, the Lord Jesus Christ shared with us the divine wisdom embedded in strategic planning. It takes strategic planning for anyone to succeed in life, and the good news is that the greatest strategist is our Father in heaven. The ability to strategise wisely is therefore available to us when we give our lives to God through Jesus Christ. Irrespective of how disjointed you may appear to be as a person, as a born-again Christian, you are a partaker of the divine nature of God, and so you are a strategic planner by nature (2 Peter 1:4). You need to understand this truth and begin to apply it to your reality.

Nehemiah was one strategic builder. Through strategic planning, he was able to do what seemed humanly impossible. Though very passionate and driven about his mission to rebuild the house of God and the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was not presumptuous in his zeal. His strategy was built on the foundation of first seeking divine guidance through prayer and fasting (Nehemiah 1:4). Some children of God, maybe due to unrealised hidden pride, would not pray like Nehemiah did to find mercy in the sight of the king (Nehemiah 1:11). To succeed in life, we need the favour of God to be manifested in the attitude of men towards us. No wonder Luke 2:52 says:

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

The good news is that even though human beings are complex and unpredictable, they are still under the control of their Maker. Establishing this truth in Proverbs 21:1, the Holy Spirit says:

“The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water:  he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

Nehemiah strategically presented his case before the king, and because he had presented his case to the Lord before going to the king, he got what he wanted: leave of absence, authority to build, the materials for the project and security in the course of building. The project would have ended in failure if any of these variables was missing. Beloved, be strategic in the planning of your life under the guidance of the Holy Trinity.

ACTION POINT:

Strategically plan how you will achieve your vision and objectives for this year.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Matthew 18-19, Isaiah 7:10-8:10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: 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

Chorus:

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 nor a fear

Not a sigh nor 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 nor a loss,

Not a frown nor a cross,

But is blest 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 favour He shows,

And 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.

WALKING WITH GOD

DATE: TUESDAY 8TH JANUARY 2019

THEME: WALKING WITH GOD

MEMORISE:

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24

READ: Psalm 24:3-4, Galatians 2:20-21

Psalm 24:3-4

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Galatians 2:20-21

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

MESSAGE

One of the original plans of God for man is for man to continually have fellowship with Him. This is the reason why He created man to be like Himself. Genesis 1:26 says:

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

The Bible further reveals in the second and third chapters of Genesis that after creating man, God fellowshipped with Him until this divine relationship was bungled through sin. Genesis 3:8 says:

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”

From this verse of scripture, it is evident that God came down to take a walk with His beloved image carriers, but sin came and destroyed their fellowship. The interesting thing is that God is still interested in walking with as many as would determine in their hearts to pay the price of godly living, just like He did with Enoch (Genesis 5:24).

So, how can we walk with God? The answer lies in the instruction that God gave Abraham in Genesis 17:1:

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”

We see from this verse that it was God Himself who appeared to Abraham. In other words, we cannot discover God by our personal efforts. You cannot search for the Almighty God through religion; you only discover Him when He reveals Himself to you (Matthew 11:27, John 6:44, John 15:16). Another lesson is that living a holy life can never be compromised as the condition for walking with God. Immediately God made Himself known to Abraham, He declared holiness as the term on which they could walk together. This is why I am so addicted to the teaching of holiness. Under the New Testament, to walk with God as a Christian requires experiencing what Paul describes in today's Bible reading, wherein you must allow your old Adamic nature to die on the cross of Jesus Christ. That disobedient heart that yearns for its own way, influenced by the old serpent, must be circumcised to bleed to death while you are infused with the new life that flows in the Blood of Jesus Christ. Then and only then can you have a blessed and successful walk with our Maker.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please empower me not to frustrate the grace of your divine righteousness that came through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Matthew 16-17, Isaiah 6:8-7:9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS FOR THE CLEANSING POW’R

1 Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

  

Chorus:

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2 Are you walking daily by the Saviour’s side?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

3 When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white!

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Will your soul be ready for His presence bright,

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

4 Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;

There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,

O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

LESSONS FROM THE FIG TREE II

DATE: MONDAY 7TH JANUARY 2019

THEME: LESSONS FROM THE FIG TREE II

MEMORISE:

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Acts 5:3

READ: Luke 13:6-9, Acts 4:36-Acts 5:5

Luke 13:6-9

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Acts 4:36-Acts 5:5

4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles' feet.

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?  and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

MESSAGE

Just as the Lord Jesus Christ cursed the fruitless fig tree in our lesson yesterday, we see a similar scenario playing out in today's Bible reading. These two examples are indicative of heaven's standpoint of zero tolerance for fruitlessness. This principle is laid bare by the Master Himself in John 15:2, where He says:

“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

Heaven values fruitfulness and would rather preserve and purge a fruitful tree to make it bring forth more fruits. On the other hand, every unfruitful tree stands the risk of being uprooted and done away with.

In continuation of the subject matter studied yesterday, we must never loose sight of the lesson learnt not to lead a fake life. Acts 5:1-5 tells of a  man in the early Church who attracted capital punishment to himself by living a pretentious life. One thing we learn from the story of Ananias and Sapphira is that the lie they told was unnecessary. This fact was buttressed by Peter's question to Ananias in Acts 5:4, saying: 

“Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”

In other words, "Ananias, why should you lie to the Holy Spirit who knows everything? The land belonged to you. If you gave 50% and chose to keep the remaining 50% for your personal use, nobody would query you for doing so." The problem with Ananias and Sapphira was that they wanted to be recognised to have a virtue they did not actually possess. Prior to their unfortunate act, Joses Barnabas had sold his land, brought the total proceeds and had been commended by the apostles. He was even given a nickname: "The Son of Consolation". Ananias and Sapphira wanted to receive the same level of commendation but they could not do what Barnabas did, and so they lied to earn it. Romans 12:3 says:

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

You must therefore learn from the fig tree and from Ananias and Sapphira that living a fake life can only earn you a bad reputation, shame  and untimely death. This will not be your portion in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please cause me to be fruitful in Jesus' Name. Please remove vanity from my heart and don't let me die before my time.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Matthew 14-15, Isaiah 5:24-6:7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU

1. While passing thro' this world of sin,

and others your life shall view,

Be clean and pure without, within;

Let others see Jesus in you.

Chorus:

Let others see Jesus in you,

Let others see Jesus in you.

Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;

Let others see Jesus in you.

2. Your life's a book before their eyes,

They're reading it thro' and thro'

Say, does it point them to the skis,

Do others see Jesus in you?

3. Then live for Christ both day and night,

Be faithful, be brave and true,

and lead the lost to life and Christ.

Let others see Jesus in you.

LESSONS FROM THE SOWER I

DATE: THURSDAY 3RD JANUARY 2019

THEME: LESSONS FROM THE SOWER I

MEMORISE:

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

READ: Matthew 13:1-9

1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns;  and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

MESSAGE

If you have heard or read the Parable of the Sower as told by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, you must have learnt some lessons from it. However, if the Lord tarries, the Holy Spirit will be teaching us some more lessons from the parable over the next few days. The first lesson is that the sower was not prudent enough in the business of sowing. He sowed carelessly and in so doing, wasted a lot of good seed on inappropriate ground. This situation applies to the lives of many people who waste their energy and resources on unprofitable ventures because they are not wise enough to identify the appropriate business, places and people to invest in. It is unimaginable but true that some people sentimentally site their bakery in a village of less than a hundred inhabitants. Among such inhabitants, hardly would twenty people buy a loaf of bread in three days because not only are they used to their local foods, they are also not rich enough to afford a loaf of bread. The story was told of a poor fellow who was very loyal to his king's business. Whenever the  king called for volunteers to work on his farmland, this fellow was the first to show up and the last to leave; he was indeed very hardworking and dedicated. One day, the King decided to help him out of his poverty. He disguised a huge some of money in a big loaf of bread and gave it to him. "Take this bread home and let me see how it will transform your life for the better," said the king. Incidentally, the value of the bread was enough to pay for the food that the poor man could eat for five days. To the disappointment of the king, the poor man sold the loaf of bread, not knowing what was in it, and that was how he lost the fortune of a lifetime.

Some ventures are like sowing among thorns or on stony ground. Initially, such ventures may appear as though they have prospects, only for diminishing returns to set in later. It is one thing to be hardworking and another thing to work wisely. It is one thing to keep busy and another thing to be busy doing something profitable. Even as minister of the gospel, you need God's wisdom in the business of Church planting. It is counterproductive to build a three thousand-seater capacity auditorium in a community of 500 people. It is true that the souls of men are more valuable than money and that those souls in the village are not inferior to the souls in the city, but wisdom dictates that a congregation cannot grow beyond the number of people living in the community where it is located. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit inspired the words of today's memory verse. Wisdom enables the soul-winner to engage in profitable methods of evangelism and church-planting. Praying for a miracle of any kind for an unrepentant sinner, apart from the miracle of salvation, may be equivalent to sowing by the roadside. I pray that the wisdom you need to experience breakthroughs in all dimensions of life will be given to you in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, I ask for wisdom that is rooted in Your word for all aspects of my life in Jesus' Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Matthew 6-8, Isaiah 2:6-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: 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

Chorus:

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 nor a fear

Not a sigh nor 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 nor a loss,

Not a frown nor a cross,

But is blest 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 favour He shows,

And 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.

A CHILD OF ISSACHAR?

DATE: WEDNESDAY 2ND JANUARY 2019

THEME: A CHILD OF ISSACHAR?

MEMORISE:

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

1 John 5:20

READ: 1 Chronicles 12:32

And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

MESSAGE

As we start another year, it is pertinent for us to have an understanding of the times we live in, in order for us to succeed. The good thing about understanding is that it belongs to God (Psalm 147:5). Today's memory verse reveals that one of the reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ came to this world is to give us understanding. How then do we gain access to the understanding that has been freely given to us? Psalm 119:98-100 says:

“Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.”

From this scripture, it is glaring that we need to meditate on the word of God this year if we will walk in the understanding that comes from heaven. No wonder God told Joshua that in order for him to succeed, the Book of the law should not depart from his mouth; rather, he should meditate on it day and night (Joshua 1:8).

The children of Issachar were men who understood the times they lived in. Now, more than ever before, this is an attribute that every child of God should possess, especially in these end times. We thank God we have the Bible available in all kinds of languages and media. It is our sure aid for understanding the signs of this dispensation. In it, the Holy Spirit warns us of the nature of the end times, saying in 1 Timothy 4:1-2:

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”

Beloved, to speak lies is evil enough, but to add the character of hypocrisy to the speaking of lies is a double tragedy. Our Lord Jesus Christ also said in Matthew 24:24:

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

In order not to be deceived by the different schemes being propagated by the devil in the  world today, the elect of God by grace must have an understanding of the times they live in just like the children of Issachar. As a new year begins, many prophecies, predictions and projections will be given by different types of characters. As a child of God with understanding, you must be very careful not to be receptive to them all. Anchor your expectations on the revealed truth in the Bible, and you will live a life of freedom and good success in this new year. May the Lord continually be with you in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me the understanding I need to succeed this year in Jesus' Name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Matthew 4-5, Isaiah 1:18-2:5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: 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 O let me feel Thee near me, 

The world is ever near; 

I see the sights that dazzle, 

The tempting sounds I hear; 

My foes are ever near me, 

Around me and within; 

But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer, 

And shield my soul from sin. 

3 Oh let me hear Thee speaking 

In accents clear and still, 

Above the storms of passion, 

The murmurs of self-will; 

Oh speak to reassure me, 

To hasten or control; 

O speak, and make me listen, 

Thou Guardian of my soul.

4 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; 

O give me grace to follow, 

My Master and my Friend.

5 Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,

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 to rest receive me,

My Saviour and my Friend.