JESUS : THE WISDOM OF GOD

TUESDAY 21st APRIL 2015

JESUS : THE WISDOM OF GOD.

Memorise:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 1 Corinthians 1:23

Read: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:21-24

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Judges 3:7-4:24 and Mathew 24:36-25:13

Message:

When wise men from the East discovered the phenomenon that indicated the birth of Jesus, they abandoned everything they were doing and commenced an immediate search for Him ( Mathew 2:1-2). These were noble men who were feared and highly respected. They were of the priestly caste, and they were spiritual counsellors to the kings of their time. Yet, on hearing of the birth of Jesus, they decided to abandon their own wisdom and search for the superior wisdom of God manifested as Jesus. This is why I pity those who know the truth but allow foolishness to keep them in darkness. Romans 1:28 says this about such people: 

'And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;' 

For this reason, everyone who comes into this world must make a decision to submit to the superiority of God's wisdom which is personified by Jesus. To benefit maximally from this life, you must accept Jesus Christ as your Lord. He is willing to give you divine wisdom concerning all issues of life. He is ready to guide you into greatness. Don't allow the devil to keep you in the foolishness of self-government. If you do, you will experience great loss and destruction especially in the world to come.

After a branch is severed from a tree, its leaves will still remain green, but it is only a matter of time before they wither and die. Is someone asking you to embrace the wisdom of the world? Is anyone asking you to forsake the congregation of the righteous? Are you been lured by religious sects with a promise that you will be free? You are only about to lose your freedom if you subscribe to such lies. It is only in Jesus Christ you can experience the true wisdom that brings freedom. If there is any place to search for wisdom, it is in Christ alone, because all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him ( Colossians 2:3 ). The wisdom of God is like light that repels darkness on its arrival. When this wisdom comes into your life, every reproach automatically gives way. As a child of God, you must allow wisdom to control all that you do. When it appears things are not moving in the direction you expect, don't try to ' help' God; there is nothing beyond His wisdom. Don't accept the alternatives of the devil, and don't subscribe to the suggestions of men. The wisdom of God is the greatest of all wisdom.

Action Point:

Are you perplexed by any situation? Look to Jesus and ask God for wisdom on how to handle it.'

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH

MONDAY 20th APRIL 2015

THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH

Memorise:

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

Read: Matthew 6:9-10

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Judges 1:1-3:6 and Matthew 24:15-35

Message

The nature of our expectations from God directly depends on His promises to us. Some promises of God may sound incredible, but He is always committed to bringing them to pass. If your expectation does not agree with His promises, you may forfeit its fulfilment. Our God is good and gracious. He does many things to prove His divine power. There are times when God unravels some mysteries to make us believe and know absolutely that His plan and purpose for us cannot be compared to our current struggles and toils. This is why every child of God must pray the kingdom of God into their life (Matthew 6:10). When you make such prayers, you are saying to God: “Let there be no difference between your promises for me and the situation of my life.”

God has special and specific promises for the righteous alone. These promises are great, and they transcend the condition of any national economy. Righteousness is the only key that ensures the enjoyment of God’s blessings in this world, with the guarantee of making heaven. When the kingdom of God comes and His will is done on earth, then there will be no defeat, failure, sickness, lack, regret or hopelessness. The scripture does not say that the will of God will be done for everybody. It says it will be well with the righteous (Isaiah 3:10). That is to say, only those who are doing the will and the pleasures of God will enjoy His blessings.

“Thy Kingdom come” is a desperate call by someone in need of change. It is a cry for hope in the midst of hopelessness, a cry for healing in the midst of sicknesses and a cry for deliverance in the midst of bondage. It is a deep cry seeking for the intervention of Heaven when earth has failed. Have you been in the bondage of debt for some time? That shame is removed now in Jesus’ Name. Do you know that your time of favour is coming? It is just around the corner. God will remember you and make you overtake those who have earlier gone ahead of you. Once you forsake the government of self and that of the devil; God will begin to administer the affairs of your life. You will then realise that there is no challenge or difficulty too great or too bad for God to fix. As you thirst after His Kingdom, He gives you permanent victory and your life begins to reflect His original plans and purpose in every area. God’s power is supreme. His power cannot be compared or equated with any other power. That is why I am sure that every power working against the fulfilment of God’s will in your life here on earth shall be consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit.  

Prayer Point:

Father, let your kingdom come in my life, and let your will be done in all of my ways.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

BACK TO YOUR VOMIT?

SUNDAY 19th APRIL 2015

BACK TO YOUR VOMIT? 

Memorise:

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62

Read: 2nd Peter 2:20-22

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Joshua 23-24 and Matthew 23:29-24:14

Message:

Often, we find someone who starts off very well in the Christian race and then cools off later. Sometimes, some people who used to be very hot for the Lord may even leave the Lord completely. When such things happen, thoughtful minds wonder, “Who will be the next to leave the Lord?” invariably, the answer is “Not me!” We are all kept standing by the grace and strength of the Lord. Another word for going back to your vomit is backsliding. It means to turn away from the Lord (1st Kings 11:9). It also means to grow cold and leave your first love (Revelations 2:4). When a person returns to his vomit, there will be a loss of joy, happiness, peace of mind and power. Darkness and murmuring will replace light and songs of praise. That will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. When I was meditating on Elisha’s decisions to kill off his oxen, I realised that he did this to demonstrate the burning of the bridge that could lead him back to his vomit (1st Kings 19:21). The one who is going to become great must make up his or her mind never to look back. Whatever will not let you follow Jesus through and through will be destroyed in Jesus’ Name. I am never sympathetic to anything that could stop me from becoming what God wants me to become. Whatever will not let you ascend to the greatness that God has for you must give way. Any friendship with the world or association with anyone that will impede your progress to the place of greatness must be removed.

The past is gone, and the present must be faced with proper zeal and commitment. Anyone driving a car cannot afford to concentrate on the rear mirror if they want to avoid catastrophe and disaster. This is why Paul said that he forgets those things that are behind (Philippians 3:13). There are many reasons why some people go back to their vomit. The major reasons why Lot went back to his vomit was because he lusted after something that was not God’s will for him. The love of money has made many people sell their future. This was the case with Judas Iscariot (John 12:4-6). You cannot serve God and please the world at the same time. When you find someone who has always been fervent in the things of God now giving excuses for being absent from church programmes, it is only a matter of time; the person will soon return to his or her vomit. If you find yourself in such a situation, God is saying to you like the prodigal son, return and be forgiven. God does not want any sinner to die in his sins; neither does He want His children to be at the mercy of the devil. It doesn’t matter how far down you have gone; He is ready to make you a better child of His.  

Action Point:

Examine yourself; if you have backslidden in any way, repent and return to your first works.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

GIVE WISELY

SATURDAY 18th APRIL 2015

GIVE WISELY 

Memorise:

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. Proverbs 11:25

Read: Genesis 23:12-14

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Joshua 22 and Matthew 23:1-28

Message:

There are certain things people don’t know about sowing and reaping. This lack of knowledge has denied some people their harvest. There is a need therefore to always ask God for the wisdom of sow and reap rightly in every area of life. It is one thing to know what to sow and it is another thing to know how to sow it. Of importance also is the need to know where to sow and how to water what has been sown to produce the desired harvest. Ask any farmer who understands natural farming principles, he will tell you that reaping a good harvest is usually a walk in the park once the correct principles are followed. There are people who will sow today and want to reap today. According to Scripture, such an expectation is not applicable to great harvests. There was a time I was sowing a particular item into the life of people and I was worried because the harvest was taking time. I therefore asked God what was happening and He said “Son, if you plant maize, you can harvest it within three months, but if you plant yam, you will have to wait a little longer.” The greater the quality of seed sown, the longer you will have to wait to enter into your harvest.

Entering into your ultimate financial breakthrough may not come as easily as you think. It may involve sowing at a time most inconvenient; it may even involve seemingly endangering your today and tomorrow through a selfless seed. I have discovered that it is not poverty that stops some people from giving but their unwillingness to give. The good news for those who sow in tears is that they will always reap in joy. Many people have lost their harvest because of impatience. If you have sown quality seeds, give them enough time to mature so that you can enter into your desired harvest. Also, it is important for you to know that God does not expect you to meet every need out there. You have to be sensitive to locate the grounds that will give you your desired results. The ability to offer something big is a choice. Stop limiting yourself. When God has brought you ton a level where you can give a =N=10,000 offering and you are dropping =N=1,000, what you are indirectly telling God is that you don’t deserve to be on the level He has placed you. Don’t demote yourself by your attitude to giving to kingdom projects. Do you complain that you cannot give because you are poor? That is the excuse the devil uses to deny many from entering into their breakthrough. You may not sow money all the time, but you can offer your commitment to the work on ground. All those volunteered their services at no cost towards various projects at the Redemption Campground have been mightily blessed of the Lord. All the artisans who had only their skills to sow at that time have now become channels of blessings to others.

Key Point:

Whatever you sow may leave your hand, but it cannot leave your life.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

KEEP YOURSELF HUMBLE

FRIDAY 17th APRIL 2015

KEEP YOURSELF HUMBLE 

Memorise: 

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 1st Peter 5:6

Read: 1st Samuel 15:17-19, 

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Joshua 19:40-21:45 and Matthew 22:15-46

Message:

Several years ago, I was on a visit to a parish of our church in Ilesha (a town in southwest Nigeria) on the same day that a Bible Study service was to take place. Because I wanted to be blessed, I sat down in the congregation waiting for the Bible Study teacher to commence the lesson for the day. However, an overzealous usher announced that I was around, and so the Bible Study teacher refused to teach while I was sitting in the congregation. When he insisted, I offered to interpret the message for him. In spite of this, he still would not teach. I then ordered, “As the General Overseer, I command you to teach.” Not wanting to disobey me, he started teaching, though he was uncomfortable having me as his interpreter. It was a humorous scene, but we had a wonderful time.

One great undoing of present-day minister is pride. Humility can be discerned from your relationship with your superiors and subordinates. When you respect your subordinates as though they were your superiors, you are beginning to learn the principles of a humble life. There is nothing good that can come out of arrogance and pride: only destruction. Some people are humble when their ministry is still modest, but the moment they gain publicity and popularity, they become so proud and see themselves as infallible. The same Saul that was hiding when he was being made king started disobeying God without remorse when he became settled. Do you know that a simple “I am sorry, Lord” from Eli could have saved him from being rejected and destroyed by God? Instead, his response to the situation at hand showed that he was not bothered about God’s judgement (1st Samuel 3:18). Rather than asking for God to show mercy, he told God to “do as He pleases.” May God not “do as He pleases” in your life in Jesus' Name. If God is to do as He pleases, nobody will be able to stand (Psalm 130:3). When you clothe yourself with humility, your life becomes blessed and favoured (James 4:6&10), and you become a channel of blessing to everyone around you. Jesus Christ, our Master and King, humbled Himself to die a shameful death (Philippians 2:8). Let the mind of Christ be in you always. He made himself of no reputation. He took the posture of a servant through the spirit of humility. It is against this backdrop that God decided to exalt Him highly and gave Him a Name that is above every other name. Pride usually goes before a fall. Pride is excessive self-esteem. It brings about the misconception that one is better than others. This is dangerous because God is the only one who can help you in the fulfilment of your destiny. With humility, you can conquer the world.

Key Point:

It is better for you to humble yourself than for God to humble you.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

MONEY & THE LOVE OF IT

THURSDAY 16th APRIL 2015

MONEY & THE LOVE OF IT 

Memorise:

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1st Timothy 6:10

Read: 1st Timothy 6:6-11

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Joshua 18:1-19:39 and Matthew 21:33-22:14

Message:

God knows no lack, and He expects His children to reach a height of financial greatness where lack will be forgotten forever. The one whose name is El-shaddai can provide for all of your needs. Gathering wealth by honest means is the path to increase. Those who get rich quick by bribing their way or engaging in fraudulent means are only digging their own pit. Wealth gotten by vanity will diminish. Many are secretly envying unbelievers because of their wealth. This is foolishness. You have to wait upon the Lord to show you your source of wealth so that you don’t overrun yourself. Wealth from the Almighty God is supposed to be a blessing, but when the search for wealth is taken to the extreme, it becomes a curse. You must never pursue wealth to the detriment of your soul. There are many people looking for wealth for the wrong reasons. Some want to be rich because they feel wealth commands respect. For some others, it is to satisfy the thirst of belonging to a certain social class. Some people want wealth so as to use it as an instrument of oppression or revenge. God will not support such motives. The devil is always out to exploit your insincerity. He will give you options of getting fast wealth outside the will of God. Once you fall for it, you may never come out of his trap except God decides to have mercy on you.

Many rich people are never satisfied. There is something in them that pushes them to want to accumulate more wealth for reasons they can’t explain (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Contentment is a virtue that cannot be bought with money (1st Timothy 6:6). If you have contentment, you can never be trapped in the deceitfulness of riches. Do you know that there are many people out in search of wealth, struggling in places where God has not put them? Isaac thought of escaping to Egypt to avoid famine or scarcity, but God asked him to remain in Gerar (Genesis 26:1-2). He obeyed God and sowed his seed right where he was, and there was a great harvest for him. He became so great that the natives of the land envied his wealth. All you need to do is to cultivate the right relationship with God, and He will always direct you to where your blessing will locate you. Another problem for the wealthy is the temptation of using their money to buy what will destroy them. You need to know how much the devil is taking from many through the medium of cigarettes, alcohol and hard drugs. Some people never planned to have extra-martial affairs until they started having money. The kind of wealth that will disconnect you from God will never come into your hands in Jesus’ Name.  

Prayer Point:

Father, keep me from wealth that will lead to my destruction.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

RESPECT THE ANOINTING

WEDNESDAY 15th APRIL 2015

RESPECT THE ANOINTING 

Memorise:

Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. Psalm 105:5

Read: 1 Samuel 24:1-6

1 AND it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.

2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOSHUA 15-17 and MATHEW 21:18-32

Message:

There is a saying that the anointing you don't respect will never work for you. When Elisha was following Elijah from one point to the other, the fifty sons of the prophet who were at Jericho were waiting to see the outcome, expecting that relationship would end hopelessly. They even confronted Elisha and reminded him that his shine would soon be over because his master would soon be taken away. In 2 Kings 2:15, after they saw that a superior anointing had been transferred to Elisha, voluntarily, they all bowed before him. When the Holy Spirit comes upon an individual, he is no longer the same, irrespective of his age, status or qualifications. Despite all the activities of Saul in trying to destroy David, David still respected the anointing on Saul's life, even though his activities were incongruent with the word of God. For those who respect the anointing, God has a way of changing death to life for them. He has a way of making their enemies to become their servants. The same sword that Goliath wanted to use in eliminating David was what David used to eliminate him. Another lesson from the life of David is this : David fought only the battles he could win. When you rebelling against the leader God has put over you because of his firmness, you are already fighting a battle you can't win. You cannot fight against the anointed of God and win because God has already decreed it.

God fought for David throughout his sojourn. Whenever God decides to fight for someone, the battle is always very short and victory is assured. The person that God is fighting for may not even need to do anything at all other than just wait for victory. In one of our monthly Holy Ghost services held at the Redemption Camp, some agents of darkness lined themselves up around the place from which I ascend to the pulpit. I knew of this opposition because of the spiritual gift of discernment. In the midst of being lost in the thought of what I do, I committed the message to the Lord in prayer. The Lord told me to go ahead and preach despite the opposition. He told me that His anointing upon my head is able to make my cup run over in the presence of my enemies. To the glory of God, the Lord took control of everything and His people were mightily blessed on that day. When the anointing comes upon your head by faith, you will never be the same again. This cup of this unction and power of the Lord will overflow on your head in the presence of your enemies. This uncommon anointing will break every yoke, heal sickness, cure the incurable, set the captives free, raise the dead and enable you rule in the midst of your enemies.

Action Point:

Have you partaken in rebellion against the anointed of God in any way ' Repent and be converted today'

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE