THE OLDEST WORKMAN OF GOD

DATE: TUESDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: THE OLDEST WORKMAN OF GOD

Memorise:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

Read: Proverbs 8:22-35
8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
8:23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
8:26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
8:27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
8:28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
8:29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
8:30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
8:31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
8:32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.

MESSAGE
The very first indication of God's work in creation is recorded in the book of Genesis chapter one. The oldest workman of God would therefore be referring to a character involved in the activities at the beginning of all things. Proverbs 8:22-23 hints as follows:
"The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."
And John 1:1-3 says,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
The oldest worker of God in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:3), is a personality having neither beginning of days nor end of life. He is without father, without mother, no descendants; He lives in eternity and abides forever. The Bible says that the Almighty God possessed Jesus in the very beginning, before His works of old. This is a mystery. He was with God in the beginning of creation and all things were made by Him, whether visible or invisible, physical or spiritual. Psalms 19:1-2 says:
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge."
His excellent knowledge and perfect wisdom is visibly evident everywhere in creation. The Heavens declare His glory, and His perfect creativity is revealed in nature; the beautiful landscape, waterfalls, mountains, valleys, and all the rivers in their places; the beautiful flowers and birds that sing, all the small and great animals of the earth, and the abundant life under the seas; the moon, the stars, and the heavenly hosts, the appointed seasons, all these are wonders of His creation. Also by Him, God established the clouds above, and strengthened the fountains of the deep. He decreed to the sea, that the waters should not pass the set boundary when he appointed the foundations of the earth. Our Lord Jesus is great in power and excellent in glory, may His name be praised forever. Let somebody shout Hallelujah.

Prayer Point
Father, thank you for a beautiful world, and a magnificent universe.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Lamentations 3-5
Psalms 64

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 5: OH SPREAD THE TIDING ROUND
Oh, spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound: The Comforter has come!
Chorus:
The Comforter has come,
The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n,
The Lord’s dear promise giv’n;
Oh, spread the tidings ’round,
Wherever man is found,
The Comforter has come!
2. The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!
Chorus:
3. Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings:
The Comforter has come!
Chorus:
4. O boundless love divine! how shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
The Comforter has come!
Chorus.

FULFIL YOUR PROMISE O LORD

DATE: MONDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: FULFIL YOUR PROMISE O LORD

Memorise:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:20

Read: John 14:12-18

14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

MESSAGE:

A promise is an express assurance to fulfil an intention upon which expectation is based. The promises of God reveal His specific and eternal purposes to which he is irreversibly committed and upon which Christians can totally depend. These promises are conditional upon obedience on the part of Children of God. God's promises are irrevocable and He is absolutely trustworthy to make good His promises to His Children. 

Whenever the fulfilment of a long standing promise is overdue, God will create an opportunity for divine favour, and God does not only give you an opportunity to key into it by sowing, but will also personally make a demand of you. When the time Heaven has set to favour a person comes, the promises suddenly assume a form of being 'Yes and Amen' in the life of the favoured. After waiting for 24 years for  a promise from God, at the time of God's favour, the Lord suddenly changed His promise to Abraham into an irreversible decree. Similarly, after Peter was promised a harvest of men in Luke 5:8-11, nothing happened for the first three years. Peter must have wondered if the Lord had forgotten, but He did not. Finally, at the arrival of the Holy Ghost, being the day of his favour, the one who could not 'catch a human fish'  started to harvest thousands from every sermon. When God gives you a promise, wait on it until the day of your favour. Do not let go until that day, for that is the time of its fulfilment. Every promise the Lord has made to you shall come to pass this season in Jesus' name. 

In 1979, I went with my Father in the Lord in the company of four others to a Kenneth Hagin camp meeting in the United States of America. That was our first trip to the USA. As the meeting ended on Saturday, we decided to worship in a local church the following day. While translating the message to my father in the Lord, since he could not speak, read, write or understand English, the preacher suddenly walked to him and said: "Thus saith the Lord, What I told you several years ago will soon be fulfilled". And he returned to continue his message. When we got to our hotel later that day and I told him what the preacher  said, he broke down in tears saying that when RCCG started, the promised that if he would keep to certain conditions, He would ensure that the church spreads throughout the world. As at the time of this camp meeting, the church had only 39 parishes in addition to the Headquarter church. Not so long after my father in the Lord went home to glory in 1980, we had over 4,000 parishes in Lagos State alone; today our presence is felt in all 36 states of Nigeria and in more than 178 nations of the world because our time of favour came. This season, the Lord will fulfil pending promises in your life. 

Prayer Point:

Father, please my eyes are on you, fulfil your promises in my life in Jesus' name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 

Lamentations 1-2

Psalms 63

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 1: O LORD MY GOD

1. O LORD my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hand hath made; 

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, 

Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed:

Chorus:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, 

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, 

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander 

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,

And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze:

Chorus:

3. And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, 

Sent Him to die - I scarce can take it in:

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, 

He bled and died to take away my sin:

Chorus:

4. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation 

And take me home - what joy shall fill my heart!

Then shall I bow in humble adoration, 

And there proclaim, my God how great Thou art!

Chorus.

KNOW YOUR LIMIT

DATE: SUNDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: KNOW YOUR LIMIT

Memorise:

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. Romans 12:3

Read: Romans 12:3-10

12:3 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.

12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

MESSAGE

The common saying that no man is an island comes to play in a very strong way here. The meaning of the title 'Know Your Limit' as explained in the memory verse for today can only be understood in the light of Biblical doctrine. Theology is a big word that simply means the study of God; it is an indispensable part of spiritual learning. Divine truths are closely related to each other, and cannot be viewed in their right proportions or taught rightly except in their mutual connection. God inspired several individuals in the writing of the Bible, there is no book of the Bible that is complete in itself, each one depends on others to give complete knowledge of an aspect of Biblical Doctrine. 

Some tell the beginning, while others tell the middle or tail end of the story. For example, the doctrine of salvation, baptism, communion, divine healing, sin and the second coming of Jesus, cannot be fully understood by reading any one book of the Bible. This is the reason why 1 Corinthians 2:13 says:

"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

Therefore, in order for us to remain in tune with the Holy Ghost, we as Christians must be conscious of our limitations as human beings. First, we only know in part, our knowledge of anything is at best partial or subjective and dependent on available information. We must therefore acknowledge the general human limitations and our individual limitations in accordance with the mighty knowledge of God. This is the only way to remain humble and teachable, the only way to focus on the Spirit of the Word always, rather than the letter which kills (2 Corinthians 3:6). 

This is the only way to be "approved unto God" and to "rightly divide the word of truth." Note that the study of any particular Bible truth in isolation, without considering its relations to other Bible truths, is a common cause of narrowness which frequently produces heresy. 

Prayer Point

Father, please help me to know my limits and be focused on the Spirit in Jesus' name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 

Jeremiah 52

Psalms 62

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 5: OH SPREAD THE TIDING ROUND 

Oh, spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,

Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;

Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound: The Comforter has come! 

Chorus:

The Comforter has come,

The Comforter has come!

The Holy Ghost from heav’n,

The Lord’s dear promise giv’n;

Oh, spread the tidings ’round,

Wherever man is found,

The Comforter has come! 

2. The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last;

And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,

As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!

The Comforter has come! 

Chorus:

3. Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,

To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;

And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings:

The Comforter has come! 

Chorus:

4. O boundless love divine! how shall this tongue of mine

To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine

That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!

The Comforter has come! 

Chorus.

SPIRITUALLY MOTIVATED?

DATE: SATURDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: SPIRITUALLY MOTIVATED?

MEMORISE:

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romas 8:37

READ: ROMANS 8:33-39

8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

MESSAGE:

Motivation is the act of providing someone with a reason to act in a certain way. Christians can motivate or encourage one another to have greater confidence in God and to be very bold in living out their faith.

Spiritual motivation drives away the spirit of fear and helps to develop the boldness required for the correct application of God's Word to life situations. No leader can achieve anything without boldness. It takes courage to follow God. It takes courage to obey God. Anyone who lacks courage will be full of fear. If you are afraid, you cannot take any progressive stride.

A hireling fears and hides when the sheep is confronted by wolves because he thinks of his safety before anything else. A sheperd on the other hand is bold and resists any wolf even at the risk of his own life. In John 10:11, Jesus says,

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

A true sheperd is not afraid of danger. Some pastors or leaders are not available when their members are in distress; but that is when you should be there to stand with them in faith and prayer, and guide them properly. You cannot allow a strange beast to take advantage of your flock. You must fight all intruders and send them packing. This takes boldness; your ability to be bold in the face of danger enhances your power base. Some leaders are very chickenhearted. Every little situation gets them into a panic. Meanwhile, 2 Timothy 1:7 says,

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Therefore, be spiritually motivated because the Spirit that God has deposited within you is of power and sound mind.

Do you know that even great leaders suffer from fear? One outstanding leader with a great congregation in Bible times who lacked boldness was Joshua. As near perfect as he was, Joshua was afraid. He was afraid to stand in Moses' shoes. He was afraid when he realised that he was asked to finish the assignment of his predecessor- Moses, with all the anointing to open and shut Heaven could not finish. He got scared whenever he thought of the sudden promotion he got from being a servant to a national leader with millions of followers. He was afraid when he remembered that he was called to lead an unruly congregation who were capable of revolting and stoning their leaders to death. Why are you afraid? Do not look at the nature of the assignment. Do not look at the size; do not look at the fierce looking faces. Do not focus on the situation of lack of resources. Focus on the one who has called you, He will see you through. Ask for the Spirit of boldness to manifest in every area of your life from today. The battle is already won and you are more than conqueror!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me the boldness to face all fears in Jesus' name

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 51, Psalms 61

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: OH SPREAD THE TIDING ROUND

1. Oh, spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,

Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;

Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound: The Comforter has come!

Chorus:

The Comforter has come,

The Comforter has come!

The Holy Ghost from heav’n,

The Lord’s dear promise giv’n;

Oh, spread the tidings ’round,

Wherever man is found,

The Comforter has come!

2. The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last;

And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,

As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!

The Comforter has come!

Chorus:

3. Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,

To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;

And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings:

The Comforter has come!

Chorus:

4. O boundless love divine! how shall this tongue of mine

To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine

That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!

The Comforter has come!

Chorus.

THE SOURCE OF SATISFACTION

DATE: FRIDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: THE SOURCE OF SATISFACTION 

Memorise: 

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

Read: 1 Timothy 6:3-11

6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

6:9 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.

6:10 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.

6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 

MESSAGE:

Satisfaction is a state of contentment or fulfilment that only God can bring into reality. The scripture advocates that children of God should cultivate contentment. We really therefore expected to be contented spiritually, financially, materially and in our marriages. We should be contented with the things and people that God has put around us. Satisfaction is made possible as a result of God's good provision made available through the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Ecclesiastes 3:13 says:

"And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God."

The above passage indicates that contentment or satisfaction is a gift from God; it does not develop from the desire of man. As a matter of fact Ecclesiastes 5:10 says,

"He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity."

Covetousness and accumulation of wealth has its attendant problems. One of such problems is lack of satisfaction. Those who love money will never be satisfied with what they have; no matter how much they have, they will continue to desire more. I once had a friend, who at the age of 70 had so much money in one of his several bank accounts; he could not exhaust it for another 200 years. Whenever you visit him, you will meet him planning to invest some more. The rich are ever striving with each other. They will say, "Mr. A has just built another house or bought another car, I must follow suit". They are never satisfied. Satisfaction is a precious virtue that every believer must have. Are you caught in the rat race for earthly possessions? Ask God to give you satisfaction or contentment without which that wealth will become a deadly trap. 

Whenever wealth comes as a blessing within the context of holiness and the fear of God, such wealth is always accompanied by contentment or satisfaction. This is why Psalms 17:15 says:

"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."

Because the source of the blessing is God, satisfaction is naturally inclusive in the package. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 goes on to say:

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."

This passage shows that a child of God should be more concerned about the source of blessing and the attending satisfaction than accumulation of wealth. 

Prayer Point:

Father, you are my Source, please let my prosperity come with contentment in Jesus' name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 

Jeremiah 49:23-50:46

Psalms 60

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE   

HYMN 3: DEEPER, DEEPER

Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus

Daily let me go;

Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,

More of grace to know.

Chorus:

O deeper yet, I pray,

And higher every day,

And wiser, blessed Lord,

In Thy precious, holy Word.

Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,

Take me deeper still,

Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,

And His perfect will.

Chorus:

Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,

Deeper let me go!

Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,

Let me fruitful grow.

Chorus:

Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,

Till all conflict past,

Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image

Perfected at last.

Chorus:

Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,

Holy faith and true;

In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom

Let me peace pursue.

Chorus.

YOU ARE NOT CONDEMNED

DATE: THURSDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: YOU ARE NOT CONDEMNED

Memorise:

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 1 John 3:20

Read: Genesis 3:6-10

3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

3:8 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.

3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 

MESSAGE

Self condemnation is a natural phenomenon that feeds on the human awareness of guilt. In the book of Genesis 3:10, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and without anyone scolding them, they were condemned in their hearts:

"And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

Self condemnation is not the same as sorrow for sin. Sorrow for sin leads to repentance but self condemnation leads to fear, inferiority complex and low self esteem. The Bible teaches that God has offered us forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus Christ. Self condemnation produces feelings of Shame, disgrace, fear, terror, and depression, according to Ezra 9:6, that says: 

"...O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens."

And Isaiah 6:5:

"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

Self condemnation could sometimes be very dangerous in cases where it develops into depression, because it has succeeded in sending some people to their early graves. In Matthew 27:5, Judas Iscariot suffered from serious guilt and self condemnation, 

"And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."

May the Lord deliver a user of this devotional suffering from guilt and self condemnation today in Jesus' name. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 7:10 says:

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."

The sorrow of the world is synonymous with guilt and self condemnation, the Bible says it brings death. Guilt defiles human life, produces feelings of anguish, despair, shame and disgrace. Guilt also produces feelings of unworthiness as in the case of the prodigal son in Luke 15:21, in the Name that is above all other names, the power of self condemnation is broken in your life today. 

Prayer Point:

Father, please let your perfect love drive away every iota of self-condemnation in my life in the name of Jesus. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 

Jeremiah 47:1-49:22

Psalms 59

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise. 

Take my hands, and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee,

Swift and beautiful for Thee. 

Take my voice, and let me sing

Always, only, for my King;

Take my lips, and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee,

Filled with messages from Thee. 

Take my silver and my gold;

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect, and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose,

Every power as Thou shalt choose. 

Take my will, and make it Thine;

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart; it is Thine own;

It shall be Thy royal throne,

It shall be Thy royal throne. 

Take my love; my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure-store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee,

Ever, only, all for Thee.

WELL GROUNDED?

DATE: WEDNESDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: WELL GROUNDED? 

Memorise:

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love. Ephesians 3:17

Read: Matthew 13:3-9

13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

MESSAGE

To be well grounded is to be stable, firm and immovable. Stability is the state of being in a firm or unwavering situation, whether spiritually, physically, or emotionally. Stability is an important element of a settled life before God. God is popularly called the Everlasting Rock, the Rock of Ages. God is very stable and dependable; you can completely rest on His love. That is why Hebrews 13:8 says:

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

Therefore, stability in the life of Christians is based on God's unchanging nature.  2 Samuel 7:16 says:

"And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."

Stability is required in order to resist and repel spiritual assault by the enemy, stability depend upon firmness of faith, and stability is a very important aim of the Christian ministry. An unstable Christian is a baby in the Lord who is yet to find his or her proper footing. Whenever they are exposed to the misbehaviors of other Christians, especially those considered as more mature than they are, it shakes them to the foundation of their belief. They usually look up to fellow men or women as their perfect examples, and therefore put much premium on such people. Consequently, the fall of such individuals may affect them to the point of taking a decision to stop serving God. They are easily tossed to and from by every wind of doctrine according to Ephesians 4:14:

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"

Are we well grounded in the faith? Are you stable and dependable?  Are settled in your mind about important doctrines of the Bible? Or are you a confused person that is not very sure of what you believe? One of the terrible mistakes of unstable Christians is the danger of falling a victim to fake prophets and false teachers. Some have many 'fathers and mothers in the Lord'; they are therefore eating regularly from different spiritual pots, making themselves victims of doctrinal confusion. I pray that God will establish you and plant your feet on the Rock of Ages forever in Jesus' name. 

Prayer point:

Father, please make me immovable, plant my feet on the Rock forever in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 

Jeremiah 44-46

Psalms 58

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 9: MY FAITH HAS FOUND A  PLACE

My faith has found a resting place,

Not in device or creed;

I trust the ever living One,

His wounds for me shall plead.

Chorus:

I need no other argument,

I need no other plea,

It is enough that Jesus died,

And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,

This ends my fear and doubt;

A sinful soul I come to Him,

He'll never cast me out.

Chorus:

My heart is leaning on the Word,

The living Word of God,

Salvation by my Savior's Name,

Salvation through His blood.

Chorus:

My great Physician heals the sick,

The lost He came to save;

For me His precious blood He shed,

For me His life He gave.

Chorus.