OTHER END-TIME SIGNS

DATE: TUESDAY 24TH JULY 2018

THEME: OTHER END-TIME SIGNS

MEMORISE:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: Acts 2:17

READ: Acts 2:17-21

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

MESSAGE 

When considering the signs of the end-times, we are usually so engrossed with looking at the negative things that will happen that we often lose sight of the positive ones. There are several positive ones.  There are several positive things the Spirit of God has indicated will occur in these end times, and children of God who are wise will put these to heart and watch out for them so as not to miss out what God is doing in our time. One of such positive signs is found in Micah 4:1:

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.”

This peaks about the prosperity and the glorification of God’s Church before the whole world. It also speaks of the great harvest of souls that God will send to His Church through this prosperity. Anyone who has his or her ears on the heartbeat of God’s Spirit will know that we live in the time when this sign is being fulfilled. The wise will connect themselves to what God is doing through His Spirit and experience this prosperity is not for God’s children.

Another of positive sign is the great outpouring of revival, which the Holy Spirit spoke about in Acts 2:17, saying:

“ And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”

This has already started, and a greater outpouring is gathering momentum among the youths. For this reason, the Church must being to prepare the youths for the greater revival that is coming. This is not a theological proposition, but a truth that is founded on God’s word. We must therefore allow God to use us to bring it to pass. The old ones in the Body of Christ will dream dreams for the youths to carry out. There must therefore be collaboration and understanding of our distinct role in God’s programme for these end times. While our elders like Moses sit on the mountain to seek the Lord’s face, our Joshuas must take the battle to the enemy’s gates with their God-given vigor (Exodus 17:8-15). When we follow this divine pattern, the battle will be won decisively by the Church of Jesus Christ on earth. And the kingdom of God or Father shall be gloriously inaugurated at the second coming of His Christ.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, let Your kingdom come in its fullness, and let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 9-10

Matthew 7:1-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 12: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE 

1.Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise,

Let them flow in endless praise.

2.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.

3.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.

4. Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. 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.

6. 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.

REMOVE THE LOG, PLEASE

DATE: MONDAY 23RD JULY 2018

THEME: REMOVE THE LOG, PLEASE.

MEMORISE:

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Romans 2:21

READ: Matthew 7:1-5

1Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

MESSAGE 

Today, we will be reflecting on the subject of hypocrisy. In general terms, hypocrisy is the habit of pretending to be what one is not. Hypocrites especially pretend to be morally upright but in reality, they are morally bankrupt. Jesus Christ identified the Pharisees as perfect examples of hypocrites, and He exposes some interesting characteristics they possess. Let us consider some of these traits, so that we can guard ourselves against them. Simply put, hypocrites are blind to their own faults (Matthew 7:5), they are ignorant of the current move of God (Luke 12:56), they do not know what is important to God (Luke 13:15-16) and they obsess over the traditions of men (Mark 7:8). Furthermore, they lack knowledge of God’s true expectations of His people (Matthew 23:14-15), and love to make public display of their moral and religious standing, (Matthew 6:2). Hypocrites view themselves as the only godly, virtuous and spiritual people around. Consequently, they are highly judgmental of other people’s mistakes and short comings in public, whereas they themselves may even be guilty of worse sins in secret. A careful consideration of these characteristics may reveal one or two that may be evident in your life. I pray that God will destroy every root of hypocrisy in your life today in Jesus’ Name. 

Jesus often called the Pharisees hypocrites because of the conflict between their external actions and their internal state (Matthew 23:27-28). In order not to end up like them, we must thoroughly check ourselves often. Do you seldom preach to yourself as a Christian? Do you find yourself practicing what you preach against? Are you blind to your own faults? Do you have the habit of crucifying others when they fall into error? Are you judgmental of other people’s mistakes? Is your internal state consistent with your external works? Are you in anyway hypocritical in thought or action? May the Lord shine His light into our hearts and deliver His Church from hypocrisy in Jesus’ Name. Jesus compared hypocrites to whitewashed tombs and to dishes that are clean on the outside but dirty on the inside (Matthew 23:25-28). It’s such a scary thing to be viewed as neat and clean outside while the internal space that matters most is in despicable condition. This illustration also speaks to Christians who are deemed to be mature, and yet are secretly involved in shameful things. If you are in such a situation, it is time to remove the log from your eyes and straighten out your life. Your efforts to do away with hypocrisy will receive God’s approval in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please help me to be honest with myself henceforth in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 7-8

Matthew 6:16-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,

Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,

Darkness comes over me, my rest a stone;

Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

There let me see the sight, an open Heaven;

All that Thou sendest me, in mercy given;

Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;

So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

YOU NEED A PARTNER!

DATE: SUNDAY 22ND JULY 2018

THEME: YOU NEED A PARTNER!

MEMORISE:

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. Ecclesiastes 4:9

READ: Genesis 2:18-25

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

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

MESSAGE:

Partnership or friendship involves a deep, strong connection between two individuals who are bound together in a way that affects every aspect of their individual lives. It is a close relationship that involves mutual trust, fellowship, sharing and companionship. Friendship enriches human life. The mutual affection and devotion that David and Jonathan shared with each other was extraordinary, and it is a prime example of what friendship of partnership is (1 Samuel 18:1-4). A friend or partner is a person you feel connected to like your own soul. The Bible discuses the benefits and requirement of friendship or partnership in Proverbs 18:24, while it stresses loyalty and steadfastness as hallmarks of true friendship in Proverbs 17:17, which says:

 “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

In Ecclesiastes 4:8-12, the Holy Spirit explains the dangers of being a lone ranger and the benefits of partnership. This passage of scripture states clearly that two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. If they should slip on any issue, they will console and help each with an adversary, the two will put up a more formidable defense, and they stand a better chance of surviving the enemy’s attack together than as individual entities. The Holy Spirit also reveals some more truths about friendship and partnership in Proverbs 19:4 & 6, saying:

“Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.  Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.”

The wise will keep these truths to heart. Many Christians in the business world would have done better with godly partners, but they are running their business alone because they feel that introducing partners will increase their overhead and reduce their profits. The position of the Bible on this is that a right partner will help to increase production and push up profit margins. For example, the great catch of fish in Luke 5:6-7 would have been wasted without the involvement and assistance of partners. The advantages of partnership cannot be overemphasized, even though some people are in a friendly relationship for personal gain. Nevertheless, God wants His children to prayerfully identify, acknowledge and appreciate His talents and special gifts in others. More importantly, He wants us to harness His wonderful investments together in our lives for maximum profit in all that he has destined us to do. The Lord’s declaration in Matthew 18:19 encourages us to work together to achieve greatness that would otherwise be impossible. Begin to harness the power of this word from today. 

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please connect me with partners that will lead to greater productivity and efficiency in my life, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 4-6

Matthew 5:43-6:15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 4:  TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

YOUR LIFE IS BORROWED

DATE: FRIDAY 20TH JULY 2018

THEME: YOUR LIFE IS BORROWED.

MEMORISE:

But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. 2 Kings 6:5 

READ: 2 Kings 6:1-7

1And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.

2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.

5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

MESSAGE 

The sons of the prophets in today’s Bible text showed serious concern when they lost an axe head that they had borrowed. After doing their best to recover it without success, they thought it necessary to approach the man of God, Elisha, for assistance. Unlike these men, many today are nonchalant in the way they handle other people’s property in their care, not bothering about the condition and welfare of such goods. As matter of fact, many people handle borrowed items in a way that exposes them to damage or loss, either because they don’t know their true value or they simply don’t care. This scenario mirrors the human life, which God gave to us to put to profitable use. Do you know that your life is borrowed? What are you doing to ensure that your life is not being wasted? Have you been careless with your life because you didn’t know that it was borrowed and that the true owner will soon call for an audit?

It is a well established truth in the Bible that we are living borrowed lives, and we will be requested to proper account of all we have done with our lives at the appropriate time. To this effect, without exempting anybody, Romans 14:12 says:

 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Ecclesiastes 12:14 also echoes this truth, saying, 

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Every human being should get ready to give account to God because everything is set for the day of reckoning. The story of the unprofitable servant, who was given one talent in Matthew 25:24-30, further emphasizes the importance of viewing life as a borrowed item that must be properly accounted for in due time. Learn from this servant who returned his talent without making any profit with it. He was seriously reprimanded and referred to as a wicked and slothful servant. His excuse fr being unprofitable was not accepted. Rather, he was dispossessed of his talent, declared to be unprofitable and was thrown into outer darkness to weep and mourn forever. Every talent, gift or natural endowment given to you by God should be seen as a divine investment to be carefully nurtured, proudly displayed and gainfully deployed in your daily life. How well are you using your life in Christ?

ACTION POINT:

Weigh yourself on God’s scale of probability by taking stock of how you are using your divine endowments and comparative advantage for the advancement of God’s kingdom.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 35-36

Matthew 4:23-5:20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 12: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE 

1.Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise,

Let them flow in endless praise.

2.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.

3.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.

4. Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. 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.

6. 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.

AFRAID OF DOUBLE PORTION?

DATE: THURSDAY 19TH JULY 2018

THEME: AFRAID OF DOUBLE PORTION?

MEMORISE:

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. John 14:12

READ: 2 Kings 2:1-15

And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORDhath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

Luke 7:20-22

20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

MESSAGE 

In the context of today’s memory verse , the prospect of processing a double portion anointing or doing “greater works” is somewhat scary and considered impossible by many. However, a prayerful consideration of the Master’s words in this verse will immediately highlight an important difference between Elisha’s experience and the Lord’s revelation here. In 2 Kings 2:9, Elisha’s request was, “let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me”. The focus here is “thy spirit”, referring to Elijah’s anointing in contrast, the Lord’s focus in John 14:12 in not on having a greater portion of the His anointing (which may be virtually impossible to bestow on mortal flesh for many reasons), but rather on doing His works. We carry out the works of Jesus by gaining access to His anointing through His Name (Acts 3:16). Therefore, we don’t need a huge amount of our anointing to do greater works spoken of in John 14:12; we only need to call on Jesus by faith to gain access to His unlimited power, which is an anointing without measure (John 3:34). No wonder Jesus in Matthew 17:20 said:

“…….If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Therefore, you should throw away every form of fear, doubt and unbelief in response to Jesus’ call to do greater works than He did.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was quite conscious of the weight of His words in John 14:12, and for this reason, He started His statement with emphasis, saying “verily, verily, I say unto you”. When Jesus declared that His disciples would do greater works than he did, He meant that their works would have greater reach and impact on the wider world than His. He was not merely referring to miracles, signs and wonders, but all aspects of what God had planned to do by the power of the Holy Ghost. Part of the greater works involves taking the gospel beyond Jerusalem to all parts of the world. It also involves miracles, sign and wonders of salvation, healing, deliverance, raising the dead and destroying the works of darkness wherever we go. I therefore challenge you to recognize Jesus as the Miracle-Worker and see what He will do through you. The Lord does not expect you to do any of His works with your own power. In John 14:14 He said:

 “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

So, whenever you are faced with impossible situations in your life and in the lives of others, all you need to do is to call on the Name of Jesus. From today, whatever you decree on earth will be granted in heaven in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me the grace to do greater works through the Name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 34

Matthew 4:1-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

o Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

5. I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;

Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

GODFATHER OR GOD THE FATHER

DATE: WEDNESDAY 18TH JULY 2018

THEME: GODFATHER OR GOD THE FATHER

MEMORISE:

 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. Psalm 118:8-9 

READ: John 5:1-9

1After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

MESSAGE:

In the Jewish culture, a godfather is primarily a person who assists a father in performing the rite of circumcision by holding the child upon his knees. He also takes interest in the child’s welfare and plays the role of a father to the child. In modern times, the concept of a godfather has become synonymous with the leader of a powerful criminal organization, especially the Mafia. In a more general term, a god father is viewed as one who sponsors a person and who goes to great lengths to promote the interests of that person, often having something to gain for himself from this support. A godfather will do everything in his power to fight for the interest of his protégé, including illegal actions like giving bribe or using political power and personal recognition to influence things in favor of the protégé. For this reason, people of all ages, up and coming professionals, business people and even pastors go to a great length to source for rich, famous and powerful individuals to play the role of godfathers I their lives. The question the spirit of the Lord is therefore asking you today is, are you seeking for a godfather or God the Father?

Looking to others for encouragement is not bad, but having godfathers will at the very least lead to partial dependence on a human being to achieve success. God views this as paying allegiance to ordinary and a rejection of his ever present help. He frowns at the attitude, and in Jeremiah 17:5, He has very strong words for anyone who depends on human being for success:

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

The Holy Spirit further highlights the futility and agony of anyone who places his or her confidence in man instead of God, saying in Proverb 25:19:

 “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.”

Dependence on God to meet our spiritual and physical needs arises out of an awareness of human helplessness and trust in God’s ability to do all things. Note that the use of the word “princes” in today’s memory verse stands for godfathers. God alone is more than able, and He is very much willing to help His people to achieve their purpose and fulfill their destiny. Therefore, looking elsewhere for help is tantamount to rejecting God and paying homage to the arm of flesh which fails. I pray that God will hear your cry for help today and respond seedily in Jesus’ Name.

KEY POINT:

Whatever a man can give to you, a man can take away from you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 32-33

Matthew 2:19-3:17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 11: O GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST

1. O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.

2. Under the shadow of Thy throne

Thy saints have dwelt secure;

Sufficient is Thine arm alone,

And our defense is sure.

3. Before the hills in order stood,

Or earth received her frame,

From everlasting Thou art God,

To endless years the same.

4. A thousand ages in Thy sight

Are like an evening gone;

Short as the watch that ends the night

Before the rising sun.

5. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away;

They fly, forgotten, as a dream

Dies at the op’ning day.

6. O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Be Thou our guard while troubles last,

And our eternal home.