DATE: THURSDAY 22ND DECEMBER 2016
THEME: HE KNOWS HIS SHEEP
Memorise:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
Read: John 10:25-29
10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
MESSAGE
The Bible in several passages referred to God as the good Shepherd, but in the book of John 10:14, Jesus boldly declared, "I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." Also in John 10:27, God says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me". The Lord is omniscient, He is all knowing, nothing is hidden from His sight, and He therefore has very good knowledge of the identity of all human beings. Furthermore, 2 Timothy 2:19 says:
"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
Every Christian is hereby encouraged to depart from all forms of immorality in order to benefit from the heavenly package reserved for true children of God.
Because God paid for the salvation of humanity with His Son's Blood, Christians in the world are precious to Him.
Hence, the Lord will always keep His obedient children from partaking in the judgment of sinners. An example of this is recorded in 1 Kings 14:7-16. Jeroboam was a very wicked king. He did not only sin, but caused so many to sin with him. When God pronounced judgement on him, his entire family faced extinction. He had many sons who all perished with him, but Abijah was spared because he towed the path of righteousness. When judgement is determined against families, yours will be spared in Jesus' name. When cities and communities are to face disasters and destruction, you will be spared.
If you love to do God's will all the time and diligently obey His voice, He will keep you from judgment. When He brought plagues on Egypt, in the land of Goshen where the Israelities lived, there was no trace of the plagues (Exodus 8:21-23). God separated His own from those who were not His. 2 Timothy 2:19 says no matter what people claim, God knows His people. Are you one of God's sheep? It is not enough to claim to be a child of God; does God know you as His bonafide son or daughter? If you are not sure, check your life and be reconciled to God today. If you are recognized by God, there is a hiding place reserved for you in Christ where you will not be a casualty in the time of judgement. Like the Psalmist, you shall only see and hear of those who are casualties but you shall never be touched (Psalms 91:7-
.Once again, are you among the faithful few?
Prayer Point:
Father, please, set my prayer life on fire today in Jesus' name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Leviticus 17-19
Psalms 129-130
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.
Bible in one year passages
Leviticus: 17. 1. The Lord said to Moses, 2. "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'This is what the Lord has commanded: 3. Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4. instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people. 5. This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. 6. The priest is to splash the blood against the altar of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 7. They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.' 8. "Say to them: 'Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9. and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to the Lord must be cut off from the people of Israel. 10. "'I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people. 11. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. 12. Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood." 13. "'Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14. because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off." 15. "'Anyone, whether native-born or foreigner, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then they will be clean. 16. But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be held responsible.'"
Leviticus: 18. 1. The Lord said to Moses, 2. "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the Lord your God. 3. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. 5. Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord. 6. "'No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord. 7. "'Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. 8. "'Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father. 9. "'Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere. 10. "'Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonor you. 11. "'Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister. 12. "'Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative. 13. "'Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative. 14. "'Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt. 15. "'Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her. 16. "'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother. 17. "'Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness. 18. "'Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living. 19. "'Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period. 20. "'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her. 21. "'Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. 22. "'Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable. 23. "'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. 24. "'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. 25. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, 27. for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. 29. "'Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. 30. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.'"
Leviticus: 19. 1. The Lord said to Moses, 2. "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. 3. "'Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God. 4. "'Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. 5. "'When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 6. It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up. 7. If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted. 8. Whoever eats it will be held responsible because they have desecrated what is holy to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people. 9. "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. 11. "'Do not steal. "'Do not lie. "'Do not deceive one another. 12. "'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. 13. "'Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. "'Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. 14. "'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord. 15. "'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. 16. "'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the Lord. 17. "'Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. 18. "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. 19. "'Keep my decrees. "'Do not mate different kinds of animals. "'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. "'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. 20. "'If a man sleeps with a female slave who is promised to another man but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. 21. The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the tent of meeting for a guilt offering to the Lord. 22. With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven. 23. "'When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden ; it must not be eaten. 24. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. 25. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God. 26. "'Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. "'Do not practice divination or seek omens. 27. "'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. 28. "'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord. 29. "'Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness. 30. "'Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord. 31. "'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. 32. "'Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. 33. "'When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. 35. "'Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. 36. Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. 37. "'Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord.'"
Psalm: 129. 1. 【A song of ascents.】
"They have greatly oppressed me from my youth," let Israel say; 2. "they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. 3. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. 4. But the Lord is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked." 5. May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame. 6. May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow; 7. a reaper cannot fill his hands with it, nor one who gathers fill his arms. 8. May those who pass by not say to them, "The blessing of the Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of the Lord."
Psalm: 130. 1. 【A song of ascents.】
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; 2. Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 3. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? 4. But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 5. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. 7. Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. 8. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
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