DATE : SUNDAY 1 JANUARY 2017
THEME : STARTING A NEW YEAR
Memorise :
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8
Read : Job 8:5-7
5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
Message
Welcome to this New Year! It is always good to experience something pleasantly new. At the dawn of a new year, hopes are renewed, aspirations are born and expectation are high. But when the ups and downs of life take their toil in the course of the year, many people are able to sustain the zeal and zest that they started the year with. Does this sound familiar? For some, it appears as if the events they experience in the course of a year are set up to completely dash their hopes. If this has been your experience, it shall be different this time around in the mighty Name of Jesus .
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11
As you take in the fresh New Year breeze, know for sure that God has something great in store for you which will unfold in the course of this year. Something huge is coming your way, so let your hope be fixed on the Lord. God wants you to end this year big and great, and to have your heart overflowing with joy. Remember that in the Kingdom of God, the end of a thing is always of greater significance than its beginning. Hence, the Holy Ghost in Job 8:7 said:
"Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase."
Because some people start a new year with little or nothing, they don't expect anything great to come their way that year. If you find yourself in a such situation, know that if you settle some key issues in your life, you can be assured of a greater, bigger and glorious year. First, start the year with God ( Proverbs 8:17 ). If you still living in sin, the greatest way to start this year is by going on your kneels, confessing your sins to God, asking for His forgiveness and inviting Jesus Christ to be your captain and pilot from now onwards. Also, you need to cultivate a personal relationship with God by studying the Bible regularly, fellowshipping with others in Bible-believing church, worshipping God and taking time to pray on a daily basis. In addition, daily ask God for direction, wait to receive it, and be sure to follow as he leads. Utilise all opportunities that come your way and give your best to God and His work. If You do all these, I assure you this year will end very well for you.
Action Point :
Thank God for giving you access to this New Year. Let your thanksgiving be a daily offering to God this year.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Mathew 1-3 and Isaiah 1:1-17
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN : MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1: My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior Divine;
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away;
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine.
2: May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire.
3:While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
4: When life's swift race is run,
Death's cold work almost done,
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then, in love
Fear and distrust remove.
O bear me safe above,
Redeemed and free!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PASSAGES......READ THEM TO GROW YOUR FAITH DAILY
Matthew: 1. 1. This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3. Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4. Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5. Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6. and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, 7. Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8. Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9. Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10. Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11. and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13. Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14. Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud, 15. Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16. and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. 17. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. 18. This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23. "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). 24. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew: 2. 1. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2. and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." 3. When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6. "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'" 7. Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 9. After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15. where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." 16. When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18. "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." 19. After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20. and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." 21. So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23. and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Matthew: 3. 1. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2. and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4. John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11. "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 13. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15. Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. 16. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Isaiah: 1. 1. The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2. Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3. The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." 4. Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5. Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. 6. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil. 7. Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8. Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege. 9. Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. 10. Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11. "The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?" says the Lord. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13. Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! 16. Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
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