DATE : THURSDAY JANUARY 5 2017.
THEME : THE EVER PRESENT HELPER.
MEMORISE :
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. PSALMS 46 : 1.
READ : 1 KINGS 17 : 8 - 16 :
8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
MESSAGE :
The poor widow in today’s Bible reading was getting ready to eat her last meal and then die; but against her expectations, help came her way. This indicates that help can come to you when you need it the most. Psalms 46 : 1 tells us who our help is :
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Sometimes, when a child of God is going through some difficulties, God may appear silent. That He is silent does not mean He is ignorant of what is happening. Though things may go on to deteriorate, He will step in before it’s too late. The Lord knows about that painful and highly detestable situation you have been living with. Although He has been quiet for a while, He will now arise for you and arrest the situation. When it appears like the enemy is about to put you to shame, just in the nick of time, your help will locate you. God’s intervention shall not be late concerning your situation in Jesus’ Name. Can you imagine what would have happened if the fourth man had not appeared on time in King Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace ( Daniel 3 : 25 )? The three Hebrew children would have been history, but because He came right on time, they made history! You too shall make history! God will not be late for you. His intervention in your life shall be timely, and He shall shut up the mouth of your enemies.
Moreover, in the case of this widow, not only did help come in time, it kept on coming everyday because she was connected with the One called the All Sufficient God ( Genesis 17 : 1 ). When you go into battle, your strength, wisdom and resources are limited to what you and your allies have. In other words, who you partner with in a crucial battle can either guarantee your victory or turn out to be your undoing. At such a decisive moment, the widow partnered with the God that is more than enough, and she never lacked again. Who is your ally today? When faced with a most trying time, who do you run to? If you run to man whose strength, wisdom and resources are limited, you will be unable to tackle that situation. If you run to a local or foreign deity, you will still be limited. Some people depend on charms, rings and amulets from so-called Indian spiritual temples for help. It’s a pity that after the serpent spirits of such temples have offered some form of fake assistance to them, those spirits end up turning them into their slaves, thereby ruining their destiny and that of their family members. Partner with the One who can always help you.
KEY POINT :
There is no helper like Jesus, and no one deserts in the time of need like Satan.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MATTHEW 11 - 12 and ISAIAH 3 : 24 - 5 : 7.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.
HYMN 4 : THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR...
1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.
2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.
3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
'All, all is well.'
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PASSAGES
Matthew: 11. 1. After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2. When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3. to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" 4. Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me." 7. As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8. If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10. This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 11. Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15. Whoever has ears, let them hear. 16. "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17. "'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' 18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by her deeds." 20. Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." 25. At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27. "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew: 12. 1. At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." 3. He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4. He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5. Or haven't you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6. I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. 8. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." 9. Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10. and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" 11. He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12. How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. 15. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16. He warned them not to tell others about him. 17. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18. "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. 21. In his name the nations will put their hope." 22. Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23. All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24. But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." 25. Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27. And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29. "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. 30. "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33. "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." 38. Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." 39. He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here. 43. "When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." 46. While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." 48. He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49. Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.
Isaiah: 3. 24. Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. 25. Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. 26. The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Isaiah: 4. 1. In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, "We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!" 2. In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5. Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. 6. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
Isaiah: 5. 1. I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. 3. "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? 5. Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it." 7. The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. 8. Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. 9. The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. 10. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain." 11. Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. 12. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands. 13. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst. 14. Therefore Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. 15. So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. 16. But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts. 17. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. 18. Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, 19. to those who say, "Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel— let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it." 20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. 22. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, 23. who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. 24. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25. Therefore the Lord's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. 26. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! 27. Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal strap is broken. 28. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hooves seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. 29. Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. 30. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.
Isaiah: 5. 1. I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. 3. "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? 5. Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it." 7. The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. 8. Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. 9. The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. 10. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain." 11. Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. 12. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands. 13. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst. 14. Therefore Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. 15. So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. 16. But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts. 17. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. 18. Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, 19. to those who say, "Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel— let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it." 20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. 22. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, 23. who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. 24. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25. Therefore the Lord's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. 26. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! 27. Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal strap is broken. 28. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hooves seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. 29. Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. 30. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and d distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.
No comments:
Post a Comment