DATE : WEDNESDAY 4 JANUARY 2017
THEME : DO YOU KNOW HIM?
Memorise:
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? John 14:9
Read: John 14:4-11 (KJV)
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
MESSAGE:
“And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
Daniel 11:32
It is clear from the above passage of scripture that knowing God is the key to doing exploits. The knowledge of God releases the power that helps us perform exploits. To know God means to be a partaker of His divine nature and essence (2 Peter 1:3-4). Because our God is a God of exploits, those who manifest His nature will consequently do exploits. To know God, you need to have experienced Him as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Someone might ask: Does this mean we have three Gods? The answer is no! He is only one God, but He manifests Himself in three personalities. How can this be? Permit me to use myself as an example. To my children, I am Adeboye the father; to my mother, I am Adeboye the son; while to my wife, I am Adeboye the husband. Does this make me three? No. I am still the same person. How I respond over an issue will be determined by the person I’m dealing with. The way I behave as a father will be different from the way I behave as a son or as a husband.
How God relates with you depends on whether He is relating with you as the Father, as the Son or as the Holy Ghost. To further illustrate, I will use the example of my beautiful crystal drinking glass-cup. If it falls from my son’s hands and gets broken, I will rebuke him sharply with words like: “Son, what is the matter with you? Don’t you know that you should not be careless with such an expensive cup?” But if the same cup falls from my mother’s hands, I would be gentle with her, showing understanding and care. In this case I would say “Mama, take it easy; I hope you were not hurt; I am sorry about that incident ma.” The same cup, the same me, yet my reaction as a father is different from my reaction as a son. Similarly, there are some ways I would relate with my wife that cannot be applied to my mother. For you to boldly say that you know God, you must know Him personally under His three personalities. Can you say you truly know Him? Do you have firsthand knowledge of God as the Father? Have you experienced Him as the Son? Do you walk with Him as the Holy Spirit? What strength or exploit has your knowledge of God produced in your life? Ask God to reveal Himself the more to you today.
Prayer Point:
Father, more than You have ever done, reveal Yourself to me today.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mathew 9:10 and Isaiah 3:1-23
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 3: HOW GREAT THOU ART
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.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PASSAGES
Matthew: 9. 1. Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2. Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." 3. At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" 4. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5. Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6. But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7. Then the man got up and went home. 8. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man. 9. As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12. On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." 14. Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" 15. Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 16. "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." 18. While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19. Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20. Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." 22. Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed at that moment. 23. When Jesus entered the synagogue leader's house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24. he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. 25. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26. News of this spread through all that region. 27. As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28. When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. 29. Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you"; 30. and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." 31. But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. 32. While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." 34. But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons." 35. Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Matthew: 10. 1. Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4. Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7. As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. 9. "Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10. no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16. "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20. for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21. "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24. "The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26. "So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. 30. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32. "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. 34. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35. For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36. a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' 37. "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. 40. "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.
Isaiah: 3. 1. See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water, 2. the hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, 3. the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter. 4. "I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them." 5. People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored. 6. A man will seize one of his brothers in his father's house, and say, "You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!" 7. But in that day he will cry out, "I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people." 8. Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. 9. The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. 10. Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. 11. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done. 12. Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path. 13. The Lord takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people. 14. The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. 15. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. 16. The Lord says, "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. 17. Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald." 18. In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19. the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20. the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21. the signet rings and nose rings, 22. the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23. and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.
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