DATE: FRIDAY 6 JANUARY 2017
THEME: VOICE FROM HEAVEN
Memorise:
For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33:9
Read: Mark 10:46-52 (KJV )
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
MESSAGE:
In Genesis 1:1-3, the Holy Spirit takes us back in time to the beginning of God’s creation. In this account, we are introduced to the voice of God for the very first time. All He said here was “Let there be light”, and light immediately appeared. That simple sound from Heaven instantly got rid of darkness. “Let there be light” could mean several things to different people, but basically it means “darkness depart!” In our Bible text, we read of a man who was born blind. He heard that Jesus was passing by, and so he began to cry to the Lord for mercy. He desired to hear a sound from Heaven, and he did all within his power to actualise his desire. “What can I do for you?” Jesus asked, and he answered, saying “Lord, I want my sight restored”. The voice from Heaven sounded “Receive your sight”, and immediately darkness gave way to light. Similarly, in Mark 5:1-15, the mad man of Gadara who had over 6000 demons living inside him had the opportunity of hearing a sound from Heaven. After he heard it, all those demonic forces in him promptly took their leave. Is your life surrounded now by the powers of darkness? I release the sound from Heaven to you: demonic powers and every form of darkness in your life depart now in the mighty Name of Jesus!
Prior to the sounding of the voice from Heaven in Genesis 1:3, there was so much chaos on earth; but immediately it sounded, light appeared and the first day was created. A young man once testified to his encounter with the creative power of the sound from Heaven. He was not only born blind, he also had no eye balls and his eye sockets were empty. One day, a great evangelist organised a week-long crusade in his area, and people daily led him there. On the first night of this crusade, the man of God preached about the creative power of God, and the blind man’s faith rose. “This is exactly what I need”, he said, but he went home still blind. The following morning, while washing his face, he discovered that his eye sockets which used to be very cold because blood never flowed through them now had some warmth. On the second day of the crusade, still nothing happened. But on waking up the following day, in those empty sockets, he felt something bulging. On that third day of the crusade, he heard a sound from Heaven saying “You can now open your eyes”, and his eyes were opened. Are your eyes physically shut? The sound from Heaven is saying “Open your eyes now!” Are you spiritually blind? The Lord of Heaven is saying to you, “Eyes be opened now!”
Prayer Point:
Every form of darkness in my life and family, depart now!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Matthew 13 and Isaiah 5:8-23,
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 5: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN
1. The Great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!
Sweetest note in seraph
Refrain:
Sweetest name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung:
Jesus, blessed Jesus!
2 Your many sins are all forgiv’n,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;
The veil ’twixt you and God is riven,
Redemption wrought by Jesus.
3 All glory to the dying Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Savior’s name,
I love the name of Jesus.
4 His name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other name but Jesus;
Oh, how my soul delights to hear
The charming name of Jesus!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PASSAGES
Matthew: 13. 1. That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9. Whoever has ears, let them hear." 10. The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11. He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' 16. But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 18. "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19. When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." 24. Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27. "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 28. "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' 29. "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" 31. He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches." 33. He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough." 34. Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." 36. Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." 37. He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39. and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40. "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. 44. "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 47. "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50. and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51. "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied. 52. He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." 53. When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. 55. "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56. Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" 57. And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home." 58. And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Isaiah: 5. 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.
Isaiah: 5. 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.
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