THEME: BE SANCTIFIED.

 

MEMORIZE:

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

Ephesians 5:26

BIBLE READING: COLOSSIANS 3:5-17

5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6. For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7. In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving

one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so a so do ye.

14. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

 

MESSAGE:

Some people keep returning to sin over and over, despite having asked Jesus to come into their lives.

They wonder how others live above sin. The answer is sanctification. When a person is sanctified, he/she loses the taste for sin.

The Bible describes it in Hebrews 1:9:

“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

When a person is sanctified, sinful habits that used to excite him/her become irritating.

As a result, the fellow is able to lead a life of holiness in Christ.

Sanctification is the grace of God that helps man to live above sin.

If you are still struggling with sin, then you need to be sanctified.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9″

To be sanctified, you must first confess all your sins to God (1 John 1:9).

You can also experience sanctification if you are an avid student of the word of God. 

John 17:17 says:

”Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

If you want to enjoy your Christian life; feed on the word of God. David said in Psalm 119:11:

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

The more of God’s word you study, the more sin will disgust you.

If you are always studying your Bible, God’s word will begin to influence the way you see things and how you behave.

The word of God has a Spirit which gives life, and that life, being Jesus will enter into you as you study it daily. It is Jesus who makes it easy for you to live holy.

Take up the challenge today and you will overcome sin, in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Study at least one chapter of the Bible by yourself daily. You need the word to stay sanctified.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: 

MATTHEW 17:1-27,

MARK 9:1-50,

LUKE 9:28-62

HYMN 27: TAKE MY LIFE , AND LET IT BE.

1. Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing

Always, only for my King;

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it

Thine It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is Thine own

It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

THEME: LOOK DOWN ON NO ONE.

MEMORIZE:

He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. Proverbs 14:31

BIBLE READING:

1 SAMUEL 17:42-51

42. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

43. And the Philistine said unto David, Am l a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not wit sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.

48. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

51. Therefore David ran, and stood u on the Philistine, and took his sword, an drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

MESSAGE:

Whenever you look down on a man, you are indirectly looking down on God. He is so in love with mankind that He said whatever you do to them is what you have done to Him.

“Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40”

You must be careful because you cannot simply tell who a person is from their looks.

David looked like an ordinary teenager, but inside him was a giant killer. Goliath paid with his life for looking down on him. Inside some prisoners today are Presidents tomorrow; Joseph is a classic example.

Never look down on anyone because they could be the solution to your challenges.

Naaman was very great. He had all he needed but he was leprous.The solution to his leprosy was in Israel, but he did not know until a slave girl told him.

If you read the story carefully, you will note that when Naaman was storming off in anger from Elisha’s house, it was his servants who pleaded with him to obey the man of God.

As a matter of fact, they referred to him as father (2 Kings 5:13). Naaman listened to them and got his healing.

If he had been wicked to his servants, they wouldn’t have bothered to plead with him, neither would they have been able to call him "father".

The beggar on your street may be the one to help you when no one would be able to. The poor people living next door may provide information required to save you from an impending trouble. Do not look down on anyone. 

Many Christians also feel so holy that they don’t want to relate with unbelievers.

Yes, we are not to be unequally yoked together with them (2 Corinthians 6:14) but we are not called to be hostile to them either (Luke 6:35).

God called us to love, not to hate and snub. There could not have been a more aggressive or harsh enemy of Jesus followers than Saul of Tarsus.

Yet, once God showed Saul the light and truth, there was never a more devoted, enthusiastic or fearless disciple of Christ.

Saul became the Apostle Paul. His life offers a wonderful example of how God sees beyond peoples current status to their potential.

We all have in our own lives Saul-like individuals with Paul-like potentials. Can you imagine how our families, our communities, and the world at large might change if we all tried to see each other as God does?.

God hates a proud look (Proverbs 6:16-17).

ACTION POINT:

Is there anyone you currently look down on?, Stop it.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR:

LUKE 16:1-31, 

LUKE 17:1-37

HYMN 20: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.

1. Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee;

E’ en though it be a cross

That raiseth me,

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee.

2. Though, like a wanderer

The sun gone down,

Darkness comes over me,

My rest a stone;

Yet in my dreams I’d be

Nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer to Thee.

3. There let me see the sight,

An open heaven;

All that thou sendest me,

In mercy given;

Angles to beckon me

Nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer to Thee

4. Then, with my walking thoughts

Bright with Thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs

Bethel I’ll raise,

So by my woes to be

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee

5. Or if on joyful wing

Cleaving the sky

Sun, moon, and stars forgot,

Upwards I fly,

Still all my song shall be,

Nearer my God to Thee,

Nearer my God to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!