LOVE IS UNQUENCHABLE

Thursday 9 August Bible in one year: Joshua 10-12

Memorise: Many waters cannot quench love; neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all substance of his house for love, it would utterly contemned. Song of Solomon 8:7

Read: Songs of Solomon 8:6-7

Although it is difficult to effectively define love, it is clear that love involves very powerful emotions. Solomon was a beneficiary of God’s love and he writes that love is equal to death in terms of strength (Song of Solomon 8:6). Most people fear death but very few fear love, yet they are equal in strength. Death and Love have a sense of finality associated with them. Those who really know what love is are always afraid of falling in love because once you really love someone; it does not matter what the fellow does, your love for that individual never dies. Song of Solomon 8:7 says
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Many waters cannot quench love; neither can the floods drown it: If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

Floods of adversity and difficulty cannot quench love. If you say you love and later say you do not love your spouse again because there is no money at home for food, or because of negative pressures form in-laws, that love is quenchable.

In Romans 8:35-39, Paul says nothing and nobody can stop the love of God from flowing to us. Love is unstoppable and unquenchable. It is difficult to offend someone who really loves you because love forgives all sins, wrongs and offences (Proverbs 10:12). Are you finding it difficult to forgive your spouse for falling into fornication? If you love that spouse you will receive the grace to forgive. There is no harm that is done to you that you cannot forgive if you love somebody. However, taking it for granted that your spouse will always forgive your sins is a dangerous thing because God Himself may take up the assignment of judging you. What happens when the one you love disappoints you? The three Hebrew boys before king Nebuchadnezzar stated that even if their God disappoints in delivering them, that will still love Him ( Daniel 3:16-18)? Many Christians will be offended when God does not grant their request; this shows their level of love for Him. When you are genuinely in love, it will be a thing of pleasure to make sacrifices for the one you love. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were ready to die in the fire out of their love for God. Do you love God to the extent of dying for Him, just like He loved you and died for you?

PRAYER POINT: Father, just as you have loved me to the point of giving Your Son Jesus Christ to die for me, help me to love You without holding back anything.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

NEGLECTING THIS DOOR?

Friday 20 July                           Bible in one year: 1Samuel 17-20

Memorise: And all things,whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ,ye shall receive. Matthew 21:22
Read : Matthew 21:18-22

In Corinthians 16:8-9 , Paul said God opened a door for him.God still open doors for His children. God open doors to missionary opportunities.Also,there is a door of prayers.This door is open to everyone. You do not need the permission of anyone to pray.You are free to pray anytime and anywhere.Even when a government outlaws prayers like it happened in the time of Daniel, those like Daniel will still pray. Any government that passes such an obnoxious decree must be prepared to stay awake 24/7 because some of us may choose to start our prayers at 3am. How effectively have you been using your open door in prayer? Your success in Christian faith depends on how you utilize this door. You cannot be anything of repute in God’s kingdom if you neglect this door. One thing that is common to those who rise and fall from the faith so often is that they fail to utilize their open door in prayer. A prayer-less Christian is not only powerless but also a misrepresentation of the Christian faith. Such a Christian will end up a victim and will struggle in his walk with God.Power is released in the place of prayer. You need power to live as a Christian(John 1:14). Without such power, Heaven will be a mirage. If you are neglecting effective prayer life, it means you do not want to go to Heaven.

You are neglecting this door when you see the need to pray but procrastinate,saying :”i will pray about it tomorrow”. That tomorrow may never come. Or when you have a negative dream but only mutter some positive confessions and push it aside or leave it to fate by saying:”if God delights in me, He will do something about that dream so I leave it to Him’. You also neglect this door when you see a sharp or major character flaw in your  spouse , or leader but rather than intercede, you make  it a subject of discussion or gossip. Do you know that about 70% of what happens to most believers could have been averted if only they have effectively utilized the open door in prayer? There is gross prayerlessness in Christendom today. Repent and never take anything for granted. Monitor your dreams and revelations and make the most of them by the door of prayer.

KEY POINT: For the prayerful, prayer is a sieve which determines what they will go through and what they will not, while the prayer-less goes through everything projected their way by the enemy.

Victory :How Permanent?

VICTORY : HOW PERMANENT? 

 

Sunday 15 July                                   Bible in one year : Judges 13-15

Memorise: O Sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand , and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.Psalms 98:1

Read: Joshua 7:1-6

Every victory God gives can be maintained or lost depending on several factors. Many people know how to obtain victory not how to keep them.It is better to continue in defeat than to have victory and return to defeat due to the inability to keep it. After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea , Moses immediately composed a song of praise and thanksgiving that they sang repeatedly ( Exodus 15:1-21). After that song of praise , every effort to cause them to return to Egypt failed; their victory was permanent. Anyone who does not know how to be grateful to God may never enjoy permanent victories. Are you grateful to God for what He has done for you?

In Joshua 7 & 8, God gave the Israelites under Joshua victory which they lost almost immediately but later recovered. Many people once walked in the victory that Christ has given over the flesh, Satan and other enemies but later lost the reality of this victory. Why did Joshua lose his victory ? It was because somebody under him tampered with what he should not. This simply tells us that your victory could be eroded by the misdemeanour of a close associate. A family can lose their victory because of a disobedient child. If you doubt this,ask Eli. This is why parents must train their children well. Train, not just teach. Parents should act as coaches, mentors and guided to their children in order to maintain family victories.Thank God Joshua’s loss was not permanent because he asked God the cause of the loss and what to do, and did as instructed. Have you lost a victory? Ask God what you can do to have it back and do so promptly . If you know who is stealing in church,expose the fellow. Doing this does not only helps that individual but also the church. Achan’s theft not only affected him but the entire nation . Are you a pastor or minister yet secretly fornicating? You are negatively affecting your church and bringing an evil cloud over the congregation. As a member of the church, if you know of a fornicating minister , or worker, report the fellow to your pastor as way of helping all concerned.

KEY POINT: Thanksgiving is the glue that helps to firmly attach your blessings to you. Without it , your blessing may be lost.

FACE TO FACE

Sunday 8 July Bible in one year :Leviticus 24-27

Memorise : For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now i know in part; but then shall i know even as also i am known” 1 Corinthians 13 vs 12

Read : 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Just like unbelievers , some believers equally have reasons to be shaken when it occurs to them that death is near. When you hear that death has come, what will come to mind? Is my heart right with God? Is there any pending restitution? Do i owe anybody including God in tithes? Is there anyone i have not forgiven or made peace with ? Have i finished the assignments God gave to me? How about my family? Have i written my will and appointed the person to execute it? Is there any legacy I am leaving behind that could negatively impact on my family after my departure? Will the Lord be ready to receive me as i return to Him today? These questions and several others will come to mind. If you have any of such unanswered questions, start providing the answers and do something about them now. Prepare for your departure. Some parents leaven nothing for their children. What are you leaving behind for yours ?

However, although we fear death, it is only when we die or are raptured that we can stay in Heaven.It is only in Heaven you will have no pain, death or sorrow and God will wipe all tears from your eyes ( Revelations 21:3-4). On earth, even if all is well with you, you may still have a reason to be sorrowful when empathizing with others who are bereaved or suffered a major loss as instructed in Romans 12:15.As a believer, you should not fear death because it is only a door into eternal bliss where you will see Jesus face to face. Some people have seen Him in dreams and visions ,but after death , you as a believer in right standing with God will see Him face to face, hold Him, walk with Him, play and laugh with Him. What took Job through his darkest moments was the joy of seeing Him face to face ( Job19 vs 25) and the joy of knowing Him. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 vs 12

For now we see through a glass,darkly : but then face to face: now i know in part;but them shall i know even as also i am known

Yes , a day is coming,whether through death or the rapture when we shall be with Jesus throughout eternity. An eternity in the physical presence of the Lover of our souls,the One who died for us; this is something far beyond our imagination. Death can only help you enter into that day.

KEY POINT: When the issue of holiness is settled in your life, come death or rapture you are ready.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye