The Word

Theme : Trusting in the Lor d in Battles Text:  1 Samuel 30:1-8 30 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the  Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was g...

Theme: Who is Jesus Christ to You? Text:  Matthew  16:13-20 13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you thatyou are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not[g]prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth...

Theme: Seek the Lord's Will. Text: Proverbs  16:1-3 16 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits. 3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. Our desires are many and often insatiable. Planning in life is good but when it lacks the Creator's will, it will amount to nothing. Whatever your heart plans to do it should be done through prayers that the Lord shall establish it. Balak's plan is to lay curses on Israel when he sent for Balaam. However Balaam's reply in the verse thirty-eight of Numbers twenty-two, has an influence from his encounter with the Angel of God;  38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.” It is for that reason, Bala...

Theme: Do Not Be Enticed By Sin Text:  2 Kings 21:1-9 21  Manasseh  was  twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name  was  Hephzibah.  2  And he did evil in the sight of the  Lord , according to the abominations of the nations whom the  Lord  had cast out before the children of Israel.  3  For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.  4  He also built altars in the house of the  Lord , of which the  Lord  had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.”  5  And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the  Lord .  6  Also he made his son pass through the fire, prac...

Theme: Toils of Vanity Text:  Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his [h]heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. Labour...

Theme: Misled Text: Genesis 3:1-7 3 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which  is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”  4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make  one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also ...

Theme: The Glory of God With Men. Text:  Isaiah 60:19-22. 19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. 20 Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended. 21 Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. 22 A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.” When our lives on this earth is ended and the glory of God revealed, there we will experience the unusual around us.  In the presence of God, Christ shall be our light. His light existed before the sun and moon  (Genesis 1...

Theme: The Crown of Glory in Travailing Text: Isaiah 66:5-11 Memory Verse ~ Isaiah 66:7-9 7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. 8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children. 9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God. Serving God among people who do not see the essence in doing so can be very disheartening. Usually they make fun of God thinking they're making fun of you. Don't be discouraged take heart for the Lord has taken notice of their evil doing and will put them to shame. It is not for you to fight or wage war, but keep doing the right thing for the Lord will prevail mightily in your life. When the mercies ...

Theme: Diligently Observe the Lord's Command Text: Deuteronomy 8:1-5 8 “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and  multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 You should know in your heart that as a...

Theme: Love Lifts the Barrier Text: Psalm 15:1-5 15 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; 4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change 5 He who  does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. The total life of a believer, is in the command to love your neighbour as Christ has loved you (John 13:34-35). The Psalmists asked, who may abide in God's tabernacle and Holy hill? God is Holy and pure. We need to approach His tabernacle and Holy hill in holiness and purity. Have it not been Christ, this will have ...

Theme: Shine Above Others Text:  Philippians 2:12-18 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure 14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with m...

Theme: Christ the Word Text:  John 1:1-5 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Hallelujah! Dear beloved in the Lord, the Gospel of John begins with the acknowledgment of who Christ is. He is the Word spoken by God in the beginning in Genesis 1:3 "3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light." The Word of God bought light into existence. And this Word was with God and is God because the Word proceeded out of God's mouth. In Him were we created and likewise all creatures and plants . In Jesus is life, and this life is light unto men. Jesus stated in John 10:10b, that ...

Theme: Whose Word Are You Making Known? Text:  Jeremiah 28:1-17 Memory Verse ~ Jeremiah 28:15-17 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.’ ” 17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month. Praise God for another awesome day. Today we will look at prophecies of man and of God. In our dispensation where people are itchy to hear prophecies concerning their lives, most men of God have resorted into telling their mind than waiting on God to speak. The prophet Hananiah prophesied what will pleased the people than the Voice of God. Ask yourself if you're taking the steps of Hananiah or not. Taking the steps of Hanania...

Theme: Be Christian, Apply Wisdom Text:  Proverbs 10:10-12 10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall. 11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. Our journey in life needs to be guided with wisdom. Wisdom is divine, and it comes from God. The Word of God says in James 1:5, "5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." We will consider some key elements of life in our text for the day. Communication takes varying forms; verbal, written or gestures. If you fail to communicate the right thing to others, you'll cause trouble not only for yourself but others. Winking your eyes at the wrong time and place can be miscommunicated. To avoid troubles, kindly watch your body language. Just as you're careful of your gestures ...

Theme: Entering Into the Lord's Rest Text: Psalm 95:6-11 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. 10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ 11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ” The duty of man is to worship the Lord. The Psalmist calls forth others to join him in worshipping the Lord as we are the people of His pasture. Christ stated, He is the Good Shepherd and we are his flock...

Theme: Hallelujah! ~ Praise the Lord! Text: Psalm 95:1-5 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. 5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Beloved in the Lord, today is the beginning of another working week. When we consider the protection and provisions of God in our lives, we ought to give Him praise and honour. Though the weekend might have come with it's challenges, yet God kept us from destruction. We need to appreciate Him. Take this moment to just thank Him with hymns and songs. When our worship goes high, He releases His blessings over our lives. Ours worship is able to break barr...

Theme:  A Good Neighbour, You Must Be Text: Luke 10:25-37 Memory verse ~ Luke 10:36-37 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Being a neighbour, is not limited by geographical location. That is to say, your neighbours are not just those you share common wall with. It goes beyond that. You must be a neighbour to all you come across in discharging your duties in life as a teacher, pastor, health giver, administrator, security personnel, vendor, trader, student amongst others. Many have cloud themselves with excuses they call genuine so as to escape being a neighbour to someone. The Priest and Levite, should have been in a better position to help this wounded man but, they each went their way. Have you also done this before when someone genuinely needed your help? It is not necessarily a wounde...

Theme:  The Throne of Righteousness Text:  Proverbs 16:10-15 10 Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment. 11 Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s; All the weights in the bag are His work. 12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right 14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath, But a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of the king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain. Leaders are needed in our homes, churches, institutions, communities, nations and the world at large. We just don't need leaders, but we need leaders who will promote the will of God. In promoting the will of God, justice is evident in all they do and ...

Theme: Serve W ith Your Tongue Text:  Proverbs 15:1-4 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. The tongue is a small member of the body, however if one fails to bridle it, his or her life will be ruined completely. For life and death lies in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21; James 3:5-10). Beloved, your response to issue determines the outcome of the issue. A soft reply unlike a harsh one will bring peace and anger will be eliminated. Application of wisdom in the matters of life is important. A fool is quick to conclude a matter when he had not heard the full story (Proverbs 18:13). Beloved in the Lord, how do you respond to issues? What principles gu...

Theme: My Body, His Temple Text:  1 Corinthians 3:16-17 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. By the mercies of the death and resurrection of Christ, we've been granted grace. The Holy Spirit dwells in us just as Christ has assured in John 14:15-18 that when He goes to the Father, He will send another helper which is the Holy Spirit. Yes, on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles experienced it and we are also experiencing it now. Having the Spirit of God in you, demands you live to depict the glory of God. You ought to flee from every worldly passion and cling on to the fruit of the Spirit. As admonished in Galatians 5:16-17, we are to walk in the Spirit so as not to fulfill the desires of the flesh as they contradict each other. The question now is, how do you defile my temp...