RCCG Bread of Life Parish

Praise and Worship Time

Weekly Prayers

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: FRIDAY 27TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

THEME: LET GOD TAKE THE LEAD.

MEMORISE:

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

Genesis 13:11-12


READ: Genesis 14:8-16 (KJV)

8. And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;

9. With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.

10. And the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

11. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.

12. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

13. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram.

14. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

15. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

MESSAGE:
I may not have achieved as much success and impact as I have today if I had travelled to a developed country as I wanted to when I was younger. I had applied for a Commonwealth scholarship programme abroad for my masters.

On the day of the interview in the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the members of the panel asked me questions so simple that I wondered if they knew I was an honours student of Mathematics.

I was confident I had passed the interview, until a member of the panel who had been dozing all along woke and asked “Where is Entebbe?” I responded Pardon me, “I am here for a Mathematics interview, not Geography.”

Unknown to me, he was the chairman of the committee. Everyone laughed in such a way that made me realise I would not be getting the scholarship.

When I got out of the interview hall, I ran into one of my lecturers from my alma mater who now worked in UNILAG. We exchanged pleasantries and I told him why I had come to UNILAG. He said to me “No, you don’t need to go abroad; I know your stuff. I will supervise you here for your postgraduate studies”.

Thus I became a postgraduate student at UNILAG, eventually got an invitation to attend a service at The Redeemed Christian Church of God, encountered Christ, became born again and today, the Lord has made me the General Overseer of the Church.

Things may be tough now where God wants you to stay, but if you trust and obey Him, your tomorrow will be alright.

When Lot had the chance to choose where he would stay, he did not bother asking God, he just went straight for the seemingly better option.

Little did he know he was going into a condemned city. At the end of the day, we see that Abraham who stayed put became far greater than Lot.

In Genesis 14:14-16 , when Lot was kidnapped because he did not have divine protection, Abraham and his men had to fight and defeat four armies to rescue him.

In the midst of all the complaints and struggles in developing countries, some people are still getting huge breakthroughs and fulfilling their destinies.

You don’t have to tell lies and keep running from the Police to become great in life; don’t compromise your eternity for a journey God did not send you on. Let God lead you.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, don’t let me abandon Your plans for my life in the mighty name of Jesus.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 18:19-19:41

HYMN 2: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER.

1. All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

CHORUS:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,
I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

CHORUS:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,
I surrender all.

3. All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

CHORUS:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,
I surrender all.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame;
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

CHORUS:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,
I surrender all.

[11/26/20]   *OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.*

DATE: THURSDAY 26TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

*THEME: CHOOSE YOUR KING WISELY.*

*MEMORISE:*

“Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!”
*Ecclesiastes 10:16*

*READ: Ecclesiastes 10:16-18 (KJV)*

16. Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

17. Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

18. By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

*MESSAGE:*

As seen in our memory verse of today, if the king of a territory is a child, the whole land suffers the woe. In other words, you must choose your leaders very carefully.

Whenever you have the opportunity to elect a leader in your country or an association you belong to, learn to put sentiments aside and elect a mature and responsible person with a credible track record.

Any single lady who has more than one suitor has a decision to make. She could choose based on looks, money or God’s will.

If she chooses based on money and looks alone, she will face the music when the time comes. However, if she chooses God’s will, then she is on the path towards having a great marriage and a wonderful family.

Beloved sister, marriage is a lifetime commitment; imagine how terrible it would be to have an immature king for the rest of your life.

Older women who married immature men must have ignored the red flags they saw during courtship. Are you also ignoring the signs of immaturity and irresponsibility in that man courting you?

Proverbs 6:10-11 says: “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man!”

Run when you meet a man who is always sleeping when he should be working, or playing when he should be studying.

Before you decide on a local church to attend, watch the Pastor’s attitude closely. A Pastor could be anointed but immature. These ones could be likened to babies handling guns; so much power in immature hands. Elisha was like that when he first received the anointing in (2 Kings 2:23-24).

Forty-two children lost their lives in a single day because he got angry when they began to call him names.

After that day, Elisha learnt to be mature and was always in control of his temper.

An immature leader whether spiritual or in the secular world is dangerous. Choose your leaders wisely.

*PRAYER POINT:*

Father, please give me the gift of discernment so I may please You with my choices.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:1 Thessalonians 1-5, 2 Thessalonians 1-3*

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE.

*HYMN 18. MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.*

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
Pure, warm and changeless be
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And grief around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: TUESDAY 24TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

THEME: LEARN FROM THE FALL OF SAMSON (II).

MEMORISE:
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Matthew 5:28


READ: James 1:12-16 (KJV)

12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man;

14. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.


16. Do not err, my beloved brethren.

MESSAGE:
Every temptation that a fellow yields to will lead to a bigger one. This is why many people are deep in sins they once vowed never to commit. The fall happens slowly until the fellow is completely submerged in sin.

The devil lures believers into sin so as to destroy them. This is his goal. To achieve this, he comes in subtle ways first, with thoughts and seemingly harmless sins, focusing on the heart. He knows that if the heart can fall, it is only a matter of time before the body falls too. Proverbs 14:14 says: “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways…”

Your spiritual destiny would be determined by your decision to either accommodate or expel the subtle suggestions of the devil.

When you start thinking of being in bed with a woman who is not your wife or you start spending money that is not your own, that is the devil trying to get you to fall, using your heart first.

The devil could also try to cut you away from the people who helped you grow in the faith.

When you consider the story of Samson, you will discover that he spent most of his time outside Israel. If the devil can successfully separate you from people who helped you grow spiritually, and your prayer life begins to wax cold; before long, you would stop studying your Bible and start permitting sin in your life.

This is why you must never forsake the fellowship of the brethren (Hebrews 10:25, Proverbs 27:17). You may have yielded to temptation in the past, the good news is that restoration is possible.

Though Samson fell, he was restored to the Lord before his death; so much so that he was listed among the fathers of faith in Hebrews 11.

Proverbs 28:13 says:
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

If you would confess your sins, forsake them and rededicate your life (for backsliders), God is willing to accept you.

ACTION POINT:
Check your life. Are you yielding to the lure of the devil already? God is able to restore you if only you would ask Him for help.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Galatians 4-6

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A Adeboye. The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God.

HYMN 13: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS.

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus,
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: MONDAY 23RD OF NOVEMBER, 2020
THEME: LEARN FROM THE FALL OF SAMSON I

MEMORISE:
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

READ: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

MESSAGE:
Samson judged Israel for twenty years. He was an unusual child with wonderful parents (Judges 13:2-3). He was brought up as a Nazarite (Number 6:1-22, Judges 13:7), and this meant he had to lead a life of consecration unto the Lord. He was also a man of prayer (Judges 15:18 and 16:28), but he failed so terribly because he had not learned to bring his body under subjection like Paul did (1 Corinthians 9:27). Samson’s story is a strong warning to every Christian never to toy with sin. Imagine a judge of Israel lying in Delilah’s lap.
Samson started sinking into sin little by little. First, he fell in love with a strange woman (Judges 14:1-2), then disobeyed his parents when they told him he couldn’t marry her (Judges 14:3). Later on, he slept with a prostitute (Judges 16:1) before he finally landed in Delilah’s lap. Samuel did not worry because his supernatural strength remained even while he was committing sin. In fact, one day, he lifted the gates of the city and took them up a mountain just after sleeping with a prostitute (Judges 16:3). He did not see a need for caution because despite his misdeeds, the anointing appeared to still be on him. Little did he know that the devil was luring him to a place of no return. Samson, eventually landed in Delilah’s lap where he was afflicted and overpowered. While with Delilah, there were several warning signs but he had gotten so deep into sin that he could not stop. The devil lured Samson with seemingly harmless sins until he lost his strength, sight and purpose in life. Ezekiel 18:20 says:
*“The soul that sinneth, it shall die...”*
Learn from Samson’s life. Those seemingly harmless sins you are committing and getting away with are simply baits from the devil to encourage you to go deeper. The devil is not stupid; he has planned a big downfall along the line. You must stop those sins now before it becomes too difficult to do so. Everything was okay for Samson years into when he started to fall, but in one night, he hit rock bottom. Learn from Samson and make amends while you have the chance.

KEY POINT:
Don’t be deceived; no sin is harmless. Every sin that goes unpunished is just an enticement towards damnation.

HYMN 8: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS
1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2. Are you walking daily by the Saviour’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for His mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Galatians 1-3
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE