RCCG Covenant House, Sydney

08/08/2024

08/05/2024

Join us for our Mother's Day celebration on Sunday. God bless you. 🙏 😊

28/03/2024

02/02/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2024.

TOPIC: DIFFERENT TYPES OF SONS 2

MEMORISE
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: - 2 Samuel 7:14 (KJV)

READ: Psalm 84:10-12

10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

MESSAGE

Yesterday, I explained that a son can become so close to the Father that he also becomes a friend of the Father. This is true, however, among friends, there are favourites.

From the moment I learnt that it is possible to be a favourite of God, someone from whom God will never hide anything, I decided to get so close to God that I will become His favourite.

Do you also want to be God’s favourite? You must note that it will cost you something.

Many times, when we talk about how a Christian should behave, dress, and act, some people will say, “God is not that difficult, He is a God of love.

Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty.” I always say, “We shouldn’t quarrel about it, live your life the way you want to live it. It all depends on how close you want to be to God.”

For example, if all you want in life is to become an Office Assistant, then you don’t need to attend a higher institution. All you need to know is how to run basic errands, and you will achieve your goal.

However, if you want to become a professor, then you will enrol in a tertiary institution and burn the midnight oil.

I want to be a professor for God, I want to get close to Him, and I want to be His favourite.

I don’t want to be just a servant of God, I don’t want to be just a son, I don’t want to be just a friend, I want to be a favourite, and by the grace of God, that is what you will be also, even though it is going to come at a cost.

Becoming one of God’s favourites will cost you your time. Those who become God’s favourites spend more time with God than they spend with anyone or anything else.

Becoming God’s favourite will also cost you your appetite. You must be ready to fast like no man’s business if you want to draw closer to God than majority of others ever will.

It will also cost you material things because you must hate the things of this world and prioritise the kingdom of God.

James 4:4 says friendship with the world is enmity with God. Matthew 6:24 further says that you must choose between God and mammon.

You must reject mammon to become close to God. Are you willing to pay the price to become God’s favourite? I am

PRAYER POINT
Conduct a sincere audit of your relationship with God and commit to making the required sacrifices to draw closer to Him more than ever before.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Leviticus 19 - 21

HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD

1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

REFRAIN
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine. [Refrain]

3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain]

4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain]

01/02/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024.

TOPIC: DIFFERENT TYPES OF SONS 1

MEMORISE
So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. - Galatians 4:31 (KJV)

READ: Galatians 4:19-31

19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bo***ge, which is Agar.

25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bo***ge with her children.

26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

MESSAGE

There are many categories of children and i will be discussing some of them today. The first type I will look at are the ones referred to as ‘prodigal’ like we have in Luke 15:11-24.

By the grace of God, I will never become a prodigal son, in Jesus’ name. I’ll encourage you to say the same prayer for yourself.

When God blesses me, I will not squander His blessings; I will use them for His work.

Some people believe that the only way you can show that God is blessing you is by showing off: wearing golden shoes and clothes, and walking as if you own the whole world.

These are the attributes of people that are referred to as prodigal sons, and I have made up my mind never to become such. What about you?

Another category of children that the Bible talks about are those that bring grief to their fathers.

The Bible says that a foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him (Proverbs 17:25).

I have equally made up my mind never to be one of such, in Jesus’ name. Psalm 14:1 says that the fool is one who says that there is no God, and it goes on further to say that a fool is a corrupt person.

I acknowledge God in all that I do, and I refuse to be corrupt. I will never cause my Father in heaven grief. What about you?

If you go to Matthew 3:16-17 however, the Bible talks of ‘My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’ This is the kind of son I want to be.

I want to be the kind of son that God will look down on and say, “This one, I love him.” You can be that kind of friend too.

God has had sons who became friends over the ages. Abraham was a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8), and I am sure He is also saying, “Adeboye is my friend.”

You can tell who will become a beloved child of God as well as His friend by how much time they are willing to spend in His presence.

The kind of sons that yearn for a close fellowship with God and desire to please Him at all times are the ones who don’t just read the Bible but also study and meditate on it daily so as to know God more and draw closer to Him.

KEY POINT
Sons who will grow to become God’s beloved and friends enjoy staying in His presence for long hours.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Leviticus 16 - 18

HYMNAL
HYMN 11: I’VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS

1 I have found a friend in Jesus, He‟s everything to me;
He‟s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul!
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He‟s my comfort, in trouble He‟s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll. (Hallelujah)

CHORUS
He‟s the Lily of the Valley,
the Bright and Morning Star;
He‟s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

2 He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He‟s my strong and mighty tower;
I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal: (Hallelujah)

3 He‟ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
while I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I‟ve nothing now to fear;
with His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory, I‟ll see His blessed face,
where rivers of delight shall ever roll.

31/01/2024

God bless you as you join us for our Marriage and Relationship weekend. 🙏
Theme: Fostering a sustainable Relationship in marriage
10th February: Youth and Singles Dinner by 6pm (Free)
11th February: Relationship Service by 10am
11th February: 10th Couples' Dinner by 4pm ($170 per Couple). ♥️

27/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 2024.

TOPIC: WHAT IS GOD’S TEMPLE? 5

MEMORISE
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)

READ: Hebrews 4:15-16

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

MESSAGE

God’s temple is also a house of grace. Hebrews 4:16 calls the temple the throne of grace. It is the place where you can go and obtain grace and mercy in times of need.

You may be in need of strength and grace to overcome a particular situation; the good news is that the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God’s grace is sufficient for you, and His strength is made perfect in your weakness.

You receive this sufficient grace when you come into His temple.

People who go to the occult for power know that they have to keep visiting the shrine regularly to renew their powers.

The devil only tries to copy God’s methods; we who own the original must also always go to the temple of God to keep renewing our strength and receive fresh grace to surmount challenges that we may be faced with daily.

There are people who, when they have committed a sin, avoid going to church because they feel dirty – that is wrong.

At that point, they need the mercy of God and where they can get it is at His throne of grace. That is the time they need to be in church the most.

When you get to His throne of grace, go in humility. Even if you are a worker, don’t try to keep up an appearance; tell God you have erred and that you are sincerely sorry. Tell Him to please have mercy on you.

Many people go to the temple and keep up appearances like the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14, while some others go in like the Publican in the same passage.

This is why many people keep going to church and are yet filled with so much junk within them.

Even if you are the pastor of the church, when you are before the throne of grace and in need of mercy, don’t put up a false appearance of piety; go before God pleading for mercy.

The devil knows that you can always access mercy and grace in the presence of God, so he will do everything he can to discourage you from coming unto Him.

He used to have that privilege of being in God’s presence, but he lost it when iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:14-16), and of course, he does not want you to enjoy what he has lost.

Beloved, don’t let anything keep you away from coming into God’s presence to access his mercy and grace.

KEY POINT
Go to the house of God in humility so you can receive grace and mercy from the throne of grace.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Leviticus 1 - 4

HYMNAL
HYMN 2: AMAZING GRACE

1 Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

2 Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

3 The Lord hath promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

4 Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease:
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.

5 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.

6 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

23/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2024.

TOPIC: WHAT IS GOD’S TEMPLE? 1

MEMORISE
Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. - Isaiah 56:7 (KJV)

READ: Genesis 28:10-17

10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

MESSAGE

Many people don’t know why they need to go to church or any place of fellowship at all. They think to themselves, “Why can’t we just sit down at home?

After all, God is everywhere.” So, for the next few days, l intend to spend some time looking at what God’s temple really is.

God’s temple is the house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7), and before anyone says that this is just in the Old Testament, Jesus Himself, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrew 12:2), further validated it in Matthew 21:12-13.

We go to the One who hears prayers (Psalm 65:2) in the house He has dedicated and assigned as the house of prayer.

I know you can pray anywhere, and God will hear you, but there is a difference when you pray in the place that was originally assigned as the place of prayer.

In such a place, the atmosphere is already charged, and there are heavenly protocols in place already to ensure that prayers said there are answered.

When a place has been dedicated as a house of prayer, there is tremendous power there.

For many years when I lived in the house that is now known as Open Heavens House, I had a small room that I called my prayer room. It is a room that was assigned as a place to pray and meet with God.

As a result of the constant prayers that went on there for long hours, a portal between heaven and earth was created there, just like the one we see in our Bible reading for today.

Many people had prayed for certain situations without results, however, when they entered that room to pray, testimonies followed.

For example, there have been records of people entering the prayer room with glaring physical defects, and by the time they would come out, the Lord would have touched them, and the defect would have disappeared.

What made the difference was not so much in the words they said but that they prayed in a place that had become a portal between heaven and earth.

When a place has been dedicated as a place of prayer, and intense prayers have been going on there for many years, you better believe that such a place is saturated with immense power.

You can pray on your own every day, but in addition to that, every time you have the opportunity to go to church to pray, please don’t miss it.

KEY POINT
The temple of God is a place that is saturated with tremendous power, make sure you go there to pray as often as you can.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Exodus 28 - 30

HYMNAL
HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

1. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father’s throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

3. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I’ll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

20/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2024.

TOPIC: GOD'S BEST FRIENDS 3

MEMORISE
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” - (Matthew 6:10)

READ: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (KJV)

5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.

6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

MESSAGE

Many people want to be one of God's best friends so that whenever they ask Him for something, He will do it for them immediately. This is surely one of the benefits of being one of God's best friends, however, those who really become such care more about Him than they care about themselves.

The priorities of a man are known from his prayer points. If your prayers are always selfish, God will not make you one of His best friends. In fact, He will not answer your prayers when they are born out of your lusts (James 4:3).

Those who will be one of God's best friends are people who pray God's prayers and want to partner with Him to establish His will on earth. They are people who say regularly, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." When such people go to pray, they don't go with preconceived prayer points at all times. They make a habit of going into His presence with a burden to hear from Him about what He wants to be done on earth and to pray those things into existence.

Every now and then, God needs someone to stand in the gap for His people, He needs someone to pray about a particular situation so that He can have the legal right to step into that situation. If you are an intercessor, always willing to pray God's will into existence, He will draw you closer to Himself. He will tell you things that He usually doesn't tell others and show you sides of Himself that others don't see - He will even reveal His burdens to you! Only those who are willing to share in God's burdens can become one of His best friends.

In Matthew 26:36-39, Jesus' best friends saw His sorrow; they saw Him in His time of distress at the garden of Gethsemane when He was crying for God to take away the cup from Him and more importantly, to let His will be done. Jesus was the one who invited them to watch with Him; they were His prayer partners.

Can God invite you to watch with Him over a nation, His church or any matter at that? Can you forget all your prayer points and just keep praying for the will of God to be fulfilled like Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane? Do you care more about God than you care about yourself?

PRAYER POINT
Pray for the body of Christ with specific reference to Christians facing persecution across the world.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Exodus 17 - 20

HYMNAL
HYMN 20 - STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS

1. Stand up! stand up for Jesus,
Ye soldiers of the Cross ! Lift high His royal banner; It must not suffer loss. From vict'ry unto vict'ry His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished, And Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up! stand up for Jesus,
The trumpet call obey; Forth to the mighty conllict, In this His glorious day; Ye that are men now serve Him Against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger, And strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up! stand up for Jesus ! Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of Ilesh will fail you,
Ye dare not trust your own: Put on the gospel armour; And watching unto prayer; Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there.

4. Stand up! stand up for Jesus! The strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor's song;
To him that overcometh, A crown of life shall be; He with the King of glory Shall reign eternally.

15/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2024.

TOPIC: IT SHALL BE WELL 7

MEMORISE
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which ! sent among you. - Joel 2:25 (KJV)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Samuel 30:1-8, 1 Samuel 30: 18-19

1 Samuel 30:1-8

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

1 Samuel 30:18-19

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

MESSAGE

Today, I will conclude the discussion about God’s prophetic message to you from Isaiah 3:10 that says it shall be well with the righteous in this new year and beyond.
God indeed desires that you should enjoy all-round wellness, and this includes recovering all that you might have lost to the enemy.
I declare that you will recover all that you may have lost to the enemy, in Jesus’ name.

Our Father in heaven said in His words,
“I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight:
I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:” (Isaiah 45:2).
In other words, the Lord is assuring us of His presence as we pass through this new year. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us an added assurance in John 16:33:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

These infallible words in the Scriptures are an assurance to you that regardless of what you might have experienced in the last year, it shall be well with you in this new year.

Beloved, for it to be well with you this year, you must learn a lesson from our Bible text for today. David consulted God before pursuing the enemy, and God assured him of victory. I encourage you to cultivate the habit of seeking divine direction this year as you go about all your lawful endeavours. David, even though He was an army General of high repute, did not rush into pursuing those who raided his camp while he was away.Instead, he consulted with his Commander-In-Chief, Jehovah-Nissi, for divine assurance. God told him to pursue after the invaders, and when he did, he recovered all that they had stolen from him.

Are there things you know that the devil has stolen from you? Are there opportunities you believe you have lost? Are there steps you ought to have taken but failed to, and you feel all is over? I want to assure you today that my God can help you recover all if you trust Him and surrender all to Him.

I declare once again that as you truly surrender all to Jesus and seek His guidance, you will recover all the losses you may have suffered, and it shall be well with you, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT
Thank God for His assurance of recovering all, and ask Him to recover all your losses for you, in Jesus’ name.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Genesis 47 - 50

HYMNAL
HYMN 21: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring; Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, Standing on the promises of God.

REFRAIN
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

3 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

13/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2024.

TOPIC: IT SHALL BE WELL 6

MEMORISE
“Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” - (John 5:14)

READ: John 5:1-14 (KJV)

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

MESSAGE

In continuation of the discussion about God's declaration that it shall be well with the righteous (Isaiah 3:10), it is important to note that the state of a person's health is another indicator of the fellow's wellness. An individual that is always in and out of the hospital because of health challenges cannot say that it is truly well with him or her. I declare in the mighty name of Jesus that from today onward, you will begin to live in sound health.

The story in our Bible reading for today reveals the healing power of our Lord Jesus Christ and also shows that sin can be a source for sickness. This is the reason the Holy Spirit through the writer of Acts 10:38 said:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

For you to live a sickness-free life in this new year, you must desist from any sin that might exist in your life. Confess them to God, ask for His forgiveness, and genuinely repent from them. If you do not genuinely repent of any sin that exists in your life, you are setting yourself up for great torment by the devil, as Jesus told the sick fellow in our memory verse for today.

Jesus gave a parable about putting new wine into old wine bottles in Luke 5:36-38. You cannot receive a miracle from God and remain in a sinful state; it is like putting new wine in an old wine bottle. As Jesus warned in His parable, such a person will surely be destroyed.

In our Bible reading today, Jesus pronounced healing on the sick fellow and, after a while, upon seeing him again, gave him a warning that he should not commit sin again. A lesson here for us to learn is that it is not enough for a fellow to receive his or her healing or any other miracle and go about committing sin afterwards. Such a fellow will definitely lose the healing or miracle. As I have pronounced healing and sound health upon you today, may the Lord keep you away from sin so that you will not lose your miracles to it, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT
Sin exposes someone to the demons of infirmity. Repent and be healed, live holy that you may not lose your healing and miracles.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Genesis 44 - 46

HYMNAL
HYMN 15 - PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOUR

1. Pass me not, 0 gentle Saviour,
Hear my humble cry; While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.

REFRAIN
Saviour, Saviour, Hear my humble cry; While on others Thou art calling; Do not pass me by.

2. Let me, at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief; Kneeling there in deep contrition, Help my unbelief.

3. Trusting only in Thy merit
Would I seek Thy face
Heal my wounded, broken
spirit, Save me by Thy grace.

4. Thou, the spring of all my
comfort, More than life to me.
Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heaven but Thee