Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry : 2023

Saturday, December 30, 2023

WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

SUNDAY, 31ST DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

MEMORIZE: “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 1:3.

SCRIPTURE READING: Philippians 2:12-13.

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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 which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13.

EXPOSITION:

Apostle Paul, in our today’s dose of devotion, exhorts the Philippians Church ad of course, all Christians, to be diligent and be of seriousness in the Christian course: Work out your own salvation. It is the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:9 “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”), and our eternal salvation (Heb 5:9 “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”), and contains deliverance from all the evils sin had brought upon us and exposed us to, and the possession of all good and whatsoever is necessary to our complete and final happiness.

It concerns us above all things to secure the welfare of our souls: whatever becomes of other things, let us take care of our best interests. It is our own salvation, the salvation of our own souls. It is not for us to judge other people; we have enough to do to look to ourselves; and, though we must promote the common salvation (Jude 1:3 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”) as much as we can, yet we must upon no account neglect our own.

We are required to work out our salvation. The word signifies working thoroughly at a thing, and taking true pains. We must be diligent in the use of all the means which conduce to our salvation. We must not only work at our salvation, by doing something now and then about it; but we must work out our salvation, by doing all that is to be done, and persevering therein to the end. Salvation is the great thing we should mind, and set our hearts upon; and we cannot attain salvation without the utmost care and diligence. He adds, With fear and trembling, that is, with great care and circumspection:

Trembling for fear lest you miscarry and come short. Be careful to do everything in your work with God in the best manner, and fear lest under all your advantages you should so much as seem to come short, - “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” Heb 4:1. Fear is a great guard and preservative from evil.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me to retain my salvation in you till I see you face to face in your glory in Jesus name.

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ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional guide written by PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE, General Overseer, Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l. It is an extraction of God’s word designed to draw the sincere seekers closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.

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I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE

FRIDAY, 29TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE

MEMORIZE: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 41:10-13

“10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

EXPOSITION:

God has a strong reserve with which to discharge this engagement; for he is able to do all things. Believer, till thou canst drain dry the ocean of omnipotence, till thou canst break into pieces the towering mountains of almighty strength, thou never needest to fear. Think not that the strength of man shall ever be able to overcome the power of God. Whilst the earth’s huge pillars stand, thou hast enough reason to abide firm in thy faith. The same God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and trims the lamps of heaven, has promised to supply thee with daily strength. While he is able to uphold the universe, dream not that he will prove unable to fulfil his own promises. Remember what he did in the days of old, in the former generations. Remember how he spake and it was done; how he commanded, and it stood fast. Shall he that created the world grow weary? He hangeth the world upon nothing; shall he who doth this be unable to support his children? Shall he be unfaithful to his word for want of power? Who is it that restrains the tempest? Doth not he ride upon the wings of the wind, and make the clouds his chariots, and hold the ocean in the hollow of his hand? How can he fail thee? When he has put such a faithful promise as this on record, wilt thou for a moment indulge the thought that he has outpromised himself, and gone beyond his power to fulfil? Ah, no! Thou canst doubt no longer. O thou who art my God and my strength,

I can believe that this promise shall be fulfilled, for the boundless reservoir of thy grace can never be exhausted, and the overflowing storehouse of thy strength can never be emptied by thy friends or rifled by thine enemies

“Now let the feeble all be strong,

And make Jehovah’s arm their song”

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me against my enemies in Jesus name.

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DESIRE OF HIS PRESENCE

FRIDAY, 29TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: DESIRE OF HIS PRESENCE

MEMORIZE: “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:20

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 46:1-3.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”

EXPOSITION:

The Lord Jesus is in the midst of his church; he walketh among the golden candlesticks; his promise is, “Lo, I am with you alway” He is as surely with us now as he was with the disciples at the lake, when they saw coals of fire, and fish laid thereon and bread. Not carnally, but still in real truth, Jesus is with us. And a blessed truth it is, for where Jesus is, love becomes inflamed. Of all the things in the world that can set the heart burning, there is nothing like the presence of Jesus! A glimpse of him so overcomes us, that we are ready to say, “Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me…” Song 6:5. Even the smell of the aloes, and the myrrh, and the cassia, which drop from his perfumed garments, causes the sick and the faint to grow strong.

Let there be but a moment’s leaning of the head upon that gracious bosom, and a reception of his divine love into our poor cold hearts, and we are cold no longer, but glow like seraphs, equal to every labour, and capable of every suffering. If we know that Jesus is with us, every power will be developed, and every grace will be strengthened, and we shall cast ourselves into the Lord’s service with heart, and soul, and strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things. His presence will be most realized by those who are most like him. If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to him. Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ’s desires, and motives, and plans of action, and you are likely to be favoured with his company. Remember his presence may be hard but His promise is as true as ever. He delights to be with us. If he doth not come, it is because we hinder him by our indifference. He will reveal himself to our earnest prayers, and graciously suffer himself to be detained by our entreaties, and by our tears, for these are the golden chains which bind Jesus to his people.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me to retain your presence now and always in Jesus name.

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THE INFALLIBLE MARK OF REGENERATION AND ADOPTION

THURSDAY, 28TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: THE INFALLIBLE MARK OF REGENERATION AND ADOPTION

MEMORIZE: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” John 10:27.

SCRIPTURE READING: John 1:10-13.

" He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

EXPOSITION:

What is the secret spot which infallibly betokens the child of God? It were vain presumption to decide this upon our own judgment; but God’s word reveals it to us, and we may tread surely where we have revelation to be our guide. Now, we are told concerning our Lord, “to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on his name” John 1:12. Then, if I have received Christ Jesus into my heart, I am a child of God. That reception is described in the same verse as believing on the name of Jesus Christ. If, then, I believe on Jesus Christ’s name—that is, simply from my heart trust myself with the crucified, but now exalted, Redeemer, I am a member of the family of the Most High. Whatever else I may not have, if I have this, I have the privilege to become a child of God.

Our Lord Jesus puts it in another shape “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” John 10:27. Here is the matter in a nutshell. Christ appears as a shepherd to his own sheep, not to others. As soon as he appears, his own sheep perceive him—they trust him, they are prepared to follow him; he knows them, and they know him—there is a mutual knowledge—there is a constant connection between them. Thus the one mark, the sure mark, the infallible mark of regeneration and adoption is a hearty faith in the appointed Redeemer. Reader, are you in doubt, are you uncertain whether you bear the secret mark of God’s children? Then let not an hour pass over your head till you have said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” Psalm 139:23. Trifle not here, I adjure you! If you must trifle anywhere, let it be about some secondary matter: your health, if you will, or the title deeds of your estate; but about your soul, your never-dying soul and its eternal destinies, I beseech you to be in earnest. Make sure work for eternity.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, help me not to stray away from you in Jesus name.

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SACRIFICES FOR SINS AFTER FEASTING

WEDNESDAY, 27TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: SACRIFICES FOR SINS AFTER FEASTING

MEMORIZE: “And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” Job 1:5

SCRIPTURE READING: Job 1:1-5

"1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually."

EXPOSITION:

What the patriarch did early in the morning, after the family festivities, it will be well for the believer to do for himself ere he rests tonight. Amid the cheerfulness of household gatherings it is easy to slide into sinful levities, and to forget our avowed character as Christians. It ought not to be so, but so it is, that our days of feasting are very seldom days of sanctified enjoyment, but too frequently degenerate into unhallowed mirth. There is a way of joy as pure and sanctifying as though one bathed in the rivers of Eden: holy gratitude should be quite as purifying an element as grief. Alas! for our poor hearts, that facts prove that the house of mourning is better than the house of feasting. Come, believer, in what have you sinned today? Have you been forgetful of your high calling? Have you been even as others in idle words and loose speeches? Then confess the sin, and fly to the sacrifice. The sacrifice sanctifies. The precious blood of the Lamb slain removes the guilt, and purges away the defilement of our sins of ignorance and carelessness. This is the best ending of a Christmas-day—to wash anew in the cleansing fountain. Believer, come to this sacrifice continually; if it be so good tonight, it is good every night. To live at the altar is the privilege of the royal priesthood; to them sin, great as it is, is nevertheless no cause for despair, since they draw near yet again to the sin-atoning victim, and their conscience is purged from dead works.

Gladly I close this festive day,

Grasping the altar’s hallow'd horn;

My slips and faults are washed away,

The Lamb has all my trespass borne.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, wash my slips and faults away by the blood of Jesus Christ in Jesus name.

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THE LAST ADAM

TUESDAY, 26TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: THE LAST ADAM

MEMORIZE: “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (Amplified Version)

"Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life]. 46. But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual. 47. The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven. 48. Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded). 49. And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven."

EXPOSITION:

Jesus is the federal head of his elect. As in Adam, every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest, because he is the covenant head and representative of the race as considered under the law of works; so under the law of grace, every redeemed soul is one with the Lord from heaven, since he is the Second Adam, the Sponsor and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love. The apostle Paul declares that Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek met him: it is a certain truth that the believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, when in old eternity the covenant settlements of grace were decreed, ratified, and made sure forever. Thus, whatever Christ hath done, he hath wrought for the whole body of his Church. We were crucified in him and buried with him (read Col 2:10-13), and to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with him and even ascended with him to the seats on high (Eph 2:6). It is thus that the Church has fulfilled the law, and is “accepted in the beloved” It is thus that she is regarded with complacency by the just Jehovah, for he views her in Jesus, and does not look upon her as separate from her covenant head. As the Anointed Redeemer of Israel, Christ Jesus has nothing distinct from his Church, but all that he has he holds for her. Adam’s righteousness was ours so long as he maintained it, and his sin was ours the moment that he committed it; and in the same manner, all that the Second Adam is or does, is ours as well as his, seeing that he is our representative. Here is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This gracious system of representation and substitution, which moved Justin Martyr to cry out, “O blessed change, O sweet permutation!” this is the very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation, and is to be received with strong faith and rapturous joy.

ACTION POINT: Appreciate the work of redemption done by our Lord Jesus Christ and bear witness of it to the world.

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IMMANUEL - JEHOVAH INCARNATE.

MONDAY, 25TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: IMMANUEL - JEHOVAH INCARNATE.

MEMORIZE: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 KJV

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 7:14-16 (Amplified Version)

"Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. 15. Butter and curds and wild honey shall he eat when he knows [enough] to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16. For before the child shall know [enough] to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land [Canaan] whose two kings you abhor and of whom you are in sickening dread shall be forsaken [both Ephraim and Syria]."

EXPOSITION:

Let us today go down to Bethlehem, and in company with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see him who was born King of the Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in him, and can sing, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” Jesus is Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and friend; let us adore and admire. Let us notice at the very first glance his miraculous conception. It was a thing unheard of before, and unparalleled since, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son. The first promise ran thus, “The seed of the woman,” not the offspring of the man. Since venturous woman led the way in the sin which brought forth Paradise lost, she, and she alone, ushers in the Regainer of Paradise. Our Saviour, although truly man, was as to his human nature the Holy One of God. Let us reverently bow before the holy Child whose innocence restores to manhood its ancient glory; and let us pray that he may be formed in us, the hope of glory. Fail not to note his humble parentage. His mother has been described simply as “a virgin,” not a princess, or prophetess, nor a matron of large estate. True the blood of kings ran in her veins; nor was her mind a weak and untaught one, for she could sing most sweetly a song of praise; but yet how humble her position, how poor the man to whom she stood affianced, and how miserable the accommodation afforded to the new-born King!

Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, may your presence not depart from me in Jesus name.

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THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED

SUNDAY, 24TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED

MEMORIZE: “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” Isaiah 40:5.

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 40:3-5 (Amplified Version)

"A voice of one who cries: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord [clear away the obstacles]; make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God! 4. Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain. 5. And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it."

EXPOSITION:

We anticipate the happy day when the whole world shall be converted to Christ; when the gods of the heathen shall be cast to the moles and the bats; when kings shall bow down before the Prince of Peace, and all nations shall call their Redeemer blessed. Some despair of this. They look upon the world as a vessel breaking up and going to pieces, never to float again. We know that the world and all that is therein is one day to be burnt up, and afterwards we look for new heavens and for a new earth; but we cannot read our Bibles without the conviction that— “Jesus shall reign where'er the sun Does his successive journeys run.”

We are not discouraged by the length of his delays; we are not disheartened by the long period which he allots to the church in which to struggle with little success and much defeat. We believe that God will never suffer this world, which has once seen Christ’s blood shed upon it, to be always the devil’s stronghold. Christ came hither to deliver this world from the detested sway of the powers of darkness. What a shout shall that be when men and angels shall unite to cry “Hallelujah, hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!” Revelation 19:6.

What a satisfaction will it be in that day to have had a share in the fight, to have helped to break the arrows of the bow, and to have aided in winning the victory for our Lord! Happy are they who trust themselves with this conquering Lord, and who fight side by side with him, doing their little in his name and by his strength! How unhappy are those on the side of evil! It is a losing side, and it is a matter wherein to lose is to lose and to be lost forever. On whose side are you?

PRAYER POINT: i. Lord, help me not to betray your trust and sacrificial death over me in Jesus name.

ii. Lord, let your grace count me worthy with you in your kingdom at last in Jesus name.

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THE NIGHT ALSO IS THINE, O LORD

SATURDAY, 23RD DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: THE NIGHT ALSO IS THINE, O LORD.

MEMORIZE: “The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have established the [starry] light and the sun." Psalm 74:16 .

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 74:15-23 (Amplified Version)

"You did cleave open [the rock bringing forth] fountains and streams; You dried up mighty, ever-flowing rivers (the Jordan). 16. The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have established the [starry] light and the sun. 17. You have fixed all the borders of the earth [the divisions of land and sea and of the nations]; You have made summer and winter. 18. [Earnestly] remember how the enemy has scoffed, O Lord, and reproached You, and how a foolish and impious people has blasphemed Your name. 19. Oh, do not deliver the life of your turtledove to the wild beast (to the greedy multitude); forget not the life [of the multitude] of Your poor forever. 20. Have regard for the covenant [You made with Abraham], for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 21. Oh, let not the downtrodden return in shame; let the oppressed and needy praise Your name. 22.Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember [earnestly] how the foolish and impious man scoffs and reproaches You day after day and all day long. 23. Do not forget the [clamoring] voices of Your adversaries, the tumult of those who rise up against You, which ascends continually."

EXPOSITION

Yes, Lord, thou dost not abdicate thy throne when the sun goeth down, nor dost thou leave the world all through these long wintry nights to be the prey of evil; thine eyes watch us as the stars, and thine arms surround us as the zodiac belts the sky. The dews of kindly sleep and all the influences of the moon are in thy hand, and the alarms and solemnities of night are equally with thee. This is very sweet to me when watching through the midnight hours, or tossing to and fro in anguish. There are precious fruits put forth by the moon as well as by the sun: may my Lord make me to be a favoured partaker in them.

The night of affliction is as much under the arrangement and control of the Lord of Love as the bright summer days when all is bliss. Jesus is in the tempest. His love wraps the night about itself as a mantle, but to the eye of faith the sable robe is scarce a disguise. From the first watch of the night even unto the break of day the eternal Watcher observes his saints, and overrules the shades and dews of midnight for his people’s highest good. We believe in no rival deities of good and evil contending for the mastery, but we hear the voice of Jehovah saying, “I create light and I create darkness; I, the Lord, do all these things”

Gloomy seasons of religious indifference and social sin are not exempted from the divine purpose. When the altars of truth are defiled, and the ways of God forsaken, the Lord’s servants weep with bitter sorrow, but they may not despair, for the darkest eras are governed by the Lord, and shall come to their end at his bidding. What may seem defeat to us may be victory to him

“Though enwrapt in gloomy night, of

We perceive no ray light;

Since the Lord himself is here,

’Tis not meet that we should fear.”

PRAYER POINT: LORD, shed your ray of light on my darkness and deliver me in the days of trouble and affliction in Jesus name.

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SERVING JESUS IS REWARDING

FRIDAY, 22ND DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: SERVING JESUS IS REWARDING

MEMORIZE: “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first." Matthew 20:8.

SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 20:1-10 (Amplified Version)

"For the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out in the morning along with the dawn to hire workmen for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour (nine o’clock), he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 And he said to them, You go also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will pay you. And they went. 5 He went out again about the sixth hour (noon), and the ninth hour (three o’clock) he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour (five o’clock) he went out and found still others standing around, and said to them, Why do you stand here idle all day? 7 They answered him, Because nobody has hired us. He told them, You go out into the vineyard also and you will get whatever is just and fair. 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first. 9 And those who had been hired at the eleventh hour (five o’clock) came and received a denarius each. 10 :Now when the first came, they supposed they would get more, but each of them also received a denarius."

EXPOSITION

God is a good paymaster; he pays his servants while at work as well as when they have done it; and one of his payments is this: an easy conscience. If you have spoken faithfully of Jesus to one person, when you go to bed at night you feel happy in thinking, “I have this day discharged my conscience of that man’s blood” There is a great comfort in doing something for Jesus. Oh, what a happiness to place jewels in his crown, and give him to see of the travail of his soul! There is also very great reward in watching the first buddings of conviction in a soul! To say of that girl in the class, “She is tender of heart, I do hope that there is the Lord’s work within” To go home and pray over that boy, who said something in the afternoon which made you think he must know more of divine truth than you had feared! Oh, the joy of hope! But as for the joy of success! it is unspeakable. This joy, overwhelming as it is, is a hungry thing—you pine for more of it. To be a soul-winner is the happiest thing in the world. With every soul you bring to Christ, you get a new heaven upon earth. But who can conceive the bliss which awaits us above! Oh, how sweet is that sentence, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!” Do you know what the joy of Christ is over a saved sinner? This is the very joy which we are to possess in heaven. Yes, when he mounts the throne, you shall mount with him. When the heavens ring with “Well done, well done,” you shall partake in the reward; you have toiled with him, you have suffered with him, you shall now reign with him; you have sown with him, you shall reap with him; your face was covered with sweat like his, and your soul was grieved for the sins of men as his soul was, now shall your face be bright with heaven’s splendour as is his countenance, and now shall your soul be filled with beatific joys even as his soul is.

PRAYER POINTS: Lord, help me to serve you faithfully and acceptably till the end so as not to miss my heavenly rewards in Jesus name.

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GOD'S LOVE IS AN EVERLASTING LOVE

THURSDAY, 21ST DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: GOD'S LOVE IS AN EVERLASTING LOVE

MEMORIZE: “The Lord appeared from of old to me [Israel], saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3

SCRIPTURE READING: Jeremiah 31:1-7 (Amplified Version)

"At that time, says the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be My people. Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness [place of exile]—when Israel sought to find rest. The Lord appeared from of old to me [Israel], saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.lAgain I will build you and you will be built, O Virgin Israel! You will again be adorned with your timbrels [small one-headed drums] and go forth in the dancing [chorus] of those who make merry. Again you shall plant vineyards upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and make the fruit common and enjoy it [undisturbed]. For there shall be a day when the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim shall cry out, Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God. For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the head of the nations [on account of the chosen people, Israel]. Proclaim, praise, and say, The Lord has saved His people, the remnant of Israel!"

EXPOSITION

Sometimes the Lord Jesus tells his Church his love thoughts “He does not think it enough behind her back to tell it, but in her very presence he says, ‘Thou art all fair, my love’ It is true, this is not his ordinary method; he is a wise lover, and knows when to keep back the intimation of love and when to let it out; but there are times when he will make no secret of it; times when he will put it beyond all dispute in the souls of his people” (R. Erskine’s Sermons). The Holy Spirit is often pleased, in a most gracious manner, to witness with our spirits of the love of Jesus. He takes of the things of Christ and reveals them unto us. No voice is heard from the clouds, and no vision is seen in the night, but we have a testimony more sure than either of these. If an angel should fly from heaven and inform the saint personally of the Saviour’s love to him, the evidence would not be one whit more satisfactory than that which is borne in the heart by the Holy Spirit. Ask those of the Lord’s people who have lived the nearest to the gates of heaven, and they will tell you that they have had seasons when the love of Christ towards them has been a fact so clear and sure, that they could no more doubt it than they could question their own existence. Yes, beloved believer, you and I have had times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and then our faith has mounted to the topmost heights of assurance. We have had confidence to lean our heads upon the bosom of our Lord, and we have no more questioned our Master’s affection to us than John did when in that blessed posture; nay, nor so much: for the dark question, “Lord, is it I that shall betray thee?” has been put far from us. He has kissed us with the kisses of his mouth, and killed our doubts by the closeness of his embrace. His love has been sweeter than wine to our souls, and far sweeter than honeycomb. Hallelujah!!!

PRAYER POINTS: I. Thank You Lord, for your love for me is everlasting.

ii. Lord Jesus, Help me not to betray you till I see you face to face in your glory in Jesus name.

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GOD HAS THE FINAL SAY

WEDNESDAY, 20^TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: GOD HAS THE FINAL SAY

MEMORIZE: “The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” Proverbs 16:33 KJV

SCRIPTURE READING: Proverbs 16:33 (Amplified Version)

"The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]."

EXPOSITION:

If the disposal of the lot is the Lord’s whose is the arrangement of our whole life? If the simple casting of a lot is guided by him, how much more the events of our entire life—especially when we are told by our blessed Saviour: “The very hairs of your head are all numbered: not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your Father” It would bring a holy calm over your mind, dear friend, if you were always to remember this. It would so relieve your mind from anxiety, that you would be the better able to walk in patience, quiet, and cheerfulness as a Christian should. When a man is anxious he cannot pray with faith; when he is troubled about the world, he cannot serve his Master, his thoughts are serving himself. If you would “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” all things would then be added unto you. You are meddling with Christ’s business, and neglecting your own when you fret about your lot and circumstances. You have been trying “providing” work and forgetting that it is yours to obey. Be wise and attend to the obeying, and let Christ manage the providing. Come and survey your Father’s storehouse, and ask whether he will let you starve while he has laid up so great an abundance in his garner? Look at his heart of mercy; see if that can ever prove unkind! Look at his inscrutable wisdom; see if that will ever be at fault. Above all, look up to Jesus Christ your Intercessor, and ask yourself, while he pleads, can your Father deal ungraciously with you? If he remembers even sparrows, will he forget one of the least of his poor children? “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee. He will never suffer the righteous to be moved”

My soul, rest happy in thy low estate,

Nor hope nor wish to be esteem'd or great;

To take the impress of the Will Divine,

Be that thy glory, and those riches thine.

PRAYER POINT: O Lord, help us to be sincere and faithful to our pledge to forsake the world and sin and follow you in Jesus name.

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REND YOUR HEART, AND NOT YOUR GARMENTS

TUESDAY, 19^TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: REND YOUR HEART, AND NOT YOUR GARMENTS

MEMORIZE: “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” Joel 2:13

SCRIPTURE READING: Joel 2:12-14

12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?"

EXPOSITION:

Garment-rending and other outward signs of religious emotion, are easily manifested and are frequently hypocritical; but to feel true repentance is far more difficult, and consequently far less common. Men will attend to the most multiplied and minute ceremonial regulations—for such things are pleasing to the flesh—but true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too thorough for the tastes of the carnal men; they prefer something more ostentatious, flimsy, and worldly. Outward observances are temporarily comfortable; eye and ear are pleased; self-conceit is fed, and self-righteousness is puffed up: but they are ultimately delusive, for in the article of death, and at the day of judgment, the soul needs something more substantial than ceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven.

Heart-rending is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each believer. It is not a matter to be merely talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the living God. It is powerfully humiliating, and completely sin-purging; but then it is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which proud unhumbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is distinctly discriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them alone.

The text commands us to rend our hearts, but they are naturally hard as marble: how, then, can this be done? We must take them to Calvary: a dying Saviour’s voice rent the rocks once, and it is as powerful now. O blessed Spirit, let us hear the death-cries of Jesus, and our hearts shall be rent even as men rend their vestures in the day of lamentation.

PRAYER POINT: O Lord, help us to be sincere and faithful to our pledge to forsake the world and sin and follow you in Jesus name.

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GOD BEARS YOU IN MIND

MONDAY, 18^TH DECEMBER, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

TOPIC: GOD BEARS YOU IN MIND

MEMORIZE: He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge, His truth shall be your shield and buckler (Psalm 91:4).

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 49:13-26

[13]. Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted. 14. But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” 15. “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. 16. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. 17. Your sons shall make haste; Your destroyers and those who laid you waste Shall go away from you. 18. Lift up your eyes, look around and see; All these gather together and come to you. As I live,” says the Lord, “You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament, And bind them on you as a bride does. 19. “For your waste and desolate places, And the land of your destruction, Will even now be too small for the inhabitants; And those who swallowed you up will be far away. 20. The children you will have, After you have lost the others, Will say again in your ears, ‘The place is too small for me; Give me a place where I may dwell.’ 21. Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me, Since I have lost my children and am desolate, A captive, and wandering to and fro? And who has brought these up? There I was, left alone; But these, where were they?’” 22. Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, And set up My standard for the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; 23. Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.” 24. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? 25. But thus says the Lord: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. 26. I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the Lord, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

EXPOSITION

Depression is one of the commonest diseases today that is claiming many lives. It has led to many suicide cases. So many people have given up the hope of better life because of the situation they are in. However, contrary to their submission, there has never been a problem or situation that has no already made solution. That is why it is expedient to realise through today's word of Life that God is in charge of that situation that has deflated your hope. He is the God of possibility. The earlier you know this, and key into it, the better

You will be glad to hear that God, the Creator of heavens and earth, the Almighty, bears you in mind. What does it mean to bear someone in mind? Such person is important and must be always remembered either for a favour, deliverance or any act of goodness. The person you bear in mind occupies an important place in your life and he means so much to you. You meant so much to God, and He can never forget you because you are important in His agenda. You are like an apple of His eyes. It is never God's will for you to be rejected, dejected and depressed. Are you not glad to know that you are in the hollow of God's hand (v.16)? There is nothing evil can do to you. Since it is not possible for the maker of a thing to look away from his handiwork, God cannot look away from you, because you are His child, His holy, peculiar people (1 Pet 2:9). God is happy about you and wants you to fulfil His agenda here on earth, before returning back to Him. Just as God declares to Zion in today's devotion to rejoice because He has comforted her. He is telling you to be glad and forget about your terrible past. God promises to have mercy on you. He is not like any mother who can forget her suckling child(ren). Rest assured that God bears you in His mind. Just hold on to Him continually.

PRAYER POINTS

1. O Lord, deliver me from whatever spiritual ailments that makes me feel You are not hearing or fighting for me.

2. Lord, do not abandon me at any point in my life, continue to be my God.

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Pages

Saturday, December 30, 2023

WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE

DESIRE OF HIS PRESENCE

THE INFALLIBLE MARK OF REGENERATION AND ADOPTION

SACRIFICES FOR SINS AFTER FEASTING

THE LAST ADAM

IMMANUEL - JEHOVAH INCARNATE.

THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED

THE NIGHT ALSO IS THINE, O LORD

SERVING JESUS IS REWARDING

GOD'S LOVE IS AN EVERLASTING LOVE

GOD HAS THE FINAL SAY

REND YOUR HEART, AND NOT YOUR GARMENTS

GOD BEARS YOU IN MIND

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