Zacchaeus Talk Zacchaeus James

A personal interpretation of the open heavens devotional as written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

Listen and be blessed.

MEMORISE:

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7   

READ: Matthew 4:1-4

1.  Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2.  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterwards hungered.

3.  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4.  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

MESSAGE:

Temptation is a necessary test for your spiritual growth. It is a test to show whether you will choose God above the devil in any matter. If there's no temptation, how would we prove our love for God or grow spiritually?

One key to resisting temptation is obedience to God. If you resist the devil by running away from sin consistently, you get stronger and it is easier to resist in the future. However, if you fall into temptations, it will be harder to overcome them in the future.

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.”

Proverbs 24:10

Your limited strength will fail you. You need to pray for strength and seek spiritual nourishment. You can also draw strength to resist the devil or overcome temptation when you learn and follow Gods word consistently. May the Lord strengthen you to withstand temptation. My dear, note that it is not wrong to be tempted. Even Jesus was tempted but He resisted the devil by the word it is written If you don't know what is written, how will you use it appropriately? 

PRAYER POINT:

Holy Spirit, please be my companion. Guide me from failing.

HYMN: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

2 Chronicles 13-16, John 14:1-31

AUTHORS: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

PASTOR (MRS) FOLU ADEBOYE

MEMORISE:

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1 

READ: Hebrews 4:16

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:

Documentaries on the habitat of animals have shown that the lion is fearless in its pursuit. It is so courageous and confident that it doesn't retreat from any threat or attack. No wonder the Bible uses the lion to describe the attitude God expects from His children.

When should you be bold? You should be bold when approaching God. Hebrews 4:16  says: 

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

When you approach God in prayer, you're to come boldly as this will determine whether you'll obtain what you need or walk away empty-handed. In other words, boldness is a prerequisite to receiving anything you ask in faith from God.

However, your relationship with God and knowing who you are in Christ should be the basis of your boldness. When Jesus died on the cross, one of the rights He secured for you is the right to come freely into the presence of God without condemnation, insecurity or fear.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, take away the spirit of fear from me and give me the spirit of boldness.

HYMN: BREATHE ON ME BREATH OF GOD

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

2 Chronicles 10-12, John 13:18-38

AUTHORS: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

PASTOR (MRS) FOLU ADEBOYE

MEMORISE:

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19  

READ: Colossians 2:20-22

20.  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

21.  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22.  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

MESSAGE:

In the world of today, there is sexual perversion. Christian teenagers must take a stand for sexual purity. It is Gods desire that you remain sexually pure until marriage. I know that you are experiencing hormonal surges and feelings which may be responsible for some desires. 

However, as a Christian, you are dead to sin. Why would you sit in the lap of a member of the opposite sex all in the name of socializing or agree to go on unmonitored trips with him or her without informing your parents or guardian? Why would you stay behind closed doors with the opposite sex and think that no evil would happen? If you are truly a child of God, issues of kissing, necking, romancing or premarital sex would not be acceptable to you. I marvel when young people ask questions on these issues. Can you boldly do any of that before your earthly parent or pastor? If not, wait till you get married and if you're already in an unholy relationship, please call it off now. Repent of your secret sins and determine not to go back to your vomit. Gods stand on sexual sins will never change. Say no to impurity.

KEY POINT:

Anything beyond a handshake or side hug may eventually lead to sin. Flee all appearances of evil.

HYMN: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

2 Chronicles 7-9, John 13:1-38

AUTHORS: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

PASTOR (MRS) FOLU ADEBOYE

MEMORISE:

Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; Ephesians 6:2

READ: Ephesians 6:1-4

1.  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2.  Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

3.  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4.  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

MESSAGE:

When you honour and care for your parents, you will enjoy blessings from God. When I was younger, I ran errands for my mother and each time I did, she would say: "Adejare, when you call one person, two hundred will answer." Today, when I call one pastor, over two hundred answer.

Your parents make a lot of sacrifices for you. They work hard to pay for your education, feed and clothe you, teach you the word of God and good morals to shape your behaviour. Don't ever forget these. So, show them love and respect; never argue with them, check on them through calls when you are not with them, take care of them when they have any health challenge, pray for them and buy them gifts. God will be very pleased with you if you do these. As you grow older, be responsible for their well-being. Never forget that your longevity on earth is tied to how you honour and respect your parents (Ephesians 6:2-3).

KEY POINT:

When you honour your parents, your days will be long.

HYMN: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

John 10:22-42, 1 Chronicles 20-22

AUTHORS: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

PASTOR (MRS) FOLU ADEBOYE

MEMORISE:

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Proverbs 23:21    

READ: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19.  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20.  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.



MESSAGE:

Gluttony is eating excessively. It shows that a fellow is being controlled by his belly. Gluttony is a sin and just like other sins, it has its consequences such as obesity, spiritual manipulation, cardiac arrest and other health challenges. 

A glutton will find it difficult to fast because he or she cannot do without food, whereas, there are some miracles you cannot perform and a height you cannot attain in the realm of the Spirit unless you fast. Also, gluttony is a misuse of your body. 

When you eat too much and become obese, God will not be pleased with you. Bible scholars have discovered that it is ideal to have two meals in a day supporting this claim with 1 Kings 17:6  where God sent a raven to feed Elijah twice a day. Although, you might have to eat more than twice in a day, ensure that you eat in appropriate quantities. Don't feed on junk, rather, eat fruits, vegetables and a balanced diet. Eat right and don't be controlled by your appetite.



KEY POINT: 

Do you have control over your appetite or does your appetite controls you?



HYMN: ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL





BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

1 Chronicles 1-2, John 7:32-53

AUTHORS: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

 PASTOR (MRS) FOLU ADEBOYE