OUR PRAYERS FOR YOU IN THE YEAR 2018

Dearly Beloved, OUR PRAYERS FOR YOU IN THE YEAR 2018 Praise the Lord! He has demonstrated His faithfulness again in enabling us to start another year. Happy New Year (2018). Opeyemi (my wife), Boluwatife, IfeOluwa, Michael, Abraham (my children) and I are welcoming you to this New Year with these prophetic prayers adapted from Psalm 128 (AMP). This New Year: - You will be blessed and sheltered by God’s favour; - You will eat the fruit of the labour of your hands; - It will be well with you; - Your family shall be like a fruitful vine within the innermost part of your house; - You will see the prosperity of where you dwell this year and all the days of your life; - Indeed, you will see the goodness of your generations. - Peace be upon you this year in Jesus’ name. Amen. Happy and prosperous New Year! In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor), Baptist Building, Oke Bola, PMB 5113, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria +2348055159591 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ https://www.facebook.com/PastorBayoAfolaranmi (Facebook Fan Page) https://www.facebook.com/afolabayo https://twitter.com/spiritualdigest

Spiritual Digest for the Day 01Jan2018

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Oh, bless our God, you peoples! and make the voice of His praise to be heard, Who keeps our soul among the living, and does not allow our feet to be moved” (Psalm 66:8-9 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The old year now has passed away; we thank you, O our God, today that you have kept us through the year when danger and distress were near. - Johann Steuerlein ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Thank God for keeping you alive to witness another year.

WHAT IS YOUR REPORT CARD FOR THE YEAR?

Dearly Beloved, WHAT IS YOUR REPORT CARD FOR THE YEAR? “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 NKJV). When I was in the primary school in the late 70s and early 80s, we used to look forward to the last day of the school term when every pupil would line up on the assembly ground to be given his/her end-of-term report card where he/she would find what he/she scored in each subject and his/her position in the class. It used to be a day of joy for brilliant pupils who would be firstly called to receive their report cards with possible prizes, and a day of sadness for other pupils that were not that brilliant because they would be called last with no prizes. While the brilliant pupil would be glad and proud to show their report cards to anyone, those that had bad reports would be ashamed to do so. This is the end of another year. Imagine it is the end of a school term where you will line up on the assembly ground before God to be given report card for what your actions, inactions, words, and thoughts have been this year. What will be your report card? Will you be among those that God will call first to reward for best results this year? Will you be proud to show other people your report card for this year? The psalmist prayed to God to teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. If you number your months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds this year, how many of them have you used to please God? How many of them have you used meaningfully for your own good? How many of them have you used for the benefit of others around you? If God is to rate you this year, what will be your score? If God is to reward you for your actions, inactions, words, and thoughts this year, what kind of reward will you get from Him? Job asked his friends: “Will it be well when [God] searches you out?” (13:9 NKJV), and Apostle Paul emphatically told the Galatians: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (6:7-8 NKJV). If you have done well this year, congratulations! Determine to do better this coming year. It is a pity if you have done woefully in the year. However, you have the opportunity to turn a new leaf and do better this coming year. What is your report card for the year? In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will be able to do far better next year in serving God and the humanity.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 30Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?’ ‘Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?’” (Romans 11:33-35 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY God is not what you imagine, or what you think you understand. If you understand you have failed. - Saint Augustine ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Reveal Yourself more unto me, O Lord!

Spiritual Digest for the Day 29Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “A heart full of joy and goodness makes a cheerful face, but when a heart is full of sadness the spirit is crushed” (Proverbs 15:13 AMP). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY With a happy heart, happy from the inside out, we can respond to surprising circumstances with a genuine smile, inviting others to embrace the hope and peace they too can experience with God. – Elisa Morgan ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be happy and be able to spread that happiness to other people around you.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 28Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. - Martin Luther King, Jr. ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to have concerns for other people around you.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 27Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The peace of God is the inner calm or tranquillity that comes from a confident trust in God who hears our cries. - Sim Kay Tee ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to have the inner peace that always trusts in God even in crisis.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 26Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The story of Christmas is not complete without the gifts of the Magi to Jesus Christ. What have you given Him and other people around you this Christmas season? – Bayo Afolaranmi ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that the Lord will open your eyes to people that deserve your gifts and the ability to really give them something tangible before the end of this Christmas season.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 25Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever. Jesus is God's perfect, indescribable gift. The amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others on Christmas and every other day of the year. - Joel Osteen ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Accept God's perfect, indescribable gift, Jesus Christ into your life if you have not done so.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 24Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger'" (Luke 2:8-12 NIV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY As we are celebrating Christmas this year, let us worship the King, Jesus Christ, with our lives and everything that we have for what He has done for us through His coming to the world. - Bayo Afolaranmi ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to celebrate this Christmas by really worshiping the King, Jesus Christ, with your lives and everything that you have for what He has done for you through His coming to the world.

THE FIRST NOEL

Dearly Beloved, THE FIRST NOEL "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger'" (Luke 2:8-12 NIV). Historically, December 25 was the climax day for the celebration of Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival in honour of the deity Saturn. However, the day has been adopted worldwide as the birth date of Jesus Christ, thereby dumping the worship of Saturn to the celebration of God the Son who "was made visible in human flesh" to "save His people from their sins" (1 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 1:21 AMP). Matthew Chapters One and Two and Luke Chapters One and Two chronicled the birth of Jesus Christ regarded as the first Christmas. An unknown poet composed a popular Christmas hymn titled "THE FIRST NOEL THE ANGEL DID SAY" to portray the event. This hymn is a traditional classical English carol, most likely from the 18th century, although possibly earlier. The word Noel comes from the French word Noël meaning "Christmas", from the Latin word "natalis" that means "birthday". On the first Noel, after the birth of Jesus Christ, an angel went to certain poor shepherds as they lay in fields keeping their sheep on a cold winter's night that was so deep, and informed them that the King of Israel was born. The shepherds looked up and saw a star shining in the east beyond them far. The star gave great light to the earth as it continued to shine both day and night. By the light of that same star some wise men came from a far country. Their intent was to seek for the King, and to follow the star wherever it went. This star drew near to the northwest and took its rest over Bethlehem, right over the place where Jesus was laid. The wise men entered in full reverence upon their knees, and offered there in His presence their gifts made of gold, and myrrh, and frankincense. The unknown poet then concluded his hymn with this great lesson: "let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord; that hath made heaven and earth of nought, and with his blood mankind hath bought." As we are celebrating Christmas this year, let us worship the King, Jesus Christ, with our lives and everything that we have for what He has done for us through His coming to the world. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (2018) in advance! In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will be able to celebrate this Christmas by really worshiping the King, Jesus Christ, with your lives and everything that you have for what He has done for you through His coming to the world.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 23Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14 NIV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The spectacular glory of God’s love for us was revealed in the coming of Jesus. - Bill Crowder ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Thank God for revealing His glory in the first coming of Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 22Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The Christmas in a nutshell: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. If you want to really celebrate Christmas, then let this truth become incarnational in your life. Let the eternal Word penetrate your everyday life by being like Christ in everyday life. When He is seen in you, then Christmas is really being celebrated. - Skip Heitzig ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that the eternal Word, Jesus Christ, will really be seen in you by being like Christ as you celebrate this Christmas, and throughout the days of your life.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 21Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Christmas is about God taking extreme measures to reclaim those who were lost. - Joe Stowell ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Invite Jesus Christ into your life today to save your lost soul if you have not done so.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 21Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Christmas is about God taking extreme measures to reclaim those who were lost. - Joe Stowell ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Invite Jesus Christ into your life today to save your lost soul if you have not done so.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 21Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Christmas is about God taking extreme measures to reclaim those who were lost. - Joe Stowell ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Invite Jesus Christ into your life today to save your lost soul if you have not done so.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 20Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “And [Mary] brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields.... And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them..." (Luke 2:7-9 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY If man were to script the Son of God's birth, Jesus would have been born in a palace or a mansion. The news of His birth would have first been sent to one of the power brokers of the day - King Herod or Caesar Augustus. But, God's script was different. - Marji Kruger ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will not miss the true meaning of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 19Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:13-14 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough for those who have little. - Franklin D. Roosevelt ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will always be able to help those that cannot repay you.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 18Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY God’s grace is immeasurable, His mercy inexhaustible, His peace inexpressible. - Bill Crowder ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY O Lord, let me be able to enjoy Your immeasurable grace and peace throughout the days of my life.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 17Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Everybody is welcome to enjoy the goodness in the Lord Jesus. He stands at the door of your heart and is knocking today. He wants you to taste and see that He is good. Will you come to Him? - Bayo Afolaranmi ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Receive Jesus Christ into your life today and enjoy His goodness if you have not done so.

EVERYBODY IS WELCOME

Dearly Beloved, EVERYBODY IS WELCOME “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20 NKJV). One of the unforgettable experiences I had when I was in the United Kingdom a year ago was my involvement with the International Meeting Point (IMP) (run by Presbyterian Church Ireland) located on Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland that reaches out to migrants and asylum seekers in the city. I just relocated to that part of the city, and I was exploring the area when I saw the signpost of the centre. As curious as I was during my sojourn in the country, I entered the centre and inquired from a staff what the centre is up to. I was made to understand that it is a centre where everybody is welcome to enjoy “a wide variety of help and services [for] those who come through its doors [by] serving food and drinks in the cafe, offering legal advice, running English classes, taking people shopping, helping the unemployed find jobs and leading Bible studies.” For almost five months, I used to visit this centre to enjoy its rendered services. This centre is on a major road in the city, but not everyone in the city (especially migrants and asylum seekers) cares to visit the centre and make use of the facilities provided and services rendered in the centre. Only those who care to visit the centre are enjoying what the centre has to offer. Similarly, Jesus Christ “was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:10-13 NKJV). While many people are already enjoying the goodness that is in Jesus Christ, it is a pity that many people are still refusing to test and taste this goodness. Some of these latter people think that they are self-sufficient and do not need Jesus Christ and what He has to offer. Some of them look elsewhere to find succor where there is none. However, Jesus Christ declared: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20 NKJV). This is another Christmas season when we are been reminded about the coming of Jesus Christ in human form to this world. Do not be like “His own” (the Jews) that did not receive Him. Everybody is welcome to enjoy the goodness in the Lord Jesus. He stands at the door of your heart and is knocking today. He wants you to taste and see that He is good (compare Psalm 34:8). Everybody is welcome. Will you come to Him? In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Action: Receive Jesus Christ into your life today and enjoy His goodness if you have not done so.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 16Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The richest deposits on our planet lie not many blocks from your house—in your local cemetery. Buried beneath the soil of those sacred grounds are songs that never were sung, books that never were written, paintings that never filled a canvas, ideas that never became reality. - Myles Munroe ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Help me, O Lord, not to die with my potentials.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 14Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Oh, I want to see [Jesus], look upon His face, there to sing forever of His saving grace; on the streets of glory let me lift my voice, cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice. - Rufus H. Cornelius ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to live a worthy life here on earth that will make you see Jesus when He is revealed on the last day.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 13Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The difference between success and failure, mediocrity or excellence, is character. Along with character is the importance of opportunity, but perhaps most crucial, is the grace of God. - Yemi Osinbajo ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray for the grace that makes one to exceed above every effort in life.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 11Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man” (Ecclesiastes 9:14-15 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Your appreciation of the lives of others may very well be the very best gift you can ever give. So give it often. For it costs you little and those who receive it will be wealthy indeed. - Author Unknown ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to always appreciate people that deserve it from you.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 10Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY "[Hezekiah] destroyed the pagan places of worship, broke the stone pillars, and cut down the images of the goddess Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made, which was called Nehushtan. Up to that time the people of Israel had burned incense in its honor" (2 Kings 18:4 TEV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Check your life, beliefs and practices. Anything that does not conform to the sound teachings of the word of God should be discarded no matter how popular it may be. - Bayo Afolaranmi ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to do away with anything that does not conform to the sound teachings of the word of God.

WHAT IS YOUR BRONZE SNAKE?

Dearly Beloved, WHAT IS YOUR BRONZE SNAKE? "Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4 TEV). "[Hezekiah] destroyed the pagan places of worship, broke the stone pillars, and cut down the images of the goddess Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made, which was called Nehushtan. Up to that time the people of Israel had burned incense in its honor" (2 Kings 18:4 TEV). On their way to the Promised Land in the wilderness, the Israelites grew impatient and spoke against God and their leader, Moses. So, the Lord sent venomous snakes that bit them, and many of them died. After the people repented, God directed Moses to make a bronze snake and lift it up, that anyone who looks at it will live. Moses did as God directed and as many as the people of Israel that looked at the image survived the poison of the deadly snakes (see Numbers 21:4-9). It is interesting to note that the people of Israel kept this bronze snake for centuries burning incense to it. In other words, what God used as a type to save the Israelites from a calamity was turned by them to a god (named Nehushtan) that they were worshiping! It took hundreds of years before a king in person King Hezekiah destroyed this image. Nowadays, people have many seemingly bronze snakes that they are worshipping knowingly or unknowingly. Even some Christians denominations and churches are not left out in this error. They have turned many things that God used one time or the other to accomplish His purposes in their lives to norms and practices. Such things have become traditions that are competing with (or even taking the place of) the word of God! No matter how good such traditions may be, they have to be discarded. What are your seemingly "bronze snakes"? They may not necessarily be physical images. In what honour are you still "burning incense"? Check your life, beliefs and practices. Anything that does not conform to the sound teachings of the word of God should be discarded no matter how popular it may be. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will be able to do away with anything that does not conform to the sound teachings of the word of God.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 09Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Timothy 3:16 KJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY The great mystery of the incarnation is the crux and the core of the Christian message. It is the mystery over which the rationalists stumble, by which the humanists are offended, and by which the world is bewildered. - Billy Graham ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Accept the God that manifested in the flesh today if you have not done so.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 08Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “[Jesus Christ] who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Galatians 1:4-5 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory, great things He has done. - Fanny Crosby ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Praise the Lord for the great things He has done in your life this year.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 07Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved” (Psalm 62:5-6 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY There are times when holding on to our Master's robe is all that we can do. It is all that He wants us to do. - Os Hillman ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to silently wait for God alone when you find yourself in a difficult situation.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 06Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Believing God is love and loves us personally is what gives us reason to love Him and one another. - Mart DeHaan ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to demonstrate the love of God to others.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 05Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either” (2 Thessalonians 3:10 AMP). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Good ideas do not bring success. Good hard work does. To re­lease your true potential, you must be willing to work. - Myles Munroe ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to work hard in order to bring your ideas to success.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 04Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time. - Oswald Chambers ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to abandon yourself to God so that He may demonstrate His greatness through you.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 03Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5 NIV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee; let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. - Augustus M. Toplady ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will not depend on any other thing, but be able to hide yourself in Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages.

ROCK OF AGES

Dearly Beloved, ROCK OF AGES “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5 NIV). The hymn "Rock of Ages" is one of the best known and best loved hymns. Augustus M. Toplady (1740-1778), an Anglican Church clergyman, composed it. The hymn’s strong declaration of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross as the only hope of salvation for man from the judgment that his sin deserves earns it a place of honour among hymns of grace. The analogy of Jesus Christ to a rock has its roots in the Scriptures. In fact, the word “rock” is often used figuratively in the Bible to speak of God and Jesus Christ. As Rock, God is the Creator (Deuteronomy 32:18), His people’s strength (Deuteronomy 32:4), His people’s defence and refuge (Psalm 31:2-3; 94:22), and His people’s salvation (Deuteronomy 32:15; Psalm 89:26). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the Rock from whom the Spirit of life flows (John 4:13-14; 1 Corinthians 10:4), the foundation of the church (Matthew 16:18) and its cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). Alluding to the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings, Paul wrote, “...for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4 NIV). Paul was apparently referring to the event recorded in Exodus 17:6. Moses, at God’s command, struck the rock in Horeb, miraculously bringing forth a needed supply of water for God’s people. The physical rock is a picture of Jesus Christ being struck to provide the “water” needed to satisfy sinful man’s spiritual need. In addition, there are numerous Old Testament references to the Lord as a “Rock” or “Rock of salvation”. The specific picture of Jesus Christ as a rock split open (cleft) to provide a place of spiritual refuge for sinful people is surely drawn from Moses’ experience recorded in Exodus 33:20-23. Because Moses, a fallen man, could not see God’s face and live, God Himself protected Moses by placing him in the cleft of a rock as He passed by. In like manner, by being hidden in Jesus Christ, the Rock cleft on his behalf at the cross, the believer is sheltered from the eternal death he would face when he stands before a holy, righteous God. This hymn indeed reiterates the clear scriptural teaching regarding man’s utter inability to, in any way, offer God anything to earn or merit salvation. Paul told Titus, “... [Jesus Christ] saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5a NIV. See also Romans 3:20, 28; 4:5; 11:6; Galatians 2:16; 3:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9). Are you in the cleft of this Rock, or are you still depending on your efforts to be saved? Hide yourself in Him, and you will never regret you did! In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will not depend on any other thing, but be able to hide yourself in Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 02Dec2017

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord” (Galatians 6:9-10 CEV). ****************** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Do all the good you can; by all the means you can; in all the ways you can; in all the places you can; at all the times you can; to all the people you can; as long as ever you can. - John Wesley ******************** PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will be able to help other people wherever you find yourself.