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THEME: WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? MEMORISE: And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Luke 10:27 READ: Luke 10:25-37 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there

TOPIC: SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT (2) Read Hebrews 4:8-13 MEMORISE For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two - edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). EXPOSITION As we discussed yesterday, spiritual discernment is the ability to see life from God's perspective. It requires that we know how He thinks and acts. The Bible is His unchanging, infallible revelation of Himself. However, the Lord does not simply give us a list of facts about His character and ways. All throughout the pages of the Scripture, He illustrates and shows who He is and how He operates. Of course, the Bible is ancient. Yet, it is not obsolete in any way. Its stories may have taken place centuries ago,but its principles and applications are still very relevant, offering discernment about situations and guidance for decisions. God's Word, which Ephesians 6:17 r

TOPIC: SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT (1) Read Proverbs 2:1-7 MEMORISE He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly (Proverbs 2:7). EXPOSITION At one time or another, everyone feels confused, uncertain, or misled. When that happens, we can live victoriously and confidently only by possessing spiritual discernment - the ability to see life from God's perspective. We need His help to distinguish between right and wrong, good and best, truth and error. Each day, we make many decisions; some trivial, others critical. The Lord does not want us to form judgments based on mere appearance or human reasoning. But the world is so full of deceptive information that we, on our own, cannot know what to believe. And so, God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us see the reality of each situation as He does. We can fully trust the Lord with our relationships as well. Since He knows every person's heart, the only way we can wisely interact with others is t

THEME: THINGS MONEY CANNOT DO. MEMORISE: But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Acts 8:20 READ: Luke 12:15-23 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth u

LIVING BY FAITH Memorise: Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:38 Faith is part of the nature of God. God lives by faith, and every child of God is expected to live as God lives. Are you a child of God? You are expected to live by faith. You are expected to live to please God and Him alone. Hebrews 11:6 says:<BR>“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”<BR>Faith can be defined as trust, strong belief and unquestioning confidence. Faith means belief in God. It is the belief that Godcan do what He says He can do. Faith is belief in God’s word. You need to have faith in God! Generally, there are two kinds of faith. These are: physical or natural (human) faith, and spiritual or supernatural faith. All human beings have some measure of faith. You need faith for salvation, sanctificati

CREATED FOR RELATONSHIP Read Genesis 1:26-31 Memorize: Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness (Genesis 1:26a). The original purpose of man's creation was to have relatonship with God (Gen. 3:8).This was defeated in man's fall. However, the merciful God graciously moved to bring man back to Himself through Jesus. "Relatinship" is "the fact of being related or connected to by blood." "Blood" is the connecting link. Jesus shed His precious blood for man to have free access to God in personal relationship. Christ's death tore the O.T. veil into two, bridging the communicaton gap between God and man. Relationship also means, "staying in touch", whch develops from having meaningful time with God. God really wants to relate with man. You want to have a proper relationship with God? You must have personally accepted Christ's lordship, because, enjoying God's presence in communion requires accepting His

TOPIC: DEBORAH, THE PATRIOTIC WOMAN MEMORISE: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10) Deborah was a patriotic woman. She was a prophetess, who used the anointing of God on her life to judge and instruct Israel in the way of righteousness. Are you a virtuous woman? In what way is your life affecting your community? The name Deborah means ‘bee’. She lived up to her name by her industry, sagacity and great usefulness to the society, her sweetness to her friends and her sharpness against her enemies. How far does your name influence you? What influence does the name of Christ have upon you? Have you been able to influence others to Christ? Deborah was said to be the wife of Lapidoth. ‘Lapidoth’ means ‘lamp’. As one associated with light, Deborah was a blessing to her community. Are you a blessing or a curse to your family, friends, acquaintances, neighbours, community, state or nation? Deborah was intimately acquainted with God. She was a judg

FAITH IS GOD'S WORD ACTIVATED Read Romans 10:1-21 Memorize: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17). Most of us are neither courageous nor confident. We are often afraid to take risks, because we are afraid of failure and death. We are not walking confidently because we are no people of faith. Do you want to be a person of faith? Faith is God's Word activated. It is that belief in, devotion to, or trust in God and His Word, regardless of the availability or otherwise, of any logical proof. Have you ever read a verse in the Bible and all of a sudden, thoughts like "I can do this! I can do this!" came into your heart? You just activated your faith by God's Word. Faith is bringing God's Word/promises to bear in the practical world. Unlikely motivational words, God's Word does not only tell you what to do, but also gives you the power to do it. And, it increases your faith as y

TOPIC: MAINTAIN YOUR SALT Read: Matthew 5:10-14 MEMORISE: Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another (Mark 9:50). EXPOSITION It is arguable if salt can ever become worthless! Apart from salt’s seasoning and preservative abilities over and above every other ingredient in the kitchen, it is the commodity given power to bring out taste. Although many are said to be allergic to, or medically exempted from consuming salt, a larger majority depend on it to make their food palatable. However, here we are talking about a worthless salt! How come? Jesus, hi His sermon on the mount (the Beatitudes), put it to us: Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? (Mk 9:50a). The literary salt loses its savour when it is indiscriminately exposed to the sunlight longer than necessary, or when allowed to have contact with water. Have you seen salt that has solidified and become as stone?

STANDING OUT IN THE CROWD Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 MEMORISE But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself (Daniel 1:8). EXPOSITION Standing out might look odd, risky and unpopular. Yet, if it is the best option leading to the will of God, there should be no alternative. Daniel and his three young Hebrew friends stood alone in the crowd in Babylon. Their standing out led to intimidation, harassment and threat to life. Yet, they stood their ground. Caleb and Joshua stood out among other equal leaders of God's people. They understood that " majority " does not mean God's approval. The knowledge and power of God were responsible for their extraordinary behaviour and success. Great men in our contemporary world also have stood, and are still standing for Him despite the shame, persec

INVITE JESUS INTO THAT STORM Read Matthew 8:23-27 Memorize: The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're goiing to drown!" (Matt. 8:25). It was an ususal event; Jesus was in the boat with his disciples when suddenly a violent storm arose on the sea, threatening the boat. The disciples were actually at a loss as to what to do. Added to their troubles was the fact that Jesus was asleep in the same boat with them. They must have wasted many resources in trying to battle the storm. All of a sudden, they remembered Jesus. They went and woke Him in great distress, wrongly accusing him of not caring if they perished. Jesus woke up, effortlessly rebuked their anxiety, and rebuked the storm. Jesus can never lose control. No circumstance can disobey His intervention. Since Jesus was in the boat, why were the disciples running around? They must have forgotten about Him and His power as Master of the universe. So, they didn't call Him, and He never pokes His

HE HAS THE LAST SAY Memorise: For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. (Isaiah 54:10) The situation in the world is steadily becoming alarming. Big and strong economies are becoming shaky while some are crumbling already, even though trade is expanding with mind blowing technological breakthroughs and rapid succession of invention of devices across every facet of human endeavour. Violence in various forms of inhuman treatment of man by fellow man is also on the increase. This includes terror activities, civil disturbances, kidnappings, rapes, murderous acts, drugs, human trafficking and sale of human beings as mere commodity etc. All these and several more are pointers to any child of God that the end of all things is fast approaching and that these are not the days to live carelessly. These happenings are at a stage that any obser

CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH BABAJIDE SCHOOL OF PROPHETS AND EVANGELISTS, P.O. BOX 1151, ILESA, OSUN STATE COURSE: ENGLISH AND RESEARCH TOPIC: THE EVANGELISTIC MOVEMENT OF APOSTLE AYODELE BABALOLA IN THE 1930 REVIVAL AT OKE OOYE ILESA, OSUN STATE BY AFOLABI ELIJAH AYOMIDE MATRIC NO: DIP/0781 LECTURER: PASTOR S.O.BANJO     INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Joseph Ayodele Babalola was born on the April 25, 1904 to the family of David Rotimi and Madam Marta Talabi who belonged to the Anglican church. The family lived at Odo-Owa in Ilofa, a small town about ninety Kilometers from Ilorin in Kwara state, Nigeria.. His father was the Baba Ijo (Church Father) of the Christian Missionary Society Church at Odo- Owa. Pastor Medayese wrote in his book “Itan Igbe dide woli” Ayo Babalola that mysterious circumstances surrounded the birth of Babalola, on that day, it was believed that a strange and might object exploded and shook the cloud.1 On January18,1914, young Baba

WHEN GENTLENESS IS MISAPPLIED MEMORISE: The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (Luke 16:16) Gentleness and meekness are fruit of the Spirit which must be found in children of God. However, some children of God have misunderstood gentleness as demanded by scripture to mean tolerating everything, including the enemies that they should get tough with. The Bible says that right from the time John the Baptist appeared to preach the kingdom of God, obtaining the kingdom of God has required violence. This is so because, just as God has made provision for us in Christ to enter into the kingdom, there is an opposing kingdom of darkness that want to do everything it can to prevent us from accessing the kingdom of God and its benefits. Hence, you have to be violent with the enemy. You are not meant to go softly with Satan and his emissaries, no! The scripture gives us a clearer picture of this in Luke 16:16, wh

TOPIC: BE SET FOR A NEW DAWN! Read Isaiah 43:1-28 Memorize: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19). See yourself in this assuring Word of your Maker. As another day emerges, good new things are sprouting for you. He has the best for you beyond your imaginations. Just be set for it! Don Meon once sang, 'Though I may not understand all the plans He has for me, mylife is in your hands, and through the eyes of faith, I can clearly see...' Build up your faith, and see through the eyes of faith, the new things that God has for you, to key into them in your prayers. Faith never sees discouragement. Your Maker says, Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past (v. 18). Your unfortunate past no longer applies. Bury it now, and begin to see God's new dawn springing for you. He is too sacred to deceive you; too faithful to disappoint you... Just believe! At your cro

It's possible for any man to ask for sex in a relationship, but is left for you as a lady to know that sex, can't keep him (Sex isn't enough) There are two major factors ladies complain about sex in a relationship: 1. After giving him my body he left me.. 2. He left because I refused to have sex with him. NOTE: Both those who gave and those who refused to give are complaining. (Whats the difference) Ladies Listen, Sex isn't enough, its not the only thing you can offer a man. You Have to offer other things to A Man Outside Sex, A man can't stay with you because his having sex with you. Relationship is not buying and selling. There are much to life . Are you sound intellectually? Spiritually? Physically? Mentally? Emotionally? Men love intelligent ladies... Men love ladies with ideas.. Men love respectful ladies.. Sex is very cheap these days, anybody can buy it.You need to build yourself beyond sex.make-ups are an added advantage be a productive lady.M

HOLD NONE DOWN Read Luke 11-1-4 Memorize: Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation (Luke 11:4). Our Lord Jesus gave His disciples a genuine structure of prayer. In Luke 11:4, He gave a conditional point. By implication, if we don't forgive others, we ask God not to forgive us. Unforgiving spirit s a spirit of bondage. He who holds another down, heads nowhere too, and misses the opportunities lying ahead. According to Jesus, you can only receive forgiveness from God, if you are not maliciously keeping anyone inside of you for any offence committed. What oofence isn't pardonable? None. In Christ alone, we have redemption through His potent blood, with the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of immediate and ultimate punishment, what then should anyone do to you that should warrant you holding it against such perpetually? Nothing, of course. Quickly forgiving others is key to getting quick answers to p

YOUR BEST IS ON THE WAY MEMORISE: But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9) Elisha was a rich man even by current standards. He was the son of a wealthy farmer. Using today’s agricultural terminology, we can say that Elisha’s father had twelve “tractors” working for him on his large farmland. A farmer who has twelve tractors must without doubt be classified as a millionaire. Although Elisha was rich, he did not know that God had something greater for him. In most instances, people often hold on to what is good and miss out on the better and the best. Those who have experienced a measure of success or financial prosperity, tend to settle for the minimum while the maximum is begging to be possessed. The tragedy of this situation is that, those who have achieved just a minimum level of prosperity conclude that there is no better level to attain. Some

THE LIVING WATER Read John 7:37-44 Memorize: On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37). Jesus, while on earth, made this open visitation on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacle that year, come to me and drink. Usually, that is the day the High Priest comes around to sprinkle water on all celebrants. Jesus was more concerned about the "inner" than the "outer". For all who are spiritually thirsty, Jesus the living water beckons: believe, come and drink. It is an invaluable privilege to quench one's immediate and ultimate water will flow from within him (cf. Joel 2:8; John 7:39). In this sense, thirst is a strong desire for something. What is it you desire, physically, spiritually, academically, vocationally, etc.? Jesus is the only One who can quench your thirst. What is your experience like since you accepted Jesus Christ into your life. Are

WHAT TO DO TO GET THE BEST MEMORISE: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) One of the qualities which earned Elisha greatness is hard work. Even if God decides to bless you today, there is a level you may never get to if you are lazy. Those who want extraordinary blessings must be prepared to work extraordinarily hard. The Bible in Proverbs 22:29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Elisha was busy working hard. He did not lie down lazily to command his father’s labourers to work their fingers to the bone for him. He was working alongside his father’s labourers (1 Kings 19:19). Anyone who desires divine breakthrough must be ready to put up with hard work. All the disciples of Jesus were hard working. He met each one of them on duty when He called them. Peter was a regular and skilful fisherman before the Lord called him. Matthew was a

TOPIC: GOD MEETS NEEDS (I) Read: Philippians 4:14-19 MEMORISE: And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). EXPOSITION God has promised to supply all our needs, but the fulfilment may seemingly slow and/or delayed sometimes. What could be the problem? Perhaps, we are. When God chooses not to meet our expectations, we often look outward rather than looking inward for the problem. Of course, God’s love is unconditional, whereas many of His promises are not. For example, Philippians 4:19 is a “family promise”, which can be claimed only by those who rightly call on the Sovereign Father of the universe. His unlimited resources are not available to men and women who reject salvation through Jesus Christ. Moreover, when we look at the whole framework of the Scripture, we see that the Lord makes obedience a condition for fulfilling our needs (Psa. 81:10-12). You should start thinking about yourself as a war-bound soldier, and t

THEME: JESUS: THE WAY. MEMORISE: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6 READ: Matthew 7:13-14 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. MESSAGE In John 14:6, the Lord Jesus Christ made a declarative statement to Thomas, which even today some archbishops cannot fathom. He said: “………..I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” What did Jesus mean when He called Himself the Way? After Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, there was a break in connection that existed between God and man. From that moment, mankind has continually made efforts to find God because of the emptiness that exists in us without God. Revealing this emptiness and the resulting searc

TOPIC:A GOSPEL DAY Read Acts 10:39-43 MEMORISE Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it! (Acts 28:28). EXPOSITION The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ emboldened His disciples, and by extension, the Church today, to speak up about our Messiah, Jesus Christ. The power and authority to speak with confidence for and about Christ was finally released after His death. The story of His death and resurrection was told confidently and the powers that be were unable to stop them from witnessing. They boldly challenged false doctrines, and could not be stopped. Those who denied His resurrection could not sustain their falsehood, because the truth was told aloud and confidently with the authority and power of the Holy Spirit. The enemies' efforts and antics were ineffective and inefficient to hinder the great wonderful story. Our text today emanates from the extemporaneous message that Apostle Peter p

THEME: A SON INDEED. MEMORISE: But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Hebrews 12:8 READ: Hebrews 12:4-11 4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be part

MEMORISE: 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: (John 1:12) There is virtually nothing anyone can do without power. Power is described as the ability to act or produce an effect. It is also described as possession of control, authority, or influence over others. The types of power available in this world include: physical, mental, political, economic and spiritual. The good thing about the type of power we are considering today is that it pervades all spheres of human endeavour. This power is the power to become a child of God. It takes a great deal of power to become a child of God; therefore, if anyone wants to become a child of God, he or she must access the power that is required to bring about this transformation. This power is accessed by receiving Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. The power to become whatever God designed you to be shall come upon you today in Jesus’ Name. After the fall of man in G

Read 1 Samuel 30:1ff Memorize: And David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue" (1 Samuel 30:4). Before David's return from battle, his camp had been raided by enemies who took away everything. What a sudden and very painful loss! He became very sad, and wept sore. To worsen matters, his people resorted to castigating and threatening him. What a terrible situation! Does this describe your situation? Check out what he did. Thank God for His Spirit that triggered David to a new perspective to what happened. Suddenly, he realized that: Weeping will not save me Though my face were bathed in tears That could not allay my fears Could not wash the sins of years Weeping will not save me. Then he enquired from the LORD, who gave him the go ahead, went with him and his warriors as they pursued, overtook and recovered all that had ea

MEMORISE: My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1) When the Bible says that we are the temple of God in 1 Corinthians 6:19, it implies so many things with respect to the features of the temple. One of the features of the temple of God is the altar. The altar is very significant in worship, in the sense that it symbolises the throne of God. The altar is where God abides and does whatever pleases Him. It is the place where He issues out decrees and orders the events that must take place in the universe. It is therefore interesting to realise that we are living temples and carriers of the throne where God exhibits His majesty. No wonder the Holy Spirit in 1 Peter 2:5 said: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” In our Bible text, Elijah repaired the altar