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Jesus being The Way also implies that He is The Way out of problems. There are problems in this world that you cannot solve no matter how intelligent you are, but there is no problem that Jesus cannot solve. Jesus Christ is the way out of sorrow.

In Luke 7:11-15, we read of a widow whose only son died. Nobody needs to tell us that she was in sorrow. She had known days of joy. The day she gave birth to this boy, she must have had joy, but then the devil came in and steadily began to change her joy to sorrow, first by killing her husband and then coming for her only son. I can assure you that as they were going towards the burial ground, she was getting deeper and deeper into sorrow because she knew that there were people amongst those following her, pretending to be weeping with her and saying in their hearts, “Why is your case so bad? Are you the only one in town? There must be something you have done wrong that God is punishing you for”, but then she met Jesus Christ and the tide turned. For the mere fact that you are reading this today, sorrow is banished from your life forever, in Jesus’ name.

I was invited to preach at a private event in lkoyi some years ago. I was going to preach on the topic, ‘You need a miracle’, but as I waited in the hostess’ living room before the event started and observed the splendour of the house, I thought to change my topic to ‘O That Man Should Praise The Lord’. I felt the hostess and her guests appeared to have everything they needed already, but the Almighty God said I should talk to them about “You need a miracle”. I learnt later on that the woman had only one son who had gone so deeply into drugs that when his mother refused to give him extra money to buy them, he planted some in her bag when she was travelling to London so that she could be arrested at the airport. Everything seemed nice and beautiful on the outside, but deep inside, there was sorrow.

That day as I preached, the young man gave his life to Jesus, and the mother from that day on knew joy. If you too want to have joy for the rest of your life, the only way is through Jesus Christ. Let Him carry your burdens (Matthew 11:28).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Someone may want to ask the Lord Jesus Christ “Everybody calls You one name or the other; some say teacher, some say prophet. What would You love to be called?” In John 14:6, He said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. These are three mighty names, but for the next few days, we will be looking at Jesus as ‘The Way’.

Today, we will consider Jesus as the way to freedom. John 8:32 says: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

In John 8:36, the Bible says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” When we talk about freedom, there are some people who think they are free but are not. Many influential people have problems that money cannot solve – problems completely beyond the power of science. However, there is no problem beyond the power of Jesus Christ. He is the way to freedom. There was a man in Mark 5 : 1 – 15 who was controlled by a legion of demons. Just one word from The Way, and all the demons left him.

There was a woman who had this peculiar condition that caused electrical currents to pass through her whenever any electronic appliance around her was switched on. If you switched on the electric iron, she would become hot while the iron remained cold. If you switched on the fan, the woman would start rotating. Once, when she wanted to go to the hospital in a van, as soon as the driver started the engine, the current flowed from the battery, picked her up and threw her out of the vehicle. Due to this strange condition, electricity supply had to be cut off from her house.

I went to see this woman and told her I knew someone who could set her free. She immediately gave her life to Jesus, we prayed a simple prayer and when we turned on the fan, it rotated without affecting her in any way. She was set free by The Way.

The only way to obtain freedom is by surrendering your life completely to The Way.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Jesus clearly loves names and according to Philippians 2:9-10, His name is above all other names. Jesus calls Himself several names, some of which include ‘the Son of man’ (Matthew 18:11), ‘the Door’ (John 10:7), ‘Bread of life’ (John 6:35) and sometimes, He would even combine several names together. For example, He combined two names in John 11:25, three names in John 14:6, five names in Isaiah 9:6 and eight names in Revelation 1:8.

Everybody knows God as God, but when people get closer to Him; they begin to have other names for Him that are borne out of their experiences with Him. For example, in Genesis 22:14, Abraham came up with ‘Jehovah Jireh’ because God miraculously provided a Iamb when he needed to make a sacrifice. In Exodus 17:15, Moses came up with ‘Jehovah Nissi’ because God helped them win the battle against the Amalekites and promised to wipe out their remembrance from under heaven.

God enjoys being called by names based on how He has revealed Himself to you. When I was younger, we used to have appellations amongst ourselves. For example, you could call your son Ade, but he could call himself Adesco. Thus, if you decided to send Ade on an errand and you want him to go cheerfully, you would call him Adesco. In the same way, when you are relating with God, and you want Him to do something for you, call Him a name that relates to that thing, and you will see Him move in accordance with the name you call Him. He is the One who established this Himself. In Exodus 15:26, when God was telling the Israelites that they would not get infected with the diseases of the Egyptians, He ended that statement by introducing one of His names to them; He said, “I am the Lord that healeth thee”. In Exodus 3:14, when Moses asked for God’s name, He introduced Himself as, “I am that I am”. This was a general name given to the Israelites because on their journey, they needed many dimensions of God. At different points, they needed God to provide for, protect and heal them, even to make a way for them. Thus, if you want God to move in a particular dimension, call Him by a name that relates to what you want Him to do for you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I am convinced that the question God asked Adam in Genesis 3:8-9 is still very relevant today. Beloved, if God asks you that question today, what would be your sincere response?

To answer the question above sincerely, you must first ask yourself another question: “Where was I yesterday?” In this case, yesterday could be last week, last year or when you first got born again. After answering this question sincerely, you can then proceed to answer the question, “Where are you now?”

From the day of birth, we all begin a return journey to where we are from (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7). That is why, no matter how young you are, you are growing older day by day. You should therefore ask yourself regularly, “How far have I gone in fulfilling the purpose of my creation and salvation?”

Let us consider Samson. He used to be a terror to the enemies but he ended up grinding corn in their prison. You should ask yourself, “Am I going on to greater heights, bearing fruits that abide? Am I increasing spiritually or decreasing? Am I spending more time in God’s presence than I used to or is the reverse the case? Am I winning more souls into the kingdom than I used to?”

You should also ask yourself, “Am I increasing financially or decreasing?” If there is a decrease, could it be that you have been eating your seed? Or could it be that you are sowing sparingly (2 Corinthians 9:6)? Could it be that, because you have been defaulting in your tithe and offerings, you are working under a divine curse (Malachi 3:8-9)?

Beloved, as a child of God, it is important to ask yourself these questions from time to time. If you discover that you are not experiencing growth in any area of your life, please consider your ways (Haggai. 1:5-7). Ask the Holy Spirit to examine you and show you where you might have gotten it wrong. Ask Him for what to do to bring about a positive turn around in your life.

I pray you will fulfill God’s purpose for your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Another major benefit of righteousness is that when evil is about to come for you, God takes you out of its way and substitutes you with an unbeliever. This is clearly stated in Proverbs 11:8: “The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.”

This is called the Law of Substitution. When trouble wants to swallow the righteous, God will stop it and may put a substitute in his or her stead. There are many instances like this in Scripture. The people who threw Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego into the fire are the ones who died instead of the Hebrew boys who were saved by the Lord, because the furnace had to be fed (Daniel 3). The people who threw Daniel into the den of lions were also the ones the lions ate (Daniel 6).

Many years ago, a lady came to me for prayers. She said she had a dream that her husband, who was on a trip, would be brought back in a casket. I asked her if her husband was born again, and she said yes. We prayed about the dream and she left. After some time, I saw an obituary in the newspaper, and the fellow there had the same surname as this sister. The following Sunday in Church, I asked her about the obituary wondering if it was her husband. She responded saying it was not her husband, but a relative of his. Death was coming for a believer; God revealed it to us so we could pray and when we did, He delivered the righteous from death, while an unbeliever became the substitute. There is no life insurance policy as good as living holy.

When you live a righteous life, you go through life with boldness, knowing that tomorrow will be alright. The Bible says in Proverbs 28:1: “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

If you believe that the policemen around you carrying revolvers are your protectors, wait until they come across people carrying AK47s, then you will discover that you are on your own. The righteous are as bold as a lion because they know that they have God on their side. I want to challenge you to make a commitment today. I want you to go to the Almighty God and tell Him you are committing to a life of righteousness.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Isaiah 3:10 says it shall be well with the righteous because there are certain guaranteed blessings that righteous people enjoy. One of them is in Psalm 34:17: “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles”.

When you are living a life of holiness, anytime you cry to God, He would answer you speedily. This is as opposed to Isaiah 59:1-2, which says that it’s people’s sins that prevent God from hearing them. David said clearly in Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me”. If you really want God to start hearing your prayers, then you must begin to live holy henceforth.

The blessings attached to living holy are numerous, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and Psalm 37:25. The children of righteous people are God’s responsibility; He takes care of their needs Himself. King David shared his observation about this in Psalm 37:25.

The children of the righteous don’t have to depend on anybody to survive – God Himself makes sure that they don’t lack anything. This means that the best legacy and inheritance you can leave for your children is a holy lifestyle. This is so because God will ensure that they never lack. A classic illustration is in (1 Kings 11:11-12). David was a man after God’s heart, and God preserved his son – Solomon because of this.

It is better, however, to teach your children to live holy themselves even when you have gone to be with the Lord, so that their own children too will enjoy the preservation of the Lord.

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Hebrews 1:9

Pursue righteousness and hate iniquity, so that you would see the manifestation of God’s glory upon your life and all that concerns you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Isaiah 3:10 is probably one of the most loved verses in the Bible. It assures us Christians that our tomorrow will be all right. One young fellow came to me some time ago and said he had heard that I was a prophet of God. I said, “Well, I am actually a Pastor, but I do hear from God once in a while”. He said, “No, I was told that whatever you prophesy comes to pass”. I said, “God has been faithful. How can I help you?” He responded, saying, “Can you tell me my future?” I asked, “Are you born again?” He said, “No”. I told him, “Your future will be terrible”. He said, “But how do you know; you don’t even know my name. You haven’t even prayed”. I responded, “I don’t have to pray. It is written in Isaiah 3:11, “Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him”, and the word of God is forever settled”. He then asked, “What if I had said I was born again?”. I told him, “Then I would have said your future will be great, according to Isaiah 3:10. If you have given your life to Christ, then you can say confidently, “My tomorrow will be all right”.

Believe it or not, your walk with God will determine your future. If you do some evil things now and think you have gotten away with them, you are deceiving yourself. Unless you repent, ask God for forgiveness and begin to live holy, you would still reap the consequences of your sins (Proverbs 6:12-15).

When the Bible says in Galatians 6:7 that God is not mocked and that whatsoever a man sows, shall he reap, it is no joke. Many people are suffering rejection, poverty, near-success syndromes, diseases and other forms of trauma today because of the unrighteous things they did in the past. Many go from Church to Church seeking deliverance, whereas their deliverance is in them repenting and making restitution. Some people are however, enjoying favour and good things because they have been living holy by the grace of God.

Your eternity is determined by the way you live while on earth. Jesus Christ is calling on you to surrender all to Him and live a righteous life in Him so that it indeed will be well with you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prayers For Your Nation

Father, thank You for my nation. Thank You for all You have done for us, for all You are currently doing and all You will still do. Thank You Lord.

Father, please visit my nation specially and give us a special miracle that can only come from You.

Father, please deliver my nation from leaders, terrorists and everyone working against the good of our land.

Father, by Your mercies, cancel every curse and all demonic operations in my nation, in Jesus’ name.

Father, please protect my nation from every external attack and grant us victory on all sides, in Jesus’ name.

Father, please make a way for my nation to become very great, in Jesus’ name.

Father, please pour down Your blessings upon my nation. Lord, make every barren sector in my nation fruitful, in Jesus’ name.

Father, please raise great and righteous leaders in my nation. Please, raise leaders that will do Your will, in Jesus’ name.

Father, please put an end to every form of evil in my nation. Lord, let Your righteousness reign in my nation, in Jesus’ name.

Father, please give my nation a new beginning of glory, in Jesus’ name.

Father, please let there be a great revival in my nation. Lord, raise evangelists and missionaries that will win my nation completely for You, in Jesus’ name.

Your personal prayer points for your nation and other nations of the world.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I was merely a mathematician before God anointed me as a pastor. What would a mathematician possibly have to say that can profit you if God is not speaking through him? My life and ministry are built on what God says. My ears are always open to Him because when He speaks, power is at work. Ecclesiastes 8:4 says where the word of a king is, there is power. In The Redeemed Christian Church of God, we have seen great miracles – the dead coming back to life, blind eyes opening, women without wombs conceiving and delivering babies, and many other great testimonies, only because God speaks and power follows.


Believe me honestly, the only way to live an abundant life is to be able to hear God’s voice. I pity people who cannot hear or do not even know God. A believer that cannot hear God cannot work miracles, neither can he or she escape the traps of the devil.

John 6:68 says it clearly:

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

You cannot live without the spoken word of God. As a matter of fact, man was created to live by the word of God (Mathew 4:4). This is why the Bible must be your daily companion. The Bible is my favourite book because it has made me relevant to my generation. I will continue to read It so that God can do more in and through me.

You must also ensure that you choose carefully those you listen to. If you can hear God but listen to people who cannot, they will surely mislead you. Who are the people you go to for advice? Who are the people you depend on for correction? Proverbs 13:20 says a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

If your heart is pure and you haven’t heard from God, you need to pray until God opens your ears to hear Him. Set yourself apart and seek to hear God (Habakkuk 2:1). Your soul will live only by what you hear. Your future and the fulfillment of your destiny depend on what you do with the instructions you receive from God. Hear life and live.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Do everything in moderation. The fact that you have enough money to buy as much food as you like does not mean you should eat every time. Some people used to fast when they were poor but as soon as some money came into their hands, fasting became history. Even if you don’t want to fast for spiritual reasons, you need to fast for the sake of your health.

Truly, you may have a lot to do but that doesn’t mean you should not find a way to spend quality time with your family. Don’t let success destroy the great things of life. Money is supposed to improve your quality of life, not worsen it. That you now have a housemaid or other domestic staff does not mean you should not exercise your body anymore. Every now and then, you still need to engage in some household chores and physical activities.

When some people make a little money, they start disrespecting other people they deem to be less fortunate. If you see a rich and popular fellow who doesn’t respect elders, you have seen someone who is not interested in living long. King Saul became wealthy and influential, so he stopped honouring Prophet Samuel. The result of that was his life becoming so miserable that he begged to be killed (1 Samuel 31:4). Samson thought because he was strong and influential, he could be with any woman he wanted, even against the advice of his parents and ended up being captured by his enemies. Don’t let the power that comes with money and success get you to destroy yourself.

The word of God does not teach us to lead a carnal life that pleases the flesh (Romans 8:13). Don’t let comfort bury you before your time. Put your flesh under to ensure that it is not indulging in things that are not beneficial to you. Believe me honestly, if you always do whatever you feel like, your flesh will begin to rule you. If you let money, success or fame get into your head, the end will be disastrous. There are more successes to be achieved in the future, but you can only reach them if you are temperate with the ones you have already gotten.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus’ disciples woke Him up, and He stilled the storm. Have you imagined what would have happened had He not been in the boat? Life is full of storms, and except God helps you, such storms can drown you.

No matter how smart you are, there is one storm you cannot escape: the storm of death. Don’t be deceived, death will make anyone who isn’t in Christ fearful. David could say, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4) because he was on the Lord’s side. If the Lord is not with you in your boat and the storm comes, who will you call upon?

Storms can come suddenly, without notice. Once while on a plane to London, there was a particular man who had a golden walking stick. From time to time, he would get up and show off his golden walking stick as he walked to and from the bathroom. Suddenly, the captain announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a little problem as we currently cannot land the plane”. The man with the golden walking stick now really needed to go to the bathroom; but as he stood up to go, the hostess asked him to remain seated. Obviously terrified, he refused to remain in his seat and for a moment, I too was afraid. I then said to my Daddy, “But Lord, You didn’t tell me this is the end”. He responded saying, “No, it’s not the end. I want to talk to you, and I know that as soon as you land, you will be kept busy, but we need to talk”. As soon as I heard His voice, His peace came to me. After the Lord finished talking to me, the plane landed without any problem. Had I not already been His child that day, I would not have had any right to call upon Him in the storm and I would have been terrified like just any other person.

If He is not in your boat, there would be nobody to call upon for deliverance in the midst of a storm. It is only when you have Him in your boat that you would be able to say, “Christ in me the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Ezekiel 37:1-11, the Bible tells us about the valley of dry bones where God asked the Prophet, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel said, “Only you know”. In other words, Ezekiel was saying, “My faith can’t handle that”, but the dry bones eventually lived. In Mark 9:17-27, a man brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus’ disciples. They couldn’t deliver the child and thus referred him to the Lord Jesus, who said, “O ye of little faith”. The man said, “I believe, but help thou my unbelief”. The day I heard that story, I was so glad, because that means if my faith is not enough, I can cry to Him and He will make it grow.

When I became General Overseer, we loved to cook and eat together during our convention, but we were having challenges with the finances for the feeding and the parishes were groaning under the cost. One day during the convention, out of desperation, I said, “One day will come when you will be able to come to the Convention without bringing any money at all”. When we finished that night, and I got back to my office to pray, the Lord spoke to me, “Son, when do you want that to happen?” I said, “One of these days” and He responded, “Why not from now?” At that time we were about 10,000 people. How would I feed 10,000 people for one week? The Lord said, “Announce to the entire congregation that you will feed them next convention”. I said, “Daddy, I’ve never disobeyed You before, but this one? I can’t tell them”. He didn’t put any pressure on me, so the Convention ended and everybody left, but they came back the following month for the Holy Ghost Service and God repeated it. I said, “Lord, my faith can’t carry it”, and He said to me, “Son, you are about to lose a miracle”. I therefore announced, “Brethren, next year, don’t bring any money for feeding, you will be fed”. That was over 20 years ago, and God has not failed once.

You may think I am a man of great faith, but the truth is that my Daddy is the One who helps my little faith, so I depend entirely on Him. He has never let me down and I know He will not let you down too.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the things I have discovered about God in my little walk with Him is that He wants to be your priority at all times. He said in Matthew 6:33 that you should seek His kingdom and righteousness first. In Psalm 10:4, the Bible describes those who do not seek God and have Him in their thoughts as proud. In Deuteronomy 26:2, God said that your very first harvest should be given to Him. He wants to be your number one or nothing at all to you. In fact, one of His names is ‘Jealous’ (Exodus 34:14).

Now, when God sees that you always put Him first and you have honoured Him, then He will begin to work out a befitting reward for you. In Proverbs 3:9-10, the Bible says: “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine”. In 1 Kings 17:7-16, Elijah told the widow of Zarephath to prepare his meal first before making that of herself and her son. Some other women would have said, “Prophet, did you not hear that there is only one meal left? If I prepare that one for you, there will be nothing left to prepare for me and my son”. Instead of saying that, she honoured God in the life of the Prophet in that difficult situation and in return, she never lacked food again. While the entire nation was starving, she had food in abundance. That is what happens when you put God first.

I was in Ilesha, holding a crusade many years ago when my Professor took my PhD thesis to the external examiner. Normally they post it, but he bought a ticket and took it. If you ask all those who got their PhDs back then, they will tell you that it usually takes months for external examiners to invite PhD candidates for an oral examination. While I was busy in Ilesha doing the will of God, my Professor took my thesis to the external examiner and said, “I am not going back until you read this”. After the external examiner read it, he said “Go and give the boy his PhD”. If you do the will of God first, He will take care of all your needs. When you honour Him and put Him first in all you do, what you will get in return will be a multiplication of what you sacrificed for Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Since your Daddy is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), you must start behaving like a child of the Prince of Peace. In Isaiah 66:12-14, He promised you peace like a river. If you have been finding it difficult to sleep, remember Psalm 127:2, where He said He gives His beloved sleep.

When I became General Overseer, we had 39 parishes, but there were so many problems. I was always so worried about the work of God and though I was just 40 years old, my hair had started to turn grey. I asked God, “Lord, why?” and He said, “You are carrying a burden that is not yours. You cannot share My glory. If you cannot share My glory, you cannot share My burden; let me carry My burden”. Right there and then, I stopped worrying, and my hair gradually turned black again.

If the devil has seized your peace, you need to claim it back. James 4:7 says you should resist the devil and he will flee from you. At times you need to fight to get that peace. Initially, when you start resisting the devil, he will act as if he wants to fight, but when he realises that you are not going to back down, he will flee.

When I was very young, I was very small in stature and there was a bully in my primary school. He knew I couldn’t defeat him in a fight, so he always tormented me. He tortured me at every opportunity. One day, something moved inside of me. I just decided, “I’m going to fight this boy. I know I can’t beat him because he is too big, but we will fight until he kills me, and then the government will kill him, so that it will be a draw”. The next time he came to torment me, I said, “Don’t touch me”. Shocked, he said, “You spoke?” and hit me. I hit him too and He knocked me down. I got up and hit him again. He knocked me down several times but I kept getting up. After a while, he must have thought, “This boy wants to die”, so he ran away and I chased after him. The bully was now running from me because I refused to back down. From that day on, I had peace. Your Saviour is the Prince of Peace and He has already given you His peace (John 14:27). Claim it today and it shall be yours in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Provided you don’t doubt, whatever you decree as a child of God, you will get. In Job 22:21-28, it is written that if you obey God and do His will, you will decree a thing, and it shall be established.

Do you know that you can make a decree to your body and it will obey? The first time I went to Zambia to establish a parish of the RCCG, the food I ate upset my stomach. I think I had gone to the toilet 23 times that night before I remembered that, according to the Bible, “I shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover”.

I was the sick one, and there was no one there to lay hands on me, so I laid my hands on my head, spoke to my stomach, and the problem ceased. The God I serve is the same God you serve, the Bible I read is the same Bible you read and the Holy Spirit in me is the same Holy Spirit in you. Therefore, you can also get the same results. Romans 8:17 says we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; that means we have access to the wealth of God.

God is so wealthy that He owns all the gold and silver in the world (Haggai 2:. How can you have access to such wealth and still be living in poverty? You must decree that wealth comes to you. What you say with your mouth is what God will work with (Numbers 14:28).

When I came into full-time ministry, many friends thought I was mad. They wondered how an acting HOD of a Mathematics Department would resign to become the General Overseer of a poor Church. Whenever I had financial problems, I would keep saying, “God is working overtime taking care of me”. Some people around me then tried to caution me, saying no one would want to help me financially if l kept saying such things, but l never relented. I wasn’t bothered because I was not relying on man for help and I often made this clear to anyone who cared to listen. Look how far He has brought me now. I put all my faith in God, and declared my way into the wealth that God had already prepared for me. You can do so too. Stop saying you are broke. Stop saying things are hard. Remember that, as God lives, it is what He hears you say that He will do to you (Numbers 14:28), so use your mouth to bring what you want into your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Following the discussion we began yesterday, it is not only witches, wizards and witch doctors who can try to hinder a person’s destiny; sicknesses can also.

Many people remain sick because they are tolerating sickness. You must rebuke sickness in your body. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge”. Now that you know the truth, you can tell sickness, “How dare you attack me, a child of the Original Physician? My Daddy says in Exodus 15:26 that He is the Lord that healeth me, so I am healed in Jesus’ name”.

When you know who you are in Christ, it affects how you behave. If you are the son of a messenger, you would talk differently from the child of the President. Your Father is not just the President – He is the President of all the presidents in the whole world (Psalm 24:7-10). He is the One about whom Philippians 2:9-11 says that, at His name, every knee bows. It is unfortunate that many Christians have the name but don’t use it. You must rebuke demons. Tell them, “How dare you fool around with me. I am the child of the Lord of hosts”. If you do that, you will get every demon out of your household today. The Bible made it clear that if you are truly a child of the living God, you shouldn’t even fail. Philippians 4:13 says you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you.

You can rebuke the devil Himself. James 4:7 says if you submit yourself to God, you will resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When you know who you really are in Christ, your confidence shows in how you pray. For example, if someone is in the bathroom and you knock at the door, the way the fellow inside answers would tell you whether it is the messenger in the house or the landlord that is in there. While they could both say the same thing, the confidence level in their respective voices would differ.

You must speak to the devil as someone who knows that you have the greater One inside of you (1 John 4:4) and he will flee from you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In John 14:12, Jesus Christ said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

In Mark 4:35-41, when a storm arose on the sea while Jesus was sleeping in the boat, the first thing He did was to rebuke the wind. The passage above therefore means that you will do even greater rebuking of storms.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, but He is also the Lion of Judah. It is true that you should be as gentle as a dove, but not when dealing with a snake. He was gentle, but when He got into the temple and saw what should not be there, He overturned tables and drove out the traders. That certainly wasn’t gentle! You also are the temple of the Most High God. When you see someone trying to hinder you from fulfilling your purpose, you must not handle them gently; you must rebuke them.

Isaiah 54:17 says it is your heritage for any tongue raised against you to be condemned. In other words, it is your heritage to rebuke anything trying to hinder your destiny. You cannot be gentle with them; you must rebuke them so that they don’t destroy you.

Many years ago, a son of mine was living in a building where a witch doctor also lived. The man often complained that my son’s prayers were disturbing him so, I told him to cast the witch doctor out, but he said, “No Daddy, we are both tenants in the same building; we can live with each other”. I said, “Okay”. The next time I saw my son, he looked very unhealthy. He said the witch doctor got some of his customers, who were Police officers, to arrest him because his prayers were disturbing him. The police locked him up for days, and the mosquitoes in the cell dealt with him. I then asked him, “Are you now ready to send that wicked fellow out?” He agreed; we prayed and the man moved out of the house.

Will you let the devil hinder your destiny?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus was in the boat, yet there was a storm. This implies that Jesus can be in a person’s life, and a storm will still rage. Many think that once they are born again, they become a no-go-area for storms. That is not true; if anything, the devil will try harder to test your strength in Christ. Jesus Christ said it clearly in John 15:19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you’.

The mere fact that you are a child of God is enough to attract storms, but don’t worry; as long as Jesus is in your life, all you have to do is stir up His gift in you, and the storm will cease. If you are a child of God, Jesus is already in you, and the Bible says in 1 John 4:4 that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. There can be a giant in you, but the giant can be sleeping until you wake Him up. 2 Timothy 1:6 says that there is a gift of God in you, and you have to stir it up. Psalm 50:14-15 says that if you come into the presence of God with thanksgiving, you can then call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver you. Call on Him until He arises for you, because it is written in Psalm 68:1 that when God arises, His enemies scatter.

You can get the Almighty God to arise for you by prayer. In Acts 12:1-10, when Herod took James, the Church did not pray, and so James was killed. By the time Peter was arrested, the Church had learnt their lesson and thus prayed, getting the Lord to arise for them to still that storm. If you refuse to pray, the storm can overwhelm you, but if you pray, then you will win against the storm no matter how much it rages.

You can also cause Him to arise for you through praise. In Mark 10:46-52, when Bartimaeus was calling on Jesus, the Lord kept hearing, “Jesus, thou son of David…” So He stopped to attend to him. When you praise Him, He will arise for you. If you know how to call God His names in line with who He really is, He will pay attention to your situation and still any storm that rises against you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God’s arms are everlasting (Deuteronomy 33:27), so when He begins to lift you, no one can bring you down. When human beings promote you, they never want to put you on the same level as themselves. In Genesis 39:1-5, Potiphar promoted Joseph and put him in charge of everything in his house, but he was still a slave.

And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
1 Samuel 18:4

Jonathan gave David many gifts because he loved him but did not give him his shoes. In those days, no matter how much you give to a man, you can collect those things back if you don’t give him your shoes (Ruth 4:7-. Also, servants never wore shoes. Thus, Jonathan was telling him, “I love you greatly, but don’t forget that I am a prince and you are an ordinary citizen in this kingdom”.

Another thing you can learn from the story of Joseph is that if human beings promote you, they can also bring you down. It is the same Potiphar who made Joseph the head of all his slaves who later threw him in prison. Those shouting ‘Hosanna’ today may shout ‘Crucify him’ tomorrow. When God decided to promote Joseph, He brought him to a level so high that even Potiphar — his former slave master, had to bow before him. The Most High will promote you and very soon, all those who have been oppressing you will bow before you, in Jesus’ name.

The Almighty God took David – who was a shepherd boy, made him a king and kept on promoting him until he became the father of the King of kings (Revelation 22:1 6). This is a classic example of God lifting a fellow with His everlasting arms.

Do you know that if God decides to promote you, even after you are dead, the promotion continues? God however, will not lift the proud in His everlasting arms. You must surrender your life totally to Jesus and humble yourself before Him if you want Him to promote you (1 Peter 5:6).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I want to introduce you to the other side of the Most High. You already know from previous discussions that He can overrule anybody, but did you know that He can also overrule Himself? In Isaiah 38:1-8, the Most High sent His Prophet to King Hezekiah to tell him that he was about to die. Hezekiah prayed to God to give him some more time on earth, and the Most High granted him 15 more years. The Prophet must have wondered, “But Lord, forever O Lord, Your word is settled” (Psalm 119:89), and God must have responded, “I am the One who said it. I am the One reversing it. ”That is an example of God overruling Himself to answer a man’s prayers. He can also overrule Himself to punish a man. When you read 1 Samuel 2:30, you see Him overruling Himself to punish Eli. This is where we need to be very careful.

In 1 Samuel 9:15-17, He chose Saul, who was the least in the least of the tribes in Israel, to be king. However, Saul became arrogant and God decided to reject him. At the end of the day, God sent a tormenting spirit to him and then made sure that he and his sons died on the same day. I am sure that if Saul knew that he would end up that way, he would never have disobeyed God.

The Most High is a wonderful friend to have. When He is on your side, He can overrule anybody or anything that is against you, but He is a very dangerous enemy. If He was once your friend and becomes your enemy, you are in trouble. This is why I want to appeal to you again to surrender your life to Him. The Most High is not someone you toy with. He is not someone you can cheat or deceive, He knows all things. He knows those who pretend to belong to Him but are still doing the will of the devil. Before He changes His mind, I beg you to surrender to Him and let Him be your friend for life. If you claim that He is your Lord, serve Him in total surrender. Serve Him with all your heart and in sincerity. Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, and the result will be beautiful. If however, you think you can play games with Him, He will show you that He is a Consuming Fire.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Most High can overrule curses. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, the Bible tells us that there had been a curse hanging over Jericho since the time of Joshua, but the Lord, working through Elisha, cancelled it.

God can overrule covenants. Isaiah 28:13 says that even if you have made any covenant that is not according to His will, once He overrules it, it will not stand. If there is any covenant between you and the devil, it is cancelled now, in Jesus’ name. Many years ago, a woman came to deliver her baby at our maternity centre in The Redeemed Christian Church of God. Apparently, because she had been barren for many years, she had uttered a statement saying she didn’t mind dying, as long as she gave birth first. Now, she had gotten pregnant and didn’t want to die during childbirth, so she came to the Church’s maternity centre to deliver the baby. After being in labour for some days, the midwives informed me, so I called on the Most High to overrule that evil covenant she had made. He overruled it and a short while later, she gave birth safely.

The Most High overrules blood covenants too (Isaiah 49:24-26), so even if you have been initiated into a cult by blood covenant, the Lord will cancel it now, in Jesus’ name.

The Most High can even overrule hell. He can tell hell: “You cannot have this fellow”. Paul said in (1 Timothy 1:15) that he was originally the chief of sinners, but then he had an encounter with Jesus Christ and instead became a chief amongst the Apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5). I have always said, “If the Almighty God can use me, He can use anybody”. If He could take me from the path to hell and put me on my way to heaven, then whatever claim hell has over you is overruled right now, in Jesus’ name.

You must note however, that you have a role to play in ensuring that hell’s claim over you is completely overruled. If the Most High decides to snatch you from the path to hell but you go back into sin, then you will be back on that destructive path. It is your duty to respond to God’s gracious act of love by living holy so you do not end up in hell.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Psalm 33:10-11, the Bible says that God brings the counsel of the heathen to naught but His own counsel stands forever. Thus, it doesn’t matter what your enemies have decided concerning you; He will cancel their counsel and replace them with His, in Jesus’ name. The Most High can overrule doctors. In Mark 2:1-12, the man brought in through the roof could not be healed – medically speaking, but he walked out healed when he came into the presence of the Most High. We are indeed privileged to serve a God who can overrule medical reports.

The Most High can also overrule death. In John 11:39-44, the Bible tells us that by the time Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, not only had Lazarus been dead for days, his corpse must also have already been stinking. His relatives believed it was already too late but the Most High spoke — completely overruling death and calling Lazarus back to life. Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, He never addressed death. When He was going to raise the daughter of Jairus, He didn’t use the word death at all; He said, “Little girl, arise”, and death had to let go.

The Most High can overrule demons. Isaiah 49:24-26 shows that when the Most High decides to set free, He will feed those who say you cannot be free with their own flesh and cause them to drink their own blood. I once preached at a wedding in my village and when I saw that witches were also in attendance, I used that opportunity to praise the Most High God before them while condemning the kingdom of darkness. After the wedding, they met the bride’s mother and said, “This boy has insulted us at your daughter’s wedding; let us see if she will put to bed safely”. The mother ran to me and I told her not to worry. The bride got pregnant and gave birth safely in spite of all the evil the witches planned because the Most High had overruled them. The Most High is saying to you now that every activity of demons in your life is overruled, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our God is the Most High (Ecclesiastes 5:. Jesus’ name is higher than every other (Philippians 2:9), and this means all the problems you are currently facing are below Him. Every now and then, you need to shout the name JESUS so that your problem will hear it and flee. His throne is higher than any other because it is in the heavens, far above all principalities and powers. His army is bigger and stronger than any other because He controls all the hosts in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth. According to Philippians 2:9-11, not only is His name higher than any other, His influence is also in all the spheres because, in Heaven, on earth and underneath the earth, knees bow to Him. The fact that God is the Most High however, has certain implications. We will begin to discuss this today and over the next few days.

Firstly, being the Most High, He has the last say over every matter. If you have a case in a High Court and the judge finds you guilty, you can appeal the ruling. If the Appeal Court says you are guilty, you can appeal to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court says you are guilty, the President may decide to grant you a state pardon. There is however, somebody higher than the President and that is the Almighty God. He is not a President, a Prime Minister, or a King. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the King who decrees a thing and it stands fast (Psalm 33:9).

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28

In Exodus 5:1-2 the world’s greatest ruler then was Pharaoh. Moses relayed God’s message to him saying, “Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness”. Pharaoh refused and said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” By the time God had finished with him, he was the one begging the people to go. If you disobey God, it means you love death (Proverbs 8:36). If you have any wisdom, you will fear the Most High and stay away from anything that can offend Him.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people are in the miry clay of life. A miry clay is a situation so terrible, you cannot get out of it by yourself; you need external help to get you out of it. When the doctor tells someone that they have done their best and there is nothing more they can do to make the fellow feel better, he knows that at that point, except God comes to his aid, he is finished. Thankfully, I have a God who specialises in lifting people out of the miry clay and placing their feet on the rock to stand firm (Psalm 40:2).

What do you do for the Almighty God to pull you out of the miry clay? The first thing is to realise that it is sin that brought you into the miry clay in the first instance. When the paralysed man was brought to Jesus in Mark 2:1-12, the first thing the Lord said to him was, “Your sins be forgiven you”. The word of God is clear: the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Sickness is an agent of death. You must repent and forsake your sins before you can come out of the miry clay. The Lord told the man at the pool of Bethesda, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14). If you don’t get rid of sin in your life, you may never get out of that miry clay. David said in Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” How can you be expecting an answer from God when He cannot even hear your prayers at all?

I was invited to Tunisia about 11 years ago to speak at the World Prayer Conference and I said, “Brethren, I have come to submit to you that God answers all prayers.” Some deep theologians called me aside and said that it is not true. Don’t let anybody deceive you, God answers prayers. He said, “Call on me and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3). He didn't say “I may answer you”. The only variable there is, He can only answer the prayers He hears. If He doesn’t hear, how will there be an answer? Isaiah 59:1-2 says clearly that it is our sins that prevent God from hearing us.

If you are still obeying God half-heartedly, change your ways. It is in your best interest to do so.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Psalm 40:1, David said God inclined unto him and heard his cry – not his whisper, but his cry. A cry in this context is a prayer made with violence. Matthew 11:12 says, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”

You must therefore be violent in your dealings with things of the Kingdom of heaven. In Mark 10:46-52, the kind of prayer that Bartimeous prayed is what we call a cry. There was a multitude there just like there are multitudes calling on God every minute, but in the midst of that multitude, one man cried and God inclined His ear to Him.

When you cry to God and He inclines His ear to you, He lifts you out of the miry clay. Miry clay simply means a situation so bad that unless help comes from outside, you are done for. The more a person in quicksand struggles, the deeper he or she would go into it. It is a situation where there is nothing you can do on your own to be free. When in that kind of situation, you don’t whisper, you cry. There is a practical example in Mark 2:1-12, where a man paralysed from the neck down was brought to Jesus. Every part of his body was dead except the neck upwards. There was nothing any doctor could do for him, but thank God for Jesus Christ. When Jesus saw him, He said, “Arise” and he came out of the miry clay. In the name that is above every other, you will come out of the miry clay.

Another example is in 2 Kings 4:1-7, where the widow of the son of the prophet was so badly in debt, the creditors said they would sell her children within 24 hours if she didn’t pay. She didn’t whisper, she cried to the man of God. Before the 24 hours were up, she had more than enough to pay her debt. I pray God will incline His ears to you today as you cry out to Him, in Jesus’ name.

Whenever people cried unto the Lord again and again, He would eventually turn and attend to them. Let that be your disposition when you go to God in prayer. Don’t pray like a gentleman or lady, with finesse. Cry to Him with all your strength, and He will incline His ear to you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Psalm 40:1-4, David said he waited patiently for the Lord. This statement could be interpreted to mean ‘I waited for God’s time’.This is because God has a timetable He works with as we see in Psalm 102:13.

This however, does not mean that God is bound by time. For example, in Isaiah 38:8 when the king wanted a sign that God had heard his prayer, the prophet said confidently that the sun would move 10 degrees backwards and it was so. In Joshua 10:12-14, God helped Joshua stop the sun from setting so the Israelites could finish off their enemies. In John 11:21, Mary told Jesus that He came too late as her brother was already dead, but the Lord reversed the irreversible and Lazarus came back to life. God can reverse time for your sake too, just ensure you wait patiently on Him in faith.

‘I waited patiently’ could also mean, “God, you are my last bus stop. I am not going anywhere else until You answer me”. In Genesis 32:24-29, Jacob refused to let the angel go unless he blessed him. It may interest you to know that God likes it when you refuse to let Him go until He blesses you. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus taught about persistent prayers using the example of a widow who would not let a wicked judge rest until she got justice. He explained that if you stay put with God, you will get what you are asking for. The daughter of the woman in Matthew 15:22-29 was delivered of unclean spirits because her mother refused to leave Jesus alone, even when He told her to go away since she wasn’t a Jew.

David said after waiting patiently for the Lord, He inclined to him (Psalm 40:1). When God inclines His ear unto you, you can be sure that you would receive your miracle, because whenever God pays attention to someone, a miracle always follows. Wait patiently on God, He is never late.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Over the past six days we learnt that God first draws you to Him and if you yield, He saves you by cleansing you with His blood. Sanctification and baptism in the Holy Spirit then follows, after which you receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. We will round off this study today by looking at how the Lord brings His children to perfection.

Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” In this context, perfection can be easily understood as when you only do things that edify. There are some things that may not be regarded as sin in themselves but then, they are not edifying. The place of perfection is when you avoid such things. This is when you begin to see some things that, though lawful, are not expedient for you to do (1 Corinthians 10:23).

For example, gossip may not be viewed as a sin, but does it edify you? Only a few people get to this stage in their walk with Christ – where they have gone beyond just what is sin and what is not, engaging only in things that edify them while avoiding things that don’t.

One of the signs that a person is experiencing this work of grace is that the fellow will pay attention to doctrine. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is therefore profitable, amongst other things, for doctrine which will lead you to perfection. Thus, even when you have been performing miracles, signs and wonders, you still need to pay attention to doctrine because “Forever O Lord, thy word is settled” (Psalm 119:89).

God is therefore saying to you, whatever level you are in now, “Come up higher”. Don’t just stay on the level of being cleansed of all your sins, move to being sanctified. Don’t think that the moment you can speak in tongues, then you have arrived; go on to receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit and then ensure you also produce the fruit thereof, so that the gifts don’t destroy you. And lastly, be amongst the rare set of people who are made perfect (Matthew 5:48). You have to keep going higher until you become perfect, such that people would look at you and say that you are a true child of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As we continue with our lessons on the works of grace, we will study a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in believers called ‘the fruit of the Holy Spirit’. If a Christian has gifts of the Holy Spirit but does not have the fruit of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-25, such a person is headed for destruction. An example of this is when a believer becomes proud because God performs miracles through him or her. Matthew 7:22-23 says: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. They had the gifts of prophecy and working of miracles, but God didn’t even know them. That is because though the gift was present in their lives, the fruit was absent. This is why you must never be satisfied with just having the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The fruit is more important than the gift, so you must ensure that you experience this important work of grace.

According to Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. While you may already be working miracles, God is asking you to move higher. You may be performing miracles, yet are difficult to live with; you might get the gifts and still end up in hell. What will it profit you if you are a powerful evangelist but get left behind when the rapture takes place? Of what use is your anointing if you will end up in the same place as the devil? Anointing is good and I love it, but I don’t want to be anointed and then become a candidate of hell; God forbid. Jesus Christ said if you want to know those who will go to heaven, look out for the fruit of the Holy Spirit in them, not the gifts.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:20-21

Don’t be deceived by the anointing of God already at work in your life. If you don’t manifest the fruit of the Spirit, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Having the Holy Spirit does not mean that you have arrived – not at all. He gave you the Holy Spirit for a reason and that is to witness according to Acts 1:8. A witness is someone who tells others about what they have seen or heard. When God asks you to witness, He is saying you should tell people about the things you have heard and seen about Him. To really prove that what you are telling them is true, He gives you gifts of the Spirit. This is the work of grace that comes after the Holy Ghost baptism.

There are basically nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, as seen in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and they can be grouped into three. One group is called the revelation gifts. The revelation gifts consist of the Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge and Discerning of Spirits. When you hear someone say something about you that he or she could not possibly have known except God told him or her, that is the Word of Knowledge. For example, while I am preaching many times, God tells me things about people in the congregation and I announce it starting with, “There is someone here…”. Despite not knowing these people, what I announce is usually the exact situation of the person involved – that is the Word of Knowledge at work. God knows all things and from time to time reveals them to those whom He has given this gift to. It is a powerful gift of the Holy Spirit.

There is another group of gifts called the Power Gifts — the Gift of Faith, the Gift of Healing and the Gift of the Working of Miracles. Then of course there are three others called the Vocal Gifts – these are the Gifts of Prophecy, diverse kinds of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues. The Almighty God can give you any of these 9 gifts after you are baptised in the Holy Spirit and have started working for Him. Interestingly, 1 Corinthians 12:31 says: “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

The only place in the Bible where you are allowed to be covetous is when it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. After my Holy Spirit baptism, I asked God for all the gifts and He answered me. I give Him glory and honour that when you ask Him, He is more than willing to give.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As we continue with our study of the works of grace, we will consider the baptism of the Holy Spirit today. After God has enabled you to do His will voluntarily without being forced, He will then baptise you in His Spirit. When we were younger Christians, we were told, “You must be sanctified before you begin to ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit”. The Holy Ghost baptism is very dangerous, so much so that it can even destroy a person.

In those days, people gave offerings voluntarily – nobody needed to preach to you. We were willing to spend and be spent for the One who saved us; He had given us a new heart – a heart of flesh. In those days, you couldn’t become a worker in the church until you were sanctified because workers willingly surrendered their time and resources to God. After you have become sanctified, God can then trust you with His Holy Spirit and power. The Holy Spirit cannot live in a heart that is still stubborn, unruly and disobedient.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit comes with power (Acts 1: and thus, you need to be sanctified before that can happen. Beloved, the Holy Spirit is like a bomb. Nobody will give a bomb to someone who is not broken. When you join the army, they take you through a series of training programmes and by the time they are finished with you, you would almost be like a zombie. You would begin to do everything they ask of you without questions. When you become a Christian, you have joined the army of the Lord and until you are thoroughly broken, He won’t give you His power. Don’t mind those who pretend to be operating in the power of God while their behaviours are not portraying Christ; Simon the sorcerer could also perform some magic. If you want the true power of God, you must be sanctified first. Carnality must be gone from your life, so that He can release His power to you.

When the baptism in the Holy Ghost happens, one of the primary evidences will be speaking in tongues. No one will have to tell you what to say. The day I was baptised in the Holy Spirit, it was the Lord Himself who drove my car home because I wasn’t in this world; all I knew was that I had no control over my tongue. That kind of true power is available for you, provided you are sanctified. After receiving this power, you then become a witness to Him as He said in Acts 1:8.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

We looked at the first two works of grace over the past two days and would be discussing the third work of grace today. The third work of grace happens after we have become children of God through the blood of Jesus cleansing us of all sins. The Lord at this stage, brings closer to Himself a select group. Matthew 22:14 says: “For many are called, but few are chosen’. This chosen few become what I would like to call the favorites of the Almighty God.

In the olden days, a king could have as many wives as he wanted, but there would still be one who would be his favourite. After salvation, there is always a select group of people who are just closer to God than everyone else. They are not like everyone else – they love God more; they serve Him more committedly. These are the ones who don’t come for what they can get; they serve Him whatever the cost. We call these people the Sanctified – people who are set apart for God.

Now, these people who are sanctified are given a new heart. Ezekiel 36:26 says: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh”. Many Christians never get to this level before they die and that is a pity. This is why we have so many Christians, yet, only a few are actually living holy.

The one that the Almighty God is going to set apart for Himself must be completely dead to the world. He must be put to sleep so soundly that there is nothing anybody can do that will distract his attention from God. These are the ones who will say like Paul in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

In the past, one of the ways by which we identified these sanctified people is that they are difficult to annoy. They are so occupied with their Groom – the Lord Jesus Christ, that there is very little you can do to offend them. Sanctified people are those who will suffer any wrong and take it calmly, rather than allow an unbeliever to say, ‘And you call yourself a child of God’.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

We identified the first work of grace to be God’s call to man for salvation. Once a person heeds this call and surrenders all to God, He moves on to the next work of grace salvation.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 John 1:7

Salvation is the point at which God blots out all your sins of the past and gives you a clean slate to start with. Many people find it hard to believe that God can cleanse their sins completely, but that is the exact truth. It doesn’t matter how badly you have sinned, Jesus can make you a new creature in Him. That is why the salvation experience is referred to as being ‘born again’. The devil has no grounds to accuse you of any past sin.

When you become saved, the first thing you will notice is that you experience peace like a river. This is because sin is a weight on your heart. Matthew 11:28-30 says after Jesus draws you and you come to Him, if you decide to take His yoke on yourself, He will take your burden and then you will have rest. The burden He takes from you is the burden of sin. Once that burden is lifted, your soul will be at peace. This peace is difficult to describe but when you experience it, you will know. If you have never experienced it before, then you need Jesus to save you and cleanse you from all sins. If you don’t have that peace anymore, you need to run back to your Saviour and rededicate your life to Him.

The second thing that marks the salvation experience is joy the joy of the Lord. It will be impossible to hide this type of joy. The Monday after I gave my life to Christ, when I got to work, my Head of Department could practically see that I was radiating with joy. He asked if I had attended a party during the weekend. I told him I hadn’t attended any party, but I got the invitation to a wedding where I am the bride and Jesus is the groom. Once your sins are cleansed, your soul begins to rejoice. Anyone who backslides always notices that the joy they used to feel is gone. That is why David said in Psalm 51:12 that God should restore unto him the joy of his salvation.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.