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Let there be light could mean, “Lord, after you have shown me the solution to my problem, teach me how to help others also” or simply “Lord, use me for Your glory”. A life that does not serve a divine purpose is a wasted life and would have no recompense in the hereafter. Jesus Christ clearly said:

And, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Revelation 22:12

The reason we were not taken to heaven the very day we gave our lives to Christ is so that we may be useful and not only serve the purpose of our creation and redemption, but be handsomely rewarded by our Father in heaven. When darkness fills a person’s life, such a fellow will lead a purposeless and unprofitable life. A lesson we must learn from Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-8 is that the moment the light of God shone upon him and he was shown his imperfection by God’s grace, he surrendered himself to be used of God.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Isaiah 6:8.

Joseph is another classic example of someone who, after the light of God shone upon him, served God’s purpose for his life consciously. Like Joseph, all children of God must seek to discover His unique purpose for their lives and pursue it vigorously (Genesis 50:19-20).

Beloved, when the light of God shines upon your life, you will see the importance of Mark 16:17,18 and you will earnestly pray for the fulfilment of the Lord’s promise in Acts 1:8 over your life.

God has already prepared a glorious future ahead for all His children through Christ (Colossians 1:27). Ensure you do not miss out on this by yielding your life entirely over to the Light-Jesus Christ and live according to His purpose for your life.

God bless you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Let there be light could mean “Lord, show me the good ground to sow into” or “Lord, show me the business I should venture into”. It could also mean “Lord, show me the solution to the problem(s) I am faced with” as in the case of the bitter water discovered at Mara in Exodus 15:22-26. In that story, many lessons could be learnt. One is that the physical eyes are good and necessary, the spiritual eyes are far better and more beneficial. At times the solution is right there under our noses, but we may not know until the light of God beams on such a solution. Though the tree that was a solution to the bitterness in the water at Mara was there, they (both the leader and the led) did not see or recognize it until the light of God shone upon it.

You may be a solution to your people, yet not be appreciated to the point of being considered able to help, until the light of God shines upon you. A country did not see the usefulness of a nationalist leader until he died, after which he was declared “The best president they never had”. None of David’s kin was ready to consider him as a possible candidate for the throne until the light of God shone and Samuel anointed him.

In the same vein, you need the light of God to shine upon you before you can choose rightly where to invest your time and energy. To the glory of God, when the light of God shone upon Isaac, he remained in Gerar where he prospered so tremendously that even the king of the land envied him (Genesis 26:12-14). There are categories of soil to sow into, according to the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9). There are soils that represent the wayside; some are good enough to produce in thirties, sixties and hundreds.

We also need to consider the quality of the seed being sown. Beloved, the light of God is required not only to identify the correct soil, but also the right seed to sow. You cannot sow corn in the sea; it would also be an exercise in futility for you to raise fish fingerlings in the desert. One may say these are obvious, but then, that is what many do when they dabble in businesses God has not approved for them. May the light of God lead you from now, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“Let there be light” could mean, “Let there be shining beauty”. Darkness is ugly, and beauty is neither shown nor appreciated in it. For example, when darkness envelopes a beautiful woman, no one can see or appreciate her beauty. Conversely, when the light of God shines upon the same person, her beauty would be seen and appreciated by all.

In Esther 2:5-9, we read of God’s light shining upon the slave girl Esther who later became Queen. The secret is the light of God that shone upon her – nothing more. Nobody appreciates beauty in darkness. For example, in the daytime, Jacob admired Rachel so much that he opted for her instead of her elder sister. However, when darkness came and Leah was presented, he did not know who was who until the following morning (Genesis 29:16-19, 23-26).

An adage says that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. What many fail to know is that beauty is synonymous with light. It is she who has the light of God on her that looks beautiful. There was a woman who was beautiful in the real sense of it. She was a woman beautiful not only to behold but also to be desired as a wife. However, the husband turned her to a punching bag! She appeared repulsive to the husband, despite her beauty and accomplishments. The truth of the matter was that darkness so beclouded her beauty that her husband could not appreciate it. The conclusion of the matter is found in 2 Corinthians 4:6.

Do you want all forms of darkness and evil to depart from you? Do you want the light of God to beam and radiate His glory all over you?.

Make up your mind to surrender all to the Light – Jesus Christ, and the light of God would shine upon you. Surrender all to the Father of lights today and every darkness beclouding your vision from seeing and experiencing His glory will flee, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Let there be light could mean “Let darkness, which also represents death, disappear”. Jesus the Light and the Life drives away darkness from anyone who identifies with Him, as found in John 11:41-44 where we see the Light of God in action – driving away the darkness of death in the life of Lazarus who had been dead for four days. When death looms, darkness prevails; the only solution is to invite light to disperse darkness. Therefore, if any is being plagued with the fear of death, such a fellow should invite the Light.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
John 11:25.

The above Scripture confirms Matthew 4:16, which says, “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up”. Death is the most devastating symbol of darkness. The Psalmist was right in describing it as “the valley of the shadow of death”. The good news he announces is that the Lord is his Shepherd; therefore, he fears no evil. We must take a cue after the Psalmist if we want to overcome the darkness of death. Jesus Christ – the Light is the answer.

When the darkness of death came visiting the household of Lazarus, the Light was invited. Even when it seemed the Light was delayed, resulting in the death of Lazarus, the Light overtook death in spite of its running away with the life of Lazarus for four days.

One of my sons-in-the-Lord was running helter-skelter on being told that his days were up and that he should be prepared to die. He however, came to the Light and up till now, he is bouncing with life – darkness was driven away when we reported its activities to the Light.

Are you experiencing any form of darkness or death in any area of your life? Come to Jesus Christ the light, surrender all to Him and the darkness would leave you alone.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Let there be light could mean let there be peace. There is, however, a link between having the peace of God and obedience to His commandments, as we see in Isaiah 48:18.

One of the commandments which some people may not recognise is in Matthew 11:29 where Jesus Christ commands that we should learn of Him so that we may find rest (peace) for our souls. This is very important because Romans 10:17 also says “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.

Also, there are categories of peace. We have regular peace (Isaiah 45:7), great peace (Psalm 119:165), all-round peace (1 Kings 4:24) and peace like a river (Isaiah 48:18).

A question that then comes to mind is, “Who gives peace at whatever level?” The answer is simple: God is the Giver of peace. He gives peace through His Son Jesus Christ – the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). This is why Apostle Peter prayed for the Church, saying “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). The preceding verse says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”. In other words, before you can have the peace of God, you must learn to trust Him, and you cannot trust the one you do not know or accept as your all in all. In addition, you cannot pray to the one you do not believe in, not to talk of praising and honouring Him as you should.

On this note, I encourage you to seek the Father of lights (James 1:17) and I am confident that you will find Him as promised in Proverbs 8:17.

Do you want the peace of God to reign in your life? Come to the Father of lights today through His Son Jesus Christ – the Prince of Peace. Confess your sins and if you have done that before, decide to live a sinless life from now. May the light of God that brings peace beam over you and all that concerns you, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a correlation between light and joy just as there is between darkness and sorrow. “Let there be light” can therefore mean “Let there be joy”. There is no joy in darkness; light produces joy unspeakable, full of glory. However, joy is in categories. There is ordinary joy as we read in Psalm 30:5. In Esther 8:15-16 we also read about the joy of God’s people when the darkness of wickedness and hatred that arose against them from Haman were quashed. There is also great joy according to 1 Chronicles 29:9:
Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

In the Scripture above we learn one secret of the great joy of the people. This secret lies in the fact that they offered to the Lord their substance, their praise, willingly and with perfect hearts. Another lesson is that King David also rejoiced with great joy, which means that great joy is not determined by position, the amount of wealth or level of influence. Both the king and the ordinary people experienced great Joy.

There is, however, another category of joy and that is exceeding great joy. Matthew 2:10 tells of the exceeding great joy of wise men who were searching for the newborn Saviour of the world. It says “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy”. When you discover the Person of Jesus Christ the Saviour, your joy will be unspeakable and exceedingly great. This is also called the joy of salvation. Peter the Apostle described this kind of joy thus, “But rejoice, Inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:13).

Sorrow is the opposite of joy and it characterizes the life of those who are not born again. Beloved, do you desire joy? Then get out of the darkness of this world of sin and embrace Jesus Christ – the Light of this world. In John 8:12, Jesus says “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Let there be light could mean “Let the darkness of poverty disappear” so that pure wealth from God may appear – the type that does not bring sorrow along with it. The Almighty God is the Master Strategist, the Architect-in-Charge of the universe and the Greatest Builder of all time. Before the universe was put together, God planned it. No one is in this world by accident. He did not create man until all that he needed for his living was put in place. The earth was filled with the darkness of poverty but God fixed it before creating man. I pray that the Almighty God will deal with the darkness of poverty in your life, in Jesus’ name. The Almighty God told the children of Israel:

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
Deuteronomy 8:18.

The members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in particular have a covenant of pure wealth with God through our Father-in-the Lord, the founder of the RCCG. This is why we do not need to go the worldly way to get wealth. Wealth is our trademark because we need it to carry out our mandate of world evangelization and missions. The good news is that every child of God can partake in this covenant of prosperity through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, according to 2 Corinthians 8:9.

In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 we read of a man who realized that poverty is a form of darkness and thus decided not to condone it any longer. He thus prayed against it. This man was Jabez. The lesson all children of God must learn here is that poverty is not a Christian virtue and so it should be abhorred with a passion. As a matter of fact, poverty is in direct opposition to our relationship with God who says the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him (Psalm 50:10).

May the light of the Almighty God shine upon you today and cause every form of the darkness of poverty to forever flee, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the consequences of sin is sickness. When the darkness of sin disappears, sickness flees with it. The words “Let there be light could mean “Let there be healing” because sickness is a form of darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light, the Remover of sin, as well as the Healer. 1 Peter 2:24 says that we are dead to sin and healed by the stripes of Jesus.

The story in Matthew 9:1-7 confirms that sin, more often than not, causes sickness in mankind. Thus, once the problem of sin is dealt with, sickness is invariably healed as well. When Jesus saw the man that was sick of the palsy, He knew straightaway that his problem was as a result of sin. Instead of engaging in an exercise in futility like many ministers of God do today, Jesus went straight to the root cause of the man’s sickness – sin. “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee” Jesus declared. The result is found in Matthew 9:8 after Jesus had declared him forgiven. Jesus said:

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.
Matthew 9:6-7.

Beloved, there are a lot of lessons to learn from Matthew 9:1-7: One, for ministers of the gospel, we must not waste our time on praying for the sick who are not ready to let go of their sins. Two, for the sick, they must be humble enough to admit their sinful living, confess, forsake and totally repent of the sins. Three, Jesus Christ the Healer is the Forgiver of sins; every man must come to Him for salvation from all calamities, including the darkness of sickness. The assurance is that no matter how hopeless the situation may be, humanly speaking, by His stripes you will be healed. Just ensure that you have zero tolerance to any spiritual impurity in your body which is the temple of the Almighty God, according to (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“Let there be light” could mean “Let the darkness of sin disappear” because sin is a terrible form of darkness. No one can possess the pure light except from God, the Father of lights. The reason is that man was sold to the darkness of sin as a result of the fall at Eden. However, God provided salvation for mankind through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. This is why the Bible says:

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12.

The above Scripture simply means that the cure for the darkness of sin is Jesus Christ. Have you been wallowing in the darkness of sin? This New Year can make the difference if you will accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour – believing in salvation by His blood (Matthew 1:21). You may claim to have Jesus as your Saviour but have you surrendered to His Lordship? Give the totality of your life to Him today and allow Him to take charge of everything that concerns you (Matthew 11:28-29).

One important thing to do in order to step out of darkness is to confess one’s sins and surrender all to Jesus Christ. The Bible says that if we say we have no sin we are just deceiving ourselves (1 John 1:, but if we will swallow our pride, confess and decide to forsake our sins, God will forgive us – meaning that the light of God will overshadow us.

One sign that indicates we have God’s light in us is when we shine, and we cannot shine with sin dwelling within us. We are only able to shine when Jesus rules over our lives. Jesus is the Light and those who live by His standards have His light within them. This is why Jesus Christ instructs genuine disciples to shine the light which they possess (Matthew 5:16).

I pray that the light of God will shine upon your life and there shall be no iota of darkness harassing you anymore, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Home Church model is the oldest form of worship centres right from the Old Testament days. It should be recalled that what is now known as Abrahamic faith in at least three notable religions of the world started as a family mode of worship. The Bible tells of how the Abrahamic faith started within the household of Abraham in Genesis 18:19. lt is equally interesting to note that the New Testament Church was born, it was within a household at the Upper Room (Acts 1:13). This was where all the earliest apostles were residing when the New Testament Church was inaugurated by the coming of the Holy Ghost.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus …Likewise greet the church that is in their house…
Romans 16:3,5.

Therefore, adopting the Home Church model is going back to the basics. The Home Church model has been proven to be beneficial right from the birth of the Church and all the hostility from the world against it. The blessings accruing from this model are innumerable but we shall mention some of the spiritual ones today.

To start with, putting a Church in your house in the form of a House Fellowship Centre is like putting the Ark of the Covenant there and it brings abundant blessings like in the case of Obededom in 2 Samuel 6:10-11. Obededom became a national celebrity to the extent that even King David envied him and hurriedly took the Ark away from his household. The good news is that no one can take the Church away from you as long as you allow Jesus to remain in your house.

Corporately speaking, the Home Church model enhances all-round growth of the Church. Spiritually, members Of the House Fellowship and by extension, of the Church are groomed since they would be properly taken care of. This model discourages the loss of souls in the multitude of the bigger mother-Church. As we can see from the scriptures we reviewed above, the Home Church model is a design from God and we must all return to it.

Beloved, decide to use your home as a sub-unit of a bigger Church today and you would be richly blessed by so doing, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The word ‘wonder’ could be rightly considered as an apt description of God. Our God is full of wonders. At creation we saw how God brought order out of a chaotic situation. The Bible says:

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:2-3.

The above Scripture gives assurance of peace to anyone who would come to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Isaiah 66:1, we read that God is so magnificent that the entire heaven is His throne while, as large as the earth is, it is merely His footstool. This is to tell us that no matter how big our challenges are, God is bigger than them all, as a songwriter affirms.

Another area of the wonders of God is found in John 1:1-3, 14. God is an eternal Personality playing different roles. He is the Word with God and at the same time He is God. In a nutshell, God is the Word and the Word is God. The implication of this reality is that whoever trivializes the Word of God trivializes God Himself. Jesus Christ said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” – (John 6:63). Moreover, because the Word is powerful, if we abide in Him, our lives would be transformed and we would be victorious. The Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 understood this and took advantage of his knowledge of this truth when he requested that Jesus Christ should merely speak the Word to his servant’s situation for healing.

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
Matthew 8:8.

The God of wonders is alive to deal with your situation and give you pleasant wonders as we journey through the year 2022. Go ahead and praise the God of wonders right now.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, we shall look at some more lessons we can draw from the life and times of Elisha. The first one is based on 1 Timothy 6:6, which says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). Elisha was a contented man of God. He understood true prosperity according to Proverbs 23:5 which says that worldly riches are temporary and fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Elisha had total consecration and was not given to materialism. This was attested to by his refusal to exchange his double anointing for the gift brought by Naaman after the latter was healed of leprosy (2 King 5:16,26). One striking virtue of Elisha that we must imbibe is his heart of sincere service. This was so obvious that it was well known in Israel. Little wonder that when King Jehoshaphat was looking for a genuine prophet to consult, one of his servants testified of Elisha thus:

But Jehoshaphat said, is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
2 Kings 3:11

Elisha was forward-looking. He didn’t allow the present to blur the view of his future. He left a lucrative farming business to become a famous national prophet. Many are so short-sighted, like Esau who sold his birthright for a plate of pottage (Genesis 25:29-35). The cumulative virtues of Elisha made him become a man of a double-portion anointing. He performed miracles – double of what his master Elijah performed. For example, he raised two dead people whereas his master raised one. May the Lord make us disciples of a double-portion anointing, so that we may do greater works than Christ did, in Jesus’ name (John 14:12).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Another quality which qualified Elisha for uncommon greatness is his devotion to serving the servant of God, Elijah. The Bible stated that Elisha poured water on Elijah’s hand (2 Kings 3:11). From this, it is clear that there are many blessings reserved for those who serve God’s servants. The Bible says:

He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Matthew 10:41.

You can serve a man of God without getting paid directly; however, when that man of God says to you ‘God bless you’, he is not just paying you compliments. A casual God bless you’ from a friend does not carry the power that the same words from a man of God would. The words ‘God bless you’ from a man of God are loaded with prophetic blessings. You must therefore be ready to do something that will qualify you for a divine blessing.

When you serve a man of God, a simple ‘God bless you’ will load you with tremendous miracles. Sometime ago, one of my sons-in-the-Lord shared a testimony of how he was mightily blessed simply for driving me during one of my visits to the United States of America. He said of me “When he was finally leaving, he simply said ‘God bless you’. To the glory of God, I passed my exams in flying colours, got a new job and prospered tremendously”.

When Elijah asked to know what Elisha wanted, the latter had only one answer: A double portion of the power of Elijah. Elisha asked for what he would use for God’s work, and as we see in 1 Kings 19:15-21, God blessed him so much that kings were seeking his help. The Bible says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” – (Matthew 6:33). You are not ready for uncommon greatness until you have settled the issue of your involvement in and commitment to Kingdom business. May the Lord give you the grace to work for Him and with His anointed ministers selflessly from today, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

We can learn many lessons from the life and times of Elisha – the successor to the great Prophet Elijah. In the next few days, we shall consider some of these lessons, and we will start with ‘diligence’ today. For example, we see that Elisha – a prosperous farmer’s son, was working alongside his father’s employees when Elijah met him. He could have refrained from joining the workers, but he worked with them because he was a diligent man. To excel physically in your endeavors, you must be diligent (Proverbs 22:19); likewise, to excel spiritually you must seek the Lord diligently (Hebrews 11:6).

Another lesson we can learn from Elisha is ‘good leadership’. As successful as he was, he was on the field with hirelings, ploughing in his father’s farm (1 Kings 19:19). He was a leader by example – not a sit-at-home leader who issues commands while he himself would not lift a finger to do anything. To lead is to serve, according to the injunction of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 20:27. He was diligently doing his business when he received the call to the office of a prophet. Children of God should not be idling away in the name of a call that could be for a set time – they must be found busy doing legitimate business because the Lord does not call the mediocre. Moreover, Elisha did not allow his call to becloud his obligation of honor to his father. He went to honor his father before resuming at his divine post as a son of a prophet (1 Kings 19:20). This conforms with the Scripture that says, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” – (Exodus 20:12).

It is a dangerous thing to fail in honoring our parents under the guise of either our newfound faith or calling in the ministry. I will forever be grateful to God who gave me the opportunity to honor my mother while she was still alive and I received a lifetime blessing from her. Beloved, let us take note of these lessons as we continue to examine the life and times of Elisha the Prophet.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday we discussed the price of commitment and noted that, as high as the price of commitment to Kingdom projects may be, it is highly rewarding. Today we shall dwell further on this and I pray that we would be spurred unto greater commitment to godliness and Kingdom business in Jesus’ name.

Daniel 6:1-22 is a classic example of the blessings of commitment, especially to godliness. King Darius was deceived into signing a deadly document that forbade everyone to pray to God or any other person asides the king himself, for thirty days. The perpetrators of this deceit knew Daniel was committed to praying to God and they sought to implicate him with the law. Darius later realized that he had been misguided into signing a death warrant for Daniel, whom he obviously admired and respected. Daniel continued to pray to God despite the law, and as expected, he was thrown into the den of lions. Darius could not sleep that night, and as soon as it was morning, he ran to the den of lions to confirm the authenticity of the power of God and whether God had rewarded Daniel for his commitment to Him. The Bible says:

And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Daniel 6:20.

The God of Daniel – the Lion of the tribe of Judah had delivered him from the jaws of the lions. Daniel replied, confirming the reward of commitment to godliness:
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king live forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions mouths, that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Daniel 6:21-22.

May you also reap the benefits and rewards of commitment to the Almighty God and His Kingdom’s business, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A brother was discussing with me about how he had decided to be very committed to Kingdom work. I knew he was probably trying to impress me, so I set a little test to see how serious he was in his commitment to Kingdom business. I told him the church would need his car for an outreach the next Monday. He protested immediately, saying that he would also need it to transport himself to work. I then told him that he had no idea what total commitment to God and His Kingdom’s business was. It was then I pointed out to him that we had already made provision for all the vehicles we would need for the outreach. I told him further that I had just wanted to test the genuineness of his claim of commitment to God.

In Matthew 22:35-40, our Lord Jesus Christ based our commitment as His disciples on a great pillar called love – love for our Father in heaven and love for our neighbours. Our commitment to love goes a long way to fulfil the eternal and universal law. Love is however, so costly that even our Father in heaven paid a great price to demonstrate it to the whole world for the purpose of our salvation.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16.

In the same vein, when we are committed to loving our neighbours, many things will happen positively in our world. Firstly, keeping the commandments of God would be very easy. Our love for God will make us refrain from annoying Him through sin. David wrote: “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word” (Psalm 119:101). Holiness is the price we all must pay to be a part of the Kingdom of God. Furthermore, our commitment to holiness may be very costly as we must be ready to pay the price of persecution according to (2 Timothy 3:12). To be a disciple and a friend of Jesus for that matter demands a price, according to Like 9:23. The good news however, is that a hundredfold reward is guaranteed, according to Mark 10:30. Beloved, are you committed to soul-winning, giving to Kingdom projects and godliness? I congratulate you if you are because you will not miss your reward, in the name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

After the great victory over the Philistines in (1 Samuel 7:12), Ebenezer – the stone of help was set up to celebrate and mark how far the Lord had helped the children of Israel. This was done to show appreciation and gratitude to God for His present help and continued support in the future. The Bible records that Israel was engaged in a prolonged war that stretched over many generations, yet they made a point to appreciate God for the success at the end of every battle. So also, children of God must learn to express heartfelt gratitude to God in all circumstances.

One of the numerous benefits of expressing gratitude to God is the fact that it usually propels Him to do much more than we can imagine. Gratitude motivates God to exceed the limits of His initial action. The story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:12-19 is a good example of this. Luke 17:17-19 says:
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

In the story above, ten lepers cried to Jesus for mercy to heal and cleanse them of their leprosy. Jesus did something strange; He did not pray for them as expected, but rather, told them to go and show themselves to the priests as required by the law according to Leviticus 14:2-7. While the lepers were on their way to the priests, they suddenly discovered their leprosy had vanished. Immediately, one of them turned back to appreciate and glorify God. It was at this point that the one who returned to give thanks got something beyond his healing – he was made whole, such that there would be no scar or mark left to indicate that he had ever been leprous.

Sincere, heartfelt appreciation must be prompt and timely. Any show of gratitude that comes later than necessary is usually not acceptable. We need to have value for genuine thanksgiving and develop a grateful heart, so that expressions of gratitude will begin to flow out of our heart, mouth and actions to God forever.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a link between dominion and excellence. This is the reason we shall be discussing the spirit of excellence today so that our dominion may not only become a reality but that it may also be everlasting.

What is excellence? To understand what excellence is all about, we must appreciate the good. However, excellence is far better than very good not to talk of good, fairly good and fair. As a matter of fact, the good level may not be good enough at another level. However, when we talk of excellence, it is hardly misunderstood. What happens when the Spirit of excellence envelopes an individual? To start with, the one with the Spirit of excellence knows no impossibility. When the writing that spelt the judgment of Belshazzar could not be interpreted, the queen-mother advised that Daniel should be consulted. Why? The Bible says:
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
Daniel 5:12

Daniel was able to do the impossible because an excellent spirit was upon him. The Spirit of excellence makes the possessor see the invisible. Joseph also possessed an excellent spirit and so, he saw the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine a long time before they happened (Genesis 41). A person with an excellent spirit will understand what others around him may not understand as found in Daniel 7. Daniel was made to understand what the entire realm did not because he possessed the Spirit of excellence. A man with the Spirit of excellence succeeds where others fail. Beloved, you need the Spirit of excellence to succeed in life and it can only be found in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the excellent Spirit and His presence upon us gives us power to do exploit (Acts 1:. Give your life wholly to Jesus Christ so He can fill you with the Spirit of excellence.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

1. Father, I thank You for the year 2022.

2. Please crown this year with Your goodness, Lord. Let me experience Your goodness every day of this year, Lord. Don’t let any evil come my way at all, in Jesus’ name.

3. Father, let good success be my portion this year. I want to prosper in everything I do. Whatsoever my hand finds to do according to your will, let it prosper this year, in Jesus’ name.

4. Lord, right from the beginning of this year until the end, protect me and my loved ones, in Jesus’ name. I will not bury anybody this year, neither will I cry over any member of my family, in Jesus’ name. Take evil far away from us this year, oh Lord, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, before the end of this year, let me have cause to celebrate, in Jesus’ name. Help me to achieve great things this year. Lord, help me to accomplish with ease those things that had been difficult for me in the past, in the mighty name of Jesus.

6. This year Lord, no matter the state of the economy of my country and indeed, the world, be my Great Provider. I and my family will live in abundance, in the mighty name of Jesus.

7. Year 2022, hear the word of the Lord: You will favour me. You will be better than 2021 for me. You will work for my good. The Lord will promote me this year in the name of Jesus.

8. Lord, please guide me on the right path in this new year. Please don’t let me ever miss the path of righteousness; be my guide all through the year, in Jesus’ name.

9. I decree that this year, I will not spend on sickness, court cases, funeral ceremonies or anything negative. My money is marked for only good things; nothing sorrowful will come my way this year, in the mighty name of Jesus.

10. Father, this year, let me win more souls than ever before. Give me the boldness to preach the gospel and let everyone I preach to accept You as their Lord and Saviour, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, let my zeal for Your Kingdom increase greatly this year. This year, let me be passionate about advancing Your Kingdom on earth. When You are looking for someone to use, please use me, Lord, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer requests.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, we shall be looking at a practical way of accessing divine help to deal with mountains. My first admonition today is that you should trust God – your Heavenly Father. In Lamentations 3:22-26, we read that “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not” – (Lamentations 3:22). When we believe this Scripture, we have no reason to be anxious anymore, and we shall be unmovable.

We should also trust God, the Son. Jesus said, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14). Jesus made it clear to us that He is the way, the Truth and the Life and no man can come to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).

Finally, we must trust God, the Holy Spirit, for power and strength. He is our energiser and the seal of our salvation. We can only succeed through life’s journey by His help. The Bible says in John 14:17:
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

You should always remember the mercies of God, according to Lamentations 3:22-26. In 1 Samuel 17:37, David said, “The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine”. David remembered the mercy of God that once delivered him from the danger of death and the mountain of Goliath fell before him.

According to Jesus in Matthew 17:20, we must have faith in God if we want to surmount the mountains of life. Finally, live righteously. The Bible says, “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him” (Isaiah 3:10-11). In other words, only those who belong to God can surmount the mountains of life.

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, plead with Him to forgive your sins and make you His child. You shall overcome, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, we shall continue our discussion on how to deal with mountains which symbolize the challenges we face in life. Briefly, we shall consider three other ways. One, we can deal with mountains by blowing them away, as we see in Joshua 6:1-20. The Bible says that Jericho, which was the bypass for the children of Israel to the promised land, was shut against them, thus hindering their march to their destiny. The wall of Jericho was so thick that houses were built on it, hence it was a great mountain before the children of Israel. The only option was to blow off the walls. This however, required divine intervention. After the children of Israel had done what the Lord commanded them to, the wall of the city was blown off and they had free entry into the city of Jericho.

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
Joshua 6:20

In the above Scripture, we can see that obedience on the part of the people blew off the mountain in their path.

Another way of dealing with a mountain is by living on it. This means living above principalities and powers as in the case of Prophet Elisha in (2 Kings 4:18-37). Mountain dwellers are mountain movers. In addition, we can fly over the mountains. Isaiah 40:31 says we will mount up with wings as eagles when we wait upon the Lord. I have taught in many places that the correct way to wait upon God is through high praises, worship and adoration. When we do this, our strength shall be renewed, and the enemies shall never defeat us, neither shall we be weary in the journey of life.

You want to conquer the mountains hindering your progress in life? Wait upon the Lord in praises, worship and thanksgiving unto His holy name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

We started discussing how to deal with mountains yesterday and mentioned that we can try to run away from them by turning our back against them or going round them aimlessly-killing the time we should have used to utterly destroy them. We pointed out the futility of these two approaches in dealing with our mountains. Today, we shall look at some other ways whereby we can deal with mountains – symbols of the challenges of life.

Another way of dealing with a mountains is by climbing it. Though it may be difficult, it is a most effective solution, as we see in Exodus 17:8-13. The wandering children of Israel were confronted with a very fierce battle against the well-organized army of the Amalekites. It was a great mountain indeed. What did Moses do? After he had chosen Joshua as the captain of the army and set men for the battle, he went up to the mountain to pray for divine intervention. The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7:
Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The above Scripture tells of the importance of prayer when we are confronted with mountainous challenges of life. This is one of the best ways of dealing with mountains, according to Mark 11:23.

Beloved, whatever the nature of the mountain you are facing (which symbolizes a problem), discuss it with God as Moses did in Exodus 17:8-13, and you will see it disappearing before you.

Another way of dealing with a mountain is by boring a hole through it. This will create a tunnel through which you can get to the other side and into your promised land (Exodus 14:21-28). The Lord made an expressway through the Red Sea for the children of Israel to pass through and He can do the same in your life, over and over again. You will overcome every challenge of life in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Mountains in today’s topic of discussion (How To Deal With Mountains) symbolize problems and challenges of life. There are certain mountains one just must encounter in his or her lifetime. Isaiah 43:2 confirms that we shall pass through waters and fire; however, we shall not be victims of their scourge. The earlier one understands these facts, the better. In Exodus 14:13-18, we read of the encounter of two symbolic mountains behind and before the children of Israel – the hosts of Pharaoh and the Red Sea respectively. However, they were miraculously delivered from the two mountains. Today we shall consider some ways to deal with mountains hindering your progress in life.

One way to deal with mountains is to turn back when confronted with them. However, this method is not good enough as you most likely would face them again (Numbers 14:1-4). The second way is to go round your mountain and this may be a lifetime of fruitless exercise as in the case of the rebellious and faithless children of Israel who wandered and wasted away in the wilderness.

And the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed.
Number 32:13.

A point to note in the Scripture above is that wandering around and around a mountain may be a sign that God is angry with the person in question. It is a sign that the fellow has lost his sense of direction. The only way to get direction to the fulfillment of your destiny is through Jesus Christ who has told us that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). To avoid going round in circles, you must not turn your back on your mountain; rather, face it in the name of Jesus Christ, putting your trust in Him. According to Isaiah 40:31, you will not be disgraced, but rather be strengthened to face and overcome every mountain in your path in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible says “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). In this context, leaven symbolises sin (1 Corinthians 5:7-. The leaven of sin is not necessarily a big substance like some may imagine; more often, it appears little and negligible but has a deadly impact on a person’s life and where he or she would spend eternity.

What then is the leaven that all children of God must not eat even in this dispensation of grace? The simple answer is, “The leaven of sin” and this includes everything that can cause spiritual pollution. This is further explained in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 where we were warned to abstain from all appearances of evil. For us to truly live as God’s people this year, we must not keep the company of sinners (Psalm 1:1). Some of us claim to be born again but delight in the activities of sinners and even encourage them to continue in sin – forgetting that the Bible in Romans 1:32:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

The story of a sparrow that kept the company of devouring ravens is a case in point. When he was eventually caught, he tried to convince the farmer who caught him with them that he was not a raven but the farmer said, “You are judged by the company you keep”. Many innocent sisters became victims of rape because they had been keeping the company of ladies of easy virtue. More often than not, they are lured by their so-called friends to attend parties where they fall into the hands of human ravens. This is the reason the Bible says that we should not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. The Bible further admonishes in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 thus:
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Beloved, as you journey through 2022, beware of the leaven of the 21st-century world. Abstain from all appearances of evil.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Lord has helped us to pass over into a glorious new year. Let somebody shout hallelujah! The topic of our devotional today (The Beginning Of Months) is very prophetic and I join my faith with yours to decree that this month shall be unto you the beginning of great and mighty miracles in your life in the mighty name of Jesus. As seen in Exodus 12:2, God is telling us that this is a beginning of months we shall not forget for good in a hurry. It is the beginning of freedom from all bondage, sorrow, poverty, sickness, failure and eternal perdition for those who have given their lives to Christ.

God describes the period of the first Passover which was followed by the deliverance of the children of Israel as the beginning of months. Beloved, you have not started to live until you are totally free from bondage. In spite of the fact that the children of Israel had lived 400 years in bondage, the month of their deliverance was described by God as the actual month that counted! What did they do to obtain the freedom that announced the counting of their existence? They applied the blood of the lamb as they were instructed to do. This was a similitude of the blood of Jesus that was to be shed for our deliverance from all forms of bondage. The Bible says:

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:13-14

I congratulate fellow children of God all over the world and pray that nothing would rob us of our freedom in Christ throughout this year and beyond, in Jesus' name. As we read in Joel 2:23-27, may the blessings of the Lord fill our lives to overflowing in Jesus' name. If however, you are yet to give your life to Jesus, I encourage you to do so today so that you may be free from the bondage of the devil. The blood of Jesus is still very much accessible through faith; just confess your sins, repent of them and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7-9). It shall be well with you. Happy New Year, in Jesus' name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A ship is usually very big. Many ships are bigger in height and width than some great hotels. However, once it’s anchored, nothing will ever move the ship from its position. A heavy wind may blow the ship, making it move forward and backward occasionally, but it will never leave its position as long as it remains anchored. Weights in the life of a Christian are like that anchor. They hold you down but permit you to move forward and backward, as though you were making progress, but you would really only be stagnant. This is why so many people wonder why they have been Christians for a very long time without any evidence of their knowledge of Christ. As long as there are weights in your life, they will always hinder your progress with the Almighty God.

Weights, are not necessarily sin, but are things that, if indulged in can lead you to sin. They may not be counted as iniquity, but can stop you from making progress. Weights are the lawful things that, if indulged in without moderation, will hold you back from making progress. Apostle Paul said:
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1 Corinthians 6:12

He said this because he did not want to be brought under the power of any weight. Apostle Paul did something about this: he disciplined himself.
“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
1 Corinthians 9:27

Sleeping well is good, but it becomes a weight when you sleep too much. Eating is good, but it turns into a weight when you become a glutton. While it is not a sin to watch television, being addicted to your TV set will not allow you to make progress spiritually, because the more you feed your flesh, the weaker your spirit becomes. Whenever I want to fast, I would approach a calendar and look at a date. I would then tell my body “You see that date? From that date, you will not eat again until so and so day“. After this, I would discipline myself to fast. You must discipline yourself to engage in those spiritual activities that would strengthen you. Spiritual growth does not come by magic. If you want to experience real spiritual progress, especially in the coming year, you must lay aside every weight that could prevent you from achieving that goal, even from now.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Psalmist wrote I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my children. Why? He continued for the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; And the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me (Psalms 69:9). This is equally the lamentation of those who would live a righteous life on this earth.

Wickedness is becoming the accepted norm of society while worldliness has become the order of present-day Christendom. It now appears as if the more ungodly you are – even as a pastor, the more acceptable you would be to the people and your congregation. This is the reason more people are adopting the slogan 'The end justifies the means'.

The most painful thing is that the ungodly who were previously outside the Church are not just in it today, but are also taking leadership positions. They are even persecuting those trying to go the extra mile with the Master. In John 15:19, Jesus Christ told His disciples and by extension all His followers:
“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.”

David wondered in Psalms 2:1-3 why the heathens raged and even rulers were against the Lord and His people. The answer is found in John 1:5, which says that darkness cannot comprehend or overcome light. We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

Beloved, in spite of persecutions, let us keep our eyes on the Lord. The persecutions shall surely end at the second coming of Jesus. The Lord is encouraging you to endure the present persecution you may be passing through now. You will soon experience an all-round promotion in Jesus name. Praise the Lord!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is something about fire: whatever comes around it feels its heat. It changes things around itself. Even the atmosphere around it is different. Fire does not conform to its environment; it changes it. When you get into a new environment, can people notice the Holy Spirit in you? When they come around you, do they notice the difference between you and everybody else? Many Christians these days try to quench their fire so as to blend in with the environment. I will never do that! If you are not on fire for God and you come around me, you will have to catch the fire. Fire is fearless; it does not run from things, things run from it.

You should not be adjusting for sinners; sinners should be adjusting for you. Everybody knows irrespective of the nature of the occasion, as long as you give me the microphone and I know that there are some sinners in that hall, I will talk about holiness and I will make an altar call. If you are not willing to live holy, you will find it difficult to stay around me because I will not stop talking about holiness. When you get to a new environment, do you preach the gospel to them or try to hide your fire? Peter was going to hide his fire in John 18:15-27 because of fear. He was so timid at the crucifixion of Christ that he denied Jesus three times. After Jesus died, Peter decided to go back into fishing (John 21:3), but on the day of Pentecost, the moment the fire of the Holy Spirit fell on him, his fear disappeared and He witnessed in public. If you are too scared to open your mouth and preach the gospel now, what you need is the fire of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 1:7 says:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Fear is a spirit and if it is not a spirit from God, then it is from the devil. The Holy Spirit will drive that spirit of fear out of your life, in Jesus name.

When fire is in a place, certain things cannot come near that environment. There was a mad man in llesha many years ago who chased a lady everywhere she went. She eventually ran into my mother’s compound and the mad man stopped. He couldn’t go in because the demons in him could not go near the fire. When you step into a place, demons should not be able to operate there anymore because of the fire you carry. Are demons still disturbing you? You need to cry to God for fire. When the fire comes, all the demons will flee.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One thing about fire is that it can destroy completely. When it is done consuming something, that thing becomes ashes and it can never return to the state in which it was before. The Holy Spirit can consume your bad habits and even your wrong desires. He can consume it all to the extent that people who used to know you would be wondering if you are the same person.

Before the Holy Spirit came into me, I could hardly cry; even when my father died, I wanted to cry but I just couldn’t. When the Holy Spirit came in however, He turned my stony heart to flesh. Now, if I just see someone crying, tears begin to flow from my eyes. Today when people see Pastor Adeboye, they think I was born a saint. Thank God for the Holy Spirit that can completely erase certain behaviours from one’s life.

Before I met Christ, I had so many girlfriends that I lost count. I am sharing this with you so that you know that God can erase any bad habit or character from your life completely. Among all these girls, there was one that was closest to me. We did all sorts, but after some time, we separated; she went her way and I went mine. She got married and I also got married. Many years later, this lady had a child that was born lame and someone referred her to me for prayers. When she arrived at the mission house and discovered I was the pastor to whom she had been referred, she said "You? You will pray and God will answer?" Well, I prayed and God did answer. It doesn’t matter how bad you are now, God can change you and make you holy, if you are willing.

The Holy Spirit does not force you to change; He will only consume those bad habits when you allow Him to. Do you find it difficult to control your flesh when it comes to sexual immorality? He can consume all those inordinate sexual desires if you are willing to allow Him. You should cooperate with Him when He says Don’t visit that website. Don’t answer that person’s phone call. Stop following those people on Social Media and so on. Do you have the inordinate desire to be rich and sometimes contemplate lying and doing other things to make it come to pass quickly? The Holy Spirit can take that desire away completely if you allow Him. The worst criminal can become the holiest saint if he lets the Holy Spirit work in and on him or her.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I love the Holy Spirit so much. We are in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit so it will be good for everyone to learn about Him. Who is the Holy Spirit? Amongst many others, there are two ways in which the Holy Spirit shows Himself to mankind: one is as wind and the other is as fire. When He comes as a wind, you can hear and feel it, but every time He is visible to the human eye, He is always seen in the form of fire. On the day of Pentecost, at the upper room, He was seen as tongues of fire (Acts 2:3). When God spoke to Elijah, it was just after the fire (1 Kings 19:11-12). At the burning bush, Moses saw fire. To get to know the Holy Spirit more, we need to look at the characteristics of fire.

Fire, if not controlled, can destroy. When a man carries the Holy Spirit, he has to always put that fire in check because if not, it can destroy. In 2 Kings 2:23-24, when Elisha did not yet know how powerful the fire inside him was, some children were mocking him and he cursed them. Out of nowhere, two she-bears came out and killed forty-two of them.

Many years ago, I went on a retreat to recharge my spiritual battery. On my way back home, I decided to stop by to see a friend of mine. When I got to his house, his wife was so excited to see me that she rushed to hug me; as she touched me, the fire hit her and she fell. Then the husband came too and before I could say anything, he rushed to hug me and fell too.

If you carry the Holy Spirit, you have to learn how to control the fire so that it does not put you in trouble.

On the other hand, once in a while, someone who carries the fire of the Holy Spirit and knows how to control it can decide to leave the fire without control when he is angry. He does not have to say a word, he can just ignore controlling the fire and the result is always terrible. That is why it is dangerous to make someone who carries the Holy Spirit angry. If you carry the Holy Spirit, you need to really work on yourself not to get angry easily. What you carry is fire and if you don’t put it in check, it can destroy even your loved ones. The reason the Lord has not put His fire in many people is that they would cause havoc if they have it. If you want the fire, work on your temper first.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Grace, from the Christian point of view is popularly described as unmerited favour. This is because literally, it is kindness of the highest order, and it comes from no other person but the Almighty God. Noah is a typical example of someone who enjoyed grace, having been spared during the flood, according to Genesis 6:7-8:
“And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

Another instance of grace in action is the story of the woman caught in adultery. Just as she was about to lose her life for this act of sexual immorality, grace delivered her (John 8:1-11). The woman was fortunate to have been dragged to the Saviour – Jesus Christ. He said in John 11:25-26:
“.. I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die…”

In the course of the trial of this woman in the court of Jesus Christ, grace spoke for her and the Lord asked:
“...Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? No man, Lord, the woman replied and Jesus said: …Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more…”
John 8:10-11

Jesus says further in John 8:12 :.. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

This is grace in action. The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for your sins. Remember, even the penitent thief crucified alongside Jesus Christ also experienced grace; Christ promised to see him in Paradise that same day of the crucifixion (Luke 23:39-43). This is the wonder of the cross - grace. Beloved, you can be a partaker of this grace also, no matter what your current situation is. Even if you are reading this devotional in the prison and have been condemned by the government of your land, do what that thief did: acknowledge your sins, repent of them, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ today, rest assured that God’s grace is more than enough for you. Hallelujah!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The word of God is Yea and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20). Therefore, we should take note of all the futuristic sayings of Jesus Christ, because they shall surely come to pass. I have told the story of a mad man who daily used a cutlass to harass people into giving him food. His regular victims were market women. Brandishing his cutlass, he would ask “if you think I can’t cut off your head, and I do, what would you do?’” The women, in terror, would quickly give him some food and be on their way.

One day however, he came across a woman who replied “I won’t give you anything today; you can do your worst”. In anger, the lunatic hit his cutlass on the woman’s head, but thankfully, only managed to chop off one of her ears. There was pandemonium throughout the market.

Beloved, if the lunatic made good his threat, what do you think of the integrity and words of the One who commanded the heaven and the earth to be and they were? When He said that the wages of sin is death in Romans 6:23, we had better believe it before it is too late. The reason is that He also said it is appointed for men to die once, but after this, the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

At times, children of God may want to prove to be more knowledgeable than their Heavenly Father, as in the case of the disciples and their spokesperson – Peter (Mark 14:30,31 and 72). It is interesting to note that Jesus had earlier said in Mark 13:31:
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

The Lord spoke through His holy angels In Acts 1:11:
…Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Our attitude towards God’s demand for holiness will become positive if we believe that Jesus is coming back to judge both the living and the dead alike, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 and Revelation 22:12. The certainty of the knowledge of Jesus’ second coming will help us stay in the path of righteousness, living a life that is holy and acceptable unto the Lord (Roman 12:1 -2).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.