₦airaland Forum

There are many types of prayers. Today, we shall be discussing the prayer of decrees because there is a level you would get to in spiritual warfare at which prayers of supplication or intercession may not be adequate. Our Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 11:23 assures us that whatever we command shall obey us. In Mark 11:24, He also said:
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

A prayer of decree creates; it does not take No for an answer. More often, only those who walk intimately with God engage effectively in prayers of decrees. The Bible says:
“Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hand’s command ye me.”
“Isaiah 45:11”

In Ezekiel 37:1-28, Ezekiel prayed a prayer of decrees and the dry bones lived again. I decree that every mountain threatening the fullness of joy in your life is removed today, in Jesus name. This is because it is written that whenever we say unto a mountain Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, our words shall come to pass, according to Mark 11:23.

Some years ago, a couple trusting God for the fruit of the womb came to us for prayers. When they disagreed about what sex the baby should be, we intervened by decreeing that they would have a set of twins – a boy and a girl. They keyed into that prayer of decree and had a set of twins a boy and a girl. I decree that your expectations shall be fulfilled far beyond your imagination, in Jesus name.

For us to effectively engage in the prayer of decrees, however, we must abide in Christ and His words must abide in us (John 15:7). This means you must be born again and live a life of total obedience unto God. If you had been born again but fell into sin, now is the time to repent and return to God.

Job 22:23-30 summarizes this message excellently; if you are on the side of God, you will declare a thing and it shall come to pass.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

We have an enemy the devil, who is more dangerous than the likes of Goliath; however, the good news is that we also have Jehovah Nissi (the Lord our Banner) who would always give His children victory. The Bible says that the devil, as a roaring lion walks about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:. This was exactly what Goliath did. He roared at the children of Israel and they trembled before him.

The children of Israel however, overcame their enemy through David - God's anointed. The enemy came, cursing David by the name of his gods and David countered him by declaring the Almightiness of Jehovah Nissi.

“This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand, and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” “1 Samuel 17:46”

The story in Exodus 17:8-16 also shows us clearly that battles of life are beyond the physical. The Israelites prevailed against the Amalekites as long as Moses’ hands were raised in prayers and worship to the Almighty God. When Moses’ hands became heavy, God provided help through Aaron and Hur to hold his hands up until the Amalekites were completely conquered. Moses returned all the glory of the victory to God by raising an altar and naming it Jehovah Nissi to acknowledge that the Lord is the Banner over Israel.

We need God to be the Banner over us if we are to overcome in the battles of life, for we wrestle against unseen forces (Ephesians 6:12). We must, therefore, put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:13-18) as we cannot win the battles of life with our senses or physical weapons. When King Saul wanted to introduce a physical weapon to David, he rejected it because he knew the battle was the Lords. David went instead in the name of the Lord with an ordinary sling in his hands because the name of the Lord is a strong tower (Proverbs 18:10).

I encourage you to take hold of the name of the Lord as from today and you will subdue every giant that comes against you. However, you must have a cordial relationship with Jehovah Nissi by submitting to His lordship and living holy (Matthew 5:48).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The name Jehovah Jireh means The Lord will provide. This means God's provision is guaranteed. David described this truth in Psalm 23:1:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

My prayer is that this will be your experience too, in Jesus name. Our God is more than able to meet all our needs. Even today, the Lord will miraculously meet those needs that may be about to put you to shame, in Jesus name. David had multiple experiences of God's provision and they reflect in his numerous Psalms. For example, he describes the Lord God as:
“..A very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1

God is always on time. If the Present Help in trouble had not shown up on time for the widow of Zarephath, as seen in 1 Kings 17:12-16, the story would have been like that of the woman who killed her child for food in 2 Kings 6:25-29. However, for Jehovah Jireh to come to your aid, you need to have the same spiritual conviction exhibited by the widow. One of her virtues is that she believed in the God of Prophet Elijah. She knew that the God Elijah served is alive. She knew what He could do. She trusted in Him completely and was thus able to obey Elijahs instructions. Her obedience led to her receiving the blessing of multiplication. The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 20:20
“..Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”

Beloved, if we believe in this Great Provider, it will show in how we lead our lives. We would not doubt His promises and so would respond in faith to His directives. We would not be cutting corners in order to achieve things in life because the Bible says ..Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed (Romans 10:11).

The God who provided for Abraham shall always be there for us. The widow in our story today was a woman of faith who believed in the God of Israel. She demonstrated this clearly through her respect for the man of God. Do you hold God in high esteem? If you do, it will show in how you treat your Pastor and the words of his mouth. May Jehovah Jireh be there for you always, in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS
1. Father, thank You for Your faithfulness and kindness towards me.

2. Thank You Father, for the miracle of sleeping and waking up. Thank you for keeping me and my family. Thank You, Lord Jesus.

3. Father, thank You for answered prayers. It is a privilege that You always hear us when we call. Thank You, Lord.

4. Thank You, Lord, for every member of the body of Christ. Thank You for the great work You are doing in Your church. We are very grateful, Daddy.

5. Thank You for divine provision. You know all our needs and You meet them all free of charge. Thank You, Jehovah Jireh.

6. Thank You for the grace to do Your work. It is You who works in us to will and do Your good pleasure. We are grateful to You for making us vessels unto honour.

7. Thank You because we know our tomorrow will be glorious. Thank You for giving us a glorious future beyond what any man can do for us. Thank You, Lord

8. Thank You Father, for protecting us from the pestilence and all the evil in this world. We see with our eyes and hear about it, yet You do not let it come near us. Thank You, Jesus.

9. Father, I cannot thank You enough for my salvation. It is the best gift a person can ever receive. Thank You for saving me from sin.

10. Thank You for all Your blessings in my life - they are so many I cannot count them alI. Thank You, Father.

11. Thank You Jesus, for fighting all my battles and giving me victory on all sides. Thank You for healing and helping me always. I am deeply grateful.

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

The Psalmist says in Psalm 125:1:
"They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever."

One point to be quickly noted about this Scripture is that it is only for those who put their trust in the Lord, not those who have alternatives to the Almighty God. Those who put their trust in God are immovable. This was David’s experience.

In Psalm 91:1-8, we see another dimension of divine protection over God's people. This is food for thought for those who are still in doubt of God’s ability to protect to the very end. Some people are even afraid of prosperity because they feel they would be prone to enemy attacks when they prosper. They refuse to believe David’s assurance in Psalm 23:5 which says:
“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…my cup runneth over.”

Not only did God prepare a sumptuous table for David, He filled his cup to the point of overflow just to show that He had more than enough to give to His beloved. As if that were not enough, it was done in the presence of David’s enemies and they could do nothing against it. The Almighty God who prospers us is also the One who protects and He has assured us that He will keep us at all times (Psalm 91:3,5).

David’s experiences – first with the lion, then the bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37) and later with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:49-51) are testimonies that should make any doubter believe that our God is Jehovah Nissi. This means He is the Banner that covers and goes ahead of us to guarantee victory in every battle we face (Exodus 17:15).

Beloved, I am assuring you that if you put your trust in the Lord, your protection will be guaranteed, because our God never fails. He watches over His elect so that His name may not be blasphemed. The Lord fights on behalf of His elect and always ensures they are victorious over evil. Hence, your victory over evil is guaranteed, so long as you remain on God’s side and stay away from sin.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Submission to the perfect will of God is a great weapon against trials and temptations. It is wisdom for us to submit to our Present Help in the time of trouble, according to Psalm 46:1, our closest ally in the battle of life is Jesus Christ. The Bible says:
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:4-5

For us to overcome, we must submit ourselves to God, resist the devil and then he will flee from us (James 4:7). The Bible says that pride goes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Many people fall into temptation because of pride. Romans 13:3 says:
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think: but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

While pride makes people think they can survive this life without God, humility and sobriety are great instruments of defence in the face of temptations. We are encouraged to humble ourselves in the sight of God so that He can lift us. However, people easily fall into trials and temptations because of their failure to live soberly in this perverse generation. James 1:14-15 says “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death”. The Bible goes further in 1st Timothy 6:9-10 to say:
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil…

Beloved, to overcome trials and temptations, you must run to Jesus today with a sober heart, humility and the fear of the Lord. He will surely come to your aid, in the name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The irony of life in the spiritual realm is that the devil is the prosecutor. The Bible says in Revelation 12:9-10:
“And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”

Despite the Scripture above, there are blessings attached to overcoming temptations. Revelations 2:26 says ”And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him I give power over the nations”.

It takes genuine love for God to be able to overcome temptation. Joseph in Egypt was able to overcome the temptation of sleeping with his master’s wife because of the love he had for God (Genesis 39:9).

Proverbs 1:11-15 gives us some insight as to how we can overcome temptations – we are to avoid the company of sinners and reject their ways. There would always be temptations as long as we are alive. Temptation in itself is not a sin, but falling into it is the sin. The sinful thoughts that the devil flashes at you do not become sins until you begin to entertain and act on them. It is our resistance that makes us overcomers. Hebrews 12:4 says:
“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving sin.”

We must also avoid doing anything that could bring about temptations. For example, why would you carry a member of the opposite sex that is not your spouse in your lap? Remember you are still flesh and blood. Let us learn from Joseph who fled Potiphar’s wife’s seduction so as not to sin against God (Genesis 39:7-12).

God has promised to always provide for us a way of escape from every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Joseph used the route God provided and the enemy was unable to destroy the glory ahead of him.

I pray you will always overcome every temptation from now, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many Christians are fearful in the face of attacks from the kingdom of darkness. This attitude is unlike that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Babylon. These young Hebrew men knew their God to be strong and mighty and they made bold to declare this to King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:16-18).

Our God is strong and mighty in battle. He has never lost and can never lose any war. As I have preached on many occasions, our God is a war-Lord on land, according to 2 Chronicles 20:22-23. Also, He is more effective than any Chief of Naval Staff when it comes to sea battles, according to Exodus 14:23-31. The Lord Strong and Mighty is more effective than any Chief of Air Staff when it comes to offensive air battles, according to Isaiah 30:30. This was proven in the battle He fought on behalf of the children of Israel under the leadership of Joshua in Joshua 10:11:
“And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.”

You have no reason to fear any attack of the enemies. The Psalmist says: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1

Isaiah 59:20 gives the condition that guarantees divine defense for the children of God: …unto them that turn from transgression… The Lord can only fight on behalf of those who have reconciled with Him through genuine repentance. Sin exposes an individual to enemy attacks without any spiritual defense, according to Isaiah 59:1-2. Therefore, ensure that your life is void of any iniquity that could make you vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. Our God is The Lord Strong and Mighty, The Lord Mighty in Battle, according to Psalms 24:8. This is the testimony of every true child of God.

The Lord will prove Himself strong and mighty on your behalf now and always, in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Almighty God has the power to transform anyone or anything either positively or negatively. For example, the Lord, at the beginning of creation transformed ordinary dust into the raw material He used to create man in His image (Genesis 2:7). That is a positive transformation. God however also transformed King Nebuchadnezzar from man to beast (Daniel 4:1-37). This is a negative transformation and I pray such will never be your portion in Jesus' name.

The story behind 1 Samuel 10:6 reveals divine transformation in the life of the first king of Israel – King Saul. Not only was Saul anointed as king, he also started to prophesy. This brought about the popular saying in Israel Is Saul also among the prophets? (1 Samuel 10:12).

The Bible says: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17.

1 Peter 2:9 also says:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

Beloved, do you desire a positive divine transformation? If so, you need to take drastic measures by presenting your body to God as a living sacrifice and ensuring that you do not conform to the standards of the world (Romans 12:1-2).

Divine transformation turns an enemy of God to a friend of the same God. It instantly turns sinners to saints. However, there is only one Person who can make this happen: Jesus Christ is His name and His blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

To experience a positive divine transformation, old things must pass away and the fellow must now live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God. May the transformational power of the Almighty God come upon you as you pray and earnestly long for it today, in Jesus' name. The good news is that you can be transformed, no matter how terribly sinful or wicked you may have been in the past. All you need is to accept God’s invitation (Isaiah 1:18) and your life will never remain the same.

Timeliness is one of the major conditions for offerings to be acceptable before God. As we see in Luke 24:1-8, some people went very early to the sepulchre to anoint the body of our Lord Jesus Christ but He had already risen. Their offering was late! A few days to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ however, a woman had been criticised for anointing Jesus feet with an expensive ointment. Despite this criticism, Jesus said:
“…Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.”
Matthew 26:10-12.

The disciples came on the resurrection morning to anoint Jesus, however, He had resurrected! The angels asked the disciples who went to the sepulchre an important question.
“…Why seek ye the living among the dead?”
Luke 24:5

Whenever the Holy Spirit asks you to do something, no matter how illogical it may sound, please do it promptly and cheerfully. If you procrastinate, it may be a belated offering or service. The disciples who came to anoint Jesus went back with their perfumes because the Lord was no longer in the grave. Also, some people are in the habit of piling up their tithes for two or three months, sometimes even longer. Some say I borrowed my tithes to pay later! This is why some lose their reward of tithing – giving unacceptably, not as and when due. Our offerings also extend to our kind gestures to needy brethren. James 2:15-16 says:
“If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us and may we obey Him promptly as we journey from this world to our eternal home with Christ, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It takes unfailing determination to go through life with Jesus Christ. Accepting Jesus as the Lord and Saviour includes accepting Him with His yoke - in other words, submitting totally to His will. Indeed, to become a true disciple of Jesus, a person must subject his or her will to Him in totality. The Bible says in Mark 8:34:
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Identifying with Jesus requires the belief in His standards and the commitment to live by them. This however also brings the knowledge of truth and genuine freedom (John 8:31-32).

Submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ however, would also bring about persecution from the world. Our Lord Jesus Christ told us in John 15:18-19 that the world will hate us merely because He chose us to become His disciples.

Many so-called born-again Christians and even some leaders in the Church today want to follow Jesus but would not accept any doctrine that preaches *Suffering for the sake of Christ". One wonders whether such people are serving the same God as Apostle Paul who prayed to know the fellowship of Jesus' suffering (Philippians 3:10).

Some people will call us fools when we preach the gospel to them (1 Corinthians 1:18). This however, is a relatively small price to pay to experience the power of God in our lives.

Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus came forward to claim the body of Jesus for burial in spite of the fact that he was condemned and killed like a criminal. This is noteworthy because they were important personalities but that did not deter them from identifying with Jesus, even in death (John 19:38-42).

Beloved, let us take the yoke of Jesus Christ upon ourselves. We have to deny ourselves and carry our cross daily. His yoke is however easy and light (Matthew 11:29-30). Those that are not in Christ are under the grievous yoke of the kingdom of darkness that would ultimately lead to eternal damnation.

Surrender all to Jesus Christ today and He will give you rest.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The type of sorrow that Judas Iscariot experienced is undesirable. I pray that you will not experience such sorrow in your life, in Jesus name. Peter’s sorrow is seen as godly because it led to repentance while that of Judas Iscariot is ungodly because it led to his death (2 Corinthians 7:10). When a person thinks he or she can outsmart the Lord, the result is ungodly sorrow. What makes man think he can outsmart God is greed and materialistic tendencies. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

Judas Iscariot obviously had allowed greed to establish and grow within his heart. It was recorded in John 12:6 that he had been stealing from the purse Jesus asked him to keep. The greed then grew to the extent that he decided to betray the Lord Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. He probably imagined that he could swindle the Jewish leaders. Judas probably expected that Jesus could not be arrested because he had witnessed Him escaping from the hands of the Jews before (Luke 4:28-30).

Judas however came to know the import of what he had done when he realised that Jesus surrendered Himself to be arrested and was condemned. This made Judas very sorrowful. Matthew 27:3,5 says: “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

This type of sorrow however is ungodly as it led to despair, frustration, regret and eventually suicide.

Some Christians today also exhibit ungodly sorrow not for committing sin, but for getting caught. This kind of sorrow does not lead to genuine repentance but rather dries up the bones as we read in Proverbs 17:22.

May this never be our portion, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When Peter realized that he had failed to fulfil his promise never to deny Jesus Christ, the Bible says "…he went out, and wept bitterly" (Matthew 26:75). This is what the Bible calls godly sorrow. Godly sorrow has its blessing, according to 2 Corinthians 7:10.

In the gospel of Matthew 5:4 we read:
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

When an individual is confronted with the reality of the sinful life he or she is living and the certainty of hell, the fellow would mourn in repentance, if his or her heart is right with God. The best way to mourn for ones sins is to confess and forsake them. Proverbs 28:13-14 says:
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.”

The story of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:10-14) further illustrates godly sorrow, which brings about repentance. The Pharisee went to the temple only to begin to praise himself for all his good deeds. The Publican however, smote his chest and mourned for his sins. The truth of the matter is that the Almighty God considers what we count as our righteousness as nothing but filthy rags, as we read in Isaiah 64:6:
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

As Christians, we should not pile up unconfessed sins and so rob ourselves of the needed revival. Beloved, let us examine ourselves and see where we are falling short of God’s grace of living holy. Let us repent and come back to our first love if at all we have lost our way. Revelation 2:4-5 says:
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works…”

I pray that the Lord will revive you today, in Jesus name. Amen.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

An adage says, "Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.” The company you keep will go a long way to show who you are, what you do and how you respond to situations in life.

The story in Luke 22:54-60 tells us how Peter eventually denied the Master as predicted by Jesus Christ. Why did Peter deny Jesus? One, the Bible says when Jesus was taken and brought into the high priests house, Peter followed him afar off (Luke 22:54). It is dangerous to follow Jesus from afar. Secondly, because it was so cold out there, Peter moved into the hall and sat down with those enjoying the warmth of the fire that was set. It is unfortunate today that some so-called believers are enjoying the fire or the warmth of sin in the bosom of strange men and women.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”
Psalm 1:1

Peter, forgetting that he had the identity of a Galilean, sat in the midst of the residents of Jerusalem. He was confronted with the truth that he was a Galilean and a follower of Jesus Christ for that matter. Many pretend they are not Christians so that they may conform to some so called comfort zones in life, whereas, the Bible says we should not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2).

Peter was not sensitive enough in the spirit to recognise that his location did not support his commitment to Jesus Christ. He denied Jesus to the point of swearing and the cock crew (Matthew 26:74-75). Beloved, let us learn from Peter that we should not follow Jesus from afar. We must not patronize places that would compromise our spiritual health, no matter how attractive they may be.

Sometime ago, I was on a road trip and was accosted by armed robbers. I asked my Daddy why such a thing would happen to me and He said It is because you are dressed like the people the robbers are looking for! Truly, that day, I was dressed flamboyantly in the traditional attire of one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria and the robbers mistook me for a Chief!

Beloved, God wants us to be mindful of how we dress and the people we spend our time with. We are called to identify with the Lord always.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A kiss is a very intimate show of affection and it is usually not cheap to give or receive. One would then wonder why Judas Iscariot decided to use a kiss as the code to betray Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:48-50).

For one, Psalms 41:9 had to be fulfilled.

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

We must learn that the word of God will forever be fulfilled. Another lesson from what necessitated Judas betrayal code was the leadership style of Jesus Christ. He was obviously very close to His disciples. There was no distinction between Him and His subordinates – no class boundaries, no differentiation. As a matter of fact, He washed their feet. Whoever saw Jesus washing His disciples feet could have mistaken Him for a servant of servants. Whatever He did, He empowered His disciples to do also. What a lesson for Christian leaders!

Leaders must also be extremely careful of close associates without being unnecessarily suspicious. This is because, out of twelve disciples, there usually would be one Judas Iscariot. The truth is, more often than not, there is always a need for a Judas for the fulfilment of God’s purpose for a leaders life. This is a bitter truth, but it must be told.

There is however, a kiss that betrays, not someone else, but your very self! For example, when you intimately kiss a person who is not your spouse, you have betrayed your spirit man and empowered the flesh. Apostle Paul says that we should abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). He says further All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not (1 Corinthians 10:23). In Romans 14:21, he also says:
“It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”

May you neither be sold nor sell yourself by a kiss of betrayal, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Matthew 21:1-9 is very significant to all Christians, especially soul-winners. Soul-winners are expected to loose their converts from the bondage of Satan and sin. Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18:
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”

We are not supposed to dialogue with the devil and his cohorts; all we need is to exercise our God-given authority. Our Lord Jesus said “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” Luke 10:19. As soul-winners, we must endeavour to go after entire households and bring them to Christ. The disciples decorated both the ass and its colt for the use of the Master (Matthew 21:7). Before our converts can be useful for the Master, we must work on them by the preaching of the word. The Bible says "Preach the word; be instant in season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:2).

Another lesson to learn from Matthew 21:1-9 is that we must glorify God through His beloved Son. God has given Jesus Christ a name that is above every other (Philippians 2:9-10). This is why the multitudes were singing:
… Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Matthew 21:9

Our Lord Himself said “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6. He said further “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20).

Finally, both the ass and its colt enjoyed the honour accorded their rider Jesus Christ. When we allow ourselves to be used of the Lord Jesus, His honour will rub off on us, to the glory of His name.

Purify yourself for the Master’s use today and you will be well rewarded for it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are abundant blessings in the Kingdom of God. It therefore means that it is a wise decision to seek His Kingdom in perfect obedience to the word of God (Matthew 6:33). Deuteronomy 8:18 says:
“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.”

Many people think that a life of holiness is one of poverty. This is a lie of the devil and unfortunately, he has succeeded in making many people believe that unless they serve him, they cannot be successful in life.

Interestingly, he also tried to deceive the Lord Jesus Christ with this same lie, but the Lord defeated him Luke 4:5-7.
2 Corinthians 8:9 says:
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Beloved, there are abundant blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ – I am a living testimony of this. For example, before I gave my life to Christ, I used to borrow money from my own driver to fuel my car two weeks into the new month. It was after I gave my life to Christ that I began to know the true meaning of prosperity. The Psalmist says that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders only labour in vain Psalms 127:1. Apostle Paul corroborates this in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 by saying "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

One of my children-in-the-Lord trusted in his ability to work hard so he made a habit of always working overtime. However, he still could not make ends meet in spite of being a child of God. His situation later changed positively when he realised that God has to bless the work of our hands for us to be truly successful.

It is only God who blesses without adding sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).

Seek Him genuinely today and He will give you the power to get wealth with no sorrow in it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The advent of sin into the human race brought a lot of calamities into the world, chief among which is sickness. The good news, however, is that the Almighty God is also ready to help the human race to get over this. Deuteronomy 7:15 says: “And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee”

In Numbers 21:7-9, the children of Israel sinned against the Lord and He sent fiery serpents to kill them. After much pleading by Moses their leader, God decided to help them. Numbers 21:8-9 says:
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live”

Unfortunately, some people refused to look and live that day. The Bible say further "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents” 1 Corinthians 10:9. Jesus said that, just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness and all who looked up at it were healed, so also would He save all those who would look up to Him (John 3:14). Jesus has already made provision for our healing through His stripes (1 Peter 2:24) if we look up to Him.

Beloved, what infirmities are you suffering from? Have you suffered by the hands of physicians to no avail, like the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22)? Put your faith in Jesus Christ today. He is the Great Physician and will heal you as He did the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9).

To enjoy divine healing however, you must belong to the Great Physician. The food meant for children cannot be given to dogs or slaves according to (Mark 7:26-30). Surrender your life in totality to the Lord Jesus Christ today and He will prove to you that He is indeed the Great Physician.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Disobedience is the major barrier between man and God. God wants to help everyone but disobedience deprives many from accessing divine assistance. The Bible says in Proverbs 1:24-26
“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;”

God is calling you today to repent of every act of disobedience you may have committed. Come to Him with every sense of humility so that whatever woes or sorrows you may be suffering can become history. The Lord is saying:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

Jesus Christ says Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls Matthew 11:28-29. If you have been battling with the sin of disobedience, I am appealing to you now to stop struggling because you cannot help yourself in this regard; only Jesus the Son of the Living God can help you. All you need to do is surrender your life to Him in genuine repentance.

The Bible says in 1 John 3:8: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

A careful study of the Bible would show us the glorious rewards of obedience and the terrible consequences of disobedience. Beloved do you want to eat and keep eating the good of the land? Then stop rationalizing sin! Admit, confess and forsake every act of disobedience to God’s word and it shall be well with you, in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When a child of God is confronted with a challenge in life, all he or she needs to do is call out to the Lord in prayer. When Jesus was travelling in a ship with His disciples, a great storm blew up and the disciples were afraid. The Bible says “And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish" (Matthew 8:25).

The good thing about calling upon God in the time of trouble is that He is ever ready to rise to the occasion. The Bible further says “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm (Matthew 8:26).

Some Christians pretend that all is well, even in the presence of the Lord, whereas they may be having serious spiritual, health, material and even financial issues. In the case of the disciples however, they cried to the Lord for help; they told Him exactly how they felt about the storm. Jesus Christ responded to their cry and stilled the storm. I pray that as you cry to the Lord today, He will not just hear but also respond in Jesus’ name. The storm of your life will miraculously cease today, in Jesus’ name.

In 1 Samuel 1:9-20, we can see what one must do when he or she needs a miracle. Hannah needed a miracle but from year to year she had been going to Shiloh until that wonderful year when she realised she needed to do what she had not been doing before – fervent and heart-felt prayer!

At times when I see how some of my children pray during the various programmes at the Camp, I rejoice because the tempo of their prayers signifies that they are in need of urgent miracles.

God has promised never to forsake His children so, whenever you are faced with any challenge, call on Him and He will answer you. Psalm 46:1 says:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

I am always excited to join my faith with those of my children-in-the-Lord when I see them praying desperately. My prayer is that as you cry to God today, your miracle will reach you sooner than you expect, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Seven years after Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his throne and disgraced to the point of eating grass like an ox, he realised that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men. Nebuchadnezzar had erroneously thought that he became great by the “might of his power” Daniel 4:30, but later realised that it was God who made him great. Many people commit this same error today by proclaiming that their success came by “dint of hard work”. Beloved, what is it that a man has that he did not receive (1 Corinthians 4:7)? Any achievement that will not lead us back to the original Achiever – the Almighty God, is deadly.

The Bible warns against being boastful without giving glory to God, in James 4:13-15:
Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

It is the Almighty God who has the power to will and to do because He is Sovereign. It is an abominable thing in the sight of the sovereign God for anyone to boast of not only what he has achieved as though it were by his ability, but even what he would do in the future. James 4:16 says “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”

We should never ascribe to ourselves the glory due to God as King Herod did. All he had to do was redirect the glory to God but he failed to do so and this cost him his life, as we see in Acts 12:21-23:
And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

Glory belongs to God. Make it a habit to return all glory to God always and He will keep promoting you, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One thing every child of God must always remember is that our Father is the Unchangeable Changer. In Genesis we read how God changed a chaotic situation to a peaceful and orderly universe. The Unchangeable Changer effected the changes without Himself being changed.

“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 Almighty God – the Unchangeable Changer, changed the unfruitful situation of Sarah to fruitfulness (Genesis 21:1). He did the same thing for Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1) and turned Jacob’s life around for good by changing his name to Israel, as recorded in Genesis 32:24-32. This clearly proves that what God did in the life of the father of faith (Abraham) He could do in the life of his descendants also. This is why I know that you will encounter this Great Changer who does not change. As He did for those who sought and called Him in the past, so will He do for you today, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Some time ago, a certain young man who was afflicted with the spirit of madness asked his relatives to bring him to the Redemption Camp. As his feet touched the ground of the Redemption Camp, he was delivered completely, even before anybody could pray for him. Apparently, the Unchangeable Changer was already waiting for him. I also recall the case of a highly educated fellow who was unable to get a job in spite of all his qualifications. He surrendered his life to Jesus and we prayed a simple prayer for him. Before he got home that day, three employment offers were waiting for him.


The Unchangeable Changer changed his hopeless situation and he began to sing a new song. I have good news for you: Jesus Christ never changes; if He did it before, He can certainly do it again. As the Lord was performing miracles during His earthly ministry, so is He still doing today. Beloved, put your trust in Him and He will not let you down because He is the Unchangeable Changer. If you would only call on Him now, He would change your situation for the better in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible says in Romans 8:5:
…they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

There is therefore the need to find and put on the ‘new man’ according to Ephesians 4:24. This however, can only be possible through our reliance on the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To put on the ‘new man’, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. When one submits to the lordship of Jesus Christ, the fellow must endeavour to grow in that new experience so that he or she would not fall away. 2 Peter 3:18 says:
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…

When a born-again person is not growing, the old man will resurface. We have many of such among brethren today – troubling the Body of Christ because they are not growing in grace.

Are you one of those who believe that the Gospel of the Lord is outdated and no longer relevant to the 21st century Christian? Are you living your life without any concern for holiness? You need to repent so that the adamic nature will give way to a godly lifestyle anchored on the fear of God. This forms the foundation for growing in grace and living holy. This is what Jesus meant when He said:
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:29


Apostle Paul said further in Galatians 5:16-17:
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh Iusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Beloved, Ephesians 4:24 is an express command from God. Let us put on the new man – created in righteousness and true holiness, as the perfect image of the Almighty God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One major sign of a person who has become born-again is the newness of the life he or she lives. This change of spiritual living standards is always obvious. When Zacchaeus the publican encountered Jesus Christ in Jericho, his life did not remain the same. The notoriously corrupt tax collector said:
“… Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”
Luke 19:8

These days however, many people confess that they have become born again but still carry on with their sinful lifestyles as though nothing in them had changed. The thief is still stealing and yet he claims to be born again. The adulterous woman who succeeded in snatching another woman’s legally wedded husband is still living comfortably with the man, yet speaking in tongues! When a person truly becomes born again the person’s life must show that a transformation has occurred.

John the Baptist, when addressing those that came to be baptized by him encouraged them to bear the fruit of genuine repentance. Genuine repentance leads to a total turnaround from past sinful living. The Bible says:
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”
Matthew 3:7-8

The religious leaders of John the Baptists time humbled themselves and came to him to be baptized for their spiritual growth. This is a lesson for those claiming to have risen through the ranks and files of established Churches and ministries: there is an ever present need to seek spiritual growth. This may also account for many of the older generation embracing the Pentecostal experience. Such people should however be sure to bring fruits meet for repentance, forsaking their past sinful habits and lifestyles.

A regenerated spirit is one that has undergone a change. There may be a need to change friends, eating and dressing habits and so on, in order to conform to the image of the Son of the Living God.

May the Lord make you a new creature indeed, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18:
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

As we see in Isaiah 14:12-15, Lucifer, who later became the devil, was thrown out of heaven because of pride.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isaiah 14:12-13


When the devil realized that pride leads to destruction, he made it one of his major weapons. He deceived Adam and Eve, telling them that when they ate the forbidden fruit they would be as wise as God.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Genesis 3:6

Adam and Eve fell. The glory of the Lord that covered them departed and they realized they were naked and exposed. Pride disgraces its hosts beyond measure. The story of Pharaoh is another case in point. It was pride that caused him and his soldiers to drown in the Red Sea. One would expect that after experiencing the ten terrible plagues God sent to him and his people, Pharaoh would humble himself before the Most High, but instead, he remained stubborn, asking “Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2)?


By the time he realized that the Lord is the Almighty, it was too late for him to repent. To escape the spirit of pride you need to be genuinely born again and sanctified so that the mind of Jesus Christ may be in you. Philippians 2:5-7 describes the humility of Jesus Christ in spite of His greatness. Humility elevates while pride destroys. Choose wisely.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

While it is true that there are spiritual pacesetters in the body of Christ today, it is however most unfortunate that such people are quite few. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 says:
And ye became followers of us, and of the lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were ensamples to all that believe In Macedonia and Achaia.

One thing we can learn from the apostles of old is that they received the word of God with joy. Modern-day Christians however, have a habit of selecting what part of the word of God to obey. Nowadays, preachers carefully select messages that would not be considered ‘offensive’ by their congregations. Let every minister of God take heed to the following words:
Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that await a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Romans 2:21-22

Apart from warning evildoers and sinners against wickedness, a spiritual pacesetter must live by what he or she preaches. A Christian must shine brightly as light in this world (Matthew 5:14), living by the word of God. Acts 1:1 says:
…of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.

Jesus practiced His teachings. The early disciples also preached the gospel and lived their lives according to the word of God. They preached the gospel with both their words and their lifestyles.

Christians should set the pace for unbelievers in holiness. We are called to be examples to our generation. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:16:
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

God expects Christians, as ambassadors of Christ in this world, to live by example. May you not disappoint God in your daily living, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is victory in holiness. When the eyes of a child of God are opened to this revelation, he or she would begin to live righteously. Proverbs 14:34 presents a two-edged sword of the truth: while righteousness exalts a nation, sin or unrighteousness brings reproach that comes in the form of defeat to a people.

In Daniel 6:19-23, Daniel said:
“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.”

Here is victory in holy living, confirmed by the testimony of the prophet. The Bible says in Hebrews 1:9 “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

Heaven and earth shall pass away but the word of God shall remain, according to our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:35. Some Christians claim that it is impossible to live holy. Like I always tell my children in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the fact that you are not living holy does not mean it is impossible to do so. The Bible says:
“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 3:7-8

A person is either holy or sinful there is no midpoint. No sinner will make it to heaven. For this reason, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil in our lives. You are righteous by grace. This grace is what removes boasting because it is not you but Christ in you. This however, does not make us deny that God helps people to live holy. Pray earnestly for the grace to live holy because of the blessings that come with it. Daniel triumphed over all his enemies; they perished in his place because of his life of holiness! I pray that the grace to live holy will come upon you today and you will live every day in victory from now, in Jesus' name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are many avenues through which demons can possess an individual. One of them is alcoholism. The consumption of alcohol is a subtle habit that opens the door to various types of sins, all directed by one demon or the other. These include violence, sexual immorality, pride, evil imaginations, folly and so on. It is unfortunate that some believers are beginning to consider ‘moderation’ in the consumption of alcohol, quoting Ephesians 5:18 out of context by insisting that the Bible does not caution us against drinking alcohol, but rather against getting drunk. Sadly, it is this liberal approach to the handling of the issue of alcohol consumption that is increasing demonic operations in the lives that are supposed to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

How does alcoholism invite demons? One of the symptoms of demonic possession is sorrow and in Proverbs 23:29-35, a question was asked “Who hath sorrow?” and the answer was also provided straightaway “…they that go to seek mixed wine.” The Scripture goes ahead to warn “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright” Proverbs 23:31.

The demon of sorrow is given access through the consumption of alcohol. In addition, Proverbs 23:29-35 says “Thine eyes shall behold strange women…” Here, the demon of sexual immorality is set in motion by alcohol. A married person does not remember his or her marriage vows when put under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol has been known to promote all sorts of sexual immorality, including incest.

Genesis 19:31-38 tells the story of how two sisters got their father drunk and took turns to sleep with him. The products of these incestuous acts were the Moabites and Ammonites – two nations that later became enemies of the Israelites.

The word of God is forever settled; turn your back completely on alcohol. Alcohol creates an avenue for the devil to operate freely in the life of a person.

I enjoin you to stop creating an avenue for demons to possess you; rather, seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the Lord will do wondrous things through you.

I pray that you will be delivered from every demonic activity in your life today, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Holy Spirit baptism is very important to every heaven-bound Christian for many reasons. The first is the personality of the Baptizer – the Holy Spirit Himself. The Holy Spirit, being the third person in the Trinity, plays the role of the preservation of the believer after salvation. The Bible says and grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).

There are lots of virtues the Holy Spirit imparts on believers when they receive His baptism. For example, in John 7:37-39, we read of the flow of the rivers of living water symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Just as water is very important for the survival of the physical well-being of man, so also the living water or water of life is very important for spiritual well-being. The spirit of a Christian can get dehydrated and ultimately become dormant due to the lack of this living water.

Another fundamental blessing from the Holy Spirit is what we find in the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ in Acts 1:8 - power. The disciples of old would not have been able to face the Jewish elders had they not received power from the Holy Ghost. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit there can be no power or boldness for Christians to evangelize and witness to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Acts 4:31:
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

The Holy Spirit also enables a believer to pray without ceasing when he or she speaks in tongues. This is the promise of our Lord in the Great Commission – that we shall speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).

Beloved, do you lack boldness as a Christian? Are you hesitant about sharing your conviction on the Lordship of Jesus? Are you rising and falling into sin because you think it is impossible to withstand the wiles of the devil? Are demonic forces tormenting you? Pray earnestly for the baptism of the Holy Spirit today and you will receive power and boldness for victorious Christian living, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Some Bible scholars have classified damnation into three major categories – temporary, long-term and eternal. Temporary damnation may come as a result of an error in judgment after which the victim is vindicated. Long-term damnation could be for life here on earth, whereas eternal damnation – which is the worst, is forever. Our Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 12:4-5:
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Many people choose eternal damnation indirectly by escaping the temporary one that godly living may pose to them. In the midst of trials and tribulations, some children of God deny their Lord. We should never bow to the enticement of the devil. Rather, we should heed the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, although this may expose us to some temporary challenges. This is the reason Jesus said to His disciples:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

In order to escape eternal damnation, we must accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is unfortunate that there are many churchgoers today who do not really believe the gospel. Some think the gospel is no longer relevant. They believe that Christ came to redeem man from eternal damnation, yet refuse to live by His standards, according to our Scripture reading of today. Accepting the gospel requires our submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives.

A true believer cannot do anything merely because he or she feels like. Everything a believer does must be in the name of the Lord Colossians 3:17. We cannot afford to follow the world; rather, we must learn and follow God’s will at all times (1 John 2:15-17). May the Lord give us hearing ears and obedient hearts to live according to His perfect will, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people do not know that God always has replacements for the people He appoints for one task or the other. God cannot be held to ransom on any issue or event. This is the reason He always provides alternatives.

When a child of God becomes swollen-headed and he or she begins to disobey Him in matters like soul-winning, tithing, offering, payment of first fruit and so on, such a fellow is on the way to being replaced. I pray that you will successfully complete all assignments God has given you. He will not have cause to replace you with another person, in Jesus name.

The betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot was predicted in Psalms 41:9 which says:
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

Thus, before Judas Iscariot chose to be a betrayer, God had already seen it. Acts 1:16-26 says also that Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. May you never be replaced by God in Kingdom projects, in Jesus name. Another lesson we can learn from this as children of God is that whenever a way seems blocked, God has more than a thousand alternative ways to replace it. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Beloved, learning from the experience of King Saul and Judas Iscariot, we must be very careful about the way we lead our lives so that what happened to them may not happen to us. The Bible says "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted" (1 Corinthians 10:6).

God has alternatives for any child of His who would not be law-abiding. Let us therefore be wary of doing what would make God replace us with someone else. There are many examples of people who lost their enviable positions and by implication, their relevance in the society due to deliberate or careless mistakes.

Beware of divine replacement; serve the Lord diligently!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Human beings have been in search of the way back to their Maker since the fall of the first man. Man was sent out of the Garden of Eden and he became a wanderer, without the peace he once had when he had access to his Maker. This is the primary reason man invented various types of religions, hoping to access God through them.

God however, decided to reveal Himself to people like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, among others who sincerely loved Him. This category of people received divine help to impact their generations by pointing them in the way to the Almighty God. Jesus said it plainly:
“…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”
John 14:6-7

When one of Jesus’ disciples asked Him to reveal God the Father to them, Jesus responded by saying “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9)

Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of God the Father. It is through His teaching that we know that God is a Spirit and whoever wants to worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). He told us that unless we are born again, we cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). Religious activities are exercises in futility without this new birth experience. Until Jesus came, even scholars of the Jewish religious laws were ignorant of these principles of God’s Kingdom. Therefore, we must always look unto Him for direction if we want to make it back to the One who created us in His own image. Part of our Bible reading today says “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2).

Also, Jesus Christ Himself said in John 3:14-15:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

I encourage you to look unto Jesus for salvation, deliverance, healing, breakthroughs and eternal life. You will experience abundant life here on earth and in eternity with God, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.