₦airaland Forum

As seen in Ecclesiastes 10:16, if the king of a territory is a child, the whole land suffers the woe. In other words, you must choose your leaders very carefully. Whenever you have the opportunity to elect a leader in your country or an association you belong to, learn to put sentiments aside and elect a mature and responsible person with a credible track record.

Any single lady who has more than one suitor has a decision to make. She could choose based on looks, money or God’s will. If she chooses based on money and looks alone, she will face the music when the time comes. However, if she chooses God’s will, then she is on the path toward having a great marriage and a wonderful family.

Beloved sister, marriage is a lifetime commitment; imagine how terrible it would be to have an immature king for the rest of your life. Older women who married immature men must have ignored the red flags they saw during courtship. Are you also ignoring the signs of immaturity and irresponsibility in that man courting you? Proverbs 6:10-11 says:
“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man!”

Run when you meet a man who is always sleeping when he should be working, or playing when he should be studying.

Before you decide on a local church to attend, watch the Pastor’s attitude closely. A Pastor could be anointed but immature. These ones could be likened to babies handling guns; so much power in immature hands. Elisha was like that when he first received the anointing in 2nd Kings 2:23-24. Forty-two children lost their lives in a single day because he got angry when they began to call him names. After that day, Elisha learnt to be mature and was always in control of his temper. An immature leader whether spiritual or in the secular world is dangerous. Choose your leaders wisely.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is no longer news that every day, lots of people flock out of developing countries in search of greener pastures in developed nations. It is saddening when we hear of those who are so desperate that they go abroad through boats that are death traps or by walking through deserts and terrible weather conditions. Thousands have died and many others have been kidnapped and used as sex slaves because they were so desperate to leave their countries in search of greener pastures.

The principles of success are as effective in your nation as they are in the developed world, and as a Christian, you have a greater advantage in the word of God and the presence of His Holy Spirit in you.

Now, I am not saying you cannot achieve greatness anywhere aside from your home country, after all, Daniel and Joseph succeeded tremendously in Babylon and Egypt respectively. However, if you cross the borders without an instruction from God, you may just be leaving God’s plans for you behind. You are to ask God where you ought to be per time and His direction will keep you on the right path. You may say “Oh, but the situation in my country is not favourable at all”; well, Isaac was in such a situation too in Genesis 26, but God told him to stay in that same land in spite of the famine and he eventually prospered so much that he became the envy of the nation. God told him in Genesis 26:3:
“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee;”

This is all that you should be after: the presence of God with you. It is that same presence that made Joseph succeed, according to Genesis 39:1-2:
“And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

Seek God’s face to know His will for your life. His presence will be with you as you obey Him and the works of your hands will prosper greatly in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Every temptation that a fellow yields to will lead to a bigger one. This is why many people are deep in sins they once vowed never to commit. The fall happens slowly until the fellow is completely submerged in sin.

The devil lures believers into sin so as to destroy them. This is his goal. To achieve this, he comes in subtle ways – first, with thoughts and seemingly harmless sins, focusing on the heart. He knows that if the heart can fall, it is only a matter of time before the body falls too. Proverbs 14:14 says:
“The backsliders in heart shall be filled with his own ways…”

Your spiritual destiny would be determined by your decision to either accommodate or expel the subtle suggestions of the devil. When you start thinking of being in bed with a woman who is not your wife or you start spending money that is not your own, that is the devil trying to get you to fall, using your heart first.

The devil could also try to cut you away from the people who helped you grow in the faith. When you consider the story of Samson, you will discover that he spent most of his time outside Israel. If the devil can successful separate you from people who helped you grow spiritually, and your prayer life begins to wax cold; before long, you would stop studying your Bible and start permitting sin in your life. This is why you must never forsake the fellowship of the brethren (Hebrews 10:25, Proverbs 27:17).

You may have yielded to temptation in the past, the good news is that restoration is possible. Though Samson fell, he was restored to the Land before his death; so much so that he was listed among the fathers of faith in Hebrews 11. Proverbs 28:13 says:
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

If you would confess your sins, forsake them and rededicate your life (for backsliders), God is willing to accept you.
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Samson judged Israel for twenty years. He was an unusual child with wonderful parents (Judges 13:2-3). He was brought up as a Nazarite (Numbers 6:1-21, Judges 13:7), and this meant he had to lead a life of consecration unto the Lord. He was also a man of prayer (Judges 15:18 and 16:28), but he failed so terribly because he had not learnt to bring his body under subjection like Paul did (1st Corinthians 9:27). Samson’s story is a strong warning to every Christian never to toy with sin. Imagine a Judge of Israel lying in Delilah’s lap.

Samson started sinking into sin little by little. First, he fell in love with a strange woman (Judges 14:1-2), then disobeyed his parents when they told him he couldn’t marry her (Judges 14:3). Later on, he slept with a prostitute (Judges 16:1) before he finally landed in Delilah’s lap. Samson did not worry because his supernatural strength remained even while he was committing sin. In fact, one day, He lifted the gates of the city and took them up a mountain just after sleeping with a prostitute (Judges 16:3). He did not see a need for caution because despite his misdeeds, the anointing appeared to still be on him. Little did he know that the devil was luring him to a place of no return. Samson eventually landed in Delilah’s lap where he was afflicted and overpowered. While with Delilah, there were several warning signs but he had gotten so deep into sin that he could not stop. The devil lured Samson with seemingly harmless sins until he lost his strength, sight and purpose in life. Ezekiel 18:20 says:
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die…”

Learn from Samson’s life: Those seemingly harmless sins you are committing and getting away with are simply baits from the devil to encourage you to go deeper. The devil is not stupid; he has planned a big downfall along the line. You must stop those sins now before it becomes too difficult to do so. Everything was okay for Samson years into when he started to fall, but in one night, he hit rock bottom. Learn from Samson and make amends while you have the chance.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God’s directions may not always make sense to us, because as humans, we are too short-sighted to see what He does and too dull to think as He (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Gideon experienced the seeming logicality of God’s directions firsthand. He thought he had been mistaken for someone else when the angel of God called him a man of valour. Gideon was cowardly but God had decided to use him to lead His people to victory over their enemy. Even when Gideon eventually accepted to lead the Israelites in battle, God still went ahead to prune his army of thirty-two thousand soldiers down to just three hundred! Three hundred men against an army! Although it looked like an impossible mission, at the end of the day, Gideon was victorious. No matter how unreasonable an instruction from God may be, as long as it is from Him, it will surely end in victory. Isaiah 30:21 says:
“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying. This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

We were preparing for a crusade in Benin many years ago. Everything had been set when I thought to talk to God about it. He told me we should go to Ede instead. We had just concluded a crusade in Ilesha (very close to Ede), and so I felt that anyone who wanted to come from Ede should have been at that crusade. However, since I have learnt never to disobey God, I told my people “God said we are going to Ede.” We went to Ede and when it was time for the monarch of the town to greet the people during the crusade, he said he did not have money, but offered us land – in any quantity we desired. After the crusade, I called my people together and we decided to ask for the fifty acres of land. That seems like a lot, but when I went back to ask God, He said we should ask for five hundred hectares. This did not make any sense at all because the developed part of Ede was not that large, but I asked anyway. We got the land and today, the Mission School of the RCCG as well as the Redeemer’s University are sited on that land.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many times, there are things that make common sense to us and we just want to go ahead and do them without asking God if we should or not. Let us learn from David, a man who we find seeking God’s face for direction a lot of times in the Bible.

In 1st Samuel 30:1-8, David had just returned from battle to find out that his people had been attacked. All their belongings along with their wives and children had been taken by the enemy. His soldiers who had lost everything they lived for were considering stoning him to death, but in the middle of all these, David took time to ask God if he should pursue the attackers.

In 2nd Samuel 5:17-25, David asked God how he should attack the Philistines in war and God gave him a strategy that worked. After that, he was to face them in battle again and everything looked exactly like the previous one. David still went back to ask God what to do. You must never assume that you know what to do at any point in time. Proverbs 3:5 says:
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Still learning from David, there were also times when he failed to seek God’s guidance before taking decisions and the results were woeful. A classic example is the census of Israel the devil made him conduct (1st Chronicles 21) which brought God’s wrath upon the nation.

No matter how brilliant you are in your field of practice, always lean on God for what to do and what not to do. Many people have made great mistakes that are still hurting them because they thought they were making the right move based on their professional assessment.

When you get your salary at the end of the month, do you ask God what you should use the money for? When you are going out in the morning, do you ask Him what route to take? When you are about to have a business meeting or presentation, do you ask God for the right approach?

There is a lot to gain from always asking God for advice. If you want to win in every area of your life, ask God for what to do per time.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The world today is full of sorrow, pain and agony. More people are going into depression nowadays. Suicide rates have gone up, there are wars and rumours of wars, fights and even more violence.

The only people living peacefully are those who are connected with the Prince of Peace, those who have Christ living in them. When a person becomes born again, the first thing he/she experiences is peace. Believe me, the gospel of Christ is the only way out of all the chaos in the world. If you have not yet embraced the gospel of Christ, I would advise that you do so right away so that you can begin to live a peaceful and joyful life.

If you already know Christ and you don’t share His gospel with people around you, then it is clear that you don’t love them. The Gospel of Christ is good news to the broken-hearted, joy to the depressed, strength to the weary and life to the dying (Luke 4:18). Don’t keep it to yourself, share it with the world. Jesus wants to save, heal and deliver them, but He needs you to introduce Him. Whenever I hear about someone who committed suicide or did something terrible because they were experiencing depression, I hurt deeply within me. I always wish I had the opportunity to share the gospel of Christ with them before the issue got out of hand. Some of them are with you in the office, your neighbourhood and there are no restrictions in your meeting with them.

Sharing the gospel of Christ goes beyond just words, it also involves your actions. It entails how you smile when you see them, asking about their wellbeing, caring for them genuinely as Christ care for us. Don’t just preach the gospel, show love to them practically. 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?”

Are you sharing the gospel of Christ to the broken-hearted?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Are you aware that it is possible for you, your friends and family members never to fall sick again? Yes, it is. For over forty years, the Lord has been my healer and He can be yours too.

According to Exodus 15:26, anyone who lives holy will become so dear to God that He will ensure they are never ill again. Imagine being free from all pains that sickness brings, imagine never having to spend on hospital bills ever again. God says it is possible if you begin to live holy and have faith in His healing powers.

The Gospels give numerous accounts of how Jesus healed people of different infirmities and illnesses including blindness, deafness, leprosy, seizures and paralysis. He even raised dead people to life! Matthew 8:16 says
“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick.”

Notice the word ‘all’ in above Bible verse. He has the power to heal any sickness. The only thing that can stop you from having divine health is sin. Beloved, I encourage you to run away from sin like you would from a plague.

“Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”
John 5:14

Jesus’ advice to the man at the pool of Bethesda is quite instructive. We can conclude that if he had been living a holy life before, he wouldn’t have had to waste thirty-eight years of his life in the pain and discomfort of sickness. It is very likely that after hearing Jesus’ warning, he would have avoided sin every way he could. However, he had already wasted thirty-eight years of his life which could not be recovered. You don’t have to waste any period of your life nursing a sickness; Jesus has made you an offer: avoid sin from today and begin to live in divine health.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible, though written in plain English (or your native language) is still difficult for some people to understand. This is because the letters do not carry the message; it is the Spirit of God that does. 2nd Corinthians 3:6 says:
“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”

You cannot understand the Scriptures without the help of the Holy Spirit, this is why many unbelievers keep misinterpreting it with some even calling it foolishness. 1st Corinthians 2:14 says:
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

When you pick your Bible to read, first pray, asking that the Holy Spirit gives you understanding. You have to be sensitive to the Spirit also, because He could be leading you to read a particular passage from where he wants to speak to you that day. People vary in the depth of revelations they receive from the word of God and this is because of their varying levels of infilling by the Holy Spirit. The more of the Holy Spirit you carry, the deeper the revelations you will get from the word of God.

You must also note that the word of God is new every time you read it. Never approach any scripture with familiarity. Many a-times, I read passages of the Bible that I had been reading for several years and the Holy Spirit interprets it to me in a completely different light. The reason preachers are able to come up with new messages every day despite using the same version of the Bible for centuries is simply because the word of God is never old.

I pray that God will expose the mysteries of His word to you every time you read it in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Who you associate with is a great determinant of whether God will be silent over your matter or if He will act on your behalf. In Genesis 12:1, God told Abraham to leave his father’s house and go to a land He would show him. Unfortunately, Lot – Abraham’s nephew, went with him. Lot being with Abraham hindered God from delivering the promise to him, but the moment Lot was separated from him, God remembered His promise.

“And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”
Genesis 13:14-15

Thank God for His mercy that caused Abraham and Lot’s men to fight so that Lot could be separated from him (Genesis 13). I pray for you today: God will separate from you any friend or associate hindering Him from fulfilling His promise to you, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Joshua was experiencing victory upon victory until one day when he faced a small army that defeated him. That day, he had to investigate what made him fail and then he found out that there was a bad egg in his company – Achan. After getting rid of Achan, the victories resumed (Joshua 7 & . The Almighty God who I serve will reveal to you any Achan in your family, company or Church in the mighty name of Jesus.

God wants to help some people, but He would not because of their friends and associates. It is either the person’s sins make it difficult for God to be involved in whatever the fellow is involved in or He knows that if He gives you what He wants to, with that fellow still in your life, it would result in more harm than good. Who are your friends? Who are your business partners? Who are you planning to get married to? Who is squatting with you in your house? You need to choose these people with care. If you choose a business partner who mutters incantations when you are praying, that project is not likely to go well because a house divided against itself cannot stand (Mark 3:25).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Living a life of praise is not only the most enjoyable way to live, it's also one of the most powerful ways to change your life. Praise isn’t what you do only after a miracle has happened; it is what actually makes the miracle happen.

“And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.” 2nd Chronicles 20:22

From the passage above, we see that it was when they began to sing and praise that the Lord moved. If you are waiting for God to do a miracle before you start praising Him, you have got it all wrong. It is when you praise Him that the miracle will happen. It is by faith that you get miracles; the evidence that you truly have faith in God is in your praising Him even before the miracle happens.

Can you praise God in the face of danger? Can you praise Him when all seems not to be well and you are feeling down? You see, that is exactly the best time to praise Him. It is when you praise Him in that situation that He will minister strength to you. Staying down and closing your mouth is exactly what the devil needs for him to keep you in that situation. He knows that the moment you start praising God, the game has changed in your favour. Since God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), your praise will bring Him into that situation and the devil will be defected.

My beloved, it doesn’t matter how you feel at any point in time, don’t let the devil take the praise of God away from your lips. When the devil comes with his trouble, don’t face him; he is too small to get your attention. Face the living God and get Him the best praise. Go to a quiet place and shout the praise of God loud and clear so that the devil will tremble. What you will realise is that, just as God did for the people of Judah, He will move on your behalf when you begin to sing and praise Him. Hallelujah!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I have often heard people say that you are what you eat. This is a wise saying because what you eat can affect who you are – both physically and spiritually. If you eat food that makes your body weak such that you are always lethargic and cannot pray or study your Bible for long hours, your spiritual strength will be low. If on the other hand, you eat organic and healthy food, not only will your body be strong, you will also soar spiritually because you can spend long hours praying and studying your Bible.

It may interest you to know that the devil also uses food to recruit people into secret societies. That is why it is not expedient to eat at every occasion you attend. Before you eat anything that is offered to you, whether in public or in private, make sure you pray on it first and ask God for permission. John 6:11 says:
“And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.”

One day while I was preaching, I saw a woman dash out of the hall and some ushers ran after her. She then was brought to me after the service. She said while I was preaching, her clothes caught fire so she had to run out.

Many years before that incident, she had gone to see a white-garment prophet because she had been losing all her children. Eventually, she met the prophet’s wife who, upon hearing the woman’s problems, gave her a kolanut to eat. From that night, she started finding herself in meetings whenever she slept at night, eating human meat with some other people. Eventually, it was her turn to provide the meat and she was asked to submit her children – the same ones whose lives she was trying to protect in the first place. We prayed a simple prayer that day and when she got home, she excreted a dead snake. Thus, God rescued her from the deadly kolanut.

Mind what you eat and drink.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A person holding grudges can be likened to one consuming poison yet expecting another fellow to die in his/her stead. When you hold a grudge against someone, you are killing yourself gradually. When you refuse to forgive someone who wronged you, you have only opened the door to hurt and more hurt. While the fellow on the other hand may be living his/her life in peace, you keep hurting each time you see or remember him/her.

Many people have died of hypertension because they refused to forgive someone who offended them. It is for your own good that you forgive that fellow who offended you. Don’t give anyone a license to keep hurting you; let it go.

From Matthew 18:23-35 and Matthew 6:14, it is evident that whenever someone is holding a grudge against another, God will bypass the offender and refuse to forgive the one holding the grudge. Imagine going to hell just because you refused to forgive someone who offended you, only for that fellow to repent and end up in Heaven. Luke 6:37 tells us that if you condemn someone, God will condemn you too. James 2:12-13 says:
“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judge by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgement.”

God will neither answer the prayer nor accept the gift of anyone living in unforgiveness because the sacrifice of a sinner is an abomination to Him (Proverbs 15:. God wants you to forgive everyone who has offended you, because only then would you obtain mercy from Him.

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the school I attended in my village, there were children from both affluent and poor homes. One day, a child from an affluent home committed a misdemeanour, and a teacher meted out corporal punishment to him. This was an approved medium of discipline in the school but the boy reported to his father who came to school the next day and beat up our teacher. Our teacher reported the assault to the local police, however the rich man had been there earlier to bribe them, so the police did not act on the report. Our teacher, frustrated and deeply aggrieved, returned and divided the class into two. He put the children of the rich on one side and the rest of us on the other side. He vowed never to flog the children from rich homes again, but would continue to do so to those of us from poor homes. Today, only a few among the children that were not flogged have amounted to something in life. lf you love your children, you would not spare the rod when they err.

Eli’s children grew to become wayward and God held him accountable for not being firm enough with them (1st Samuel 2:29-34). Conversely, God did not hesitate to bless Abraham because He was confident that the patriarch would command his children and household to keep His laws (Genesis 18:17-19). The second law of thermodynamics says everything left to itself trends to disorder. In the same vein, any child not strictly cautioned to behave properly will ultimately become spoilt.

I know using the rod on children is now considered child abuse in this generation, however, you must know that there is a difference between correcting a child in love and abusing a child.

“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” Proverbs 13:24

The rod is not just the cane, it connotes firm correction when children err. You cannot be permissive with a child all the time and expect him/her to grow up with good morals.

God expects you to compel your children and entire household to serve Him (Genesis 18:19). Don’t spare the rod.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many parents complain that their children do not obey them. Most times however, the parents are to blame. Children can see and hear more than we know; they absorb all information from their homes both consciously and subconsciously. When there is a difference between the words and actions of a parent, the children become confused and will most likely follow the actions of their parents since ‘Actions speak louder than words.’

The best way to teach children is by example. Lead the way and they will follow. I recall an instance when my children were small. We had a visitor who came with his child. One of my sons went into my room, wore my tie and came out to meet the little boy. He laid his hands on the boys head and said “Fall down.” We all laughed, but I never forgot the lesson. The boy had observed that whenever I laid my hands on people they would fall, but even beyond that, he noted that I always had my tie on when doing so. What attention to detail! That is how detailed children are in their observations. Hence, you must deliberately set the right examples. Paul, in Philippians 4:9 said:
“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

A father who cannot get his eyes off ladies will raise a promiscuous boy. A mother who constantly gossips will raise a gossip.

Start being the right examples to your children from now. You want them to read their Bibles and pray daily? Do the same. If you want your child to be kind to others, be kind too. When little children always see their parents punching away at their phones and hardly ever see them with books, it will take God’s grace for the children to enjoy reading.

Be deliberate about your actions, bearing in mind that your children can see everything you are doing, and they will also follow the same path. Set a worthy example; do the right things always.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I have observed that when some people say they want a coach and/or mentor, what they are actually seeking is a sponsor. Your coach and /or mentor is not under any obligation to finance you. If anything, you should be the one gifting him/her, taking his/her children out for a fun day, making yourself available to help in any way you can and so on.

You need their wealth of experience. Your relationship with your coach and mentor should not be parasitic but symbiotic – as he/she gives you, you should also give back to him/her. Paul said in 1st Corinthians 9:11:
“If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”

It is your responsibility to make your coach and mentor proud. Many times, I have had to answer for the actions of my children-in-the-Lord, whether I was aware or not. It would be unfair to your coach and mentor if you misbehave, because it could bring about a bad public image for him/her.

Finally, even if you become richer, greater and more popular than your coach and mentor, you must remain completely submissive to them. Jesus said the disciple cannot be greater than the master (Matthew 10:24). If that is the fellow that God has paired you with for discipleship, no matter what they do, you must remain submissive in line with the word of God, until their death.

David became more famous than Saul, but he never lost his respect for him, not even when Saul was trying to kill him. Samuel was the one whom God sent to tell Eli about how he would fall, but Samuel never felt that because he had been chosen to replace him, the old prophet was now to be ignored (1st Samuel 3:9-21).

Never dishonour your discipler. God would not have anyone disrespect His chosen vessels (Psalm 105:14-15) no matter how little and inconsequential you may consider the action. Learn from the mistake of Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12:1-15).

Yes, Jesus wants us to perform greater works than He did, but that cannot make us greater than He. Never forget: a disciple may achieve greater feats than his master, but cannot be greater than he (Matthew 10:24).
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

As Christians, you must be careful when making the choice of who to disciple you. Success in a discipline is not enough reason for anyone to qualify as your coach and mentor. The first thing you should consider is the spirituality of the fellow – how is his/her relationship with God? 2nd Corinthians 6:14 says:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

You must also be sure that the vision of the person’s life align with yours.

A close look at all the people God paired together for a discipleship relationship in the Bible will reveal that both had similar assignments – Samuel and Eli, Elisha and Elijah, Joshua and Moses, David and Solomon, Timothy and Paul among others. Allow God to lead you before approaching anyone to coach and mentor you.

After choosing a coach and mentor, always remember that no matter how great he/she is, the fellow is not God. Whatever he/she must be first sifted through the word of God before you adopt it. My Father-in-the-Lord always told us to ignore whatever he said that did no have a biblical backing.

You must be submissive to your coach and mentor, regardless of how much smaller he/she appears to be. My Father-in-the-Lord was not educated, whereas I had a PhD in Mathematics. When he said “Jump” I jumped the highest I could, without analysing his instruction with my PhD brain. As long as whatever he said was in line with the word of God, I did it without asking questions. You may even be more modern than your coach and mentor, still your obedience and submission must always be total in alignment with the word of God.

Lastly, ensure you pray for your disciples as well (Hebrews 13:18). He that watereth should be watered also (Proverbs 11:23).
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Availability is a key element in discipleship. A coach must always be there to answer questions and get advice. As a coach, you should always answer or return your coachees’ calls. Find time to be with them, even if it means taking them along with you on trips or to events. Just make sure you are always there for them.

There are certain things to consider before agreeing to coach and mentor someone. First, only coach and mentor people whose company you can enjoy. As we saw in Mark 3:14, the first reason Jesus chose disciples was for them to keep Him company, and of course, also to work with Him.

It also shows that Jesus had seen great potential in the disciples and knew that as they worked with Him, they would become better. Don’t coach and mentor someone in whom you have not seen any potential. This is because it is that potential that will drive you to make sacrifices for that fellow. Don’t just coach and mentor someone because he/she is a relative; choose who you coach and mentor carefully.

You should also know that your followers are not slaves. Others may exploit their followers but as a Christian, you must follow Jesus’ example. He washed the feet of His disciples and even told them clearly in John 15:15
“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Asides from that being the right thing to do, it will also model humility to them. However, Christian disciples must not take their disciples’ humility for granted. Give honour to whom honour is due (Romans 13:7).

Christ’s discipleship model should be the standard for all Christians.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Discipleship covers both coaching and mentorship. It describes the relationship that exist between a mentor and his mentee, and also, that of a coach and the one being coached. Mentoring and coaching present rare privileges and should be handled carefully as the future of many are influenced thereby.

1st Corinthians 11:1 says Christ must be the model for all Christian coaches and mentors.

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

What you say or do will have great impact on and can even shape the character of those within your sphere of influence. My strong adherence to holiness today is as a result of the teachings and lifestyle of my Father-in-the-Lord Pa Josiah Akindayomi.

If you would disciple anyone, you must first ensure your values are godly, clear and well set. As a father, you are both a mentor and coach to your wife and children. What you do would impact their character greatly. This also includes your subordinates in the office.

Jesus is the ultimate teacher; one thing you would notice about Him is that He never hid the truth from His disciples.
“….and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.”
Mark 4:34

You must be honest in the assessment of your followers; tell them where they have gone wrong and praise them when they get things right. You owe them the truth always.

Jesus never hid anything from His disciples; they knew when He was fasting and when He was praying. He constantly pushed them to become like Him and even greater (John 14:12). In Matthew 17:16-17, He said “O ye of little faith, how long will I be with thee?” He was saying, in essence: Get up and start doing these things yourself. If you have a follower that has remained on the same level since he/she met you, you are failing as a coach and mentor. May you never fail God in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

No matter how beautiful any earthly city is, none is one-tenth as beautiful as heaven, and this is a fact. Do you know any city with streets and highways on pure gold? The answer is ‘No’, however Revelation 21:21 says the streets of Heaven are made of pure gold. Jesus says in John 14:2:
“In my Father’s house are many masions….”

Many years ago, I had the privileges of seeing my mansion in Heaven. It was already as big as an entire city, yet it was still being built. I asked the angel taking me on a tour what I would need a mansion that big for and he said there was a room in it for each of my spiritual children whenever they came to visit.

I once heard the story of an old couple who died and went to Heaven. When the angle taking them round got to a place where food was stored, they were surprised to see all sorts of food there - some of which their doctor had told them to stay away from on earth. The man, surprised, asked if those food items were not dangerous to their health. The angel told them there are no health issues in Heaven. The man turned to his wife in excitement and said “You should have let us eat whatever we wanted, so that we would have died and gotten here much earlier.

If you love music, Heaven is the place where you can hear the best music ever. The angels have such melodious voice that we coined the phase ‘Angelic Voices’. Their melody and harmony is so sweet and perfect that when you hear them, you would get lost in the music.

A long time ago, some of us were praying for an elder who was dying when he suddenly looked up and said “Oh what beautiful voices, oh what sweet music!” I knew he was hearing the angels singing to welcome him to Heaven, so we stopped praying and let him go.

In Heaven, there is no pain, no worries, just fun and worship to the Most High God. I am determined never to miss Heaven; I don’t Know about you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The sand at the beach is literally uncountable, yet the Lord says His Precious thoughts outnumber them (Psalm 139:17-18). That is how much God thinks about you and me. No one else will ever think about you that much – not your spouse, not your child, nobody. Nobody will care about you as much as God – your perfect Heavenly Father – thinks and cares about you. Isn’t that awesome.

You may often hear voices in your head saying “No one is going to marry you, you are such a disaster, you are never going to be successful, you will always be at the same point, this sickness will kill you …..” But No! The devil is a liar! Those are not the thoughts of God about you! He says in Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

When you are a true child of the living God, He is always with you. In Hebrews 13:5, says:
“….I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

No matter what you may be going through, God is ever with you, able and willing to help. That is why Psalm 46:1 says:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Do you know that as a true child of God you are a friend of Jesus? In John 15:14, He says:
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

Jesus loves you so much that He gave His very life for you. The Bible says in John 15:13 that:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

The only way you can repay this love of God is to surrender all to Him and continue walking in His will. He thinks a lot about you, don’t disappoint Him.
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Yesterday, we looked at how a relationship with Christ can drive depression away from a person’s life. However, once in a while, Christians also get depressed. A Christian may get depressed when life’s challenges make them lose sight of how great God is or how much He loves them.

I have experienced this before. I was already the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God then, and the Church was growing, but somehow, I felt the people I was pastoring did not care about me. I felt I was labouring in prayers and fasting for them, but they didn’t care, so I decided that I was going to resign as the General Overseer of the Church. With my decision made, I took a nap and when I woke, there was a young girl who had come to see me. She said God told her to come and give me a cake. I was so touched by that gesture that even though I don’t like cake so much, I ate that one. Then God said “I thought you said no one cared”. I realised that I had paid so much attention to appreciation from the people that I did not remember how much God cares for and loves me.

Now, when as a believer you are feeling depressed, what you need is to go deep into the presence of God because Psalm 16:11 says:
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of Joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

You cannot be engulfed in the presence of God and not feel His love and care for you; that love you feel will bring joy to your soul. How can you get into the presence of God? Simple. Through praise and worship. David said in Psalm 100:4 that with thanksgiving, you enter into the gates of God and with praises, you enter into His courtyard. When you praise and worship God for a long period of time, you will feel His presence come down, greatly and since in His presence there is fullness of joy, you will begin to feel a joy that is beyond understanding. That is why Isaiah 61:3 says a garment of praise will replace a spirit of heaviness:
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness….”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It would be hypocritical to act as if one cannot see how fast depression is taking over the minds of many people today. I want to let you know that there is a tested and sure way out of depression. Suicide is not a way out because that will only lead to hell, and believe me, the depression and suffering in hell is far worse than what obtains here on earth. Don’t go that route at all. Alcohol is also not a way out of depression. If anything, it makes matters worse because the repercussions of actions taken when under the influence of alcohol will lead to further depression. Food does not heal depression either. Many depressed people choose to ‘eat away their worries’. but unfortunately, food does not cure depression. At best, it would only make their stomach full so that they become so tried that they sleep off.

What a depressed fellow really needs is joy. You see, happiness depends on happenings, but joy comes from the Lord, irrespective of prevailing circumstances. Their first step to having joy is to become a believer in Christ. 1st Peter 1:8 says:
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”

When you become a born-again Christian, loving righteousness and hating iniquity, God will anoint you with the oil of gladness above your fellows (Hebrews 1:9). Joy is the fruit of the Spirit and a means by which a born-again Christian may be identified (Matthew 7:16)

Finally, depression thrives in silence. Speak out today if you are struggling with unhappiness. Seek counselling from a more matured Christian, preferably a pastor of the same gender in a bible-believing church. Also, as brethren in Christ, we all ought to consciously look out for one another, showing kindness and love at all times.

The Joy of the Lord will keep strengthening us all in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As Christians we must resist the urge to hastily take positions on both public and private issues without making proper findings. It is very easy to judge others, even more so now with the advent of social media.

Though a crime suspect is yet to be pronounced guilty by a competent court, a lot of people would have made conclusions already about him/her especially if the suspect’s appearance portrays him/her as a criminal. People are especially good at speaking out against things they find offensive. Sadly, their focus may be on the person, instead of the action.

In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus cautions us against judging others in a hypocritical way. We shouldn’t be habitually critical of others when we need correction as well. Only God’s judgements are flawless (John 8:15-16). Don’t be quick to condemn someone else’s actions. God is patient, but He would not overlook anyone’s disobedience (Romans 2:1-5). Don’t attack people; be a good example for others (Romans 14:13).

While believers are not to condemn others, we are however not to ignore or condone sin. There is a difference between the judgment in Matthew 7:2-5 and the righteous judgment that comes with discernment. John 7:24 says:
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement.”

If you see another believer falling into sin, you should confront the person in a respectful and loving way. Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus teaches us to judge sin, not the sinner.

The ultimate goal of confronting a believer who is backsliding is so the fellow can repent and abide. Thus, when we judge sin, let it be done in meekness with the goal of repentance and reconciliation. This is the will of God (Galatians 6:1).
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

The wicked are people who do not know God and those who probably know Him but do not seek Him (Psalm 10:2-13). Their lifestyle shows that they don’t believe in the gospel of Christ and that they do not have any regard for God. On the other hand, there are saints – the people of God; those are the people who believe. Though they may suffer persecutions and afflictions for the Kingdom, they remain faithful children of God.

Paul assures the saints who have believed and remain steadfast even in their afflictions that God will grant them relief and their afflictions would come to an end in due course. Christ will be glorified in them, and they in Him (2nd Thessalonians 1:12). On the other hand, God will repay the persecutors with affliction; He will mete out justice. He says in 2nd Thessalonians 1:9 that the retribution will be:
“….everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

The wicked would not cease to exist because of God’s final judgement, rather they would be deprived of being in God’s presence forever.

Daniel also declared:
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Daniel 12:2

Jesus described the judgment thus “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: And those shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:41-46). Revelation describes the fate of the wicked thus: “…and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

Beloved, a life without Christ is one full of crises – both when the fellow is alive, and even death. Too many people pay lip service to following Christ but actually do not in the real sense of it. Examine your life and choose to deny yourself and follow Christ daily to escape eternal damnation,
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;”
2nd Corinthians 11:26

As we see above, Apostle Paul enumerated the dangers he had encountered in the course of preaching the gospel and ‘perils’ among false brethren’ made the list. You must be wary of false brethren within your family, neighborhood, workplace and even in your local assembly.

In 1st Samuel 17:26-28, while David was making enquiries about the reward for slaying Goliath, his elder brother wanted him to go back to look after sheep. The elders say that if the household enemy cannot kill a person, neither can the external ones. David was already dreaming of how he was going to become a giant-killer but his brother wanted to silence him, just as Joseph’s brothers sought to kill his own dreams in Genesis 37:17-20. One would think that his brothers would have been interested in helping him become a great ruler as he had dreamed, after all, they would have been ‘the great ruler’s brothers’. Rather, they not only wanted his dreams to be aborted, they also wanted to kill him.

Don’t be fooled; not everyone smiling with you genuinely wishes you well, so be careful who you share your dreams with. Be like David and follow the counsel of God rather than those of men.

When I became the General Overseer of the RCCG there was a man I had considered to be a good friend as we had done some wonderful things together for God in the past, I went to visit him one day to discuss my new assignment as the General Overseer. When I got to his house, he drove me away, saying he had hated me since the day I came into the Church. I was shocked and really felt sad.

I pray that every wolf in sheep’s clothing around you shall be exposed and disgraced in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS

1. Father, thank You for our elders. Thank You for giving them long life.

2. Father, let our elders never lack divine wisdom to counsel and guide the younger generation.

3. Father, please forgive our elders for whatsoever they might have done to displease or sin against You.

4. Father, let our elders enjoy divine health in the mighty name of Jesus.

5. Father, please send help to every elder who does not have someone to take care of him or her.

6. Father, let our elders serve You for the rest of their lives. Let them fulfil Your purpose for their lives.

7. Father, let us not disappoint our elders. Let us make them proud so they will have peace in their old age.

8. Father, let our elders finish strong. Let them make it to heaven when their time is up here on earth.

9. Father, let our elders not lack faithful successors who will be greater than they and would carry their legacy to the next generation.

10. Father, help me to be a blessing to the elders in my family, in the Church and in my community.

11. Mention the names of the elders in your family, church and community and pray for them specifically.

12. Any special prayer you wish for yourself and your elders.

I stand in agreement with you today and pray that the Lord will grant all your requests concerning our elders, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Faith is the bedrock of Christianity. Hebrews 11:6 says:
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh of God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

In Romans 10:9, we see the steps to salvation:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Faith is the most important ingredient in the Christian walk. That’s why Paul said anything done outside faith is a sin (Romans 14:23). You may doubt if an action is a sin or not. You may have asked some spiritual leaders, yet still remain unsure. Romans 14:23 says once you are unsure if an action would amount to a sin or not, then you should choose not to do it. It says anything you do in doubt and not in faith is sin.

As a Christian, it is best to stay off that act that you are not sure about and let go of the benefit you may receive from it. It is better to deny yourself of earthly benefits than finding out at the judgement seat that such an act is a sin. That you have conflicting opinions alone is probably an indication that God wants you to beware of doing that thing.

There has been a lot of debate on whether wearing trouser or jewelry is a sin or not. Beloved sister, if God has instructed you not wear trousers for example, (maybe through your church doctrine, your parents or personally) and you go ahead to wear it, you are not doing it in faith because there will be that caution in your heart that you shouldn’t be wearing trousers; hence you are committing sin.

Be wise; if there is a conflict in your heart concerning anything, it is best to stop and steer clear of such. Only do things when you are sure they are not sins.

Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Anger is so dangerous because it can destroy a lifetime of achievements within seconds. Ask Moses: a man who God spoke to face to face (Exodus 33:11), the one who led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and also caused the Egyptian army to be destroyed in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:27,28). Many great miracles had happened through him and he was on the way to leading the children of Israel to the promised land, but anger ended his mission within seconds (Numbers 20:10-12).

Anger is a destiny-killer and that is why I am determined never to get angry again in my life. I was once asked to act the role of an angry man in a play. As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t do it because I had dealt with anger so much in my life. Once in a while, things happen around me that can get me angry but I ensure that I do not stop doing things that help me avoid anger.

Always be in control of your emotions. Anger has a way of making people say or do things they wouldn’t, normally. You need to be in control so anger does not take you in that direction. When people say “That is how I behave when I get angry”, it shows they don’t place great value on their destiny. If you let anger dictate how you behave, it will also dictate how far you go. Proverbs 25:28 says:
“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.”

You have control; use it!

When someone gets me angry, I sing choruses. As I sing, I am inviting the Holy Spirit to take control and since He is a gentle Spirit, once He comes in, the anger will go. At other times, you may just quietly leave a place to avoid getting angry.

Whatever you do, ensure anger does not control you.

“Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
Ecclesiastes 7:9

Don’t be a fool.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, there are diverse kinds of doctrines. It is not surprising because Jesus had warned that many false prophets would arise in the last days (Matthew 24:24). Apostle Paul also warned against these false ministers in 2nd Corinthians 11:14-15.

Erroneous doctrines on grace, tithing, same-sex marriage and many more have become common place in Christendom today. Usually, these false teachings sound very logical and are backed by a wrong interpretation of the Scripture. However, Christians who have the Holy Spirit in them can discern between sound and false doctrines. May you not be deceived in the mighty name of Jesus.

It is easy to fall prey to these teachers if you only want to serve God in pleasure and convenience. Imagine a fornicator who wants to repent, meeting a ‘Pastor’ who tells him that as along as he only commits the sin once in a while, the grace of God covers him. Such a Pastor would not mention the fact that in Matthew 5:28, Jesus said:

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

If such a person is not careful, he might find out too late that all fornicators, whether regular or occasional are going to hell.

Convenience or a semblance of the truth should never be your motivation for adopting a doctrine. 1st Corinthians 14:26 says that the purpose of doctrines is edification. They nourish your spirit man. Every godly doctrine must align with the word of God and you should be at peace when you practise it, if not, it is not a true doctrine of Christ.

While it is fine to learn from someone else’s perspective on God’s word, stop depending solely on other people’s interpretation. Read the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to interpret His word to you directly. There is no revelation more impactful than the one you receive first-hand from Christ Himself (1st John 2:27).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Whenever you look down on a man, you are indirectly looking down on God. He is so in love with mankind that He said whatever you do to them is what you have done to Him.

“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Matthew 25:40

You must be careful because you cannot simply tell who a person is from their looks. David looked like an ordinary teenager, but inside him was a giant killer. Goliath paid with his life for looking down on him. Inside some prisoners today are Presidents tomorrow; Joseph is a classic example.

Never look down on anyone because they could be the solution to your challenges. Naaman was very great. He had all he needed but he was leprous. The solution to his leprosy was in Israel, but he did not know until a slave girl told him. If you read the story carefully, you will note that when Naaman was storming off in anger from Elisha’s house, it was his servants who pleaded with him to obey the man of God. As a matter of fact, they referred to him as “father” (2nd Kings 5:13). Naaman listened to them and got his healing.

If he had been wicked to his servants, they wouldn’t have bothered to plead with him, neither would they have been able to call him “father”. The beggar on your street may be the one to help you when no one would be able to. The poor people living next door may provide information required to save you from an impending trouble. Do not look down on anyone.

Many Christians also feel so holy that they don’t want to relate with unbelievers. Yes, we are not to be equally yoked together with them (2nd Corinthians 6:14) but we are not called to be hostile to them either (Luke 6:35). God called us to love, not to hate and snub. There could not have been a more aggressive or harsh enemy of Jesus’ followers than Saul of Tarsus. Yet, once God showed Saul the light and truth, there was never a more devoted, enthusiastic or fearless disciple of Christ. Saul became the Apostle Paul. His life offers a wonderful example of how God sees beyond people’s current status to their potential.

We all have in our own lives Saul-like individuals with Paul-like potentials. Can you imagine how our families, our communities, and the world at large might change if we all tried to see each other as God does?
God hates a proud look (Proverbs 6:16-17).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people treat those who work for them – Personal Assistant, house keeper, gate-man, gardener and others as though they were a lower breed of humans. That fellow who works for you is a human being, just like you. With God, there are no differences; you are only privileged to be the employer or supervisor while he/she serves you. When such people give their lives to Christ, there is rejoicing in Heaven just as there is when the president of a nation become born again.

Would you want your employer to treat you the same way you treat your domestic staff or some subordinates? You would like some respect in the office, why not give some to those who work for you? After all, they are in their respective offices too, no matter how low their cadre may be. Don’t insult or slap them, don’t make them eat your leftovers or sleep in the kitchen. Jesus said:
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”
Luke 6:31

Most domestic staff and even some other junior employees who work with you have more access to information about you than many of the people you think highly of, hence can hurt or help you. Your house keeper has access to your food at any time and can put whatever he/she wants in it without your knowledge. Your gate-man can also decide who goes in and out of your house, so if he wants, he can let unwanted visitors in at night. Your driver practically has your life in his hands every time he takes you out. The worst you can do is to make them feel worthless and probably withhold their salary – an action God completely frowns against.

“At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.”
Deuteronomy 24:15

The worst they can do to you has more far reaching consequences. This is why you must teach them the word of God and also be interested in their advancement in life. Look at them the way God does and He will bless you for it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.