₦airaland Forum

A Peacemaker is a person who pursues peace at all times. When the fellow is offended, his response to the offender is to ensure that peace reigns. Sometimes, they take all the blame and suffer some consequences, but they are happy at the end of the day because all they are after is peace. Also, when they see other people in a quarrel, they intervene to ensure that they make peace with each other. God loves these people so much; Jesus specifically said that they will be called the children of God. Of course, they will be called the children of God because Jesus Christ is the prince of Peace.

Now, if the peacemaker is a child of God, then whose child is the troublemaker? When you always choose quarrel over peace, who do you resemble? A troublemaker may not know it, but he is not a child of God as he does not exhibit the characteristics of God, rather those of the devil. If whenever you see two people quarrelling, you begin to say things that would fuel the anger of one or the other and cause the quarrel to become more heated, you are a troublemaker. If you have a reputation of always retaliating against anyone who offends you, you are a troublemaker. If you are one who likes to cause quarrels amongst your colleagues, friends or family members, then you are a troublemaker; you need to repent and change your ways.

Many times, we want to make peace, but we don’t want to be seen as a weakling. The reverse is however the truth. It takes strength to control one’s ego, anger and work towards peace. Hence, it is a strong but wise person that will seek peace.

Whenever you’re tempted to fight, remember that unbelievers don’t read the Bible, hence it is we the Christians that model Christ to them. If you claim that the Prince of Peace lives in you and you are the quarrelsome type, many unbelievers will not want that your ‘Prince of Peace’ to live in them. Secondly, making peace with others is one of the prerequisites to making it to heaven on the last day. Hebrews 12:14 says:

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To be pure means to be of only one form, to be completely undiluted. God expects your heart to be so pure that nothing aside from Him can be found in it. This is the standard for all children of God. Jesus, during His earthly ministry spoke about His purity in John 14:30 thus:
“…for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

Your heart is the most delicate part of your body. The quality of your spirit is dependent on the content of your heart, that is why Jesus said in Matthew 15:11:
“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”

And according to Matthew 12:34, it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

You need to guard your heart with all diligence and keep it pure at all times (Proverbs 4:23). Keep it pure against malice, immoral thoughts, evil scheming and the like. It is what you expose the heart to that determines how pure it will be. If you keep enjoying worldly songs and movies, your heart would be filled with the culture of the world. If you keep having dirty conversations, your heart would harbor dirty images.

The word of God is the cleanser of the heart. David said in Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

The more of God’s word you study and consume, the purer your heart will be. Jesus said in John 17:17:

A sanctified fellow is someone with a pure heart and this is impossible without the word of God. Believe me, if you don’t do regular in-depth Bible study, it will be difficult if not impossible for you to have a pure heart.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

According to Matthew 18:23-35, it is unwise for anyone not to have mercy on those who offend them. The mercy you enjoy from God is enormous (Lamentation 3:22-23), how can you then not show mercy, even if just a little, to those who offend you? Jesus expects you to forgive any and every offence that is committed against you. He clearly demonstrated this in His conversation with Peter in Matthew 18:21-22:
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

It is foolish for you not to have mercy on those who offend you because you are only withholding mercy from yourself. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus taught His disciples thus:
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Another side to demonstrating mercy, is to show compassion on others. Many pray endlessly that God should solve their problems, whereas there are people around them whose problems they can solve, but they refuse to help them. God is saying in Matthew 5:7 that it is those who show mercy to others that He will be merciful to. Furthermore, Proverbs 21:13 says:
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”

So you see now why it appears God does not answer some people’s prayers.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A hungry and thirsty fellow is one who is desperate for food and water. Have you ever seen someone who has been stranded on a desert for a whole month? If he sees water anywhere, he would do anything, and I mean anything, to drink it. The same applies to a person who has been deprived of food for many days. In the same vein, God expects us to hunger and thirst for righteousness. He expects us to desperately pursue righteousness. Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 13:44-46 that the kingdom of God is like a man who found treasure in a field and went to sell all that he had so he could buy that field and own the treasure. Psalm 63:1 says:

“…My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

You should be willing to give up anything just to remain righteous. The reverse is the case these days; people are very quick to sacrifice their righteousness in order to gain some pleasures of this world.

Don’t deceive yourself with contemporary Christianity. If you are not desperately hungry to live a holy life, you become easy meat for the devil. You need to be desperate enough to cut off your right hand if that hand is going to cause you to sin (Matthew 5:30). In other words, if social media is the means through which immoral thoughts gets into your mind, then you must be ready to delete those social media apps from your phone. If you are lusting after your secretary, then you must be ready to let go of such a person. If being a staff in that organisation causes you to stain your garment of holiness, then resign! Only the violent can take the kingdom of God and they must take it by force. Don’t be afraid to be asked why you pursue this Jesus so much. Fear of what people may say will make many lose their righteousness and consequently, the kingdom of God. You must hunger and thirst for righteousness at all times.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The word ‘meek’, within the context of Matthew 5:5 is best described as strength under control. To be meek in this sense then means to have power, yet decide not to use it just for the greater good. A meek fellow is one that the world would easily call a fool or mumu in my local parlance. A meek fellow is one whose toes you can step on yet still have him apologise. Matthew 11:29 says:
“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.”

From the above passage, we see that the yoke of Jesus Christ is one of meekness. You cannot claim to be a true Christian without being meek. If someone slaps you and you retaliate, check your Christianity. If someone offends you and because of that, you decide not to relate with the fellow again or to withdraw some benefits from him, check your salvation.

Hard as it is to be meek in this generation, we must embody it in our lifestyle. The good thing is that meekness has immense benefits attached to it. The first benefit is that meek people are the ones who will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). No matter how much you cheat them now, they are coming back to be your landlord. Secondly, God fights for the meek. The meek may look foolish because he has refused to fight for himself, but God is watching. A classic example is Moses. God fought for him, so much so that he was the one begging God to have mercy on his enemies (Numbers 12:1-13). Thirdly, the meek receives divine guidance from God (Psalm 25:9).

I know it may be difficult, especially with people taking you for granted, but don’t stop being meek. Soon, you will be ruling over those taking you for granted. If you stop being meek now, you would lose all the benefits of your meekness just like Moses, who did not reach the promised land because of one episode of anger.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To mourn is to be grieved by an occurrence. It means to be so concerned about something that deeply affects your emotions. Jesus in Matthew 5:4 is saying that mourners are blessed. Are you a mourner? Are you grieved by the state of things in this world or are you indifferent? Sin is becoming normal in our world today and it is unthinkable that anyone will not mourn about this. Even the Church is now striving hard to be like the world. Didn’t the Bible say “Be ye separate” (2nd Corinthians 6:17)? Do you mourn for the next generation? Social Media has exposed our children to all sorts of perversion these days and even teenagers are now well versed in sexual activities. Do you mourn that thousands are dying due to religious wars, and even little children are now being used as suicide bombers? Do you mourn for the state of things in this world? Psalm 34:18 has this to say:
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

If you are a mourner, what are you doing to make things better? How many souls have you preached to in the last one week? How many teenagers do you mentor, whether physically or virtually? Are you pursuing a political position so that you can make a change in your own way? At my age, I travel all over the world, trying to get as many people as I can to see the love of Jesus and accept Him into their lives. Today, I see many men of God, younger and stronger than I am, enjoying the comfort of their cities and the privileges of being the ‘man of God’ when souls are perishing! I weep for this generation, not just because of those doing evil, but because of the indifference of Christians who should be making a change.

The encouragement is that Jesus said those of us who mourn will be comforted. I wish we could have more mourners in this generation.

Do not be one of those who are at ease in Zion.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To be poor in Spirit does not mean to lack spirituality as many people think. Being poor is a state of mind. When a person is poor in Spirit, the fellow is hungry for the Spirit of God. Matthew 5:3 says:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

To be poor in Spirit means that no matter how much you have grown spiritually, you still pant and yearn for more of God’s Spirit in you. Some people attain certain spiritual heights and begin to call themselves spiritual giants. The moment you start feeling like a giant in the things of God, your decline begins. Once, I prayed for thirty-six hours non-stop, taking only bathroom breaks. I was feeling very good, believing that I had attained a great height spiritually. The next week, God arranged for me to hear of someone who prayed for thirty-two days non-stop. I was humbled. No matter how much you have done, you must still see yourself as a spiritual baby. Only babies depend on their parents for food; once you are a spiritual adult, then you are telling God “Don’t worry, Lord, I can take care of myself” and He will leave you.

Those who are not poor in Spirit enter into the trap of the devil. I remember visiting a country once and my host told me about a great man of God who came to minister sometime in the past. He said the power of God manifested mightily at the crusade so much so that dead persons kilometers away from the programme venue were raised and the sick were healed. Unfortunately, this man of God relaxed and stopped recharging his spiritual batteries. His end was not good at all.

You should be panting for His word and presence more than ever before. If you are not growing, then you are dying. If you used to come early to Church, but now go late, your hunger for Him has reduced. If you used to pray for one hour every day when you became born again and you still do same now, where is your growth? You need to get hungry for God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Anyone who puts his trust in people is bound to get disappointed. People are often unpredictable and not always in control of their own feelings. No matter how much integrity a person has built up, certain situations may make it impossible for such a person to do as they have earlier promised. This is one lesson I learnt the hard way, especially when I became the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Another reason it is difficult to trust people is that a lot of people are not really who they portray themselves to be. In the little time that I have spent on this earth, I have come across many great pretenders who pretend so well that if not for the Holy Spirit, you can never know who they are on the inside.

Thus, the Bible says in Psalm 118:8:
“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

Believe me, no one can be trusted except God. You think your Special Assistant can be trusted? Wait until things begin to get heated up and you would see another side of that same loyal servant. I laugh when I see wealthy men who put so much trust in their bodyguards. How much can you pay a man with a family at home for him to take a bullet for you? You trust your accountant with your money? Fine, but lets pray the fellow never disappoints you.

Our God is a jealous God and the moment He sees that you trust someone so much, He finds a way to reveal the wickedness of that fellow and then you realize that the person cannot be trusted. Instead of trusting people, trust the grace of God on their lives. This way, you acknowledge that the only way they would not misbehave is by the grace of God. When God sees that you recognize it is only by His grace that a fellow will not disappoint you, then He will make that grace available. Put your trust in God alone.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Years ago, I had some work to do abroad. I finished three days ahead of schedule, but my flight booking was the kind that could not be changed, so I had to wait for the next three days. I however had a challenge: I had run out of money but wanted to buy some books and tapes. So, I told God “Lord, it would be nice if I could get £50.” Before long, the phone rang. Although it was a wrong number the fellow called, we got talking. When he discovered I was pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, he called his brother and within the next few hours, they were at my place. When they were leaving, they gave me £50.

I said “Lord, if I had known it would be that easy to get £50, I would have asked for another £50.” Shortly after that, I heard a knock on the door and when I got there, I met an envelope with £50 and a note from a rich man who had never given me anything before, saying “I just felt like giving you £50.” So again I said “Lord, if I had known it would be this easy to get another £50, I would have asked for £50 more.” Before long, another £50 came and then I became afraid. Recently, God reminded me of this story and told me “If I could provide £50 so easily, why didn’t you ask for £5,000,000” I realised then how I had seriously short-changed myself.

Oftentimes when you are celebrating the things that you have, God looks at you, wishing you had envisioned more. I remember thanking God for the old auditorium and calling it a lifetime achievement. He shut me up and said “That is the children’s auditorium.” Today, we are in a 3km by 3km auditorium by His grace and we are just starting. Beloved, no matter how blessed you are, God has more in store for you, if only your mind can believe it. 1st Corinthians 2:9 says:
“…Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A very long time ago, there was a wealthy but stingy man. Whenever his relatives came to ask him for money, he would tell them to go and work for theirs as he worked hard for his. But then, he loved children dearly. He could not refuse a child’s request. His family members discovered this and started to use it against him. Whenever they wanted anything, they would teach their children to make the requests and the rich man would give the children everything they asked for. One day, a relative visited with her child whom she had coached, but when the rich man turned to the child to ask “My dear, what do you want me to give you.” The girl said “Cookies.” The rich man knew that the child was not asking as taught, so he pretended not to hear, and went into his bedroom to give the mother a chance to teach her child again. The mother told the child to ask for land, money and cars. But when the rich man came out again and asked: “My dear, what do you want?” The child said “Cookies.” That day, the child and her mother went back home with cookies even though the rich man had been willing to give a whole lot more than that.

This is the situation with many Christians today. You have a Father who loves you so much and has promised to attended to all your requested. He just cannot say “No” to any of your requests, yet you ask for small things. Romans 8:32 says it expressly that if He gave His Son’s life for us, then what else could be too big for Him to give? John 15:7 says that as long as you are a true Christian, your will is His command.
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

From today, instead of asking Him for transport fare, ask Him for your own chauffeur-driven car. Instead of asking for house rent, ask Him for a mansion in the most expensive area of your city. He said whatever you ask for, He will give you. If you keep asking for transport fare, that’s probably all you will get.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

You would most likely be required to book an appointment if you want to see a great person. If you are lucky to get that appointment and finally get to see him/her, you must be brief because if you are not quick enough, he/she could leave you and move to something else. Great people of this world can be like that, but my Jesus, in spite of being the greatest of all, is different. He listens.

Jesus is really busy; in spite of this, the moment He hears the voice of any of His children, He stops everything else He is doing and pays rapt attention to you like He did for Batimaeus in our Matthew 7:7-11. One thing that gives me joy is not just that He stops everything else that He is doing to listen to me, but that He listens to me alone at that particular time. Jesus could have asked all the blind people around that place to come together since He was about to heal the blind, but He called only Bartimaeus.

I want you to know that Jesus is never too busy to listen to you and you alone. The problem is that most of us don’t call on Him. These days, we talk more about prayers than we actually pray. He is gentle. He will not come into your situation uninvited. He saw that Bethimaeus was blind, yet He asked him what he wanted; He knew the history of the man at the pool of Bethesda, yet He asked him if he wanted to be whole. A song writer said “O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” Take everything to Him in prayer. Many times, we worry about our problems and complain, forgetting to mention them to God; no wonder they linger. Psalm 34:15 tells us:
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”

Are you feeling discouraged and depressed? Talk to Jesus. Are you anxious about something? Talk to Jesus. Are you experiencing a strong temptation that you just might fail? Talk to Jesus. He will leave everything else to listen to you; just talk to Him now.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When we talk about addiction, it is not only a matter of hard drugs. Anger is also something that many people find difficult to control in their lives. The Bible says that those who don’t have any control over their anger are in the same category as those who say there is no God; they are all fools.
“Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Another seemingly subtle addiction that needs to be controlled is lust. For some men, a lady cannot pass by without them feasting on her body with their eyes. Lust is dangerous as it is equal to adultery and Proverbs 6:26 says adultery will reduce the value of any man to a piece of bread.

Yet another one that needs to be controlled is inordinate ambition. It is good to be ambitious, but having so much ambition that it takes over your mind and your walk with God is dangerous. If you want a promotion so badly that you are willing to commit sin to get it, you need to put your ambition in check. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20 that treasures stored on earth will be destroyed or stolen, but if you store up your treasures in heaven, if your ambitions are heaven-related, then you are on the right track. Your spending also needs to be controlled. Many people cannot keep money for a long time. As they get it, they spend it. This attitude tends to poverty and must be controlled. Proverbs 21:20 says:
“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”

Many cannot control how much time they spend on social media. Whenever they pick up their phones, they can be on social media for the next one hour even when they have very important things to do. When they wake up in the morning, instead of praying, the first thing they pick up is their phone. Whatever you cannot control in your life is controlling you. Keep your body under subjection (1st Corinthians 9:27).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

You can delegate authority, but not power. If you don’t know how to open a car door without its keys but attempt it anyway, you would end up damaging it. A man can be living in divine health, while his wife and children still take ill regularly. Until he gets authority over sickness, even if delegated, there is little he can do. Delegated authority however, always has an expiry date.

For example, the Minister of Justice gets his authority from the President of the nation. This authority is however subject to his/her continued stay in office as the Minister of Justice. A person who already has spiritual authority can delegate some of it to you. Delegated authority however, can only be retained and increased as you witness. Go out and share your testimony with others; tell people about this your God of wonders. The first miracle God performed through you should birth testimonies. If you however, do not tell others about what God did before and use that testimony to win them to Christ, what will be His encouragement to do more through you?

“…for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”
Mark 1:27

If you want lasting authority over sickness, demons, poverty and the like, then you must be addicted to soul-winning. Has God performed a great miracle through you based on the authority of an anointed man of God? Use that testimony to win souls to the Kingdom. As you do so, more and more miracles will be happening through you, and very soon, you would not even need to refer to the authority of that man of God anymore, because God would now have given you your own authority. When Jesus gave His disciples authority over sicknesses and demons in Luke 10, it did not last because they stopped witnessing. When they resumed witnessing, they didn’t need any proclamation before the miracles began to flow again.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

According to Acts 1:8, the moment you are baptized with the Holy Ghost, you have received power. But as we learnt yesterday, you need to go beyond the level of power to the level of authority. However, authority will only come when you go out to witness. That is why in Mark 16:17, Jesus said “And these signs shall follow…” In other words, if you stay in one place – you won’t exhibit the signs, but if you go out to witness – the signs will follow you. Acts 10:38 says:
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Although Jesus had been anointed with the Holy Ghost and with the power, He did not stop there; He “went about” and because He did, He was about to heal all that were oppressed of the devil.

Peter and John were amongst the seventy disciples that Jesus sent out on evangelism in Luke 10. While they had been unable to cast out demons before then, by the time they went out preaching the gospel and returned, the demons had become subject to them (Luke 10:17). Still they did not understand the secret of this authority they had over demons, so they stopped evangelizing. It was on the resumption of their evangelistic activities, after Jesus had left them, that they were able to make the lame man at the Beautiful Gate walk.

Many Christians pray that they should also be able to heal the sick and raise the dead, but God is wondering why. They don’t go out to witness, not even in their office or to their neighbour, so why do they need signs and wonders? The signs are for unbelievers to believe (John 4:48) so if you are not ready to witness to them, please forget about signs and wonders. They are reserved strictly for those who witness for Jesus Christ.
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

In science, we learnt that power is the ability to do work. It is the ability to get things done. Authority on the other hand is the right to get something done. To illustrate this, let’s say you lost your car key and then got someone to force it open. That person has ‘power’. However, you need to stay with the fellow while he is opening your car because if the police finds him there, he could get arrested, but with you present, you can prove that the car is yours and that you authorized him to open it.

Now, going by our illustration, who would you rather be – the fellow who has the power or the one with the authority?

It is quite unfortunate that many Christians are satisfied with just having power. They boast about how the devil no longer torments them. This is good, but why should you stop there when Jesus said that you are capable of so much more? Mark 16:17-19 says:
“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.”

As a believer, you are not only meant to be healthy, you are meant to have so much authority over sicknesses and diseases that once they feel your touch, they would vanish immediately.

You may have the power to divine health, but perhaps you don’t yet have the authority to make someone else healthy. Receive that authority now in the mighty name of Jesus. You may have the power to make wealth, but not yet the authority to cause someone else to get his/her financial breakthrough. Receive that authority now in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the ways in which Christians displease God is by being ungrateful for the things He has done for us. We take many of these things for granted, whereas they are fundamental to our well-being. For example, if you are complaining that God did not give you new shoes, have you considered that, if you didn’t have legs, shoes wouldn’t be an issue? Ingratitude displeases Him. Many years ago, after a power-packed crusade, I and my children kept talking about the great move of God in the car on the way back to the hotel where I was lodged. On getting to the hotel, the fellow on the passenger side got out quickly to open the door for me. I don’t know how my hand got in the way of his door, but as he slammed it shut, it hit my fingers and I tell you, it was painful. In my pain, I cried to God “Why did you let this happen, Lord?” and He said “You kept talking about the miracles that happened in the crusade; did you even bother to say ‘thank you’ to me?” Then I said “Lord, I am sorry, thank You for Your great move during the crusade.” God expects you to be grateful at all times. He is also very jealous about His glory. Isaiah 42:8 says:
‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

There was another time when I displeased Him because I thought He had not done anything for me that merited thanksgiving. I began to lay out all the things I had expected in the course of the year but didn’t get. God interrupted me and asked “How many times did you travel this year?” I said “Many times.” “How many times did you have an accident?” He asked. I responded “None.” He continued “How many times did you sleep this year?” “Every night” I answered. “Did any member of your household die in their sleep?” I quickly interrupted Him because I realised how ungrateful I had been.

I want your attitude to thanksgiving to be different from now. Make thanksgiving your lifestyle. Always look for reasons to thank God, no matter how you may feel.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God loves people who are always thankful. While others may get little gifts that make them happy, He makes sure that the joy of the grateful is always full. In Luke 17:11-19, all ten lepers were healed, but only the thankful one was made whole – every sign that he had ever been leprous was removed. I can imagine that anyone who had never seen him prior to his healing would have found it hard to believe he had ever been a leper. The joy of the grateful ones is always full.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

From the passage above, we see that the right way to come into the presence of God is to do so with thanksgiving. Some Christians just barge into God’s presence with their requests as though He were their slave. No wonder many prayers go unanswered! When you come to Him, do so with thanks. Even if it seems as though everything is going upside down for you, thank Him for the fact that you are still alive. God cannot ignore a thankful heart. Once you get His attention, you can then present your requests to Him.

Many years ago, just before the commencement of a three-day crusade to start off the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja, Nigeria, I was praying “Father, perform miracles today, show Yourself strong, heal the sick, raise the dead…” when I suddenly heard God say “Shut up!” Then He asked “Have you thanked me for all the miracles that I have been doing in the past? For the next three days, I don’t want to hear any request from you – just thanks.” This was very hard for me, but I tried to only give thanks to Him throughout the next three days.

After the crusade, He said “Now, tell the elders to strengthen the foundation of the church because, while you have been experiencing some increase, now you will start experiencing multiplication!” We are still enjoying that multiplication till date.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS
1. Father, thank you for keeping me alive to see this new year. GO ahead and just thank God for all the journey mercies He gave you in 2019, all the times He healed you, all the times He provided for you. just give him praise.

2. Father, in this new year, don’t let me spend money for the devil. Don’t let me spend on sickness, court cases or anything that is evil.

3. Father, in this new year, grant all my heart’s desires and let my joy be full. Everything I lay my hand upon according to Your will, let them be successful.

4. Father, in this new year, anytime I call on You, answer me speedily.

5. Father, in this new year, take me to a higher level. Take me to a higher level of grace, a higher level of holiness, a higher level of anointing, a higher level of blessings. Lord just take me higher in this new year.

6. Father in this New Year, let me serve You like never before. Don’t let me ever draw back in serving You.

7. Father, if You return me before the end of this year, don’t leave me behind. Let me reign with You in glory.

8. Father, everything that has given me sorrow in the past, put an end to it in this new year. Put an end to loneliness, poverty, depression and everything that has been making me to cry in the past.

9. Father in this new year, let your promises concerning me come to pass speedily.

10. Father, let me fulfil your purpose for my life in this new year.

11. Father, in this new year, let it be well with my family, my church and my country. Build a hedge of fire around us, let Your manifest presence never leave us, take disaster far away from us and let Your blessings rest upon us this year,

12. Your special prayer request for the new year.

I join my faith with yours and pray that God will grant your request in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many times, people make plans for the day but are unable to complete them. Sometimes it is due to circumstances beyond their control, but most of the time, it is because they start their day late, I have discovered that the best way to achieve your goals in a day is to start when everyone else is still sleeping. At that time, you can work faster because there are fewer distractions. With God, a day starts in the evening; that is why in Genesis 1, you keep seeing and the evening and the morning..." The day starts before the sun rises. If your day starts when it is still dark, then you are on the right track. Those who start their days early usually turn out to be high achievers. Our Lord Jesus is a prime example of this principle. Mark 1 :35 states:
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
This is the beginning of the year, so it is important that you start working on your goals early. While everyone is still getting themselves settled in the New Year, you can have a head start by breaking down your plans for the entire year so that you can work on them step by step. Certain countries win gold medals consistently at the Olympic Games primarily because they start preparing their athletes several years ahead for that one event.

Start working on your goals early. If you are a student, start studying from the beginning of the semester or term, not when the exam time-table is out. If you are an employee or business owner, start preparing well ahead for your deliverables. This principle is what separates the successful from the not-so-successful.

Start early this year.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is a New Year and many will have resolutions, goals and plans. I pray that all your good desires in this New Year will come to pass in the mighty name of Jesus. Now, let me ask: How have your goals for previous years worked out? If you are not satisfied with your sincere answer to this question, then it means you need to change your strategy this year. It would be foolish to keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

Years ago, God asked me to sit and focus on a wall clock. While I was doing that, He suddenly spoke and said: Fools live by the year – they count the years, while wise people live by the day. Psalm 90:12 says:
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

God went on to say that those who excel live by the minute. Make every minute count this year. Those who will excel this year will be those who are constantly looking at their watches – those who will not wait until the sun rises before they rise, nor until the cock crows before they start working on their dreams. If you are wise, you will live by the minute. Who says that you cannot go beyond your own expectations for yourself this year? For you to achieve this however, you must live by the minute. You must also start early.

This year, you must serve God by the minute. One single minute away from God’s presence can be very dangerous and may bring consequences that would last a lifetime. Serve God with all your heart and meditate on His word day and night. This is not a year when you take your attendance in Christian fellowships for granted, but rather one in which iron needs to sharpen iron; when you have to be on fire for God every single minute. I pray that you will have your best year yet this 2020, in the mighty name of Jesus. All your heart’s desires will be met by the Most High. You will serve Him with all your heart, and if Christ returns before the end of the year, you will make it to heaven in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The story was told of two women married to two men who were closely related. The husband of the first woman got a very lucrative job, and within three years, he had built a house for his family of five. Meanwhile, the husband of the second woman was not gainfully employed; he was just surviving by doing different menial jobs around. Unfortunately, because of her family’s good fortune, the first woman developed a negative attitude toward the second woman. The most disheartening aspect of this story is that these two women were worshiping in the same assembly. The rich woman taunted the other woman so much that she almost left her local church. As God would have it, the husband of the second woman got employed by a company, and six months down the line, the company where his relative worked was liquidated and sold to his new employers. The management of the buying company was magnanimous enough to absorb the workers of the liquidated company into their workforce, but at lower cadres compared to their initial designations. So, the husband of the first woman had to manage with a subordinate position in the buying company, and he wasn’t happy when he discovered that the would be an assistant to his relative, and that his salary was 50% less than that of his relative, who was less than 6 months on the job. The ways of God are past finding out!

The laughter that is most desirable is the one that comes last, because Ecclesiastes 7:8a says:
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:”
Are you going through a trying period? The word of the Lord comes to you today from John 16:20 as follows:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
Are you living your life in wickedness? The Lord is also saying to you today in James 4:8b-10:
“Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
He also says in Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
In other words, those who mourn in repentance for their sins and misdeeds will laugh last. Beloved, to be able to laugh last, you need to give your life to Christ today, and you will escape the everlasting agony of an eternity in hell. Jesus is holding out His arms to welcome you into His kingdom today. Run into His arms and you will discover joy and peace like never before.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Exodus 15:1-11 records a classical song of triumph that Moses and the Israelites sang after overcoming the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s forces. After they were liberated from the shackles of slavery in Egypt, the children of Israel were faced with the greatest battle of their lives when they found themselves trapped between the Red Sea before them and Pharaoh’s army behind. At that moment, they fell into a state of despair and murmured against Moses and His God, who took them by His mighty hands out of the land of Egypt. They forgot all the mighty works He did to bring them out, so much so that He killed all the firstborns of Egypt. However, God had mercy on them, and He overthrew Pharaoh’s plan to return them into slavery. After witnessing God’s great intervention on their behalf, songs of triumph filled their mouths and they began to sing, even without any rehearsals. I prophesy to a user of this devotional today: you will experience a victory over your enemies that will put new songs of triumph in your mouth in Jesus’ Name.

David faced so many battles in his life, but at the end of every battle his songs were always songs of triumph. For example, he sang in Psalm 124:1-3, saying;
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:”
Beloved, you also can sing many songs of triumph provided you choose the correct ally in the battles of life. Our God is a specialist in all forms of warfare – be it ground, underground, marine, underwater or air warfare, it doesn’t matter to Him. What He did with Pharaoh and his hosts is a good example of his marine and submarine warfare capabilities. The battle He fought for the Israelite's in 1st Samuel chapter 7 is an example of His ground warfare abilities. In Exodus 9:18-25, He showed His ability to fight from the air by sending hailstones upon the Egyptians. Describing the mightiness of God in battle, the Holy Spirit said Isaiah 12:5-6:
“Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”
So, if I were you, I would ensure that this God, who is mighty in battle, is my ally, and I would surrender every battle of my life to Him to fight in His own way. Do this today, and you will always have songs of triumph to sing.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the anchors of our faith in Christ is the hope that He is coming back again (1st John 3:2-3). Unfortunately, not a lot of people are still excited about this great event, which will surely take place. As a matter of fact, teachings on the last days and second coming of Christ have not been heard in some churches in the last five to ten years! This is not surprising because this attitude is in line with what the Lord foretold would happen in the last days, saying in Luke 17:26-27
“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”
As revealed by the Holy Spirit in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the Lord’s coming is not giving to be a secret event. He is coming with great grandeur, in His true personality as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It is laughable that some so-called scholars claim that Jesus has already come secretly, while some others claim He has changed His mind and is not coming back again! On the day of His ascension, the angels who spoke with the disciples made it clear that He will return the same way He left.

There are some salient truths about the King we are expecting that we need to establish today. First is that He interacted with His disciples for forty days after His resurrection from the dead, and He even ate with them (Acts 1:3, John 21:7-15). So, He is not a ghost, an apparition or the result of the disciples’ hallucinations. He was seen by over five hundred men, not counting the women who were also His disciples (1st Corinthians 15:4-. So His resurrection from the grave is not based on the wishful-thinking of just a few fanatics. Secondly, He ascended into heaven through the sky in the presence of His disciples. There was no gimmick or hidden magic trick about it. After His ascension, angels testified that He would return in like manner. Therefore, nobody should be deceived that Jesus Christ has secretly returned. As a matter of fact, He has no reason to return in secret. In light of these truths, believers must be ready for the imminent return of the King of kings. The amazing thing is that despite the stories Jesus told about kings who traveled and returned requesting accountability from their servants, many do not seem to understand that these parables are intended to prepare us for the events of the last days. I pray that you will be wise enough as the children of Issachar to accurately observe and understand the times and seasons we live in (1st Chronicles 12:32). God will keep you to the very end in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One tactic the devil uses to gain access into the lives of God’s children is portraying our loving heavenly Father in bad light. His end game here is to make us fall from grace and glory into shame and pity. He successfully used this poly against Eve in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:4-5 documents his approach:
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
The devil portrayed himself here as being more loving and caring than God! How deceitful! We see this character being manifested by his agents in the world today. When a man, who is actually a ravenous wolf, beings to show exceptional care for a young girl beyond what her parents can afford, he is actually seeking to devour a precious part of the innocent girl’s life. A housewife who shows more care to a domestic male servant or driver than her husband may be walking in the same spirit as Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:7-20). If you find yourself in such a situation, please run for your dear life. The Holy Spirit already warned us about this, saying in Proverbs 6:26:
“For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.”

Contrary to what the devil and his agents would have us believe, God loves us. Proved His love for us by giving us the gift of Himself in His Son (John 3:16). The Son said in John 15:13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Did you notice that He called us His friends in this verse? It is a foolish thing to think that anyone can love us like God the Father and His only begotten Son do. It is because of this love that He promises you beauty for ashes in Isaiah 61:1-3. Beloved, do not listen to the negative comments of the devil about the Lover of your soul, who is specifically sending this message to you today so that you may know He has not forgotten you. He sent me to tell you that He is processing your prayers for the appointed time. So, don’t be weary in your faith, because your are next in line for a testimony. The God who did wondrous things in David’s life, so much so that He penned the words of today’s memory verse after overcoming all his foes, will do the same for you this season in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the reasons why Jesus was born is to give us peace like a river (Luke 2:14). It is a great thing to have the peace of God inside. If you have God’s peace, you will experience peace in the totality of your inner man, because this peace applies the balm of serenity to our minds and hearts. Without mincing words, it is not a good thing to lack inner peace. The devil uses turbulent storms to generate crisis in people’s lives, leading to worry and anxiety. This is one method he uses to steal God’s peace away from us, but God will not allow his evil venture to succeed in your life in Jesus’ Name. Many people whose peace the devil has stolen seek peace through the use of tranquillisers and depressants, while some others turn to illicit drugs or alcohol. Some even dabble in mystic pseudo-religious movements to find solutions to their lack of peace. All of these sources do not possess peace, and so they cannot give peace to anyone. God is the only source of peace, and He has appointed His Son as the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Speaking through His Holy Spirit, He prescribes His remedy against any raging storm of the devil that wants to steal our inner peace, saying in Philippians 4:6-7:
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
From this verse we understand that prayer holds the key to walking in God’s peace. Through prayer, we are able to beat back the devil’s arrows of anxiety and worry. Spending time alone with God to thank Him and present our petitions is the most effective tranquilliser. There is no solution to inner disquiet as effective as prayer, and it always works.

The peace of God transcends all understanding. In other words, it is above and beyond what we understand. The next time you sense a great inner shaking or even just a slight inner disquiet, try prayer. Shut, yourself away to be alone with God, and pray God’s word back to Him. Thank Him for who He is and for all His grace and goodness; then tell Him about your anxieties and concerns, and He will intervene to change thing for you. When you finish praying, you will discover that the peace of God has filled your inner man. A quiet inner serenity and calm will reign in you, even if the storm is still ranging around you. I know this to be true from experience and from what God’s word says. God’s word is practical and its promises work in every circumstance of life. Have you ever considered that your lack of inner peace might be God’s way of calling you to prayer? God may be calling you to have fellowship with Him, and in the process He will restore His peace that transcends all understanding to your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The greatest gift a person can give is the gift of himself. If Abraham understood this, he would not have complained to God about not having a child after God had offered Himself to him as a gift, saying in Genesis 5:1b:
“Fear not Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”
In like manner, God has offered Himself as a gift to all of mankind in the person of Jesus Christ (1st Timothy 3:16). As you celebrate His birth today, you need to understand the magnitude of what God has done in sending Him into the world for the salvation of mankind. No wonder He said to the Samaritan woman in John 4:10:
“If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”
If you catch the revelation that Jesus is God Himself wrapped up as a gift just for you, your perspective will change from asking for petty things to desiring more of Him in your life. Having Him in your life is more than enough for you. This is why Colossians 2:10 says:
“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”
Those who know who He is and have received Him into their lives know that they need nothing more. Having Jesus in your life grants you access to all the resources of heaven, so what more do you need beyond Him (John 16:15)? To give us a better understanding of this mystery, the Holy Spirit asks us a question we should ponder on in Romans 8:32, saying:
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

It is one thing to be offered a gift, and it is another thing to accept this gift. It is one thing to accept an offered gift, and it is another thing to know the worth and capabilities of that gift. Ultimately, for a person to benefit from the benevolence of a gift, its content has to be unpacked and deployed to meet the needs of its recipient. Have you accepted the Greatest Gift that God can give into your life? Today is a great day to do so if you haven’t. He is standing at the door of your heart waiting to enter in, if only you acknowledge that He loves and cares for you, and that He shed His Blood on the cross of Calvary to cleanse your sin. After acknowledging this, you need to declare it with your mouth and also confess your sins to Him. Ask Him to come into your life to reign over you as your personal Lord and Saviour. If you have done this, congratulations! You will begin to discover so many things about this Greatest Gift of God as you begin to study about Him through a Bible, and these will propel your life to the zenith. Hallelujah!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When our Lord Jesus Christ was leaving earth, He promised that He would send us a Comforter who would teach us all things (John 14:26). That Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, came on a certain day of Pentecost, and He has been with the Body of Christ ever since then (Acts 2). The Lord sent Him to serve as His representative in our lives, and His ministry in us is so invaluable. His presence in a man’s life is transformative and empowering, so much so that those who don’t have Him or who are not full of His presence do not know what they are missing. He is such a precious Partner in accomplishing the will of God for our lives in this world.

When a person becomes born again, the fellow suddenly begins to feel an unusual peace within. That is the effect of the presence of the Holy Spirit. the Holy Spirit in that person also begins to sound an alarm whenever he or she is about to commit a sin. Such a fellow has a choice to either ignore this warning or take heed. If you are a child of God, I am sure you experience this whenever you are about to commit a sin. My advice is that you yield to His warning, because the Holy Spirit can be displaced from a person’s heart. If you often ignore His voice, you will soon realise that you cannot hear Him anymore. If you continue living in sin, He will leave and other spirits will take His place (Matthew 12:43-45). May you never experience this in Jesus’ Name.

Not only does the Holy Spirit help us to live a holy life, He also teaches and helps us to pray (Romans 8:26). Prayer is a way of communicating with our heavenly Father. If you don’t communicate often with your Father, your relationship with Him will become strained, and you will soon find yourself doing things that are contrary to His will. Hence, it is important to pray regularly. However, many Christians would rather talk about prayer than pray. The Holy Spirit always nudges us to pray. Whenever you feel this nudge, please go to a separate place and pray. Sometimes, its not that you don’t want to pray, you just don’t know what to say when you start. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in such moments. Lastly, what distinguishes our lives as Christians is the fruit of our character. The Holy Spirit influences our character through the manifestation of His fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). He helps us to live a life filled with love, joy, faith, patience, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness and temperance. Consciously cultivate a relationship with Him and He will manifest more of His precious works in your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The word ‘heritage’ refers to a cherished property or inheritance, having special architectural, historical or natural qualities and values. It reveals the sense of history, personality, importance, authority and worth of a people or nation. It is therefore not surprising that God commanded the Israelite's to document historical events, covenants, laws and commandments that form their heritage, in order to preserve them forever (Exodus 17:14, Exodus 34:27, Deuteronomy 11:20). God and His kingdom also have a heritage. The people of God in all generations are the heritage of God (Psalm 94:5). The Bible therefore refers to the Israelites, the Church of Christ and little children as God’s heritage (Joel 3:2, 1st Peter 5:3, and Psalm 127:3). Since a heritage refers to assets of monumental value, the Lord’s heritage is therefore something very precious, to be protected and watched over with all diligence. This should give you an idea of your worth to God as a Christian.

In the beginning God created us in His own image and for His pleasure, but man later fell from grace and became a slave to sin. In His mercy, God approached the slave market and repurchased us by offering the precious Blood of His Son, Jesus, as ransom for us. By this heavy investment, God has secured a double claim of ownership over us: as the beautiful work of His hands, and as His adopted children, bought with the precious Blood of Jesus. Little wonder the Holy Spirit in 1st Peter 2:9 describes those in Christ in these terms:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
All of mankind have the opportunity of becoming God’s children through faith in Jesus Christ, who came into this world to redeem us from sin and Satan over two thousand years ago. As you celebrate His birth this season, remember what He came to do and do not let it go to waste in your life. Jesus came to manifest the nature of God and demonstrate His character to us, so that through His example we can imitate the ways of our heavenly Father in our daily lives. Those who live their lives in this manner, under the saving grace and lordship of Jesus Christ, are those considered to be God’s heritage. Just as human beings spare no expense to preserve their heritage, God can go to any length to preserve those that are His heritage. Are you part of God’s heritage?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A refuge is a secured shelter or a place of protection from danger and distress. It is a stronghold that is commonly used for retreats, healing and renewal.
It is therefore comforting that the Bible refers to God as our Refuge. 2nd Samuel 22:3 says:
“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.”
In effect, God is our Fortress, Strong Tower, Rock of defence, our Shield, our Shade of protection and our Shelter in the time of storms. Indeed, He is a mighty God with incredible capabilities. As the Lord of hosts and our Mighty man in battle, He is mighty to deliver and mighty to save.

A father’s capabilities and actions go a long way in affecting the life of his child. Our heavenly Father does not only neutralize weapons designed against His children, He also protects them from harm. ,I have experienced His goodness in this regards several times, and I would like to share one of these with you today. At a time when I was still very young in the 50’s, we had mining activities going on in my village and our road were very narrow. Nigeria was still under colonial rule back then. Usually, white men came in a jeep to collect the gold that the miners got. The white men were so powerful in those days that the villagers believed that if a white man killed a person’s child, that person would still have to say “thank you” to them, to avoid being sent to prison. For this reason, they were very much dreaded. One day, my sister and I were returning from the farm when we suddenly heard the sound of a jeep moving towards us at top speed. My sister immediately grabbed my hand and we both jumped out of its way, landing in an empty mine pit. We barely escaped the jeep, but before we could have a sigh of relief, we found ourselves before a deadly snake. However, because our heavenly Father can preserve lives, I lived to tell the story. In Luke 10:19, God empowered all believers in Christ to have authority over snakes, scorpions, and over demonic agents and all their activities. I therefore prophesy in the Name that is above all other names: God will protect you and defend everything that is yours this season. I testify that God’s word is trustworthy, reliable and dependable, and this word says in Psalm 20:7-8:
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”
Irrespective of what you may be passing through right now, trust in God and call upon His Name today, and He will give you all-round peace.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, we considered the place of God’s word in living a holy life, but that is not the only tool we need to sustain a life of holiness. Apart from God’s word, another tool that God has provided for us to live holy is accountability to each other in the place of fellowship. If you are not part of a fellowship of brethren, it will be easy for you to fall into temptation. In fact, when the devil is after a Christian, one of the first things he does is to isolate the person from fellowshipping with the brethren. He will either cause a quarrel between the fellow and someone else in the fellowship or make the fellow offended by some of the activities of the fellowship. In my village, we used to cook with firewood, and we needed a lot of wood to make the fire big enough to cook a meal. Every log in the fire helps the other to get and remain hot. If while cooking, one log of wood was removed from the fire and placed in a separate place, you would soon discover that his log of wood would get cold and stop burning, while the others that stayed together would keep burning. This illustrates the evil strategy of the devil; please don’t fall for it by separating yourself from the fellowship of the brethren. If there is any quarrel between you and any member of your fellowship, go to your leaders and let them settle it, rather than you leaving the fellowship.

Another important thing you need to note is that if you are in a fellowship where everyone else is feeding from you and you are not being fed by anyone, you need to change your strategy from just feeding your fellowship members to teaching them how to get fed directly from God, so that they can also feed you from what God is teaching them. Even though the flame on a candle does not reduce with the number of candles it lights, a time may come when a strong wind blows out its fire and it will need another candle to light it up. If all the other candles in your fellowship have only little light, they will also not be able to withstand the wind, and hence they will be out of the fire too. However, if there is at least one person who has been feeding from you who now knows how to feed directly from God, you can get some fire from that fellow. This is why the Bible says in Proverbs 27:17:
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friends.”
No matter how strong plastic is, it can never sharpen iron; so raise every “plastic” person around you to become iron. Believe me honestly, a “Sunday-Sunday” Christian will find it difficult to live holy. Attending mid-week services are important to keep your fire burning. Small fellowship meetings also help you strengthen your spirit man against temptations. Meeting with a prayer partner or organising small Bible study group meetings regularly will also make you sharper spiritually.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

From my encounters with people all around the world, I make bold to say that so many people want to live their lives as true Christians. However, even though they really want to live holy Christ-like lives, they somewhat find themselves falling into sin again and again. Some have even concluded that it is not possible to live a holy life, but nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48:
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Only a bully would ask a person to do something he or she knows cannot be done, just to oppress that person. In some Nigerian secondary schools, a bully would give a junior student N10 and ask the fellow to buy food worth N100. Our God is not like that; if He says you should be perfect, it means He has given you the ability to be perfect. The only problem is that most people fail to realise that they have all it take to live a life of holiness.

God gave us the Bible to help us live a holy life. Everyone who studies their Bible regularly will tell you that the more they study God’s word, the less attractive sin becomes to them. This is the point of sanctification where a person begins love righteousness and hate iniquity. In order for His disciples to remain holy after His departure, Jesus prayed to God thus:
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
John 17:17
If you don’t study your Bible daily, it will be impossible for you to live holy.

You should not stop at studying God’s word daily, you must also memorise it. This is why we have a memory verse per day in our devotional. When you memorise scriptures every day, it will be difficult for you to commit sin. David said in Psalm 119:11:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
What you meditate on and for how long you meditate on it has an effect on your lifestyle. This is why God advised Joshua to meditate on His word day and night. If you continuously do this, you will begin to live like Christ and succeed as He did.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is common knowledge that a tree is known by its fruit. Incidentally, man also possesses the capacity to bear fruit. Are you bearing fruit? What kind of fruit are you bearing? For a sinner, he or she is expected to bear fruits meet for repentance (Matthew 3:, while believers must bear the fruits of souls won into the kingdom (Matthew 28:18-20), as well as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

The fruits emanating from a person’s life can be used in identifying the person’s nature. Our Lord Himself recommended this as a way of differentiating his true messengers from imposters. In these last days, there are imposters among believers and ministers of the gospel. The only way we can identify them is by examining their fruits. For example, when you see a so-called believer drinking beer, patronizing brothels or living a lifestyle of sin, you do not need to be Prophet Elijah to tell that such a person is not is a genuine disciple of Christ. Why? The Holy Spirit already clearly revealed the kind of lifestyle fruit that those who are in Christ will produce. He said in 1st John 3:9-10:
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
In Acts 8:18-23, we read about a fake disciple in the early Church, Simon by name, who was identified as an imposter through his fruit. He had been a sorcerer for a good number of years, but he joined the Church, pretending to be converted. The leadership of the Church was able to discover his deception by his quest to procure spiritual power with money. In other words, he was only in church to make money, contrary to the purpose of the Head of the Church. When his sin found him out, Peter sternly reprimanded him, saying in Acts 8:20-21:
“… Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.”

There are some people who crave position, title and ordination in church today so that they can make merchandise of the gospel, while some are even in church to cause confusion. What is the motive driving your service in the house of God today? The Lord expects your zeal for him to be grounded in love for Him and commitment to the expansion of His kingdom. Is it so with you?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.