₦airaland Forum

Testimonies are very powerful. Revelations 12:11 confirms that the devil can be overcome by the word of our testimony. That is how important it is.

When it is testimony time, some people say to themselves “Let others mount the podium; I am too big for that.” Have you observed that those who frequently share testimonies always have new ones? This is because when you talk about what God has done in the past, He will be compelled to do more.

A testimony is a weapon of warfare. 2nd Chronicles 20:1-30 shows this clearly. King Jehoshaphat knew how to give testimonies. Three different armies had gathered to destroy him, so he began to testify: God, are You not the One who did this? Are you not the One who did that? Then God told him there was no need to fight that battle. Jehoshaphat and his people only had to sing and God destroyed these armies for them.

David was another man who knew how to give testimonies. There was nothing God did for David that he kept quiet about. This is perhaps why Israel won all their battles during his reign and he has remained to date the greatest king Israel ever had. In fact, his testimonies are all over the book of Psalms. He said in Psalm 103:2:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

There is a lot to gain from sharing testimonies and a lot to lose from keeping God’s wondrous works to oneself. Have you been hiding your testimonies? Why not start relaying your testimony at every opportunity you have, even if it is with just one person and see what God will do in your life.

Some people say I love telling stories; the reality is that I actually just love bragging about what my God can do. I have noticed that the more of His great wonders I share, the more He does in my life. Share your testimony today and you will begin to experience more wondrous blessings from God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Perhaps, the most sorrowful period of my life was when my wife was pregnant with our fourth child. Before we met the Lord, we had three children, all delivered through cesarean sections. We had decided not to have any more because the doctor said she couldn’t have a natural; delivery and further surgeries may not have been safe. We became born again and one day, we came across Luke 1:37: “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.” These words gave us the assurance to have another baby.

Throughout the pregnancy, we didn’t see any doctor. Some of our friends were quite apprehensive. They said my wife could bleed to death during labour because she could rupture any of the three points where she had been sutured during her previous deliveries. I kept saying “No, that is not written in my Bible.”

On the delivery date, she laboured for several hours to no avail. Then the second and third day passed and the baby was still not born. I was becoming really tense. On the third day, the devil whispered to me very clearly “Stupid man, you claim to have a PhD; fool, your wife is going to die tonight and you will see what her relatives will do to you.” Suddenly, a holy anger rose up within me and I said “Listen devil, if my wife dies tonight, I will seek permission from the General Overseer to preach on Sunday, and the first thing I will say is there is nothing that my God cannot do.” Immediately after, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit strongly with me and I began to pray. Not long after, I heard the cry of a baby. My wife was the only one at the maternity so it could only have been ours. After a short while, my Father-in-the-Lord, who had been with us all through, came out of the maternity and told me, “Baba aburo (father of a new-born), go and say hello to your wife.” My joy knew no bounds.

Indeed, weeping may endure for a night, but joy surely will come in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Dear reader, hold on to the word of God, keep confessing it, shut the devil up in times of discouragement and very soon your joy will become full in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As we have seen from yesterday’s study, some Christians have little faith, and of course, they would not believe miracles can happen through them.

How I wish that the crowd at the Holy Ghost Services of the RCCG in Nigeria would have great faith to go out and start performing miracles. What a great revival that would bring! Jesus did not give the right to perform miracles to only a set of Christians, He said in Mark 16:17 that it is for believers.
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to die for our sins? Do you believe that He is coming back soon to take His children to Heaven? If your answer to both questions is ‘yes’, then you are a believer. Therefore, you are fully qualified to work miracles. Don’t be afraid, just go ahead and pray, then leave the rest to God.

A long time ago, when my faith was not as strong as it is today, whenever someone came to me for prayers, I would just pray and expect miracles to happen later. One day, a woman came for prayers with her child who was about ten years old and had been dumb from birth. As I began to pray “In the name of Jesus….”the child said “Amen”. I nearly jumped out the window – I was that afraid. There I was, not expecting an immediate miracle but before I even prayed, it had happened.

Imagine if I had stopped praying after trying a few times without seeing any instant miracles. The truth is that no great ‘miracle evangelist’ was so from birth; rather, he/she continued praying for people even when the results were not obvious, then one day, the miracles started happening. If you are a true believer, the power to work wonders is already in your hands, just go ahead and pray. If you pray for one person and nothing happens, pray for the next. Just keep praying, the miracles are coming.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1

Having faith means believing something that you are yet to see physically, so much so that you can feel it already. If you are hoping for a baby for example, faith is you hearing him/her cry; carrying and feeding him/her even when the baby has not manifested physically. Faith is the currency of operations in the spiritual realm which controls the physical; it is the greatest currency in the world. With faith, everything is possible. (Mark 9:23).

However, there are different categories of faith. Some people have no faith at all. They believe in total impossibility and are consumed by fear. Some have little faith as Jesus pointed out in Matthew 6:30. These ones believe that impossibilities can be possible, but only for certain people like their Pastor or the General Overseer. They don’t believe they also can work miracles.

However, there is faith as the grain of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). This faith, though small, can move mountains. It is the starting point for a man of faith. There is also great faith, according to Matthew 15:21-28. It is the kind that does not accept “No” for an answer; it is persistent. Not only does the fellow with great faith believe that all things are possible, he also endures even when manifestations are delayed. Your faith will become great in the mighty name of Jesus.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). The volume of His word in you determines your level of faith in Him. If your faith will increase, you must be addicted to God’s word. Meditate on it day and night. Season your words with the scriptures at all times (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).

When the word of God dwells richly in you, your faith will be great and nothing will be impossible to you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The problem with some 21st century Christians is that they do not know the value of heavenly investments, which yield dividends both in this life and eternally. This is unfortunate because they focus more on earthly investments and this is the exact opposite of our Lord’s injunction in Matthew 6:10-21. Earthly investments are prone to corruption. Jesus explains in the parable of the rich fool that choosing earthly investments over heavenly ones is not wise.

“…then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Like 12:20-21

The Bible also says:
“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly makes themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”
Proverbs 23:5

A story was told of a young man who was attacked by hoodlums on his way home, the very night he gave his life to Jesus Christ. They asked him, “Your money or your life: which do you want to surrender?” To their amazement, the young man said, “I am sorry, I do not have either of the two things you are asking for!” The gang leader, out of curiosity at the response of the young man asked “What do you mean you do not have life or money to surrender?” The young man replied, “I am just coming from the Church where the pastor persuaded me to give my life to Christ and I did. At the end of the service, I was also asked to give my substance to God’s work and I emptied my pockets for the work of Jesus who saved me without any charge!” The leader said “I see, because you have amused me this evening, I will let you go, but next time, always remember to reserve something for us!” As funny as this story may sound, it carries an eternal truth: Investing in the Kingdom of God is the best decision you can ever make as it yields both earthly and heavenly rewards.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Isaiah 40:31, Christians who wait upon the Lord are compared to ‘an eagle’ – often referred to as the ‘King of birds’. There are many kinds of birds; why did the Lord choose the eagle and not the parrot or some other kind for this illustration? The answer is not far-fetched. Several distinguished factors set the eagle apart from the parrot and indeed other birds. While an eagle is big, strong and a high flyer, the parrot is weak and cannot fly as high. While one may enjoy the company of a parrot, when serious issues are to be discussed, it is usually shut out while ‘an eagle’ is invited. Are you a parrot or an eagle?

The eagle does not talk much; it tends to act instead. It doesn’t move with a flock, like many people with gossip cliques today. Perhaps this is why it soars above storms – it has an immense ability to use the storms to its advantage. How you use your mouth can determine if you will overcome a storm or be subdued by it. Watch it! Talk only when necessary.
“He that keepeth his mouth keepth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”
Proverbs 13:3

Going by the above, the less you say, the less likely you are to get into trouble and vice versa. Words are powerful, so be careful with them. You cannot retrieve any utterance. Matthew 12:36 says we shall be held accountable for every idle word we speak, so always think before you speak. You don’t have to respond every time you are criticized. You don’t have to always say what’s on your mind. Bridle your tongue before it puts you in trouble.

Ask yourself: Why do I talk too much? For some, it’s because they like noise and cannot stay quiet. Some want to impress; others talk to show they are good debaters and yet others, to display how current they are. If you talk too much, control your tongue or excuse yourself whenever you find yourself in such situations and soon enough, you will find yourself talking less and with moderation.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As much as food is necessary for humans to stay alive, it could also be the cause of untimely death for some. This is primarily because such people have refused to exercise moderation and care in their food intake. Proverbs 23:2 says you should control your appetite, exercise restraint even if it appears you may die by doing so. Don’t be like Esau who, because of hunger, in Genesis 25:32 claimed:
“Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profits shall this birth right do to me?”

Listen: You will not die by exercising discipline on yourself. It is indiscipline that kills. Sometime ago, some rats were used for an experiment. They were put in two groups – A and B. The ones in the first group – A, were fed very well, thus they grew fresh and robust while the ones in group B were given fewer rations, so they were not as fat as those in the first group. After some time, all the rats were injected with the same measure of a disease. Those in group A died while those in B survived.

The researchers found a strong connection between overfeeding and the failure of the rats in group A to survive the disease. Watch the quantity of food you consume, especially when you are about to go to bed. It may be difficult at the start, but keep at it, your body will adjust.

Avoid junk and genetically modified food. As much as possible, reduce how often you take canned food. In fact, eating too much processed food has been linked with the development of cancer. It is best to eat organic fruits and vegetables as they are healthy. Grow some of your food if you can.

God is interested in your spiritual wellbeing but He is also very interested in your health. That is why He took care of sicknesses through the stripes on His body (Isaiah 53:5) before His crucifixion for your sins at Calvary. He needs you to take care of your body because the healthier you are, the more effective you will be in His service.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

This generation is generally called the digital age because with a handheld device, you can connect with anyone in the world. This is actually very good but the concern is in such devices taking total control of you. These days, many are so preoccupied with their phones that they do not have time for God and what matters to Him. For some, the first thing they pick when they wake in the morning is the phone and not the Bible. Others can spend one hour on social media yet cannot spend same studying God’s word or praying. This shows that such hearts are more drawn to the phone than God. Don’t give the devil the liberty to rub you of God’s blessings.

Are you not already giving a phone the place of God? Have you observed that the position many take when using a phone is such that their heads are bowed? This is dangerous; remember, He is jealous God (Exodus 34:14). Exodus 20:2-3 says:
“I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

If you have to delete some applications on your phone that you are addicted to, do so. If it will take you to place a Bible over your phone at night so when you reach out for the latter in the morning, it is the former you would pick instead, do so. Put measures in place to ensure you priorities activities that will make you grow spiritually.

Many Christians now prefer electronic Bibles. However, with the Bible applications on phones and tablets, there would be distractions from other applications on the device and the Spirit in the word of God cannot minister to the distracted mind. If you must use the electronic Bible, it would be best to go offline to cut off distractions from calls and messages. I play the audio Bible before I go to bed so that all night, God’s word is being read aloud in my room while I am sleeping. You can do this too.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The blood of Jesus is a very potent weapon in the hand of a believer; unfortunately, some don’t use it at all while others underutilized it, allowing the devil to take undue advantage.
“…and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.”
Exodus 12:23

It is also a marker. In the verse above, God asked the Israelites to mark their door posts with the blood of a pure lamb, so when the angel of death sent to kill the first born of the Egyptians saw it, they would be spared. Jesus is our Lamb and His blood is purer than that of any other. When it covers your life, the devil cannot touch you. I decree in the mighty name of Jesus: any evil coming your way this year will pass over once it sees the blood of Jesus.

A couple once complained to me about the quarrels in their home. They lived alone, but whenever either spouse kept money anywhere in the house, they would not find it. Each time, both would deny ever taking the money. While we were talking, it occurred to me that the situation could be the devil’s manipulation, so I told them to cover their money with the blood of Jesus when next they wanted to keep any in the house. I knew that when the devil came for the cash and saw the blood, he would be unable to touch it. They obeyed and money stopped vanishing in their home. All your possessions that the devil keeps touching are covered with the blood of Jesus from now on.

Now that you know the power in the blood, begin to use it effectively. Plead the blood on everything that belongs to you so the devil will never be able to touch it again.

However, Jesus’ blood is only potent in the hands of a believer. So, if you are still stained by sin, ask to be washed in it today. Only then can the blood work mightily for you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Blood of Jesus is the most powerful substance I know. I know how powerful it is because I have used it countless times and it has worked for me. The most important thing that the blood of Jesus can do is wash away sins. Every sinner carries a burden of guilt. However, the moment the fellow surrenders his/her life to Christ, the blood of Jesus washes away his/her sins. From that moment, the fellow is completely pure and none of his sins exist anymore. Isn’t that wonderful? If you are still carrying the burden of sin, I advise that you ask Him to cleanse you with His blood today and you will experience great peace like never before.

Aside from washing away sins, the blood of Jesus is also a potent weapon to overcome Satan. Revelation 12:11 says:
“And they overcome him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony…”

Is Satan tormenting you in any area of your life? Just plead the blood of Jesus on it and you will overcome him.

The greatest covenant anyone can enter into is a blood covenant. If it so happens that your forefathers have entered into a covenant with the devil and you have noticed certain trends in your lineage, the blood of Jesus is the only thing that can break it. A long time ago in my family, one of our fathers impregnated his maid and his wife at the same time. While the wife was well-cared for after her delivery, the maid, because of her status, was given food without oil – very dry and unappetising, despite having delivered a son. The maid, hurt, placed a curse on the family and from that moment on, any child born and given anything with oil to eat died. The family found out and oil became forbidden for children in the home. Then I met Christ and His blood overcame the ancestral curse in my family.

The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to overcome Satan and all his demons.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

You cannot claim to love what God loves and not hate what He hates. The Bible has made it easy for us to identify the things that God hates by listing them out in Proverbs 6:16-19:
“These six things doth the LORD hath: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

Today we will only discuss two of the things God hates as seen in the passage above. The very first thing on the list is “a proud look.” God hates pride. James 4:6 says God resists the proud. In other words, if you are proud, forget about being a friend of God because He hates pride. But if you love Him, you too would hate pride. You would not raise your shoulder everywhere you go, you would not look down on others nor insist people call you by a title or greet you in a certain way.

The next thing on the list is “a lying tongue.” God hates lies. It amazes me when I see Christians lying and then they will say it was a white lie. Do you think there is a section in heaven for those who tell white lies? The Bible says ALL liars shall have their part in the lake of fire (Revelations 21:. The white, black and multicoloured liars are all going to hell because God hates lies. Stop telling lies. Jesus is called “The Truth” (John 14:6), so anything like a lie is irritating to Him. On the other hand, the devil is the father and lord of lies (John 8:44).

Anyone who still lies no matter the colour cannot claim to be a friend of God; the fellow is rather a child of the father of liars – the devil. Choose to become a child of God today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a popular saying that the friend of my friend is my friend. If God is your friend, then you would love anyone or anything He loves. For example, God loves children. He likes having them around Him (Matthew 19:14) and He ensures that their angels stand face to face with Him (Matthew 18:10). I hope you love children too, because if you are always mean to children or you are indifferent when others are mean to them, then you cannot claim to love God.

So what are the things God loves? He loves fellowship. When Jesus was to start His ministry on earth, one of the first things He did was to appoint disciples to keep Him company (Mark 3:14-19). He said wherever two or three are gathered in His name, He will be present (Matthew 18:20). He loves it when we come together to fellowship. Are you excited when it is time for fellowship or are you reluctant to spend time with the brethren? One reason God loved David is found in Psalm 122:1:
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

He was always excited to attend Church meetings. Are you excited whenever it is time to go to Church? Are you one of those the Pastor has to fellow-up closely before they are seen in Church? Make out time to enjoy fellowship with the brethren from today; God loves it.

God also loves all human beings dearly. He sent His only Son to die for the world – not just the Jews or Christians alone. Some people forget that their house help is also amongst the people that Jesus came to die for, so they ill-treat them whereas Jesus loves the fellow so much that He died for him/her. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment after loving God is to love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:31). Have you seen people in the scenarios described in Matthew 25:42-43 and ignored them?

If you truly love God, then you would love people around you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, I will be focusing on the married. It is sad that many married people are still having crushes with persons apart from their spouses. If there is any fellow aside from your spouse you are admiring unduly, you must see such a person as the devil and get rid of them immediately. One of my sons once told me that he was always excited to resume in the office every Monday because he would get to see his secretary again. I told him to fire her immediately. Nothing and no one is worth your marriage.

What is married woman doing on the phone with another man for countless minutes? Why would a married man be spending so much time with another man’s wife? Why would you prefer to discuss intimate issues with your ‘friend’ of the opposite sex instead of your God-given spouse? Oh, you may say “I am not doing anything with the fellow; we are just friends.” That is exactly where it starts from. The devil knows you are a Christian and would not fall for someone just like that. So, he makes you become good friends with the fellow and before you know it, you would have fallen. May you not fall for any strategy of the devil in the mighty name of Jesus. If you have any friend that you talk to more than your spouse, break that friendship now. Proverbs 5:18 has this to say:
“Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.”

Spend more time with your spouse and make him/her your confidant. Exchange compliments. The reason many people have crushes outside their marriage is mostly due to a distance between the couple. They no longer communicate as they used to. When they talk, it is only on serious issues about the children or other family needs, instead of talking/gisting about just anything as they used to in the early days of their marriage. They no longer go out to fun places or take walks together except they are going for family functions. If there is no distance between yourself and your spouse, no crush can come between you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A crush is a brief but intense infatuation for someone.

To the unmarried, I want to tell you that a crush is likely to crush you if you base your decision concerning whom to marry solely on your emotions. It is often said that love is blind and this is very true. Samson had a crush on Delilah (Judges 16:4-18). Oh, I wish he had crushed the crush so that he could see Delilah’s true character before he fell into her trap. This is someone who sold him into captivity and ultimately his untimely death. If there is someone that you admire, before you jump into a relationship with the fellow, pray first. Study the fellow’s behaviour. After you hear from God yourself and get confirmations (2nd Corinthians 13:1), then you can involve your Pastor and commence courtship.

If you are not yet ready for marriage, then a crush is an agenda of the devil to distract you from your goals and to crush your destiny. You had better crush that crush before it crushes you. 1st Corinthians 6:19 says:
“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you….?”

The devil knows that any sexual sin is a sin against your body – the temple of God and once it is committed, that body ceases to be God’s temple, so he can now touch and destroy it. Amnon – David’s heir apparent had a crush on his half-sister Tamar and instead of crushing it, he let it grow. He discussed it with the wrong person who gave him ungodly counsel that he acted on (2nd Samuel 13). He paid with his life and caused a deep rift in his family… all because of a crush. You have a lot to loose if you let that crush grow and your entire life to gain if you crush it now.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

People are naturally influenced by what they constantly see or hear. Thus, every Christian is at risk of being influenced by the world around them. This is why we must always remember that though we are in this world, we are not of it (John 15:19). Our major influence should be the word of God. Romans 12:2 states:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
The above passage warns us against being influenced by the world. It counsels that our minds must be constantly renewed so that we can do the will of God which is clearly written in His word.

How often do you read your Bible? If you don’t read your Bible at least in the morning and evening, it is likely that you are already being influenced by the world. This is because something you don’t interact with regularly cannot have more influence on you than that which you relate with frequently. You must read your Bible daily. You must also ensure that you memorise and meditate on a scripture daily.

Many Christians today live like the world around them: They hardly pray before making decisions, even though Proverbs 3:5-6 says you should not lean on your own understanding but acknowledge Him in ALL your ways. They ignore the poor and hungry even though Matthew 25:45 says that not showing care for the hungry and destitute translate to not showing care for Christ. They walk around with high shoulders because of their leadership position or wealth, whereas our Master washed the feet of His disciples and even said whoever will lead amongst us must be the servant of everyone else. What really influences you – is it the word of God or the world? If the word of God has any influence on you, it would show in your lifestyle. You wouldn’t need to tell people that you are Christian before they know that indeed, you are a child of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

This present time is often called the digital age. The internet possesses great benefits, but it is also fast becoming a curse. You can hardly visit the internet without a worldly picture popping up; they are either asking you to register on a dating site or advertising something with a half-naked woman. It is probably not so harmful for mature Christians, but what of our children who visit this same internet regularly? Less than fifteen years ago, we had magazines which were untouchable to children because of their explicit content, but today, the children have access to everything through their smart phones! May God protect our children from the perversion of this world in the mighty name of Jesus.

The internet allows everyone to voice what they believe in. The problem is not with the people putting such things on the internet, the problem is with Christians who are not putting Christian content there. Many Christians are into advertising, yet they champion advert campaigns with half-naked models. In other words, they have been recruited by the devil to voice his own beliefs. If the children of the world are posting dirty things on the internet and you are joining them to do so, it is a shame.

On the other hand, if you have a social media account and you are not posting godly messages, then you are handing the world over to the devil on a platter of gold. I wonder why we Christians can’t ensure that no one goes on the internet without something concerning Jesus popping up. The devil is using the internet to corrupt our children; are you going to sit back and just watch? Won’t you fight for the spiritual sanity of our children? If there are five sets of explicit content on the internet, let us outmatch them with ten godly ones. 2nd Timothy 4:2 admonishes:
“…preach the word, be instant in season and out of season….”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When a carpenter is working on a piece of furniture, he has a picture of what he wants the finished work to look like. He puts in a lot of effort to make the piece of wood into what he has in mind, and if it is not smooth as he wishes, he smoothens it to the desired state with some sandpaper. Jesus Christ is our carpenter and He has a picture of what He wants us to be as He works on us; however, every now and then, we exhibit certain behaviours which can hinder His ultimate plan, so He employs the sandpaper (a person or situation) to smoothen us out. The experience, however, is always painful as noted in Hebrews 12:11 but it is for our own good. If a piece of wood being sandpapered could express itself, it would scream in pain, but the beauty of the outcome will make it worthwhile. Hebrews 12:6 clarifies this:
“For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth.”

When God wants to smoothen you out, He will put someone in your life as a piece of sandpaper, until you are well-polished. Your sandpaper could be your boss in the office or your pastor in Church. despite their harshness, see the sandpaper in them. There is probably a behaviour that God wants you to shed or acquire from working with that boss or pastor.

The most frequent piece of sandpaper I have seen God use on people is their spouse. He knows that you can resign in an office or leave a church, but your contract with your spouse is for life. So, He often uses our spouses to smoothen us out. The problem with most people however, is that instead of submitting to the process of change and becoming better, they choose to fight their spouses. Its no wonder many have remained on one spot for very long. Yield to change. Listen to what your God-fearing spouse is trying to correct in your behaviour – it is for your own good. If you allow yourselves to be smoothened by each other, you would advance fast in life and your home would be a better place to raise your children in. Your latter Years would also be more pleasurable.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

An ambassador is an accredited person who represents his/her nation in a foreign country. When a country chooses a person to serve as an ambassador, it means the fellow has characteristics that reflect who they are and who they want the world to see them as. Many Christians, even Pastors call themselves ambassadors of Christ whereas Christ’s testimony about them is “I know you not” (Matthew 25:12). It is not just about claiming to be Christ’s Ambassador, it is about living the lifestyle of Christ (Matthew 7:21-23).

How do we know those who are true ambassadors of Christ? Jesus said it is by their fruits that we will know them. Is the fruit of the spirit evident in your lifestyle? Do you show love to those around you? Are you patient, meek, full of joy? Are you at peace in your mind and following peace with all men? Are you gentle? Do you have faith in God? If these things don’t describe you correctly, then you are not an ambassador of Christ. Jesus said in John 14:9 that if you have seen Him, then you have seen the Father. That is a true ambassador. Can people look at you and have a good picture of who Christ is?

A powerful Muslim cleric once said that if he can find ten Christians like Adeboye, he would convert to Christianity. This shows how scarce true ambassadors of Christ are. The moment you call yourself a Christian, people begin to watch your lifestyle; what they see in you will determine how they take Christianity. Ephesians 6:20 states:
“For which I am an ambassador in chains, that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly as I ought to.”

While true Christians are saving souls from grasp of the devil, don’t be the one to turn them away from Christ. If you will not live the lifestyle of Christ, don’t go around parading yourself as a Christian. Jesus said He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him (John 10:14). The end is very near; if you do not repent and change your ways, you would soon have to join your real father – the devil. I pray that will never be your story.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The statement “You are the salt of the earth” means that without you, the earth cannot be sweet. Hence, the sweetness of this world depends on you.

One of the ways by which you can be like salt in your world is through the words of your mouth. Colossians 4:6 says:
“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Always speak soothing words to the downtrodden, never use harsh and abusive words and ensure your words are healing rather than killing those who hear them.

Another way to be the salt of the earth is to show kindness to others. Your little act of kindness is a great factor in making the world a sweet place for some other person(s) to live in. In Matthew 25:34-46, there is a list of people to whom you are expected to always show kindness. These include the hungry, the prisoners, the sick, those who have no clothes and so on.

If you don’t do these things, then you have lost your savour and Jesus said in Matthew 5:13 that salt that has lost it savour is good for nothing but should be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. You may say: But this world is very wicked place, how can I use nice words and perform kind acts in such a place? Well, that is exactly the point. When you cook a cup of rice, you don’t add a cup of salt to it. The salt is always little compared to the rice. You should not expect the whole world to be salt too; it is your duty to influence others with your savour and bring out the sweetness in them. You cannot afford to become bitter just because others around you are.

Remain the salt of the earth. Don’t be weary in doing good. Your reward will surely come if you don’t give up (Galatians 6:9)
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“….I am the light of the world:”

In the scripture above (John 8:12), Jesus introduced Himself as the light of the world, then turned around to say that we (Christians) are the light of the world in Matthew 5:14.

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

In other words, we share similar characteristics with Jesus Christ. Now, if you have the great characteristics that Jesus Christ had while on earth, why are you hiding them?

Light is supposed to shine wherever there is darkness; why do you sometimes go in the midst of darkness and hide your light? Jesus never shied away from shining the light of the gospel on anyone that He saw living in darkness. Darkness can also mean confusion; when people are confused and do not know what step to take, they are in darkness. When you find yourself amongst people who need direction on what next to do, you should ask God for guidance and relay what He tells you to them. Shine your light to clear the darkness. Don’t join them in being worried and confused; if you do, you are hiding your light under a bushel. The fact that you are there should give them confidence that direction will soon come, because they know you are light.

You must note however that light usually goes off when disconnected from its source. The reason many Christians have stopped shinning as light in their world is because they have lost their connection to the first Light – Jesus Christ. Once you disconnect the bulb from electricity, it will go off. Even though everyone can see the bulb and hope to get some light from it, they cannot, because it is not connected. If darkness is thriving around you, then you need to check your connection to the source. Do you still pray often? Do you still spend time studying the Bible? Do you still fellowship where the iron in other Christians can sharpen yours?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

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.