₦airaland Forum

There are certain blessings attached to marriage which we may be ignorant of except that Holy Spirit reveals them to us. One of such hidden blessings is revealed in Deuteronomy 32:30 and Ephesians 4:9-12. From these scriptures, God’s verdict is that two are better than one, and according to Ecclesiastes 4:9, the reason is:
“…because they have a good reward for their labour.”
This indicates that divorce is not the correct solution for marriages that are challenged, because divorce robs couples of maximum victory and rewards. Speaking further on the benefits of companionship derived from marriage, the Holy Spirit explains in Ecclesiastes 4:10:
“For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he felleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”
Helping each other out in times of need is another great blessing of marriage. This was part of God’s design when He established marriage as an institution. When God was going to create a companion for Adam, He stated His reason for this, saying in Genesis 2:18:
“…It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”
Man needed a companion in the form of a like-minded person who could help him fulfil his God-given assignment. I’m left in awe whenever I consider the wife God blessed me with, long before I knew His plans to use me in reaching the world with the Gospel. Indeed, He knows the end from the beginning, and so He makes everything beautiful in His own time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). As a beneficiary of God’s blessings in marriage, I make bold to say that only a person who is blessed with a God-given spouse can cope with the hazardous challenges of being a minister of God.
Couples should do everything possible to stay together because God honours their unity by fighting their battles for them. However, this unity must be of a godly sort, and not like that which existed between Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). Couples should key into the power of the Lord’s promise in Matthew 18:19, which says:
“Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”
This is another valid reason why couples should fear God and not offend Him. He is the author of marriage, who created it for couples to receive maximum blessings from Him. Beloved, whatever it may cost you, keep your marriage intact, because there are great blessings attached to holy matrimony.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, we considered how to force the victory bequeathed to us by our Lord Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection. Today, we shall be learning how to fortify this victory, so that it is not stolen from us.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
Ephesians 6:10-11
This scripture holds the key to how we fortify our victory in Christ, by commanding us to be strong in the Lord. This is not a piece of advice but an express command given by the Holy Spirit. Beloved, to fortify your victory in Christ, you must be strengthened by the power that comes through having a relationship with the Lord. Derive your strength from His mighty power. God does not want His children to be weaklings, which is why He often told the commanders of the army of Israel to be strong and courageous. He said to Joshua in Joshua 1:9:
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Courage is a necessary ingredient for fortifying our victory. During one of our Solemn Assemble services in 2018, I showed my children the video clip of a goat being bullied by a cow. In a turn of events, the small goat put the cow to flight, because it courageously resisted the cow. We can learn from this goat’s courage and persistence.

Apart from being strong in the Lord, we are further commanded in Ephesians 6:10-11 to put on the whole armour of God. What is the whole armour of God? The Holy Spirit articulates this in Ephesians 6:10-18. The armour of God comprises of many components with distinctive uses. These include the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. The good news is that Jesus Christ is The Truth, just as He is our Righteousness. In other words, making Him our Ally is great wisdom that fortifies our victory. Our armour also includes boots for preaching the gospel of peace everywhere. Unfortunately, many Christians and churches are neglecting this aspect of our divine armour. Consequently, those we failed to preach to yesterday are the ones terrorising us today. May the Lord forgive us our sin of neglecting to preach the Gospel. The shield faith and the helmet of salvation are other parts of God’s armour. Doubt and unbelief rob us of our victory in Christ, hence the need for faith. Our salvation is shipwrecked when we fail to live a holy life. How well are you fortifying your victory in Christ today?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people do not know that we need to continually enforce the victory that our Lord Jesus Christ earned for us at Calvary. The Lord bequeathed this victory to us as a gift just as He gave the Promised Land to the Israelites. We are therefore declared to be more than conquerors through Him (Romans 8:37). How then do we enforce this victory over the devil, the world and the flesh? Revelation 12:11 provides some answers. We can enforce our victory over the devil by appropriating the Blood of Jesus Christ against him and his kingdom. The devil cannot withstand this when done in faith. Any person who wants to live a victorious life over the forces of darkness must believe in the atoning work that Jesus Christ performed when He offered His life as a sacrifice. He poured out His precious Blood and died a cursed death on the cross of Calvary for the deliverance of mankind (1st Peter 1:18-19, Galatians 3:13).

Another way of enforcing our victory is by proclaiming the word of our testimony. The Holy Spirit says in Romans 10:10:
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The Hebrew boys activated their deliverance from the fiery furnace by their confessions. They said in Daniel 3:17:
“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.”
True to the words of their declaration, God delivered them, just as He did for them, He will also deliver you today in Jesus’ Name. However, you must believe in your heart, and in that faith, confess that you are victorious. You are even victorious over death! The fear of death is one factor that makes people lose their faith and consequently their victory. For this reason, Jesus warned us not to be afraid of those who can kill the body and do nothing else. Rather, we should fear the One who can kill the body and throw the body and soul into hell (Matthew 10:28). This Mighty One is more than able to deliver those who believe in Him and confess Him before physical and spiritual obstacles. The appropriate and effective use of God’s word is another means of enforcing our victory. The Lord Himself used this tool when He was faced with temptation in the wilderness, quoting God’s word appropriately to counter the subtle attacks of the devil (Luke 4:1-13). This is why you must be a good student of the Bible. Till the Lord returns, continue to fight the good fight of faith by enforcing your victory over the devil, the world and flesh. God bless you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There was once a young brother who believed every word he read from the Bible. Based on the word of God, this brother believed that his blood was too precious to be sucked by any devourer, even mosquitoes, and h knocked those who used things like insecticide to rid their rooms of mosquitoes. He even proclaimed that no mosquito dared suck his blood and live! So, one day, he challenged other brethren to watch what would happen to any mosquito that tried to attack him. He stretched his hand out through the window, exposing it to mosquitoes flying nearby. Immediately, several mosquitoes zoomed in on it and began to suck his blood. However, to everyone’s great surprise, once the mosquitoes drank his blood, they fell down dead. To the natural mind which walks in the realm of doubt and unbelief, this may sound like a ridiculous story, but it is true. Indeed, the things of the Spirit cannot be grasped by the natural mind because they are spiritually discerned (1st Corinthians 2:14). In the same line of faith as this young brother, the Psalmist says in Psalm 27:2:
“When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.”
Enemies are enemies, irrespective of their nature or origin they can come against us in the form of human beings, animals, plants or any other thing in the created world. That is why God’s promise to us in Isaiah 54:17 is all-encompassing, saying:
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

Based on God’s promises in Isaiah 49:24-36, if you really belong to Him, you will be toxic to devourers of mankind. It is therefore an anomaly for children of God to say that witches are sucking their blood. Beloved, this should not be your experience because every child of God is in a covenant that is founded on the Blood of Jesus (Luke 22:20). As you partake of Jesus’ Blood at the communion table, His Blood flows through your entire system, making your blood deadly to every blood-sucking demon. To anyone who has been threatened by witches, I advise you to run to Jesus Christ today. He will make you poisonous to those who want to devour you. Several years ago, I also felt threatened when witches in my village planned to make me their breakfast, but the Lord delivered me. He can do the same for you if you genuinely belong to him. Are you one of His?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Someone once said that the graveyard is the richest place on earth, because in it lies buried many gifts, talents, untapped ideas and un-quantifiable capabilities. The reason this assertion is somewhat true is that many people have died while still loaded with great ideas, treasures, unused potential and energy. In order not to fall into this category after passing on to be with the Lord, we must obey the admonition of the Holy Spirit in Ecclesiastics 9:10, which says:
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grace, wither thou goest.”
Anyone who walks in the light of this scripture will die empty, having used up all the gifts and good potential the Creator deposited in him or her to the glory of God.

An example of someone who emptied himself before going on to be with the Lord is Elijah. He left behind a double portion of his anointing, symbolised by his mantle which dropped from him as he transited to glory. This mantle immediately started working wonders for his successor, Elisha. Speaking on this, the Bible says in 2nd Kings 2:14:
“And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”
I believe Elijah’s mantle did not just fall from him; he deliberately released it to Elisha because he wanted to go empty. If Elijah had taken the anointing on his life to heaven, it would have been useless there. So, he released it to the generation that succeeded him. What a great life he lived! Another person who died empty was Paul. When you read through the testimonies of his life, you will agree with me that he died empty. He himself testified to this, saying in 2nd Timothy 4:7-8:
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
Beloved, these people have run their own course, and they now serve as great examples to us. What will the testimony of your life be after your assignment here on earth is done? Strive to make it a glorious one of how you emptied yourself of all that God deposited in you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) is not a 21st century concept or idea; it has been with the Church from the beginning of the Christian faith. Acts 2:41-47 describes the format it took and impact it had on the early Church. Of a truth, there are lots of blessings that accrue to us individually and collectively as the Body of Christ when we take CSR seriously. The Church of Christ stands the chance of being tremendously blessed if we take the issue of caring for the poor and downtrodden as part of our mission, beginning from our local environment to the ends of the earth. As individuals, we will be tremendously blessed if we give heed to the words of Proverbs 19:17, which is part of the infallible word of God that never fails. My personal experience from giving to the poor is a testament to the veracity of this scripture.

There is the story of a Church leader who became a Christian as a result of the hospitality shown to him by a Christian couple during the Nigerian civil war. According to his account, he staggered into the camp of a Christian couple during the civil war, and they received him like their own kinsman, giving him a plateful of rice. A plate of rice during the civil war was worth a fortune, but they gave it to him because of the love of Christ. The man of God said he decided there and then to serve the God of this couple, who did not only provide for them during those austere times but also taught them to be good to others. He concluded in his heart that the God who made human beings as good as this couple must indeed be a very good God.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
The Church at Philppi manifested certain virtues which triggered the declaration of this wonderful promise. Narrating what they did, Philippians 4:15-16 says:
“Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.”
It was their concern for the welfare of God’s servant and the success of his assignment that moved heaven to release the wonderful promise in Philippians 4:19 to them. Beloved, let us go back to the basics of Christian hospitality and communal living, and it will not be long before the whole world will be won to Christ through our love, care and spirit of sharing.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Those whom the Lord refers to as the “flourishing” are those who have the capacity to lend to nations. They are the kind of people that nations can humbly go to in order to explain their needs, anticipating that they will receive something impactful from them. The first thing you need in order to flourish is divine favour. In Romans 9:15-16, God said:
“….I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
In other words, struggling for wealth does not necessarily lead to prosperity. This is why an African proverb says, “It is not the lack of food that stops a cat from being as big as the dog.”

After God has shown you favour, the next thing you need in order to flourish is hard work. Lazy people don’t work hard, so they don’t flourish. In John 5:17b, Jesus Christ said:
“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”
God is a hard worker, so it would not be in His character to cause a lazy fellow to flourish. In Proverbs 13:4a, the Bible says:
“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing:”
In my lifetime, I have seen a lot of people who want to flourish without working hard. They remain poor, because God’s word cannot be broken. His word says in Proverbs 22:29
“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”
If you don’t want to work hard, then there is no way God can cause you to flourish. When God wants to bless someone, He opens doors to him or her. However, if He opens a door for you, He won’t push you through it; you will have to do what it takes to go through it yourself.

For you to flourish, beyond working hard, you must work right. Working hard is not as important as working right, otherwise all labourers would be the richest people in the world. Peter and some other disciples fished all night but they caught nothing because they were fishing in the wrong place (John 21:3-6). You can only know which way to cast your net if you have surrendered the boat of your life to the Master. Those whose hearts are sold out to Jesus never lack direction. They always have net-breaking catches because Jesus tells them which direction to cast their nets. Is it so with you?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Lord declared His place in the universe to be first in all things and filling all spheres, saying in Revelation 1:8:
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
In light of this, He expects those who have given their lives to Him to put Him first in all things. Making God first in our lives is the highest honour we can give to Him. Indeed, there is no other position suitable for Him in our lives than the first position. The implication of this is that we must consult Him first before we do anything. Those who jump the gun in their walk with God by taking steps before consulting Him always encounter disappointment, failure, hardship and great frustration. No wonder the Prophet said in Habakkuk 2:1:
“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.”
To enjoy our walk with Him therefore, we must be ready to always walk behind Him, patiently walking and watching as He goes ahead of us to make every crooked path straight, and carefully putting our feet in His footprints.

An example of someone who jumped the gun in the course of his walk with God is Father Abraham. If he had consulted with God before sleeping with Hagar at Sarah’s bidding, the Lord would not have allowed it (Genesis 16:1-3). This action brought commotion to Abraham’s household and caused him great grief. When Sarah could no longer bear the situation, she insisted that Hagar and her son, Ishmael, be sent away. It was at this point that Abraham consulted God on the matter, and God said to him in Genesis 21:12:
“And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.”
If only He had checked with God first, he would have avoided so much pain and hurt. Beloved, let us learn to put God at the beginning, at the middle and at the end of all our plans, because He must fill all spheres of our lives for perfect guidance. This should not be too difficult for those who desire to live with Him in his kingdom eternally. Is God first in your life?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Whoever tells you that there is no longer a reward for diligence in this world is a liar. The word of God, which is forever settled in heaven, has declared that diligence has its rewards in this world and in the world to come. According to God’s word in Proverbs 22:29, even if the diligent would not want to come before kings, his or her works will drag him or her to the presence of kings for due reward. The power inherent in God’s word is a compelling force that attracts blessings to the diligent. The story of Mordecai in the Book of Esther is a great example in this regard. Mordecai was a Jewish captive in Shushan during the reign of Ahasuerus, the Persian emperor. He was made a security guard to the king, and in the course of diligently carrying out his duty, he saved the king from being assassinated. This good deed was recorded in the archives of the empire, even though he was not rewarded at that time. Meanwhile, Haman hated Mordecai and plotted to kill him. However, the night before Haman was to execute his evil plans, the righteousness of God woke the king up and reminded him of the reward still pending for Mordecai’s diligence. Esther 6:1-3 says:
“On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai has told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.”
This was the beginning of the reward for diligence received by a watchman who later became second in command to the king (Esther 10:3). What a great lesson his life is to us all! Some security guards are only being paid for sleeping in the open, because they are watching nothing. The story was told of a security guard who was so fast asleep on duty that the one who hired him came and took away his shoes and probably his torchlight, and yet he did not know! This was not the case with Mordecai; he did his work meticulously and thoroughly. The Lord’s parable in Matthew 25:19-21 also affirms that diligence attracts great blessings. When the master of the diligent servant came and realised that he had been industrious in the use of the talents given to him, he rewarded him handsomely, making him an administrator over many of his businesses. However the servant who buried his lone talent was damned. Beloved, be diligent and determine not to eat the food of idleness; it is a sin.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The topic of today’s devotional (I Will Promote You) is a prophetic word from God to you. God is saying that He is preparing you for an astonishing level of promotion this season. You must therefore be full of praises to Him, because promotion comes from Him alone. Speaking on this, Psalm 75:5-7 says:
“Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
As you walk in expectation of your promotion this season, let me give you a few reasons why you should be full of praises to God. The first reason is that God has chosen to speak against your adversaries, who think that without them your promotion will not see the light of the day. Their pride will bring them down, because the Lord is your Lifter. Let David’s confession in Psalm 3:3 fill your mouth this season, saying:
“But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”

Moreover, you must praise the Lord because He is the accurate Judge and perfect Assessor acting on your behalf. He will nullify all the malicious recommendations that have kept you under for years, because this is your season of promotion. Do you know that this God, who is our Father in heaven, specialises in putting the ungodly down and lifting His children up? He did it in the life of Mordecai in Esther 8:1-2, which says:
“On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the jew’s enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and give it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.”

In addition to this, He caused Mordecai to become the second in command to King Ahasuerus (Esther 10:3). Our Father also did the same thing for Daniel, who was continuously being promoted in the service of several kings, from Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian to Cyrus the Persian. At the end of it all, Daniel’s enemies, who lifted up their heels against the Holy One of Israel, were nowhere to be found. They all perished for Daniel’s sake (Daniel 6). Unless your enemies repent, they will become as Daniel’s enemies, and you will be promoted despite their schemes. Those who said your promotion will be over their dead bodies shall receive the desire of their hearts, because you will be promoted whether they like it or not. Hallelujah!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is a sad thing to realize that some children of God virtually expect nothing from Him. In the guise of modesty and spirituality, some people practically live a life of begging. Like Lazarus, they live off the provision of their fellow brethren, whom they sometimes consider to be “worldly”. Rather than asking God and working towards having something productive to do that will meet their needs, they prefer living at the expense and mercy of other people. They can be likened to the older brother of the prodigal son, who did not realise who he was and the enormous resources at his disposal as the dutiful son of a very rich man (Luke 15:11-32). It was in his presence that his younger brother foolishly asked for his share of their father’s inheritance and went away to squander it. The older brother kept on working faithfully in his father’s business but never bothered to ask for anything meaningful to celebrate with his friends, even though he desired to do so. The reason he did not ask was because he chose to feign spirituality and modesty. His inward nature and desires came to the fore when his younger brother returned in repentance, and their father forgave him and even celebrated the occasion by killing the fattest cow this older brother had been grooming! Probably he had been planning to ask his father to let him have the cow to celebrate a special occasion. Unfortunately for him, the cow was used to celebrate a lost son who was found! Luke 15:28-30 captures his reaction to this, saying:
“And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.”

In response, his father reminded him that all he had was his. In other words, if he asked, he would have received whatever he wanted. The bottom line here is that the older son neither knew what he wanted nor his place in his father’s household. He was even asking for just a little goat out of all his father had, which actually belonged to him! He ended up being jealous, and this kept him outside while others enjoyed themselves in his father’s banquet hall. Beloved, what is your expectation from the Lord as you serve Him and do his bidding? In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus asked the blind men, “What will ye that I shall do unto you?” They wisely responded, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” Consequently, Jesus compassionately touched them, and they received their sight. The Lord will have compassion on you today, provided you sincerely tell Him what you desire from Him. There is no impossibility with God; He will surely meet your expectations.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Romans 8:35-39, Paul lists some realities of life that can shake the faith of a believer. These include tribulation and distress, which manifest themselves today in the form of financial crisis and health issues. Others include covert and open persecution of believers, even in so-called secular nations professing freedom of religion and association. Nations of the world are also plagued with homelessness, famine and poverty, and we are faced with the peril of firearms and weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists. It takes being emboldened by the Holy Spirit and having the mind of Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, to hold the fort and lift up the banner of God’s kingdom. We should not be dismayed at the prevalence of these evil things because our Lord Jesus Christ already told us they would happen. Speaking in John 16:20&33, He said:
“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 ….. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Undergoing trials and tribulations is a part of our faith as Christ’s disciples. The Bible makes this clear to us in 2nd Timothy 3:12, which says:
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Those who have gone ahead of us also passed through the same things, and some even had to pay the supreme price of their lives while upholding the faith. To finish strong like they did, we must believe and live by what the Holy Spirit says about us in Romans 8:37, which says:
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Are you passing through tough times? Does it seem as if the promises of God are not working out for you? I encourage you to cheer up and be strong. Don’t deny your Master and Lord because of tough times which will soon fade away. The Lord is speaking to you today through 1st Corinthians 15:58, saying:
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vein in the Lord.”
Hold unto his word and remain unmovable from the straight and narrow way that leads to life. I pray that God will continue to strengthen and uphold you in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God’s children have so much to praise Him for. That you are alive today and able to read this devotional is a good enough reason to praise Him. I believe most Christians know that there is power in praising God. Some have even experienced great miracles as a result. I am therefore surprised that some of us still find it hard to praise God as often as we should. One reason for this may be our preoccupation with meeting life’s daily demands. Sometimes, these demands occupy our time so much that we forget to praise God. We must be like David who made a firm commitment to never forget God’s benefits in his life. In Psalm 103:1-2, he said:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”
Endeavour to emulate this good attribute that David had, even if it means setting reminders on your phone or putting up reminder notes on your walls at home. Make up your mind to offer praises to God on a daily basis, irrespective of the situation you are passing through or how you feel. In all you do, never forget to praise God.

When we praise God, it shifts the focus of our mind away from ourselves and our reality to God and His infinite possibilities, and when our focus is on God rather than our situation, we will begin to see how great God is compared to the size of our problems. Also, when we praise God in spite of how we feel or what we are going through, we declare our dependency on Him and acknowledge that we are not in control of our lives. As a result, we receive peace and strength in place of worries and burdens.

One great benefit of praising God is that it causes our enemies to scatter. 2nd Chronicles 20:22 says:
“And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”
The verse describes what happened when three big nations connived to battle against Judah, knowing that they had just a small army. Considering their numerical disadvantage, Judah would have lost the battle woefully. However, God turned the situation around in their favour when they praised Him. Do you have enemies bigger than you? Activate the power of praise today and see them destroyed for your sake. The fact is, when we refuse to praise God, we short-change ourselves and prolong our problems. Therefore, let praising God become your lifestyle from today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I am pleased to announce to you today that just one encounter with the Almighty, with whom there is no impossibility, is all that you need to make all your problems a thing of the past. Not only will your problems be dealt with through an encounter with Him, you will also receive the mother of all blessings, which is eternal life. The story of the centurion who encountered Jesus Christ is a good example of the possibilities that a divine encounter brings. Incidentally, this centurion was not a Jew. Nobody can tell how he got to know about Jesus, but suffice it to say that he was singled out for this encounter by divine arrangement. Typical of a soldier, he went straight to the point in his communication with Jesus, and the Lord offered to come to his house to grant his request. Amazingly, even though he was not a Jew, this centurion demonstrated great faith in the Messiah of the Jews. He declined Jesus’ offer to come to his house, saying that the Master just needed to speak a word and his servant would be healed. He believed that whatever Jesus said would definitely come to pass. The Lord was touched by this demonstration of faith, commending it as the sort He had not seen in Israel.

Beloved, let us learn from the centurion. He was out to get healing for his servant and this led him to Jesus. This encounter produced results because he had great expectations. Whenever you come before the Lord’s presence, you will be wise to come before Him with pure heart that expects significant things from Him. Go before the Lord believing like the centurion did. You will notice that the centurion applied what he knew about authority as a soldier to connect with a profound spiritual principle. It is unfortunate that instead of allowing God to use their professional background to help them understand divine principles, some people rather allow the devil to convince them that there is no God. The reality of human efforts being futile without God was what convinced Peter, an experienced fisherman, that his catch of fish at the Lord’s direction was not ordinary (Psalm 127:1, Luke 5:. He therefore bowed to the divine supremacy of the preacher who knew more about fish than any experienced fisherman. The encounter changed Peter’s life permanently, making him famous in almost all the nations of the world. The woman with the issue of blood, who declared the words of Mark 5:28, also had a divine encounter with Jesus, which put an end to pain, shame and waste in her life. In order not to miss your day of visitation by the Lord, never get too familiar with His works. Always appreciate His miracles and let your heart be full of expectation of a divine encounter at all times. I pray that you will not miss your day of visitation, like the children of Israel did, in Jesus’ Name (Luke 13:34-35).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Luke 1:70-75 should inspire confidence of absolute security in those who are children of Abraham through faith in the Son of the Living God (Galatians 3:7-9). The question is, are you a true child of Abraham? As a child of Abraham, David’s confidence in the protection of the God of Abraham moved him to make this exuberant declaration of faith in Psalm 23:4
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
In order to put our minds at rest and leave us with absolutely no doubt of His commitment to our security, several passage of the Bible re-echo God’s promise of divine safety to us. The Lord guarantees that He will defend us for His Name’s sake (1st Samuel 12:22, Psalms 106:8, Psalms 23:3). This is significant and very reassuring because we know His Name does not change nor can He deny His Name (Psalm 135:13, 2nd Timothy 2:13). It is highly comforting when you realise that your Ally is the Almighty God; but then, you must have a relationship with Him – a Father-child, Shepherd-sheep and Lord-disciple relationship.

The Almighty God recognises that we are surrounded by enemies in this world, and for that reason He has put a plan in place to save us from them all, through the power of the new covenant in the Blood of Jesus. Why has God done this for us? Luke 1:74-75 answers this question, saying;
“…. That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.”
As the redeemed of the Lord, there should be no fear in us concerning our enemies. We are the triumphant Church of Jesus Christ, sitting with Him in heavenly places in dominion. We do not walk in fear because fear has torment (1st John 4:18). Fear has pushed a lot of people into doing several abominable things like witchcraft, sorcery and joining all sorts of occult groups. Needless to say, a child of God cannot be found with such, as there is no holiness in occult groups, neither is there righteousness in the company of diviners. Beloved, the Lord has made up His mind to defend you if only you will trust Him. Are you in any secret society in order to protect yourself physically or financially? You need to quit today because they cannot help you on the fearful day of the Lord (2nd Peter 3:10-13). If you are a child of God, you have no reason to fidget; Jesus is Lord and the Lord of Hosts for that matter. Therefore, cheer up!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Leadership is very vital to God’s created order, so much so that even animals have a way of choosing leaders among themselves. When you watch wildlife documentaries, you will appreciate how important leadership is in fulfilling God’s plan and purpose in the affairs of living creatures.

Today, we shall be considering leadership from God’s perspective. I believe this will help us to set our priorities in order as we go about our leadership obligations where God has placed us, whether in the family, school, church, community or country.

In Luke 22:24-27, our Lord Jesus Christ taught godly leadership principles in response to an argument among His disciples on who should be their leader. Jesus did not only teach these principles theoretically, He also taught them practically with His leadership lifestyle. He specifically said in Luke 22:27:

“For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
In this verse, the Lord established the principle of leadership by example. It is however amazing that many do not lead by example. Even in the Church today, some leaders demand hero-worship from the flock of Jesus Christ. Many guest ministers dictate the type of hotel accommodation their hosts should provide for them as part of the preconditions for accepting invitations to minister God’s word. Some even have a ‘price list’ stating the honorarium they must receive and the class of flight they must be flown in. instead of the richer ministers to support the upcoming ones with the wealth of experience they have, they scare them away from partaking of their anointing through the enormous cost of inviting them for ministrations.

Some senior pastors are becoming burdensome to junior ones because just one statutory visit from them places unbearable financial obligations on their growing parishes. If the spread of the gospel will not be inhibited, we must go back to the leadership principles of our Lord in John 13:13-15, which says:

Open Heaven for Today 20 October 2019 Sunday

Prayer Point

“Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

Beloved, only the principle of leadership through service can stand the test of time, even in the political arena. Selfish and self-centred leadership does not endure beyond the ordained tenure of a leader. Let us follow the leadership principles of Jesus Christ, built on love and firmness and devoid of hypocrisy.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To tell a lie is to intentionally make a false statement. According to Proverbs 6:16-19, lying is one of the seven abominations that God hates. Despite this fact, lying is still the most common sin, even amongst Christians. The reason this is so is because it is very easy to lie and also because many people do not consider lying to be a serious sin. Lying is a characteristic of the old Adamic nature we had before we became born again. speaking on this, Colossians 3:9 says:
“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”
The Holy Spirit makes it clear in this verse that lies can only be found on the lips of those who haven’t put off the old man with his deeds. The moment you become a child of God and shed the old man and his deeds, lying shouldn’t be part of you anymore. It then means that any Christian who still finds it easy to tell lies should check his or her salvation, because at the point of new birth, your nature changes from the nature of the devil, whose authority you were under, to the nature of Christ, who is the Truth. The devil is revealed to be a liar in John 8:44c, which says:
“When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Speaking the truth at all times is an attribute of the new man. In fact, this virtue is one of the defining characteristics of the new man. This is because the Spirit of Christ that births the new life of God in us when we become born again is the Spirit of truth. Declaring His nature, the Lord said in John 14:17:
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot, receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
It is clear from this verse that the Holy Spirit dwells in all those who are born again, to teach and counsel us to walk in the truth always. He Himself said in 1st John 2:27:
“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”
If you are a true Christian, you should therefore find it very difficult to tell lies. The Bible says it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). If the Spirit of truth resides in you and teaches you all things, then through His influence, you will naturally tell the truth at all time. However, if it’s the spirit of the old man that you still possess, then you will find out that it is very easy for you to tell lies. How is it with you today?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are some characters that portray children of God in a bad light today. For example, some of us want to enjoy the social amenities provided by government but don’t want to pay taxes. Those who manifest such behaviour are only trying to reap where they did not sow. Contrary to this, Paul admonishes us in Romans 13:1-7 to be patriotic enough to pay our taxes and perform other civic responsibilities that are expected of us. Our obedience to civic laws should not be by coercion but voluntary, as unto the Lord. The Holy Spirit describes those who are in authority as ministers of God, looking out for our own good (Romans 13:4). It is therefore surprising that some Christians despise their political leaders through their “holier-than-thou” attitude. Christians who defraud the government by not paying their taxes are no better than the government officials who they despise for stealing government funds. They will all definitely be judged according to their evil deeds on the last day. A government worker who is expected to put in eight hours of work but does just three and uses the rest for his or her personal activities is as guilty as those who loot the government treasury with the pen. As an employee, do you really work for the expected amount of time for which you are being paid?

What do you understand from what the Lord is saying in Mark 12:17? Many people erroneously think that giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar means bribing their way into Caesar’s favour. This is not true! Caesar takes receipted tributes, such as taxes, dues and levies and not bribes. When you pay your taxes, God is happy with you because you are contributing to the well-being of the community you live in. This does not however exempt you from paying your tithes, offerings and first fruits to God. Caesar does not take tithes and offerings, but he must also not be denied his dues and taxes for the construction of roads, bridges and other social amenities. Notwithstanding, let it not surprise you as I say today that if you pay your tithes and offerings but default in paying taxes, you are guilty of reaping where you did not sow when you enjoy social amenities being provided by the government you refuse to pay taxes to. If you are guilty of this, repent today and begin to go the extra mile of giving back to your community through Christian social responsibility (CSR).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God’s desire is to completely restore all those who apply His principles of restoration to any aspect of their life wherein they have suffered loss. The degree of restoration a person experiences depends on their level of adherence to the details of these principles. For example, Samson only experienced partial restoration because that was what he asked for. He prayed to God in Judges 16:28, saying:
“…O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”
Sadly, he died with his enemies. You will not die with your enemies in Jesus’ Name. In contrast to Samson, Naaman experienced total restoration. Speaking on how God restored wholeness to him, 2nd Kings 5:14 says:
“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

Naaman’s example is a model for those who want their restoration to be complete. The first thing to note about his restoration in 2nd Kings 5:14 is that he went down before being restored. We must get off our high horse of self-importance if we desire complete restoration after suffering any form of loss. The next thing to consider is that Naaman dipped himself seven times according to the instruction of God’s prophet, not five or six times. In other words, our obedience must be complete as we wash in the Blood of the Lamb. We must forget our self-righteousness if we want to experience complete restoration spiritually or physically. Many Christians who fall from grace are never completely restored because they did not thoroughly confess or restitute their ways completely. For example, some have been caught in extra-martial affairs that produced children out of wedlock, and under the pretext of taking care of the children produced by such illicit relationships, they still involve themselves in semi-polygamous lifestyles with their mistresses. There is no way such Christians can be fully restored, and as a matter of fact, they are gambling with eternity in hell. Some so-called children of God are even still riding in the cars they stole before their new birth! They have not completely repented of their old ways and therefore cannot experience the restoration described in Jeremiah 30:17, like David did in 2 Samuel 19:11-15. Beloved, you also can be totally restored if you completely return to God. Your health that is failing because of your extra-marital wandering will return if you dismiss all your concubines and other strange women in your life. Have you fully restituted your ways?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The words of John 15:2 should be sobering for every sincere child of God. In it we are told that the Father Himself does the cutting off of unfaithful branches from the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the True Vine! In other words, it is a mistake to think that the devil is responsible for cutting people off from the Body of Christ. It is important to note that these branches being cut off are already in Jesus Christ, meaning they are believers and part of Him. As part of the Church, they are right there within the Master’s sanctuary, causing havoc within the household of God and occupying positions without doing anything with them, apart from preventing others who want to serve the Lord from doing so.

It is terrifying to know that right from the time the Lord was here on earth, betrayers have always been found among those close to Him. This might be the reason why the Father cuts many of them off before their time. My Father in the Lord, the founder of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, cut off some people from the fold before he finally left to be with the Lord. Some of us did not know why he was doing what he did back then, but people like me now know better. Jesus Christ tolerated Judas Iscariot for three and half years, giving him ample opportunity and time to repent of his stealing habit that would eventually lead him to betray his Master for money. However, very close to the time appointed for Him to go to the Cross, Jesus realised that Judas Iscariot had chosen to fulfil the prophecy of Psalm 41:9, which says:
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
It was at this point that Jesus detached Judas Iscariot from Himself as the True Vine. Describing what happened after that, John 13:27 says:
“And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”
What can be more terrible than Satan himself possessing a person’s body! Noticeably, it was after Judas Iscariot had been torn away from the True Vine and left to carry out his destructive mission that Jesus began to reveal to His real disciples some deeper things about His mission. Beloved, the consequences of being cut off from the Lord’s Body are too dire to be contemplated. I therefore pray that the Master will not tear you away from Himself in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”
Psalm 105:14
When a wise person comes across the scripture, the first thing he or she will try to find out is, how can one touch God’s anointed? One way to harmfully touch God’s anointed is by slandering or speaking evil of a minister of God. Doing this can cause God’s anointed so much grief and might even be worse than slapping him or her on the face. It is a dangerous thing to persecute a Christian, because Jesus personally feels the pain of such acts of wickedness, and as the Lion of Judah, He will surely defend His own. Saul of Tarsus was a man committed to persecuting Christians until Jesus met him as he rode to Damascus in furtherance of his sinister objective. In Acts 9:5, Jesus said to him:
“I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”
Even if the Lord’s anointed is as humble as Moses and would not respond to the evil and slanderous comments against him or her, there are self-pronounced curses upon whoever speaks evil of God’s prophets, as seen in the case of Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12:1-10). They were driven by jealously to speak against Moses and God heard it (Numbers 12:2). The Lord hears every evil word spoken against His ministers, and when He chooses to respond, the result can be severe, as recorded in Numbers 12:9-10 which says:
“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.”

From Moses’ story, we see that it was God who fought for His servant. Amazingly, the rebels who stood against Moses were his own siblings (Exodus 4:14, Exodus 15:20). More surprising is the fact that Aaron was also the high priest of God. Why would a high priest be caught in the act of rebellion? What greater position or fame was he angling for that made him speak evil of his brother, who was chosen by God to lead the people? This is food for thought for us today. Unlike Moses who was meek and did not respond when persecuted, Elisha was of a different persuasion. In 2 Kings 2:23-24, the children who mocked him were not as lucky as Aaron and Miriam were. He cursed them in the Lord’s Name and they all suffered a gruesome death immediately. Those who speak evil of the Lord’s anointed should be warned that they might not get away with it someday. Beloved, a word is enough for the wise.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Seeds are a small part of the fruit produced by a plant from which new plants spring forth when planted. The power inherent in a seed is its ability to reproduce. Therefore, the more seeds one sows, the greater the harvest of seeds one will obtain, which is why 2nd Corinthians 9:6 says:
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

Isaac’s experience in Genesis 26:12-14 teaches us the reward of sowing seeds. After the Lord commanded him not to go down to Egypt in search of “greener pastures”, he settled in Gerar in spite of a famine raging there, and got to work sowing seeds. Beloved, every work you do in line with God’s word will be blessed by Him. On the other hand, if you do nothing, God will bless nothing! This is a steadfast divine principle. Every time God performed miracles of multiplication in the Bible, there was always something for Him to bless (Matthew 14:14-21, Matthew 15:32-38, 1st Kings 17:9-15, 2nd Kings 4:1-6, 2nd Kings 4:42-44). The good news is that everyone always has something at his or her disposal that can serve as a springboard into the realm of supernatural multiplication. Before feeding the five thousand through the miracle of multiplication, our Lord Jesus Christ asked the disciples, “How many loaves have ye? Go and see.” After verifying, they told him that they had five loaves and two fish. One can imagine Jesus saying, “That is more than enough!” He blessed the loaves and fish, and after more than five thousand people had eaten from them, they had twelve baskets of fragments as leftovers! The seed in this miracle are the five loaves of bread and two fish. Likewise, the widow of Zarephath had a seed of only a little flour and oil in a curse, but when God blessed her seed, it became a bumper harvest of cakes for three and half years. A similar thing happened to the widow of a man from the company of the prophets. She ran to Elisha concerning the debt left behind by her husband. In response to her cry for help, Elisha said to her in 2nd Kings 4:2a:
“… What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house?”
The widow replied that she had nothing at all except a little oil. Little did she know that what she had was enough seed to get her out of poverty. Beloved, find out what God has deposited in you as a seed that He can use to perform the miracle you need. After you have discovered the seed, be ready to surrender it because there is power in that seed if only you can sow it (John 12:24). Unless your seed leaves your hand, you cannot unleash its power to bless you. So, release that seed today and you will witness its power in bringing blessings to your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are foundational problems which have the capacity of hindering the progress of a person’s life. Some people ignorantly struggle with such problems and are unable to overcome them until they die. This will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. The story in 2 Kings 2:19-22 is a good illustration of foundational problems and their consequences. The men of the city of Jericho confessed to Elisha that the situation of their city was pleasant but its water was bad and its ground barren (2nd Kings 2:19). Jericho’s problems started when Joshua cursed it after its fall (Joshua 6:26). However, God divinely intervened through Elisha, His prophet, and life was restored to it. Are you a victim of foundational problems? I decree that an end has come to those problems today in Jesus’ Name. Another example of foundational problems is seen in the case of Abiathar, who was a descendent of Eli. He was stripped of his priestly office because of a sin he knew nothing about. Narrating his plight, 1st Kings 2:27 says:
“So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.”
As a result of errors made by Abiathar’s ancestors, Solomon removed him from being a priest and sent him on force retirement to his home town of Anathoth.

The story was told of a slave woman who was maltreated during her pregnancy by the freedom women of the household. After she was delivered of her child, those women lied to her that she must not eat food seasoned with salt for a certain period of time. Although she sensed it was a gang-up to further maltreat her, she agreed not to eat salted food for the stipulated period. She however pronounced a curse that from that time forward, every woman newly delivered of a child in that household would also not eat salted food for a stipulated amount of time, otherwise such a woman would lose her child. The freeborn women took her words lightly, thinking it was a joke. Some of them were delivered of their children and went ahead to eat meals with salt, only for their children to die the following day. From then on, no woman who married into that household could eat salt after having children until a certain amount of time passed. They automatically became victims of a foundational problem. However, when one of such women became born again, the power in the Blood of Jesus Christ destroyed the yoke of this curse and she was able to eat salted food after delivering her children without any evil consequence. This is what Jesus Christ can do for whoever believes in His Name. If you will believe today, you will no longer be a victim of foundational problems.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is sad but true that some people love gifts more than their very lives. In other words, they are covetous and love to reap where they did not sow. In order not to be caught in this devilish snare, our Lord Jesus Christ warns us against covetousness in Luke 12:15. One man who loved gifts exceedingly was Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. His master rejected the gifts offered by someone who God had healed through him, because he understood the principle of “freely ye have received, freely give,” which led him to say in 2nd Kings 5:16a:
“As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none.”
However, greedy Gehazi was not happy with this response, so he decided to run after the rejected gifts. He went and collected them in secret, not knowing that in the realm of the spirit, “there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known” (Luke 12:2). Imagine the shock he felt when Elisha said to Him in 2nd Kings 5:26:
“…Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?”
Dumbfounded, Gehazi could not answer these questions. You need to learn some critical lessons from this experience today, Gehazi did not know the spiritual eyes given to his master followed him as he executed his devious scheme. If Elisha’s spiritual eyes could see the things Gehazi did in secret, how much more will God’s eyes, which run to and fro the earth, see those who secretly toy with sin? Also, learn that there is a time for everything. There is a time to receive gifts and there are times they must be rejected. Elisha asked Gehazi whether it was the right time to receive gifts. Gehazi did not consider this when he went ahead to demand and not just receive gifts from Naaman. However, this earned him God’s judgment, and he instantly became leprous. Beloved, it is vain to run after gifts that are not approved of God. Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 says:
“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?”
Beware of the love for gifts because some gifts are ill-motivated and can destroy your future, like it happened to Gehazi. May the Lord spare you the agony of gifts from ill-gotten wealth in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

All through the gospels, we see that great multitudes followed Jesus wherever He went. One reason for this is the great miracles He performed in people’s lives. We see an example of this in Matthew 19:1-2, where great multitudes followed Him and He healed them. Jesus is still in the business of healing and performing miracles today. Those who teach that the days of miracles are over are wrong. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:. He is risen from the dead and remains alive today and forevermore (Revelation 1:18). That same Jesus who healed the sick, raised the dead and cleansed lepers can do the same works today because He is alive, working His miracles through His followers. The signs that the Lord said will follow those who believe indicate that the days of miracles are not over (Mark, 16:15-18). Moreover, our Lord also said that we will do the works that He did and even do greater works than His (John 14:12). Some argue that these miraculous works ended with the early apostles of Jesus Christ. This is equally wrong, because while giving us the mandate of the Great Commission, our Lord said in Matthew 28:20:
“….lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
If He is with us today as He was with the apostles, then He will also do through us the works He did through them.

Nevertheless, as we proclaim the message of the good news, we must not be lopsided in our preaching or indulge in preaching half-truths. The totality of God’s word must be preached to all. Our Lord Jesus Christ was not imbalanced in His teachings on the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, some preachers today tend to be like the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ days by focusing on some aspects of Christ’s message to the detriment of others. Such preachers should take heed of Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:23, which says:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Jesus Christ is here saying, “I do not condemn you for teaching on tithing the tiniest income, but you left out some things that are more important, which you ought to do in addition to what you are doing already.” Brethren, how do we show people the reality of Jesus’ resurrection without manifesting His miracles? Even the most ardent critic cannot argue against physical proof of God’s power (John 4:48, Acts 1:3). When your local assembly becomes a miracle centre, you will need little or no publicity before people begin to troop in to discover the Jesus whom you preach. Are signs and wonders following your declaration of the gospel?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are many unpleasant prophecies about people’s attitude and character in the end times, which are bound to be fulfilled. It is the responsibility of every believer living in times as these to avoid the fulfilment of such prophecies in their lives. One of such prophecies is the abhorrent act of brother giving up brother to death and children rising up against their parents. This prophecy was given by the Lord in Matthew 10:21, which says:
“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.”
Unfortunately, this is happening in the Body of Christ today. He then further said in Matthew 18:7:
“Woe unto the world because of the offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”
Even though these prophesies of the Lord are bound to be fulfilled, do not allow them to be fulfilled in your life through your conduct and interpersonal relationship with the brethren. When an individual gives his life to Christ genuinely, he or she becomes a member of God’s family (John 1:12). All other believers in Christ become his or her brothers and sisters. In such a big and complex family, disagreements are bound to arise. A brother or sister may err and fall, but this should not be the end of their Christian journey. It is the responsibility of other members of the family to ensure that such precious souls are brought back to their feet in right standing with God.

Unfortunately, in these last days, instead of looking out to stabilise the weak and restore the fallen, some so-called brethren sit in judgement against other brethren. Some of them even mastermind the fall of fellow brethren, thereby fulfilling the Lord’s prophecies. Some other brethren do not cause the fall of others but watch out for faults in their lives in order to crucify them. contrary to this attitude, the Holy Spirit admonishes us in Galatians 6:1 to work with every sense of humility towards restoring brethren who have fallen, understanding that we ourselves can be tempted and taken in our weaknesses. These are indeed modern-day Pharisees in the Church today. It is sad that brethren bury other brethren who are in spiritual coma, instead of working to revive them to life. We must be like our Master who said in Luke 9:56a:
“For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
The Lord is speaking to those who have constituted themselves as accusers of other brethren to repent today. Are you one of such?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Years ago, as we were preparing to ordain certain ministers, the Lord instructed me to include a particular minister for ordination. I protested this divine nomination because by my personal assessment, this person should not be considered for ordination yet. The Lord then explained to me why that particular minister should be ordained that year. The reason was amazing to me and I will forever be grateful to my Daddy for that revelation. According to my Daddy, the place where this minister was serving was rife with activities of witchcraft and dominated by the power of divination, and so he needed the shield of the anointing against the onslaught of demons if I did not want his corpse to be brought back to me from the field at any time. In other words, the anointing received in the place of ordination is not a matter of title but an instrument of office or power to perform, and one of its functions is protecting its carriers from demonic attacks as they go about their divinely-designated duties as Christ’s ambassadors.

Many people despise ordination because some people who were ordained in the past rubbished it through their behaviour. The truth is, ordination is a special spiritual shield against the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Spiritual warfare is more destructive than physical warfare and we cannot fight it with carnal weapons (2nd Corinthians 10:4). Out of ignorance, some people reject the privilege of receiving the anointing in the name of being humble and modest. There is no virtue in rejecting the offer of being ordained by God, unless you are not sure of the source of the anointing that flows from that gesture. There are many things that can’t be done in the ministry by physical strength; only the power derived from the anointing does such things. Apart from being a defensive weapon, the anointing is also an offensive weapon that destroys yokes (Isaiah 10:27). Just as electric current cannot be seen as it flows through a cable but is deadly when touched, so it is with the anointing. Its protective nature destroys the enemies of the anointed and all demonic yokes. This is why the Bible warns everyone not to touch the Lord’s anointed (Psalm 105:15). An example of someone who touched God’s anointed was King Herod, who decided to kill the Lord’s disciples in order to please the Jews. He was smitten by an angel of the Lord, died and was instantly eaten up by worms (Acts 12:1-3, 22-24).

Beloved, although the anointing comes through many means, the starting point is at Calvary where sins are rolled away through repentance. Righteousness is the bedrock of the anointing and the word of God prepares and leads us towards it (Hebrews 1:9). Beloved, live a life of holiness and you will be anointed, not only for service but also for protection. It is well with you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

For those who belong to Jesus Christ, our understanding of family life should not be dictated by social media, TV or preconceived notions. The word of God alone provides us the template we are to model our family and home upon. Unfortunately, a lot of people have deviated from the precepts of the Bible regarding the way things are done in their family. In some families, children are wayward and parents don’t seem to be bothered about it. Some fathers are irresponsible men who go about chasing after strange women, while some mothers are unforgiving, bitter and over time have become cold towards their husbands. God definitely didn’t design homes to be like that! We therefore need to continuously work at building holy, godly and Christ-honouring homes. However, building a godly home requires conscious effort. The devil doesn’t want such homes to exist, and so he puts distractions and bad examples everywhere to deter us from building our homes the way God designed it to be. The good news is, with God, all things are possible to us who believe.

How then do we build godly homes? Psalm 34:11 says:
“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Parents must teach their children to fear the Lord, because the fear of God is a compass that guides families into making the right decisions and choices in life. To fear the Lord is to acknowledge and reverence Him at all times. A family that does not fear God will not serve Him.

A godly home requires a life of separation from the dictates of worldly norms. Although others might be doing wrong things, you can’t and won’t do them because you are peculiar unto God. Every day, Christian families have to draw the line and separate themselves from the increasing sinfulness and wickedness of this world. Parents have to continuously remind their children that they are in the world but not of the world, and so they are never to behave like the children of the world. I pray that all our homes will become godly homes in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you consider the reason why God overthrew the world by the flood, you will realise that it is His overflowing love that has preserved our world till now. If God were to apply to our world the same standard He applied to Sodom and Gomorrah, it would have been totally destroyed by now. Instead of judging the world, God’s overflowing love has provided a means of escape from His judgement to all those who are willing to accept it. John 3:16 says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This is the kind of love that God expects us to manifest towards other human beings, most especially those in the household of faith (1st John 3:15-16).

In Like 6:27-36, the Lord commands us to show overflowing love not only to our loved ones but even to our enemies (Luke 6:27-28). According to Romans 13:10, love is the fulfilling of the law. Our Lord Himself established this truth when a young lawyer came to cross-examine Him on which commandment of the law was the greatest (Matthew 22:35-40). Jesus answered him by simply summarising the whole of the law this way: love for God and love for our neighbours. In Matthew 22:40, He emphatically said:
“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Beloved, are you really godly? Remember that only the godly will make it to heaven. The character of those who are godly is love: God’s own type of love which overflows. For our love to overflow like His, we must love even those who despitefully use us. In Matthew 5:45, our Lord says:
“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
This appropriately describes what God’s overflowing love looks like. For our preaching to be effective to sinners who don’t know the real meaning of love, we must convey our message practically through a life of overflowing love. Let us give heed to the Holy Spirit’s message to us in 1st John 3:18, which says:
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
Are you demonstrating love in deed and in truth?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

According to the worldly way of thinking, one needs to belong to the mainstream majority in order to make appreciable impact. Against this background, when one considers the humble birth of Jesus Christ and the “strange” doctrines He taught, one is left wondering how He was able to accomplish all He did while here on Earth, and He is still making impact even while in heaven (Mark 1:27, Luke 5:26). How come He was successful, even though His peculiar teachings caused many of His disciples to desert Him (John 6:66)? What gave Him strength and resilience even when His closest allies ran away in His darkest hour (Matthew 26:56)? The answer in all this lies in what the Holy Spirit says in Acts 10:38:
“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.”
In essence, Jesus was in the divine majority, even when it seemed He was alone. He spoke the words of John 16:32 to His disciples, from which we understand that walking in agreement with the Father was all that mattered to Him. No wonder He felt so much pain when the Father looked away from Him as He embodied sin on the cross (Mark 15:34, Habakkuk 1:13, 2nd Corinthians 5:21).

It is therefore amazing that some Christians cannot take any stand that is contrary to popular opinion, even when it relates to the Father’s will. Some pastors moderate their sermons when they observe that their congregation members are dropping. Some even dabble into things that chase the presence of the Father far away from them in order to pull crowds to themselves. Such pastors are foolish and do not know the ways of God. When the crowds murmured at Jesus’ teachings, instead of backing down, He delved deeper, so much so that many of them ran away. In spite of that, He turned to those who were left and asked if they also wanted to leave! The secret behind the successful ministry of Jesus Christ was that God the Father was with Him throughout. What a great lesson this is to us! The truth is that Jesus Himself never left God the Father; they were in communion at all times. He would not do anything without the Father’s approval. Before He preached, He would have taken counsel from God the Father and the Holy Spirit – this was the spiritual majority that mattered to Him. Beloved, are you in the world’s majority or God’s majority? Are you yearning to become part of the world’s majority due to the ridicule you suffer from being godly? Please choose to stay in the spiritual majority. Jesus Christ was alone with His Father and it was more than enough for Him to do the unprecedented. It is more than enough for you too.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Advancements in science and technology have attained a level where most organs in the human body can be replaced with organs from a donor’s body, through a medical procedure known as a transplant. Nevertheless, long before human beings discovered how to do this, God has been in the business of carrying out transplants, both in the physical body and spiritual being of man. Unlike transplants carried out by man, the Surgeon of heaven uses only brand new parts, custom-made to perfectly meet His patients’ needs. One area of need lies in the fact that mankind is dead in sin. God knew that for us to receive new life through the Blood of Jesus, we would need a new heart. God committed Himself to doing just that in Ezekiel 36:26. Why does man need a heart transplant? The Holy Spirit answers this in Jeremiah 17:9, saying:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Everyone who has not laid on the operating table of the heavenly Surgeon possesses a stony heart, which is un-receptive to the things of God. As a result, the seed of God’s word cannot take root in it (Mark 4:5). To benefit from the abundant life available in the new covenant with Jesus Christ, we must surrender ourselves to God for the spiritual heart surgery that replaces our stony hearts with a brand new heart of flesh.

Using His surgical knife that leaves no scar, the Surgeon of heaven is ready to work on every sincere patient who comes to Him. God’s surgical knife is His word. Hebrews 4:12 says:
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts.”
We see this instrument at work in Acts 2:37-41. When it had finished its work, three thousand souls were saved. How did it achieve this feat? Acts 2:37 says:
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
God’s word, delivered by Peter, caused the hearts of its hearers to “bleed” as they were convicted of their sins. They experienced godly sorrow, which led to repentance (2nd Corinthians 7:10). God also transplanted their stony hearts with brand new hearts of flesh, in accordance with the prophecy in Ezekiel 36:26. Beloved, God still performs this spiritual surgery today. Are you wondering how you can be free from sin? Surrender yourself to God for spiritual heart transplant. Confess your spiritual ailment of sin to God and ask Jesus to transplant your heart with His word, and you shall be made whole.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To forgive is to decide to reject feelings of resentment between you and a person who has wronged you. This isn’t always easy, especially when a person has really hurt and trampled on you. However, forgiveness is a mandate for Christians; no one can profess to be a genuine Christian and not live a lifestyle of forgiveness. Our Lord said to us in Matthew 6:15:
“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
This verse clearly states what happens when we refuse to forgive anyone who wrong us: we too will not be forgiven by our heavenly Father. In other words, forgiving our offenders isn’t just an instruction to be obeyed; it is a matter of life or death for us, because if our sins are not forgiven, then we are doomed eternally. Un-forgiveness is therefore not something to be toyed with at all.

As partakers of His divine nature, God expects our forgiveness to take on the character of His forgiveness. For example, the Holy Spirit says in Jeremiah 31:34:
“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
This verse is telling us that forgiveness shall not be temporary. In other words, when you forgive, God expects you to forgive once and for all. As a child of God therefore, you don’t see someone you supposedly forgave months ago and immediately feel resentment for that fellow. When you forgive someone, you forever let go of every hurt and pain that the fellow caused you.

Another character of forgiveness is that it takes just one person to forgive. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation where the two parties involved are required to meet and make up. With forgiveness, you don’t have to wait for the person who offended you to come and apologise for whatever they did. You have to forgive even before being asked. Forgiveness is not about the fellow who offended you; it is about you and your relationship with God. Forgiveness is not easy. In fact, it can be extremely difficult to forgive, but as a Christian, you are required to forgive, no matter how hard it is. Are you walking in forgiveness?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.