₦airaland Forum

For you to fully enjoy the benefits of your walk with God, you need to understand His character. One character trait of God is that He keeps His end of every covenant He enters into. In other words, He is a covenant-keeping God. Based on my experience, I can boldly say that entering into a covenant partnership with God is a wise thing to do. Times without number, God has proved it to me that no one can beat Him in adherence to the terms of a covenant relationship. In 1 Samuel 1:9-11, we see a situation where God’s need intersected with the need of man to produce a covenant partnership. God urgently needed a faithful priest to replace Eli and his notorious children, while Hannah needed a son to silence her adversary, Peninnah, who continually mocked her on account of her barrenness. To get her heart’s desire, Hannah entered into a covenant partnership with God. She promised that if God would give her a male child, she would give him back to God. The deal was struck: Hannah got a son and God got his priest. This great God even went on to bless Hannah with five more children (1st Samuel 2:21)!

Testimonies abound on covenant partnership in our ministry; testimonies of how God has been keeping His own side of the bargain with those who have chosen to partner with Him in the advancement of His kingdom. There is one covenant partner in our ministry who rose from being an employee to becoming a member of his company’s board of directors. This exemplifies what those who partner with God stand to gain, provided they keep to their agreement with God. There is also this story of someone who chose to partner with God but decided to breach the covenant even before the first miracle matured. A young man came to us and shared his desire to became a covenant partner with God. We prayed, and he received his first breakthrough when someone hired him to put his estate up for sale. When we advised him to give God a tithe out of his profit from the deal, he flared up and said “not until another one comes!” He left in anger, but before long, the fellow who wanted to sell his estate changed his mind at the point of payment, to the extent that he literally chased this covenant breaker away! That was how the young man lost a huge business deal. Beloved, God is a very faithful business partner to have if you decide to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. Even though He is the Senior Partner in our relationship, He chose to make us comfortable by asking for only a tenth of the blessings He give us. To receive more blessings, the wise will want to increase God’s portion of this sharing formula, like some of us have done. Choose to partner with God today and you will see how pleasant He is to do business with.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Here’s some good news for children of God today: the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, still answers the prayers of those who call on Him. There is someone using this devotional who thinks that God no longer answers prayers, because it seems you have never received an answer to your prayers before. Those testimonies you have been hearing of God’s awesome acts now look like made-up stories. The Lord asked me to declare to you these words of Jesus Christ today:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
John 16:23b-24
God’s promise in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 is as valid as ever, and we must keep believing it. We should not allow the devil cheat us by convincing us to seek other alternatives instead of praying to God. When the Almighty declared the words of Psalm 50:15, He was not making a political statement; rather, He was telling us not only what He is capable of doing but also what He is eager to do if only we believe. In John 11:40, Jesus said to Martha:
“…Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”
What He said to Martha, He says to you also today.

One man who experienced this prayer-answering God was Jabez. Reacting to the painful circumstances surrounding his birth, his mother gave him a name meaning “child of sorrow”. However, Jabez was determined to defy the negative influence of this bad name. He therefore called upon God, and the Lord granted his request. Are you under a similar burden? I decree over you today that like Jabez, every negative influence affecting you will be wiped away as you pray in faith in Jesus Name. You can learn a lot from the prayer of Jabez, particularly the way he rejected poverty by a simple prayer of faith. Jabez did not shy away from prosperity like some Christians do. I have tested poverty, so much so that I had no shoes on my feet until I was eighteen years old. I have also had a taste of divine prosperity. I can therefore tell you that one is far better than the other. Moreover, Jabez prayed that riches should come into his life without bringing calamity along. He believed that the God who blesses can equally protect from the evil that can be associated with wealth. People who fear being wealthy should learn from the prayer of Jabez and begin to call on the prayer-answering God, who alone can protect as well as bless (Proverbs 10:22). Go ahead and pray for your heart’s desires; today is your day of answered prayer.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To explain the place of law and grace in our lives as Christians, one of my sons once said that the law teaches us godliness while grace gives us the power to do what the law commands. We can then say that law and grace work together for us to live acceptably before God. You cannot claim to be under the grace of God and live a lawless life, because those who live under God’s grace are subject to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-2). You are a partaker of God’s grace because the Spirit of Lordship now lives in you and controls you to live by Christ’s commandments. On the other hand, you cannot obey the instructions of this Spirit of Lordship without the help of God’s grace. Why? It is because His standard is high and His ways uncompromising. This is the reason why Christ paid such a high price for us to gain access to God’s throne, where we obtain grace that helps us in this regard. Hebrews 4:16 says:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
God’s standard is entrenched in His word. No matter how much the world changes, the standard which God’s word sets for man to live by cannot be changed (Matthew 24:35, 2nd Timothy 2:19).

Our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:17-20 said He did not come to destroy the law or the prophet; rather, He came to fulfil them by the grace He brought from heaven. His grace is more than enough for those who are willing to obey God, love Him and worship Him in spirit and in truth. Whatever the Lord commands, He gives the grace to do (Philippians 2:13). From the Lord’s teachings in Matthew 5:27-32, it is obvious that His standard is much higher than the standard of the Law of Moses. This is because His standard establishes the will of God as it was in the beginning (Matthew 19:. Thankfully, His grace is more than enough to help us meet this standard. For example, Christ brought the grace not only to avoid going into the act of sexual immorality but also to help us not to lust after the opposite sex in our hearts (Matthew 5:27-28). The law says we should not commit murder, but the letter of grace helps us not to be angry at all. The same thing applies to the issue of divorce. Jesus Christ taught against divorce, equating it with the sin of adultery (Matthew 5:31-31). God’s standards have not changed, and they will never change. Our love for God should motivate us to live by His standards. James 1:25 says:
“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
Let us continually look into the perfect law of liberty in order to please our God daily.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I think we can all agree that chastisement is not a pleasant thing. However, although nobody wants to be chastised, rebuked or corrected, it is necessary if we want to reach our goal in life. If we want young souls to become great, we must rebuke them, and sharply too, before it is too late. It is satanic psychology that teaches that children should not be corrected or punished for wrong doing. Contrary to this lie, the wisdom of God tells us in Proverbs 13:24:
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
It is not a virtue but rather vain glory to hear people say, “I don’t punish my child” or “My father never punished me.” “The Lord said He would judge the house of Eli forever for the iniquity of his children, because he knew about it but did not punish them for it (1st Samuel 3:13). Some parents cannot even endure the pain of chastising their children, and so they allow them to develop into persons with evil character. Such parents need to understand that God, in His wisdom, says in Hebrews 12:11:
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Today, in the so-called developed world, corporal punishment is outlawed to the peril of the young and up-coming generation. Modern child psychology has vehemently come up against corporal punishment. It is therefore not surprising that modern society is paying a high price for this in the form of character erosion. There is no psychologist anywhere in the world that can be more accurate in judgment than the Creator of mankind who owns all children (Psalm 127:3). Based on what He knows about children, He said in Proverbs 22:15:
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”
It is unfortunate that some people take this verse as a mere figurative statement. In any case, we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth (2nd Corinthians 13:. While I was growing up in my hometown, a rich parent arrested our teacher for flogging his child and this teacher vowed never to punish the children of the so-called rich among us again. Unfortunately, those children never amounted to anything good in life. Beloved, the child psychology that forbids chastening or rebuke gets its inspiration from the pit of hell. We must reject it in its entirety if we desire a glorious future for the next generation.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The benefits of the elect are innumerable, but we will still be reflecting on just one of these today, which is the benefits of answered prayers. Who are the elect in the first plaace? Isaiah 42:1 says
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth….”
The elect are those with whom the Lord is well pleased. How does one become an object of God’s pleasure? The Holy Spirit answers that question in Psalm 147:11, where He says:
“The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”
Because God has given freewill to every person, we all have a role to play in order to be numbered among His elect. Whether people believe it or not, God has favourites. You can choose to be one of His favourites by fearing Him and willingly walking in His ways. As a man, Jesus Christ was a favourite of God because He willingly offered Himself to do God’s will (Hebrews 10:5, Philippians 2:5-11). Therefore, in Matthew 3:17, God declared concerning Him:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
No wonder Jesus enjoyed the benefit of answered prayers to the maximum when He here in flesh. In John 11:41c-42, He said at the tomb of His friend Lazarus:
“Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Proverbs 15:29 tells us that the Lord hears the prayer of the righteous. Righteousness is a gift of grace that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22, Romans 5:17). Faith is required to obtain the righteousness of God which qualifies us to be numbered among His elect. This issue of faith is so important if we are to enjoy the benefit of answered prayers, so much so that when Jesus taught on the place of persistence in prayer, He asked this question in Luke 18:8b:
“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
This question needs an individual response from everyone.

Beloved, you need to be one of God’s elect if you want your prayers to be answered. God listens to the cry of the elect and responds positively to their requests. You can enjoy this benefit if you give your life to Christ today and continually live by faith in His word.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

How great our joy will be when we realise the blessings that come from serving the Lord God our Maker! The fact remains, God created man in order to bless him. Only few parents, if any at all, would want to have children so that those children can feed them. As a matter of fact, good parents prepare treasures for their children to inherit. If earthly parents can do this, how much more would the Almighty God prepare treasures for His children? We see this character of God in Genesis chapter 1, where He created all the good things of life before creating man. In addition, God created mankind in order to walk in partnership with him. He created Adam and gave him a garden to dress. This garden served as a place where they fellowshipped together as partners.

In the encounter between Jesus Christ and Peter recorded in Luke 5:1-7, God further demonstrates His desire for partnership. Jesus engaged Peter’s services as He preached to the multitude at the lake of Gennesaret, and when He was done, He rewarded him with an unprecedented catch of fish. This is what our Lord can do for whoever chooses to serve Him. When the Lord called me into His service on full-time basis, little did I know how much He would bless me for answering His call. Today, if anyone asks me how I feel about working for God, I will simply tell the fellow, “It pays to serve the Lord.” Beloved, are you in doubt as to whether or not you should serve God? Perhaps you don’t even know how to serve Him. To serve the Lord, you must first believe in Jesus Christ (John 6:28-29). Those who choose to serve God must come to Jesus by answering the call He made to all mankind in Matthew 11:28-30, and begin to learn of Him. You cannot render service to God anyhow because He has an acceptable way of serving Him. His word says in Romans 12:1:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Jesus served God acceptably when He was here on earth, and that is why you should learn of Him. When you follow the example of His service, you can be sure you are serving God acceptably. In Matthew 19:29, the Lord gives a mouth-watering assurance of our reward when we serve Him diligently. This reward cuts across both the temporal and the eternal. It is indeed rewarding to serve the Lord. I am a living testimony of this, and you can be also.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the spiritual sense, ‘revival’ refers to a period of unusual outpouring of God’s power brought about by an unprecedented manifestation of His presence. It is a time of refreshing for God’s people (Acts 3:19). The story of Elijah’s conquest on Mount Camel is a reference point on what revival looks like (1st Kings 18:17-40). The prophets of Baal had boasted of the power of their god and had been calling on him in vain, but after the power of God came upon the mountain and consumed the sacrifice of His prophet, the people began to chant “Elijah, Elijah” – meaning “Elohim is Jah” or “The Lord, he is the God.” 1st King 18:39 says:
“And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.”
How true the word of God is! As Psalm 110:3 says, the people were indeed willing to bow to God and declare His Lordship after witnessing the demonstration of His power. In the day of God’s power that revival brings, people will acknowledge the Lordship of Christ and they will be willing to live out His righteousness.

In Isaiah 2:1-4, the Holy Spirit reveals to us what happens when revival comes. In the day of God’s power, of their own accord, people will flock to God’s altar to confess their sins and leave them there, never to pick them up again. They will eagerly seek the Lord and do His will, summoning each other to come and worship the Lord. Moreover, people in political power will submit to the priests of the Lord, like in the days of Elisha when the king called the prophet “My father” (2nd Kings 13:14). When revival comes, instruments of mass destruction shall turn into instruments of mass construction and implements for production of food for the people to eat and enjoy. The revival from heaven will affect all spheres of human endeavour. I pray that God sends that day quickly so that evil legislations can be replaced with divine laws that promote the dignity of mankind. I pray for a time when people will willingly relinquish acts like bestiality, homosexuality, incest and all other forms of sexual perversion; humanity will then be freed from the horrible consequences that come with such acts. May the Lord send His power more than ever before, so that His people, particularly the Church, can be His true ambassadors, influencing their world toward righteousness.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many of us desire the blessings of Abraham, and this is a good thing. However, how many of us are ready to do the things Abraham did? Abraham gave gifts that honoured God, so much so that God swore by Himself to bless Him. After Abraham gave his very best on the altar of sacrifice, God said to him in Genesis 22:16-17:
“And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies”
Our God is not a respecter of persons. If you can also honour Him with your giving, He is ready to give you a blessing that has everlasting value in return.

This most precious thing you can give to honour God is your life. Just as God demanded the son of promise as a burnt sacrifice from Abraham, so does He demand your life. He says to you today:
“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”
Proverbs 23:26
The devil is also struggling to have your heart so that he can thwart the great plans of God for your life. When you choose to give your heart to God, you have done Him a great honour, and you will find favour in His sight and in the sight of men (Proverb 3:4). Another form of giving which honours God is found in Proverbs 3:9. Giving God the first fruits of your increase is an act of faith that brings delights to His heart. There is no ambiguity as to what we stand to gain from this. In Proverbs 3:10, He clearly says:
“So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
Unfortunately, many Christians still argue against the doctrine of first fruits. Some say that it belongs to the Old Testament, and I ask them whether the Old Testament is not part of God’s word to us. There are some pleasant promises of God we love which are only found in the Old Testament. We do not say we will not key into them because they are only in the Old Testament, so why ignore the doctrine of first fruits? Beloved, give God your best today. Honour Him by offering your spirit, soul and body to Him as a living sacrifice in holiness and acceptable service (Romans 12:1-2). I pray that the Lord will grant you grace to completely obey His commands like Abraham, the father of faith, did.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Colossians 2:18, the Holy Spirit warns us to beware of those who will try to intimidate us against doing what God has laid on our hearts to do in furtherance of the gospel. Using accusations of eye-service, some people resort to emotional blackmail to deter zealous children of God from their passion. Unfortunately, such behaviour is usually rooted in envy and jealously, and it exists even among children of God. For example, when a child of God chooses to bless his or her pastor, or decides to single-handedly execute Church projects, some people would accuse them of bribing their way into the pastor’s heart for undue advantage. In the face of such accusations, unless such a child of God is well rooted in God, he or she may chicken out of doing the good work the Lord has ordained him or her to do. Beloved, beware of doing things that discourage other believers from putting their God-given gifts to use in advancing the cause of God’s kingdom. I suffered this when my wife and I newly became born again and were zealously working to redeem the time we had wasted before knowing Jesus Christ. It seems to me that the “brethren” who engaged in acts as this are not aware of what the Lord said in Matthew 5:15.

Before, David triumphed over Goliath; he also faced discouraging accusations from his brethren. By God’s divine arrangement, David was sent by his father to his brothers on the battlefield. When he got there, he heard Goliath insulting the hosts of the Lord’s army, and he could not take it because of the Spirit and anointing of God upon his life. God had actually prepared him to give Israel victory against the Philistines. He therefore began to make enquiries as to how he could enlist in the army to fight on behalf of the God of Israel. Amazingly, his eldest brother, Eliab, became angry with him for this! David’s response to his anger shows the mind of someone who knew his life had a purpose (1st Samuel 17:29). Children of destiny should learn from this and also from the fact that David turned away from his brother’s envy-driven anger and talked with someone else, until news about him got to King Saul. Beloved, do you know the God that you serve? Do you know why He made you who you are? Do you allow people deter you from carrying out your God-given assignment? Remember, everyone will give account of the talent to them by the Master (Matthew 25:14-30, Romans 14:12). Therefore, use your all to advance the cause of God’s kingdom on earth, and you will receive commendation and reward when the Master returns.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Irrespective of what your current state is, if you belong to God through Jesus Christ, you are a king. You might not feel like it, but the truth is, in the spirit realm you are royalty. You need to be conscious of this great privilege that Christ has bestowed on you and walk in it. Continuously doing this by faith will make your spiritual reality manifest in the physical world, such that you will begin to reign over all situations. Christ has restored us to the rightful position God created us to occupy – a position that was lost in sin and the devil in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:26). As the original Kingmaker, Jesus alone has the power to make and unmake kings. In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, we see how He deposed King Saul because of his careless disobedience, and how He made David king in his place. You will notice that these moves took place in the spirit realm before manifesting in the physical world. Although Saul had lost his crown, He still sat on the throne, and even though David was anointed king, he still dwelt in caves and took care of sheep.

As a king unto God, what are you doing to protect your throne and crown so that you do not lose your status like Adam and King Saul did? The surest way to protect your throne and crown is through absolute obedience to the word of God (1st Samuel 15:23). You must continuously recognise and honour the One who made you king, because all power and authority belong to Him and He gives it to whoever He pleases (Romans 13:1). This is why He is called the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). Furthermore, your allegiance to Jesus Christ must be unwavering if you will not lose your status as king unto God. Are you unstable in your walk with God? Do you have a place in your heart still reserved for the world? What the Lord said to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:5 He says to you now:
“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”
It is important for you to know that dominion and power can be stolen from a king. David lost his throne for a while after his son, Absalom, stole the hearts of his subjects away from him (2nd Samuel 15:6) David did not regain his throne without a fight. Sin is the “Absalom” we must fight to a standstill. Hebrews 12:4 says:
“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”
As a king unto God, I encourage you to always stand your ground in Christ from today and let nothing take away your throne and crown.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is one fear which every wise person must possess, and this is the fear of the Lord. While the absence of the fear of the Lord has brought untold hardship upon many people’s lives, those who walked in it in the past all fulfilled their destinies. One example of someone who fulfilled his destiny by walking in the fear of the Lord is Joseph. From his experience, we are left with no doubt that sexual immorality is not an invention of the 21st century. As a matter of fact, it was this sin, among others, that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Besides, in the household of Joseph’s father, Jacob, sexual immorality was noticeable – we read of Reuben’s escapade with his father’s wife in Genesis 35:22, which earned him a curse in Genesis 49:4. In spite of the sexual immorality around him, Joseph feared the Lord, and this kept him from sleeping with his master’s wife. With fear and trembling, he said in Genesis 39:9:
“There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Where did Joseph find it written that sleeping with another man’s wife is sin, not only against her husband but also against God? Considering that at the time he lived the Law of Moses was not yet given, it must have been the law of God written in his heart that constrained him (Romans 2:14-15). This law says in Exodus 20:14:
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

Joseph prospered because he feared the Lord. Do you fear the Lord? What is your character in your closet? How do you conduct yourself in hidden places? When you are corrected of wrongdoing by the spiritual leadership God has placed over you, do you question them on where it is written in Scriptures? Even after showing you where it is written, do you still argue? On account of being chastised, have you not changed your church or parish three to four times? Do you really fear the Lord? If you really fear the Lord you will not be dating a married man or woman. If you really want to prosper, always remember that Psalm 128:1-2 says:
“Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”
Beloved, fear the Lord and abstain from all evil.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Going by the Lord’s revelations to His church and comparing these to the events happening around the world today, many Christians believe, as I do, that the rapture is heaven’s next big agenda (Matthew 24, Luke 21:5-36). The rapture is an event that forms part of the Lord’s Second Coming, in which the bride of Christ, which is His Church, will be caught up to meet Him in the air, and they will be transported from earth to heaven. Only those who are saved and ready for the Lord’s coming will partake of this event, which will happen shortly before the beginning of the great tribulation. The great tribulation is a time of great distress on earth which will be supervised by the antichrist himself. Although no man knows the exact time that the rapture will occur, the Bible gives us signs through which we will know that the time is near (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:28-29). These signs include suffering, war and destruction on an unprecedented scale (Matthew 24:6-, as well as moral decadence and high-level of corruption (Matthew 24:12, 2nd Timothy 3:1-6).

Why is the rapture important? It is because this event will reveal those who really belong to Christ. It is an event in which the wheat in God’s kingdom will be separated from the tares (Matthew 13:36-43). Those who will be raptured are blessed because they will not partake of the events which the Lord describes in Matthew 24:21 as “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (1st Thessalonians 5:9). At that time, they will be in heaven celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:5-9). Who are those qualified to partake in the rapture? The Holy Spirit answers this question in Ephesians 5:27, which says:
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Christ is coming for a Church that is holy and without blemish. The reason why He washed us with His precious Blood and cleanses us with His word is so that we can meet this standard (Ephesians 5:27, John 15:3). In other words, only those who are made pure by being washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, can be raptured. If you are not yet washed in His Blood, today is the day of your cleansing. Confess your sins to Him, accept the work of redemption He did on your behalf, and ask Him to cleanse you with His purifying Blood. You will then become as white as snow, ready for the rapture (Isaiah 1:18-19). May the Lord count you worthy to partake in the rapture in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you have a revelation of what heaven looks like, you will realise that no other experience can be more pleasant. The Holy Spirit makes it clear that it is indeed possible for us to experience the days of heaven on earth (Deuteronomy 11:21). When Jesus was here on earth, the disciples were actually experiencing heaven on earth. No wonder the Lord said to them in Luke 17:22b:
“The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.”
If you therefore want to understand what heaven on earth looks like, take a look at the life of Jesus here on earth and the experiences His disciples had at that time.

Heaven is a place where God is enthroned supremely and His will is done completely (Acts 7:49, Matthew 6:10). Experiencing heaven on earth therefore implies enthroning God’s kingdom here on earth and establishing His will over all situations. What is God’s will for man and how can it be established? According to Genesis 1:26, the will of God for man is dominion. The devil stole man’s dominion and became the prince of this world after he lured man into sin. This is why he claims ownership of the kingdom of this world (John 14:30, Luke 4:6). The devil held sway until Jesus came to overthrow his illegitimate rule (Luke 4:18-19). For this reason, our Lord instructs us to pray that the kingdom of God should come. When God’s kingdom comes upon an individual’s life, there will be restoration of dominion and prosperity in body, soul and spirit. There cannot be sickness in any body that exists in the kingdom of Jehovah-Rapha. There cannot be death in the kingdom of the immortal God. Where the kingdom of Jehovah-Nissi holds sway, there can be no defeat or loss of power. Poverty cannot arise where Jehovah-Jireh, the El-Shaddai, reigns.

In Acts 14:5-11, the people of Lystra, who did not know God, experienced heaven on earth. They thought Paul and Barnabas were gods! When you experience heaven on earth in your life, you will also become a wonder. You can experience heaven on the earth if you enthrone God as a king over your life by becoming born again. When you do this, Jesus will put an end to the kingdom of the devil that has hitherto dominated your life. When He reigns in your life, sin and all forms of calamity will be overthrown. As a child of God, to what extent have you allowed the principles of God’s kingdom to rule your life? Are there some “reserved areas” you would not want to cede over to God? Give God everything today, and let Him rule over your life completely.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In our daily lives, we need godly counsel. More importantly, people in power need to realise that they need godly counsel in order to rule well. Godly counsel is vital for the success of any human endeavour. I pray that you will never suffer the famine of godly counsel all the days of your life in Jesus’ Name.

In Genesis 41:33-40, Pharaoh demonstrated the character of a wicked king. He dreamt a dream which he could not interpret, and he sought counsel to get its interpretation. Amazingly, it was Pharaoh’s cupbearer who offered him the counsel that led to his problem being solved. The counsel offered by the cupbearer was the result of his encounter with an oracle of God in prison. There are many lessons we can learn from this story, first of which is not to despise those whom God has placed around us, and not to ignore their counsel. Pharaoh could have dismissed the cupbearer’s counsel as coming from an uneducated person taking undue advantage of his access to the king. Furthermore, who could have expected to find a genuine and accurate interpreter of dreams in a prison yard? It was indeed the “God-factor” that made the king seek after Joseph, for all odds were against him. The most interesting thing in the story is Pharaoh’s decision to put Joseph in charge of the massive project that resulted from the dream’s interpretation. How unsearchable are the ways of God!

A lot of godly counsel has been dismissed by people in leadership, leading to their downfall. This has also had destructive effects on the people they lead. Godly counsel can lead to wise decisions that will bring prosperity to communities, cities, nations and organisations. Leaders in all spheres of life should also learn from how Pharaoh placed a round peg in a round hole to achieve good governance. Pharaoh could have insisted on appointing an indigenous Egyptian to be in charge of the enormous project to be undertaken. He could also have bastardised the divine arrangement that God had put in place to save the whole of his empire. Beloved, where do you seek counsel from? Do you go to God and his servants or to the devil and his soothsayers? Remember, only godly counsel can produce wise decisions in your life’s endeavours, regardless of the vessel God uses to deliver it. The Lord has on several occasions used my children in the Lord to give counsel that has taken our ministry to the level where it is today. This is why I cherish all the children the Lord has given to me in the faith, and why I endeavour to train them in the ways of the Lord, so that they in turn can be channels of godly counsel to me and those I set them over. This has worked and is still working for us.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, the Holy Spirit is asking you if your prosperity is built on wickedness. As Proverbs 14:11 says, it is dangerous to prosper through wickedness. One of my sons was delivered from being hooked by evil prosperity when he was offered a huge amount of money to defraud his organisation. He refused to be part of the deal because he knew the spiritual implication of being unequally yoked with the wicked (2nd Corinthians 6:14-18). The love of wealth makes a lot of people ignore God’s counsel, with devastating consequences. Such wealth will eventually grow wings and fly away. Proverbs 13:22 says that a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. In other words, if you manage to gather wealth by stealing, lying or other acts of wickedness, the Lord is saying that he will take that wealth from you and give it to the righteous. Are you tempted to gather wealth through acts of wickedness or enjoying wealth obtained through sin? God is saying to you today that He is willing to prosper you, but you have to repent from your life of sin.

There was once a famous surgeon who was very wicked. He used to charge his patients very high fees and was living off the misfortune of others. He eventually became very rich with many houses all over the place. However, he himself fell sick, and all the money he made through wickedness was spent to help him, but to no avail. He eventually died. Years ago, I went to the University of Ibadan, and after my ministration, my car wouldn’t start. It was discovered that water had mixed with the fuel in my car. The fuel tank had to be removed in order to separate this water from the fuel. After this was done, the car started working again. Likewise, for you to prosper, you must get rid of all ungodly elements in your business or work. Zacchaeus was wise enough to know that all the ill-gotten wealth at his disposal must be gotten rid of. He said to the Lord in Luke 19:8b:
“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I gave to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”
There was a very wealthy man in a city in South-western Nigeria who had a lot of houses but could not sleep well in any of them. He came for prayers, offering to give us all his houses if only he could begin to sleep well. Of course, we rejected his gift. Beloved, it is indeed foolhardy to “prosper” through wickedness. If you have accumulated riches through fraudulent and bloody means, repent today. Jesus Christ will forgive you and give you the grace to restitute your ways like he did for Zacchaeus. If you know these things and do them, it shall be well with you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

An old adage says, “One example is better than precepts.” This is particularly true with respect to a preacher’s life. 1 Timothy 3:7 tells us why a preacher fails to live up to what he or she preaches, such a preacher will suffer reproach and open the door for the devil to have a foothold in his or her life. The seven sons of Sceva are a good case point (Acts 19:12-17). A preacher must have a good report, even among unbelievers. Our Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:16:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Romans 2:20 says those who preach by words alone and not by good deeds are instructors of the foolish. In other words, only a fool would listen to someone who does not practise what he or she preaches. The same Bible verse also describes such people as teachers of babes. Only babes would take a teacher who leads a double-life seriously. However, by the time such babes in Christ grow to a level of considerable spiritual maturity, they will abandon such teachers. This accounts for why some churches remain a nursery for Christians who later move on to higher levels in other churches.

There is no way our preaching can be effective if we do the direct opposite of what we preach. We strip God’s word of its power in the lives of our hearers when we are neck deep in those same vices we preach against. It is better not to be a preacher than to be one who does not do what he or she preaches, because the Name of the Lord is reviled in the process and the word of God is made of none effect. Romans 2:23-24 says:
“Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.”
The choice is yours to make on not being numbered among those who drag the Name of the Lord through the mud. Today, some preachers have become the object of mockery because they have refused to like Jesus Christ, who embodied all that He taught (Acts 1:1). It is time for preachers to begin to preach and live God’s word, and not their own ideas. Jesus is the Word of God, and preachers must draw the attention of their audience to Him alone. It is when we lift Jesus up in our messages that men will be drawn to Him (John 12:32)
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Preaching is a divine instruction to be obeyed, not only by evangelists and pastors, but by all born again children of God. It is simply telling people about the saving power of Jesus and persuading them to embrace the spiritual gifts He freely gives. Committing this great work into our hands and declaring us to be Christ’s ambassadors, the Holy Spirit says in 2nd Corinthians 5:19-20:
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as through God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
In 2 Timothy 4:2, He instructed us to preach the word in seasons and out of season. In other words, we are expected to preach the word when it is convenient and when it is not convenient. He also tells us how to preach, saying our message should rebuke, reprove and exhort. Although the gospel is a message of love, it is not devoid of correction for those on the path of destruction, as some people erroneously believe. Any gospel that does not reprove its hearers is incomplete. The good news is supposed to convict those on the path of perdition to make a U-turn onto the path of life and righteousness. The gospel is also not devoid of rebuke for all men. Indeed our God is love, but some people forget that He is also a Consuming Fire to the ungodly. John the Baptist did not mince words in his preaching about the kingdom of God. In Matthew 3:1-8, he rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducee's of their hypocrisy and asked them to repent. The message of our Lord Jesus Christ also contained rebuke. In Luke 13:2b-3, He said to His audience:
“Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
He also rebuked His Church at Ephesus, warning them that they had neglected their first love and exhorting them to repent (Revelation 2:1-5). Lastly, the message of our preaching should also exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. We must exhort in doctrine in order to raise mature Christians who are grounded in the ways of God. Some preachers claim to have been called to preach and not to teach doctrine. One wonders where they got their ideology from. Any sermon that is void of doctrine is a lifeless oration. People cannot do the will of God they don’t know, and they only get to know the will of God through exhortation in doctrine (John 7:17). Beloved, you must go out there to preach, so that sinners can embrace the love of God and repent.
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Our God is a God of principles, and He runs the universe by the principles He has established. Understanding these principles is key to living a blessed life. One of God’s principles is the principle of obtaining a harvest after a period of sowing, while another is that whatsoever a man sows is what he will reap (Genesis 8:22, Galatians 6:7). Based on these two principles, whenever God wants to bless a fellow, He creates an opportunity for the fellow to give up something precious as a seed sown into the fertile soil of His kingdom. Such divinely organised investment opportunities must be grabbed with both hands. When God wanted to bless Abraham and make him a mighty nation, He asked Him to sacrifice his only son to Him. After Abraham passed the test, he received an everlasting promise of greatness (Genesis 22:16-17).

Those who want to get the results that Abraham got must be ready to do the works that Abraham did. It is ironic to hear people sing “Abraham’s blessing are mine” or claim to be Abraham’s children, and yet refuse to do the works of Abraham. The Lord said in John 8:39b:
"If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."
Malachi 3:8-12 contains a divine investment opportunity which Abraham himself embraced. He and his descendants did this by faith, even before the Law of Moses was given (Genesis 14:18-20, Genesis 28:22). Today, this same investment opportunity is still open to all of God’s obedient children who desire to receive great blessings from Him. When I was confronted with the principle of tithing as I was growing in faith, I found it difficult to understand it as a divine investment opportunity, until I eventually learnt my lesson in a painstaking way. I discovered that my financial problems persisted even though I was not paying tithes, to the extent that I used to borrow money from my driver to buy fuel into my car before my next salary was paid. However, immediately I realised that God was only setting His children up for blessings through tithing, I threw myself headlong into it. Before long, I stopped borrowing money and eventually had enough to build my first house. When God says “Give”, it is because He wants us to receive (Luke 6:38). Years ago, when we were preparing for our annual church convention, there were multiple building projects going on within our camp grounds, of which the major one was the roofing of our main auditorium. As I was wondering how to get enough funds for this project, one of my senior pastors came asking for financial assistance for his church’s project. I then knew that God was setting me up for supernatural financial breakthrough when He asked me to give all I had to assist this pastor. It was an investment that yielded high dividends. Beloved, I encourage you to invest in the business of God’s kingdom, and your business will not run dry.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

People often cite their environment as the reason why they live a sinful lifestyle, but this is untenable before God. A good number of people who found themselves in ungodly environments still maintain their loyalty to the Holy God, and they testify against such people on the last day.

Indeed, living holy among ungodly people is possible. Joseph is one example of someone who lived a righteous life in the midst of the ungodly. As seen in Genesis 39:7-12, he lived under the same roof with an ungodly person who happened to be his boss, and yet he kept his integrity. Nowadays, some people who profess to be born again easily give in when pressured by their superiors to do ungodly things at work. They do this either to gain a promotion or because they fear losing their job, forgetting that the Holy Spirit said those who will live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2nd Timothy 3:12).

They also ignore His admonition in 1st Timothy 6:6 which says:

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Sadly, in spite of what the Lord said in Mark 10:29-30, many people believe that to be born again is to escape a life that will experience persecutions. For such people, living a holy life is not a possibility.

What is holiness?

It is simply obedience to the word of God. When you are obedient to God’s word, you demonstrate faith in him, and your life will be pleasing in His sight. That is what holiness is all about. It was disobedience that took Adam from a position of glory to labouring under a curse. Take a cue from Joseph who in the face of deadly pressure said in Genesis 39:9:

“….how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Daniel is another person whose life showed that living a godly life in the midst of ungodliness is possible. His actions in Daniel 1:8 demonstrate that living a holy life is a matter of personal decision. Some people would not want to join the police force because they believe all policemen are corrupt. This is not true! You can be a police officer and decide not to be corrupt. Some run away from being accountants so that they are not tempted to falsify figures.

How wrong they are! You don’t need to be an accountant before you steal the funds of an organisation. A governor who purposes in his heart not to embezzle public funds will maintain his integrity, whereas a messenger could end up stealing cans of coffee in his or her custody. Irrespective of your location, with Christ in you, you can live a holy life and enjoy the promotion that it brings, just like Joseph and Daniel did.


Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When the Apostle John caught the revelation of who we are in Christ, he was so excited about it. You can feel his excitement in these words he penned in 1st John 3:1:
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
We learn from these words that the children of this world will never understand our ways. They cannot understand us, no matter how hard they try, until they come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Therefore, trying to make the children of this world appreciate or accept our lifestyle is an exercise in futility. Some Christians have compromised their faith in an attempt to achieve this impossible feat, because they want to impress the world. In spite of the miracles the Master performed – healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers and other signs and wonders – the children of this world still cried “Crucify Him!” They even preferred the notorious robber, Barabbas, to the Author of life (John 18:39-40). Since they rejected our Master, don’t be shocked that they will also reject our way of life.

As sons of God, we have a birthright which our adoption accords us. Although our minds cannot fully comprehend presently the scope of what this birthright gives, we have the assurance that when we see the Lord in glory, we will understand it all, because we will be exactly like Him (1st Corinthians 2:9, 1st Corinthians 13:12, 1st John 3:2). Why is the Lord giving us this assurance? The reason is that He knows we will face challenges in life which can make us doubt the reality of our heritage as peculiar people chosen by God as our Father. Our Lord also faced this challenge in the wilderness of temptation and on the cross of Calvary (Luke 4:3-12, Mark 15:34). In the wilderness, the devil tried to make Him doubt His status as the Son of the Living God. The devil knew that God would not answer prayers inspired by satanic suggestions or borne out of the desire to satisfy a lust (James 4:3). He also knew that God would not grant a request against His perfect will (Matthew 6:10, Luke 22:42). He was therefore setting Jesus up to have His prayers unanswered when he asked Him to turn a stone into bread to prove His birthright. If Jesus’ prayer were unanswered, the devil would have succeeded in making Him doubt His identity. Beloved, beware of doing things that would amount to selling your birth-right as a child of God. The best way to avoid this is to consciously keep yourself away from worldly corruption and anything that defiles. Never live your life to impress anybody but your Father who is in heaven.
Written by E.A. Adeboye.

Many children of God are losing a lot, either because they do not know the Scriptures enough or fail to apply what they know from it. Like Abraham the father of faith, some of them who are millionaires today would have graduated to the level of being billionaires, but they have not moved to the level because they feel they are already doing enough in the area of giving when compared to what others are giving. They do not know that God’s assessment of giving is different from the way people see it. although 2 Corinthians 9:7 encourages us to be cheerful givers, we should also be conscious of the fact that God is the one who gives commendation for our offerings, and His commendation is not based on how much is given but how much remains after giving! This is clearly seen in Mark 12:41-44. Many well-to-do folks among the brethren would be amazed to discover that in spite of the millions they are giving, though commendable, many brethren who are less endowed are actually out-giving them in the sight of God!

Contrary to the misguided opinion of some people, God is actually interested in what we give. In Mark 12:41, Jesus Christ personally observed the offertory in the synagogue, so much so that He knew how many mites the widow dropped in the offering box! I would like to point out here that not all widows are poor. There are actually multi-millionaire widows in our society. However, we are very sure that the widow referenced in Mark 12:41-44 was poor. We need to get this distinction right because there are certain widows in the Church today who are not supposed to queue up for charity whenever it is being distributed, but they do so. Such charity is meant for the poor among widows. Another lesson we should learn in Mark 12:41-44 is that in spite of all those who gave fat offerings, heaven commended the poor widow’s giving as being the most sacrificial of all. Let those who specialise in taking offerings beware of making uncomplimentary remarks against those who give “tattered notes”, because that might be all that they have!

Beloved, the amount you have left in your storehouse after you have given to God determines your score card in His presence. I pray that you will not only give cheerfully from today but you will also begin to give bountifully, and you will not miss your reward in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”
Psalm 35:27
While it is an incontrovertible truth that God wants the righteous to prosper, He does not want them to prosper by any unrighteous means. Unfortunately, in the world today, many people want to get rich quick with minimal effort, and more often than not, they resort to stealing in one form or the other to achieve this. Being a thief himself, the devil aids such people in their enterprise, and some of them become very “prosperous”. When some children of God see this “prosperity”, they are tempted to apply the devil’s methods. This is a slippery slop every child of God must avoid because it leads to destruction (Psalm 73:1-3, Psalm 73:17-18).

Exodus 22:2-3 reveals what God thinks about thieves, and one of His cardinal commandments says, “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15). God is not only against stealing, He is also against those who support and encourage stealing. Proverbs 29:24 says that whosoever is a partner of thieves hates his own soul. In other words, if you want to prosper in the real sense of the word, don’t be a friend of thieves. There are many thieves in the world today, stealing from their places of work and even from God. I urge you not to align with such people. Jeremiah 17:11 reveals what happens to the prosperity gotten through fraudulent means, saying:
“As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hetcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.”
Prosperity is not meant for liars; nor is it for those who use fake measures or doctored invoices (Proverbs 11:1). Some contractors would be asked to buy 20 bags of cement for a project, and they would either buy 10 out of the 20 purchased for their personal project. In the same vein, prosperity is not for the greedy. According to Proverbs 1:17-19, the greedy can even kill for money, but they do not know that they are troubling their own lives by their greed. Just as declared in Proverbs 15:27, we see several families in the world today devastated by greed. Furthermore, prosperity is not for the lazy (Proverbs 6:6-11). Laziness is an act of unrighteousness, and it makes a person susceptible to sins like stealing (Romans 12:11, Ephesians 4:28). Lastly, prosperity is not for drunkards and gluttons. Neither is it for those who are given to a life of seeking pleasure (Proverbs 23:21, Proverbs 21:17). Beloved, although God wants you to prosper, He wants you to go about it in the right way so that your prosperity does not become a curse to you and your household. Are you seeking prosperity through just means?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“…They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”
Song of Solomon 1:6
The sad scenario outlined in this verse of scripture applies to a lot of Christians who are actively engaged in the expansion of God’s kingdom on earth. They get so consumed with service to God and others that they neglect their own families. They preach the gospel to the world but fail to bring up their own families in the ways of God. This was the case with Eli, Samuel and David. They led God’s people but neglected their own house-holds, and the result of their neglected own households, and result of their neglect had tragic consequences for their families (1st Samuel 2:12-36, 1st Samuel 8:1-6, 2nd Samuel 13&15).

It is true that the Lord gave us the Great Commission to reach out to the whole world with the message of the gospel, but He also gave us the method we should apply to execute this mandate, saying in Acts 1:8:
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Take note of the order He wants us to follow: first Jerusalem, then Judea, followed by Samaria and finally to the uttermost part of the earth. He further said in Luke 24:47:
“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
In other words, you are to begin from your immediate community; that is, those closest to you. When we do not follow divine order, we are bound to run into problems. For those who are saved, your household is your Jerusalem. The Great Commission must begin in our homes. It is disheartening to see children of committed Christians going wayward and doing abominable things like the children of Eli and Samuel. We must work on our children with the message of the gospel from when they are very young, during their formative years. The Holy Spirit did not mince words when He said in Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Learn from Philip’s example in Acts 21:8-9. He was an evangelist who brought up his daughters in the ways of the Lord. I pray that God will help you to do the needful and produce godly seeds in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

For various reasons such as worldliness, the pursuits of pleasure, and the desire for power, wealth, and fame, many Christians all over the world today no longer keep the second coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in focus. This nonchalant attitude towards His return, coupled with unbelief, is largely responsible for the widespread spiritual decadence in the world and even among Christians today. Jesus knew this would happen when He gave us the parable of the king who went to a far country, leaving his servants in charge of his kingdom to occupy till His return (Luke 19:11-27). Although we have waited for so long for His return, I can assure you by the infallibility of God’s word that our King is coming soon as He promised. He is coming to Judge both the living and the dead. Don’t be deceived by the lies of the devil or by current development around the world to conclude that Jesus Christ will not come again. Do not fall for the deceit of those who suggest that He has already come in the Spirit. These are all lies of the devil. The angels who addressed the early disciples after the ascension of the Lord declared in Acts 1:11:
“…Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye grazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Regardless of whatever anyone has to say about the rapture or the second coming, the truth remains that our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again to put the devil where he belongs: first in the bottomless pit and finally, in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:1, Revelation 20:10). The angels who fell with devil after his rebellion, now known as demons, will also share in his destiny (Matthew 25:41). Moreover, our King is coming to give rewards to those who belong to Him, in accordance to their works. He said in Revelation 22:12:
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.!
He also declared in Luke 19:27:
“But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
Beloved, this will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. However, you must always remember that the King of kings is coming soon. You must also be mindful of what He is coming to do so that you can fully prepare yourself in readiness for His return. Are you ready?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The abnormal use of a thing is what is referred to as abuse. It is unfortunate that many people abuse themselves in different ways. For example, it is an abnormal use of the body and mind when one works, works and works without taking time to rest, all in bid to maximize earnings or turnover. If you know how precious you are, you will not burn the candle of your life from both ends. Today, in 1st Corinthians 6:15, the Holy Spirit is asking you whether or not you realise that your body is a part of Christ. In other words, even the body we call ours actually belongs to Jesus Christ. This tells you how precious we are in the sight of the Lord. As children of God, we are so unique! That we are joined to God in one spirit should gladden our hearts and make us shun any form of defilement. No wonder the Psalmist says in Psalm 139:14:
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
When we abuse our body, we are actually trampling under our feet a precious pearl the Lord gave us, not only because we are created in His own image but also because He paid a high price to redeem us from the curse of sin and death. We are even much more precious than the first Adam, for we are bought with a price that cannot be valued.

Our Lord has called us out from darkness into the marvellous light of holiness, prosperity and great deliverance from the power of sin and Satan. We must therefore glorify God in our body and in our spirit man. We are like the beloved wife of a king. The queen does not comport herself in ways that would bring ridicule to the royal family, her husband particularly. Moreover, a queen does not tell lies because she has integrity. Sleeping around is a ridiculous thing to do as a Christian. Even if you are not married to any person, you are joined to Jesus Christ, who is the Husband of the Church. Beloved, do you know you are more valuable to God than angels? The Bible says you will even judge angels (1st Corinthians 6:3)! The fact that God has given you His precious Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing you of things to come should tell you how precious you are to Him (2nd Corinthians 5:5). Even the angels are mystified by this great benevolence of God to us and by the fact that He has set us over the world to come (1st Peter 1:12, Hebrews 2:5-. Armed with this knowledge, if I were you, I would jealously guard my salvation, lest I lose my worth and become a castaway (1st Corinthians 9:27
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Forgiveness is a term used to indicate pardon for a fault or mistake committed by someone. It means to end the feeling of animosity towards a person for an offence committed, and signifies the liberation of that person from guilt and its consequences, including punishment. It usually comes as an act of unmerited favour, compassion or love, with the aim of restoring a broken relationship. Forgiveness is synonymous with pardon, and it is also used in reference to the cancellation of debts. In God’s eyes, to forgive is more about the restoration of a broken relationship than just a change of one’s mind or emotions towards a person who committed an offence. Indeed, forgiveness can be costly and painful. Nevertheless, God demands that we forgive because He Himself first forgave us, and He continues to do so today.

God forgives our sin out of love and because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary (Acts 13:38-39, 1st John 1:6-9). Having received His forgiveness through faith in the atoning Blood of Jesus, our sins are no longer held against us as children of God (Romans 3:25). The forgiveness we receive is a part of the justification that comes through grace. In pardoning sin, God effectively removes the guilt of sin, absolves the sinner of the condemnation of the law, and liberates the pardoned from eternal damnation. By this act of grace, the sinner is forever freed from the guilt and penalty of sin. This is God’s special prerogative, offered freely to all men through the gospel of Jesus. We access this free gift by confessing our sins unto God, genuinely repenting of them and becoming born again.

As God has shown us unmerited love, mercy and grace in wiping all our sins away with the Blood of Jesus, He commands us to do the same to our fellow men. We are to love our neighbours and keep no record of sin against them. As a matter of fact, God expects forgiveness to form part of our lifestyle, keeping in mind that receiving forgiveness from God is dependent on us forgiving our neighbours (Luke 6:37). Ephesians 4:32 says:
“And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Forgiveness leads to peace, reconciliation, healing, unity, progress, joy, prosperity and answered prayers. Whenever these things are lacking and we find ourselves stricken by our conscience, forgiveness is needed. Let the love of God radiate through you to others, so that you can also become a beneficiary of the Lord’s abundant blessings.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Ingratitude is a character trait that manifest itself as a lack of appreciation or thankfulness due for a favour received. The Bible tells us that it is important for believers in Christ to appreciate and show gratitude to God for the manifold blessings that He gives daily. It is especially important for us to appreciate God for who He is and constantly give Him thanks for the salvation of our souls, the redemption of humanity, the favour He surrounds us with, and for the glorious future that awaits us. In Psalm 136, the Holy Spirit emphasises the importance of gratitude and gives reasons why we should appreciate God. In Psalm 100:4, He also says:
“Enter into his gate with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
1st Thessalonians 5:18 teaches us that giving thanks in all situations is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.

If you only praise and worship God whenever you are in a congregation or whenever you are told to do so, then your praise is not overflowing from a heart of gratitude – you are just following orders. Always remember that God does not want people to give Him thanks only because they are told to do so; He wants people whose hearts would rise joyfully and spontaneously everyday with gratitude to Him whenever they remember His numerous benefits in their lives. I pray that God will always ensure you have reasons to praise Him in Jesus’ Name. The Bible contains examples of people who showed ingratitude to God in spite of all the blessings and gifts He bestowed on them. The story in Luke 17:12-19 is one of such examples. Of the ten leapers that Jesus miraculously healed, only one returned to glorify God. The question is, are you among the nine ingrates?

In the beginning, the Lord in His infinite wisdom created man in His image and in His likeness, for the purpose of showing forth His praise. Revelation 4:11 says God created all things, including human beings, for His pleasure. Isaiah 43:21 further says,
“This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.”
Ingratitude to God is therefore considered an act of wicked rebellion against Him (Romans 1:21). No wonder it is listed as one of the evil traits that men will manifest in the last days (2nd Timothy 3:2). May the heart of genuine appreciation to God develop in you today in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Faith is a spiritual word that is a bit complicated to define. However, Hebrews 11:1 provides the best explanation on the subject of faith by defining it as the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Faith gives a Christian the assurance of things which do not exist, and provides the conviction that what we hope for will happen, not because we have all it takes to make it happen but because God said it will happen. Practically speaking, faith involves taking God at His word and acting according to it, despite the hopelessness of the situation and irrespective of what the odds look like. As children of God, we generally find it easier to apply faith when dealing with simple matters of daily life like sleeping and waking up, but find it difficult to apply the same faith when confronted with difficult life-threatening issues like sickness and death. This should not be so.

In Luke 17:5, the apostles pleaded with Jesus to increase their faith. To better understand how faith works, let us closely examine Jesus’ response to their request. Luke 17:6 says:
“And the Lord said, if ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”
From the apostles’ request, they obviously thought that they needed much bigger faith to accomplish spiritual tasks. Unfortunately, this is the same mindset a lot of Christians have today. Jesus’ response reveals that the size of faith does not really matter. The smallest faith is enough to accomplish the biggest spiritual assignment, once the required conditions are fulfilled. By the grace of God, I have had my own fair share of dealing practically with the issue of faith, and God has always honoured my faith irrespective of its size.

One area of the new covenant that requires faith is connecting with the power of divine life embedded in Christ’s flesh and blood. Anyone who partakes in the Holy Communion by faith is bound to receive whatever miracle he or she desires. The Holy Communion is the most powerful meal imaginable, but faith is required to activate its hidden power. This divine meal has brought about abundant testimonies of great miracles, such as healing from incurable and life threatening diseases, deliverance from deadly vices and demonic powers, incredible financial breakthroughs, miraculous restoration of broken homes and relationships, and much more. The next time you partake of this miracle meal, apply faith to it, and I assure you that you will experience divine healing and deliverance through its power.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Life is a call to service. At the end of it, God has set a day of reckoning when everyone must appear before the judgement seat of Christ to receive the reward of their stewardship, according to what they have done on earth, whether good or bad (2nd Corinthians 5:10). When God created the world, He ordained work as a means of rendering service, in order for man to find fulfilment and obtain reward or praise. He also introduced regular periods of rest for man, just as He rested after creating the world. However, many people are over-stretching the need for rest by misusing and wasting away precious time. Such people forget that time measures life, and so time-wasting is a deadly shortcoming.

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every thing living that moveth upon the earth.”
Genesis 1:28
God’s mandate to mankind in this scripture shows that we are called to a life of service. The Holy Spirit further tells us that we only have one opportunity to make good use of the gift that life is. In Hebrews 9:27 He says:
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this Judgment:”
Knowing then that we have only one life to live, let us live our lives maximally for the glory of God. The story of David, the shepherd boy who later became king of Israel, serves as a perfect example in this case. As a little boy, David was in the wilderness, busy managing his family’s wealth. He was putting his life at risk while his brothers enjoyed the protective environment of the town with its fun and entertainment. Nevertheless, David carried out his duty without complaining, and he used the opportunity of his time in the wilderness to polish his musical talent and shooting skills. Down the line, his proficiency in music singled him out to play for the king, while his skill with the catapult was harnessed in the destruction of Goliath the blasphemer and enemy of God. Your diligence will single you out for honour in Jesus’ Name. On the other hand, excessive rest leads to idleness, laziness, boredom and a multitude of other sins that rush in to fill the vacuum created by idleness. Quite obviously, it was excessive rest and idleness that paved the way for David’s fall into adultery and murder (2nd Samuel 11:1-5). Furthermore, Ezekiel 16:49 confirms that the “abundance of idleness” played a major role in the sins and eventual destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. How busy are you with the work God has placed in your hands?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The word ‘Shepherd’ is commonly used by Christians to describe pastors, evangelists, missionaries and others who play leadership roles in the Body of Christ. God expects members of the Body of Christ to provide all that is necessary for the health and welfare of Church leaders, as they labour to see to the spiritual wellbeing of the flock of Jesus Christ. Caring for the shepherd can take the form of gifts or voluntary service from individuals or organised groups. Care can also come in the form of wages from the ministry or church through which the shepherd serves God. In this sense, wages can be defined as any form of economic compensation received in exchange for labour or services rendered. This may also include accommodation, provisions and additional benefits in cash or kind. The Holy Spirit revealed God’s mind on this matter, saying in 1st Corinthians 9:13-14:
“Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preached the gospel should live of the gospel.”

The Bible clearly teaches the right of pastors and spiritual leaders to receive care and wages in any form considered appropriate by members of the Body of Christ they are serving. Galatians 6:6 says:
“Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.”
Also, in 1st Timothy 5:17-18, the Bible instructed that the elder who rules well and labours in teaching the word and doctrine should not only be appropriately compensated but should also be counted worthy of double honour. Above all, our Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly hammered on the fact that the workman in God’s vineyard deserves whatever care or wages he or she receives (Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:7).

Moreover, caring for shepherds ordained by God is a route to irreversible blessings. Some ignorantly see this as a means of making pastors rich, but the Bible and life experiences speak for themselves: the widow of Zarephath, the woman of Shunem, the words of Jesus in Mark 9:41, and testimonies too numerous to mention all serve as examples to follow in this regard.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A guarantor is someone who voluntarily becomes the legal surety of another person’s debt or responsibility. He or she is a person who undertakes to ensure that an agreed future event takes place. A guarantor also come to the aid of someone else to meet a need at a cost which involves a great deal of personal risk. In Proverbs 17:18 and Proverbs 22:26, the Bible teaches against standing as surety for friends and acquaintances. These passages indicate that anyone who offers himself or herself as surety for debts is a foolish person without understanding. Following common occurrences around the world today, it is only advisable to stand as a guarantor for members of your immediate family. Based on God’s understanding of human nature, the Bible views the role of a guarantor as a form of deadly generosity. God knows that the guarantor will always be left in a vulnerable position and is bound to suffer loss in the long run. God did not take this position only because of His knowledge of human nature, but also because of Christ’s first hand experience as the ultimate guarantor of mankind’s salvation. Hebrews 4:15 says:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Having suffered so much to obtain our salvation, Jesus knows that it will be difficult for any human being to survive the disappointments and pain that comes with being a surety.

The Old Testament records one incident relating to someone standing surety for another. In it, Judah stood as a guarantor for Benjamin, to save Jacob’s family from starvation (Genesis 43:9, Genesis 44:32). Similarly, Jesus is the only person in the New Testament who stands as a guarantor. Hebrews 7:22 says
Jesus is the mediator of the covenant between God and His people, and He is also its guarantor. God’s promises are all guaranteed in Jesus Christ (2nd Corinthians 1:20). Knowing the consequences of standing as surety for anyone, Jesus willingly chose to stand for us because of the love He has for us. He paid the price of His life and today He sits in heaven as the One who guarantees the terms of the New Covenant that grants us access to the family of God. How generous He is! Jesus is still offering His extravagant generosity of all today, and it is an offer of love. Accept it today and your life will never be the same again!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God’s promises to His children are great, and their scope cannot be fathomed with the human mind. This is because our God is the Almighty, the beginning and the End of all things, the All-knowing and the All-powerful God. Colossians 1:16 tells us that all things in heaven and earth were made by Him: visible and invisible, thrones and dominions, principalities and powers. All these were created by Him and for Him. Heaven and earth adore Him, and angels bow before Him. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the final authority, and His word is settled in heaven. In 1st Corinthians 2:9, this great God said concerning His promises:
“But as it is written, 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.”
Anyone who has walked with this great God and has tasted of His goodness will testify that the words of this verse are true. A cursory look at the stories of Abraham, Moses, Esther, Rahab, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Nehemiah, Daniel, Samuel, the nation of Israel, Mary the mother of Jesus, and many other too numerous to mention also confirms this truth. Indeed, God is in the business of doing new things of great proportions in the lives of His children from generation to generation. Just as He did for those in ages past, He will visit you with a record-breaking blessing today in Jesus’ Name.

By the grace of God, I can also testify that I have experienced in my own life and ministry blessings of the proportion that eyes have not seen and ears have not heard; they are far beyond any human imagination. The manifestation of God’s glory being experienced by the Church of Christ in all the nations of the world simultaneously is indeed beyond human comprehension. Therefore, I can boldly say that God’s promise in Isaiah 49:22-26, which says that great leaders and kings shall serve children of God, is not empty promise. It is part of our heritage as beneficiaries of God’s mercy and unmerited favour. Hallelujah! As God used great kings and powerful leaders to favour Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, David and Ezra, He will do the same for you today in Jesus’ Name. Isaiah 60:5, 14 and 16 reiterate that the abundance of the sea shall be at your disposal. Those verses also say unbelievers will labour for your sustenance, kings will become the source of your livelihood, the children of your oppressors shall bow before you, and those who despised you shall be humbled in your presence. So shall it be in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.