₦airaland Forum

The story of the prodigal son can aptly be summarized as what happens under the government of self. Although man was created to have dominion, he was not created to be governed by self. This truth accounts for the instructions God gave to man in Genesis 2:15-17:
“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
One can safely assume that the purpose of these instructions was to let man know that he is under divine governance. It is unfortunate that the devil sold the idea of self-government to man. This same idea was what led to the devil’s fall from grace, and as a matter of fact, has continued to be the problem of man even today (Isaiah 14:12-15). The Lord is asking you today: are you living under the government of self or planning to detach yourself from the governance of heaven? Please don’t tread this path. None of those who did it before you have ever had a good story to tell. Psalm 2:1-5 tells us that God is sorely displeased by attempts to rebel against His Lordship.

People tend to see obeying God’s instructions as slavery, just as the prodigal son saw the control of his father as slavery. The prodigal son wanted his “freedom”, and so he decided to break away from his father’s control, not because his father was wicked or because he was suffering or lacked anything. All he wanted was self-rule, and he suffered for it. Every story of self-rule initiated against God’s governance ends in chaos, regret and unbearable suffering. The unfortunate thing is that the government of self is finding its way into Church. Today, any church leadership that tends to be built around the governance of God’s Spirit is often maligned, ridiculed and condemned. From the onset, the Church of God was designed to be ruled by the Holy Spirit. He is the Vicar that Jesus Christ sent to us after His ascension into heaven. Whatever we do outside the Holy Spirit is invalid. I have said this several times, and because it is the truth and the truth is constant, I cannot retract this statement. Years ago, when certain brothers demanded more freedom from the leadership of our church, I told them that any freedom more than what they had already under God would amount to bondage. Those who did not believe me then, who found a way of getting the freedom they desired, understand this truth better now. Beloved, voluntarily put yourself under the governance of God; it pays now and it will also be worth it in the hereafter.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a clarion call to all children of God to wake up to God’s expectations of them in areas such as holy living, soul-winning and service to humanity. It is urgent and important to heed this call in obedience to our Father in heaven and in order to bring glory to His Holy Name. Our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:15-16 said to us:
“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Knowing that we live in perilous times, swiftly heeding this call has become all the more necessary. When the Holy Sprit made the call in Ephesians 5:14, things were not even as bad as they are today. Therefore, as the Church of God, we must awaken from our slumber. The Holy Spirit says we should arise from the dead, with a promise that Christ will give us light. In other words, many of us are dead spiritually. Nevertheless, thank God that Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, is alive to His responsibility of restoring us.

How do members of the body of Christ become dead, and what is actually killing them? 1 Kings 13:11-22 gives some insight on this. It narrates the story of an old prophet who lived in Bethel, which is translated to mean ‘house of God’. Ironically, this prophet living in the house of God was backslidden. There was also another man, a young prophet who had not compromised his faith in Yahweh. God sent him to prophesy against the idolatrous regime of Jeroboam, with a warning that he must not rest along the way until he returned home from delivering God’s message. Also, he was commanded not to eat or return by the same way he went. This young prophet did according to what the Lord had told him, except that he felt so tired and decided to take a rest under an oak tree. It is unfortunate that it was at this resting spot that the old prophet met and deceived him to go against God’s instructions. Beloved, there are several old prophets around us today. In their backslidden state, they still sound knowledgeable and full of experience when they teach. To unsuspecting young men and women of God, their words are filled with wisdom. You must however beware of their heretic teachings. Their position on several issues can deceive young minds. The poor young prophet believed the old prophet’s lies, and he ended up taking a deadly spiritual siesta! Tragically, this same old prophet was the one who delivered God’s judgement upon the young prophet. So beware! The old prophet wanted to go to hell but wanted as many people as possible to go along with him. Awake, and don’t fall for the enemy’s tricks!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Worldliness had been misconstrued by some to mean having the good things of life, such as good cars, comfortable houses, decent clothing and the like. This is not true, because some of the heroes of faith that God loved so much were not only very rich, they also lived a good life. Here is Abraham’s servant’s testimony of Abraham’s status in Genesis 24:35:
“And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.”
The good life Abraham had is evident in the fact that he could afford to entertain three “casual” passer-by with a whole calf (Genesis 18:7). He also had three hundred and eighteen foot soldiers in his service (Genesis 14:14). In light of these facts, we need to properly define what worldliness is in order to distinguish it from good living. What then is worldliness if it is not synonymous with being wealthy? 1 Corinthians 7:31 gives us a hint of God’s view on this subject matter. From this verse of scripture we understand that things of this world are meant for our use but not for our abuse. According to 1 John 2:15-17, simply defined, worldliness is ‘lust’

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
1st John 2:16
From the scripture above, we understand that worldliness is lusting after the following:
a. Things that are not yours and cannot be yours, but which you still desire by all means, such as another man’s wife.
b. Things you do not necessarily need but which you still get for the sake of the pride of life.
c. Things you own that you keep away from those who actually need them.
d. Lack of contentment with what God has made you or given you. For example, a dark person bleaching their skin to become a light person.
Above all, worldliness is denying God what He originally gave you when He demands for it. An example of this is manifested when instead of using the blessing God has deposited in your life for the purpose of propagating the gospel, you choose to keep it away from Him because you need to buy the latest car in town, despite the fact that you already have enough cars to take you around. Learn from Joseph of Arimathaea who selflessly volunteered his own expensive tomb for Jesus’ burial (Matthew 27:57-60). Beloved, a person can be poor and still be worldly if the little he or she has is placed or valued higher than the Almighty God. How highly do you rate your possessions today?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the course of our reflection yesterday, the Holy Spirit revealed to us some unexpected things that happened when God comes visiting, One outcome of divine visitation is amazing testimonies of sudden turn around, which are so mind-boggling that they lead to laughter. Psalm 126:1-4 describes this experience. At one of our events, one particular man had a divine visitation and received his own amazing testimony of sudden turn around. This young man was born with only one testicle. With the aim of rectifying this problem, his parents took him to a native doctor who ended up destroying the only testicle he had. This ended any possibility of this young man ever having a child of his own. However, God had a plan to bring laughter back to his life. It was the very first programme I held as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at Rowe Park, Lagos Nigeria. In the course of this programme, the young man felt that something sensational was going on between his legs, and he checked to see what was happening to him. He discovered that he had received two brand new testicles! The day he came to visit me in my office after this miracle, he came with his wife and she was pregnant. In his joy and excitement, he said to me, “Sir, do you want me to show you the testicles?” I responded that there was no need for this because I could see the evidence of the new testicles on his wife. God will visit you, and creative miracles will be your portion today in Jesus’ Name.

Another of such testimonies is that of a young man brought to my office by one of his friends several years ago. This young man said to me, “Sir, I have a big problem.” We found out that his wife had literarily run mad and was roaming the streets completely naked. It is culturally believed by the Yoruba tribe, which he belonged to, that a mentally unstable person that is still within the house can be cured, but once the spirit of madness takes such a fellow to the market place naked, such a person would remain mad for life. As at the time they came to my office, this woman had been bundled off to an herbal treatment home in Kwara State, Nigeria. I was given the address of this place, and I went there to pray for her. Her husband was informed after I left that I had been there to pray, but he was disappointed to here that the prayer did not last more than five minutes. “How can a five-minute prayer deal with this serious madness”, they wondered out of doubt. So they took the woman to a psychiatric hospital. As God would have it, the specialist there said to them, “Let us observe her before we know what to do.” After two weeks of observation, they sent for her husband and told him, “Sir, if you say something is wrong with this woman, then something must be wrong with you, because even though we have not given her any medication, this woman is as normal as any normal human being can be.” a divine visitation of less than five minutes brought laughter back to the family of this young man. I decree that in the Name that is above every other name, this month shall be your month of laughter.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a link between divine visitation and laughter. When God comes visiting, He ensures He leaves behind something to laugh about before He departs. We see this manifested when Philip the evangelist took the presence of God to Samaria with the preaching of the gospel. The aftermath of this divine visitation was laughter (Acts 8:5-. Genesis 18:1-14 also narrates how Abraham invited the presence of God into his tent without even knowing it. Because Abraham was given to hospitality, he was just doing what he knew how to do best. Little did he know that he was entertaining the angels of the Lord! After this visit, he and his wife received something to laugh about.

When you visit God in His sanctuary, you go home with what your faith can carry. A divine visitation is more awesome than this. During a divine visitation, the Almighty comes to you with his entourage, loaded with blessings, many of which money cannot buy. If God were to judge Sarah by her faith, she would have received nothing from Him. However, as Sarah’s case shows, when God comes visiting, He has already made up His mind to bless you regardless of the level of your faith. Many things happen when you receive an unexpected divine visitation, one of which is that God accepts your offering. When God was passing by Abraham’s tent, Abraham did not even know that it was God coming his way. Nevertheless, he extended an invitation which activated this life-changing visit, which had been preordained by God Himself. It is therefore no surprise that God readily accepted his invitation and also accepted his offerings of food and drink. I pray that God will today accept your invitation of His presence into your life for salvation, healing, breakthrough, joy and great laughter. I also pray that He will accept the offering of your life to Him in Jesus’ Name. When the Shunammite woman invited Elisha into her home, little did she know that she was attracting a divine visitation into her life (2nd Kings 4:8-17). Because God wanted to bless her, He accepted her invitation to abide under her roof through His prophet. As a result of this, the man of God was moved by God to consider that this woman who had been meeting his needs and those of his servant must also have a need of her own to be met. When he asked what he could do for her, she said she needed nothing. Thank God his servant recognised the one need which money could not buy in her life: she had no child and her husband was old. Nine months later, she was carrying her baby. You should learn from this woman’s experience that your need cannot be met unless you realise that you have a need. I pray that the Almighty God will choose your home for His abode today, and this gesture will be a point of contact for meeting your age-long needs in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The ways of our God are unsearchable and beyond human comprehension (Romans 11:33). You need to understand this if you will not miss out on the good things the Lord has in store for His children. Using natural methods to search out or predict the plans of God is not just counterproductive, it also leads to frustration. This is why Romans 8:5-6 says:
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. for to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
Anyone who tries to box God into a pattern will definitely miss His visitation when it happens. In Genesis 18:1-16, when the guests from heaven seemed to be passing by Abraham’s tent, little did he know it was a divine set-up for him to be blessed. Thanks be to God that Abraham did not miss his blessing. His gesture of hospitality brought to fulfilment God’s promise which he had waited on for so many years. When the Lord ask you to do something unusual, He is only setting you up for an unusual miracle. In Joshua chapter 2, the visit of the two spies to Rehab was a divine set-up to make her an agent of salvation for her entire household. My prayer is that the grace to do the unusual that will bring the type of miracle nobody has ever experienced before will be given to you today in Jesus’ Name. Do you know that God’s commandments on paying of tithes, offerings and first fruits are nothing but divine set-ups for superabundant blessings? When you get a taste of this, you will testify that the Lord is good indeed.

1 Samuel 9:15-10:1 narrates the story of a divine arrangement in favour of the first king of Israel, Saul. God wanted to anoint him king over Israel, so He caused his father’s donkeys to go missing. This made Saul go searching all over for them, till he got to Samuel the king-maker. Before Saul’s arrival at the place where Samuel was, the Lord had spoken to Samuel about his visit and instructed him to anoint Saul king over Israel. Meanwhile, unknown to Saul, while he and his servant wandered around by divine set-up, the missing donkeys were already found. I pray for you today that the Lord will divinely set you up for promotion and breakthrough in life in Jesus’ Name. Where we cannot see a single way, God can see uncountable ways for carrying out His agenda. When the Lord was leading me to the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1973 in search of peace in my life and home, little did I know it was for the purpose of fulfilling His own agenda for my life. If I had any hint then that I would become a pastor, maybe I would have sought spiritual help somewhere else, where I would not be considered for pastoral work. The Lord’s ways are indeed unsearchable!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Based on an erroneous understanding of the scripture in Revelation 7:4, a certain religious group claims that only one hundred and forty-four thousand people will qualify to be in heaven. This cannot be further from the truth because the Bible says in verse nine of that same chapter:
“After this I behold, and, lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”
Further debunking this wrong teaching, Apostle John in Revelation 19:5-9 heard the voice of a great multitude shouting Alleluia in worship of the omnipotent God. They were rejoicing because they were numbered among the participants at the marriage supper of the Lamp. The question for our consideration today is, what qualified them to be numbered among these very important guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb? The answer to this question is found in Revelation 7:13-14:
“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to shed His blood for the remission of our sins, so that we can qualify as citizens of heaven and be numbered among the saints. What is required of us is to accept the offer of his atonement and live by the articles of the new covenant, which He sealed with His Blood. Doing this will surely attract persecution and tribulation in this world. The challenge with some contemporary Christians is that they don’t want to experience persecution or undergo tribulation for the sake of their faith in Christ. They want the world to accept them, and so they adjust their message to what the world likes. We often forget these words of Jesus in John 15:20c:
“If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
In other words, just as the world did not like the teachings of the Master, they will also not like ours. However, when we introduce gimmicks not found in the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ and His apostles into our message, the message loses its power. How shall we be numbered among the guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb? The answer lies in these words from Acts 14:22: “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” There is no other way.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.”
Matthew 12:36
It is unfortunate that King Nebuchadnezzar did not know the above scripture; perhaps he would have been spared the agony of experiencing God’s humbling judgement for seven years. While he strolled in his palace on a day like any other, he flippantly attributed his conquests and success to his ability, forgetting that there are kings and there is the King of Kings. He did not consider the benevolence of God Almighty in his rise to greatness, and this attitude sent him to God’s school of humility. May you never have to learn humility by passing through this school in Jesus’ Name. As children of God who have been made kings unto God, there are many lessons we should learn from King Nebuchadnezzar. As revealed in 1 Peter 2:9, the reason for our divine election as Kings is to show forth the praises of the Almighty Abba Father, who has called us out of darkness into the marvellous light of His Son, Jesus (Revelation 1:6). We have indeed been made joint-heirs of the throne of our Lord and Saviour (Revelation 3:21, Ephesians 2:6). Based on Nebuchadnezzar’s experience, it will be dangerous for us to forget that we are who we are only because of God’s grace. The Holy Spirit reminds us of this in 1st Corinthians 4:7, saying:
For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

Children of God should be conscious of the fact that we were not redeemed to boast or to please ourselves. Revelations 4:10 reveals that the elders in heaven lay their crowns at God’s feet in worship and adoration; this is exactly what the King of kings expects from us also. The question is, how seriously do you take the Lordship of Jesus Christ over your life? Christians who live in lawlessness due to unlimited liberty are saying that they have no King above them. Therefore beloved, examine yourself today to see whether you have taken control of your life away from the King of kings. If you have, quickly return the authority over your life back to Him. Furthermore, do not forget that your crown as a king under the King is called the crown of righteousness; therefore, walk and reign on His behalf in perfection (2nd Timothy 4:.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Matthew 5:9 reveals the blessedness of working for peace. It is amazing that the Master Himself said that working for peace is what truly identifies us as children of God. How I pray that everyone who professes to be a child of God will take working for peace very seriously! The first peace you need to work towards is peace with God. God Himself is trying to make peace with you. In 2nd Corinthians 5:19-20 He says to you:
“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 though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
We broker peace with our Maker when, like the prodigal son, we come to the altar of repentance to confess our sins with a promise and commitment never to go back to them again. When we do this, we have this assurance from 1st John 1:9:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In Hebrews 12:12-15, we are told to follow peace with all men. This cannot be possible until we have reconciled with God first. When we are reconciled with God, the Bible says God will make our enemies be at peace with us (Proverbs 16:7). When your enemies are at peace with you, that enemy that has been blocking your way to success will be used by God to pave way to your breakthrough. This is the blessedness of working for peace. In addition to making peace with God, you should also endeavour to live peaceably with your neighbours. In Matthew 5:25, Our Lord Jesus Christ counselled us, saying:
“Agree with thine adversary quickly. Whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the office, and thou be cast into prison.”
It is unfortunate that some believers find it difficult to amicably settle their differences with fellow believers. This is dangerous, and as Jesus Christ said, the price of being irreconcilable may be as high as going to hell. May this not be our portion in Jesus’ Name. Have you been reconciled with your Maker and your fellow men, especially those in the household of faith? Do not forget that those who work for peace are blessed. Tap into this blessing today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Obedience is the willingness to submit oneself to the will of God and to live by His will. The Bible emphasizes the importance of obeying God’s commandments, gives reasons why obedience is necessary and states the rewards promised to obedient people.
The Bible also presents Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as the perfect example of obedience and directs us to fellow in His footsteps. Jesus Himself made several statements to admonish, encourage and even command us to follow and learn from Him. In John 10:27, He said:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”
The call to imitate Jesus in thought, speech and action is repeated in several places in the Bible, but in Philippians 2:5, the Holy Spirit took it a step higher, saying to us:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
What mind is He talking about here? He is referring to the loving, merciful, self-abasing, self-sacrificing mind which was in Jesus Christ. Although Jesus was the anointed Son of God, He made himself of no reputation. Our Lord did not think of Himself, neither did He serve His own interests. He came not to be ministered to, but rather to minister and give His life as a ransom for many. To carry out His assignment here on earth, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death. These descriptions of His sacrifice sum up the nature of mind the Holy Spirit is referring to.

Obedience to the will of God demonstrates the reality of a person’s faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:15). Christ’s humility created the grounds for our total commitment and submission to the will of God. It also earned Him the title of “Author of Eternal Salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). Oh, how great His love for us is! Because of His great love for us and His determination to save us from the wrath of God, He became obedient unto death – even the death of the cross. God’s own dear Son came in the form of a man to fulfil all the requirements of God’s law for the sake of His people. Having fulfilled all righteousness, He submitted Himself to a shameful and excruciating death on the cross of Calvary. Since Christ’s love for us is so evident, the least we can do for His sake is to love one another as He loved us (1st John 4:9-11). This is the essence of Christianity: to develop a good appreciation of what Jesus did for us and to follow in His steps to the benefit of humanity and the glory of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

For you to walk in the reality of the truth that God has made you the head, you need to understand the significance of being the head. For this reason, we shall be looking at some of the responsibilities of the head in the body so that we do not disappoint the One who has graciously made us the head. According to Ephesians 1:22, our Lord Jesus Christ has been made the Head over all things for the benefit of the Church, which means that we derive our right and authority to be head in every area of life from Him. Therefore, if you are disconnected from Him, you can be sure that your attempts to function as head will be an exercise in futility. It would be a great waste of Christ’s work of grace if you fail to manifest as the head.

Beloved, when you pray that God should make you head as He promised in Deuteronomy 28:13, do you put into consideration the corresponding responsibilities? For example, it is in the head that we have sight (the eyes). As head of a family, clan, department in Church, business or community, are you ready to function as an effective eye for the body? I believe you don’t want to be a blind head. For example, as the head of a family, have you really caught the vision for the wellbeing of your family or do you allow your family grope in darkness towards doom? Do you see errors of indiscipline in your family and overlook them by turning your eyes away? Are your eyes not already blinded by the delicacies of sin? Furthermore, in the head lies the ability to speak (the mouth). As the head of a church, has your mouth been padlocked by the gifts of criminals and harlots in your congregation, so much so that they now occupy positions in God’s sanctuary? The head is also the centre of hearing (the ears). As the head, do you still hear from God for the people you serve? When last did you hear from God about your people? Lastly, the head contains the brain which thinks for the body. Some family heads have relinquished their thinking role to their wives and children. Their children now dictate what is right or wrong to them. Some girls have changed their mothers’ wardrobes because they see their clothes as ‘old school’. They have arranged wardrobes that now contain what used to be underwear as the main clothes for their mothers. And these mothers have conceded to such abomination. My prayer for every head today and those who are aspiring to be heads is that you will be head indeed. I prophesy that you will begin to effectively fulfil the functions of the head from today in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

We often need to remind ourselves of what it means to be born again so that we do not lose sight of who we are. To be born again means that the control of one’s life has been given or surrendered to Jesus Christ. From the moment a person makes this decision, the Lord Jesus Christ is meant to be in charge of his or her life. One of the important features of being born again is transformation, which is described in the Bible as putting on the new man (Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10). This occurs through a process of continuously renewing the mind with the word of God (Romans 12:2). When a person becomes born again, he or she is a new creature, from whom old things are passed away and all things have become new (2nd Corinthians 5:17). The old things that have passed away include the old ways of thinking and acts that lead to disobedience. The old man, present in all of mankind, is disobedient by nature. This Adamic nature finds the instructions of God oppressive and can never submit to His authority. 1st Corinthians 2:14 says:
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
In contrast to the old Adamic nature, the mind of the new man is subject to the control and influence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever the new man receives any instruction from God, it is joyfully obeyed – God’s commandments are not in any way burdensome to him. Indeed, the new man loves to obey God (1st John 5:3). However, to reassure our hearts that He is not in any way a taskmaster, Jesus in Matthew 11:30 said:
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Through these words and several others, we know that God’s motive behind every commandment is our own good. The system of the world is one of the main factors that make obeying God’s commandments seem difficult, but we thank God that the new man in us has overcome the world (1st John 5:4). True children of God find the world with all its trappings unattractive. Everything the world has to offer, in the form of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, cannot dominate a child of God any more (Romans 6:14). Psalm 119:97-106 paints a perfect picture of the resultant effect of resolving to obey God’s commandments. The word of God suddenly becomes sweeter than honey. This leads us to hate falsehood and keeps us away from evil behaviour. Obedience to the word of God gives superior understanding and divine wisdom. Having been taught by God Himself, we become wiser than our enemies. You will find it easy to obey God’s word henceforth in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.”
2nd Peter 1:14
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”
2nd Timothy 4:6
It is amazing to read the words of Peter and Paul in the above verses of scripture. They spoke of their impending deaths as though they were making preparations for a trip to a better country. Contrary to the common human response to issues relating to death, there is no trace of fear or anxiety in their words. We have important lessons to learn about death from these great apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 9:27, the Holy Spirit spoke through Paul saying:
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
He also spoke through Peter in 1st Peter 4:7 saying:
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”
These two great apostles had no fear of death because they knew that death was just a vehicle to transport them to the glorious place Christ had prepared for them. They could look death in the eye without flinching because they had lived their lives in holiness, doing the will of God from a heart of love. They lived a victorious life over the devil, and were not held bound by the world with all its trappings. They knew with certainty that death would only be a passage of life in eternity, and that once they close their eyes in death they would be carried into the presence of Jesus by His holy angels. Death and the grave had no power over them, and they could truly say:
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
1st Corinthians 15:55

God deliberately gave us these two apostles as examples so that we would learn from their attitude. We who are alive today are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, appropriating the victory He has won for us over death by shedding whatever fear of death we may still have. Christ has indeed delivered us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). His expectation is that we will begin to make preparations for our flight to eternity, either by death or by the rapture. Finally, in words of Amos 4:12, I plead with you today: “PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD”!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A giver is a person who gives generously to the poor and needy in obedience to the word of God. A giver makes it a point of duty to pay his or her first fruits and tithes, gives offerings and also makes other necessary financial contributions to his or her local church. Meanwhile, ‘Father Christmas’ is a term used in some parlance to describe an extravagant spender: one who unnecessarily spends a lot of money that he or she cannot afford. A Father Christmas is often typified by exaggerated, excessive or immoderate behaviour and wastefulness which may result in personal harm. Blessings are like talents entrusted to our care by God. He has called us to be givers and wise stewards of His investments in us. God frowns at any form of wasteful or extravagant behaviour in His children. The word of God guides our attention towards the right kind of open-handedness and generosity of spirit, which reflects love and worship towards God by showing concern for the poor and the less privileged in our society (Proverbs 19:17). I pray that God will bless you so much that you will become a source of blessing to your generation in Jesus’ Name.

The Bible provides us with some examples of sinful extravagance or wastefulness. A good example is found in our Bible text, where the prodigal son gathered all his inheritance together and left for a far country where he wasted all he had through extravagant spending. In Philippians 3:19, the Holy Spirit admonishes us that those who mind earthly things, whose god is their belly, will end up in destruction. Proverbs 6:26 further tells us that those who lavish their hard-earned money on strange women and cheap girls will eventually become diminished to the value of a piece of bread. Extravagant or wasteful spending usually leads to poverty. This is what happened to the prodigal son. After he had squandered all his inheritance, he had to take up enjoyment in the worst kind of job in order to survive. I pray that you will never commit any error that will turn your life upside down again in the Name of Jesus.

Extravagant and wasteful spending is no substitute for doing what God requires of you (1st Samuel 15:22, Micah 6:7-. Without any doubt, God is more interested in Christians who are determined to do their best to meet His requirement of holiness and righteous living. The extravagant spending of an unrepentant sinner in the house of God is at best viewed as an attempt to bribe God, and this is abomination to Him (Proverbs 21:27).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboe.

The issue of prosperity is an area where many in the Body of Christ today hold dangerous misconceptions. So many people come to church today in search of blessings, either financial or otherwise, but they are not interested in getting born again in truth. They care less about holiness or righteousness and are not committed to the service of God in anyway, but they are prepared to do anything the pastor says with respect to sowing seeds and giving sacrificially in order to be blessed. Unfortunately, many in this category are youths. After they have practiced sowing and sacrificial giving for a while and the blessings are not forthcoming, they begin to pile up accusations against God and His servants. Although some pastors may be taking advantage of the innocence and ignorance of these young minds, such youths have themselves to blame because they have access to the word of God and are intelligent enough to read and understand the principles of prosperity as laid down by God. In several passages of the Bible, God promises His people prosperity in physical, material and spiritual things, and He also reiterates His intention to make them great and exalted above all other people of the earth, but this is always based on one condition: OBEDIENCE.

Without exception, the Bible always presents obedience as the prerequisite to blessings. James 1:25 stressed the point that anyone who continues to live in obedience to the word of God shall be blessed in his or her deeds. The pronouncement of multiple blessings on Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 28 was also based on the condition of obedience in Deuteronomy 28:1. Therefore, obedience to the word of God is not negotiable for anyone who is looking up to God for blessings. Another important thing to note is that God expects His children to continue in obedience, since the matter of their prosperity is already settled (Deuteronomy 28:2). The Creator of heaven and earth is a master planner and He knows how to make everything perfect in His own time. For this reason, giving Him a time limit within which you expect Him to perform His work is not wise and may lead to disappointment. When God promised to build me a city instead of the two-bedroom apartment I was asking for, I didn’t know His timing, but I waited patiently for Him. Months later, God started His wonders at the Redemption Camp, and about 40 years later, the project has become a huge success, although God is not done with His wonders yet. I decree that the same God will perfect your package of blessing and deliver it to you very soon in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When considering the signs of the end-times, we are usually so engrossed with looking at the negative things that will happen that we often lose sight of the positive ones. There are several positive things the Spirit of God has indicated will occur in these end times, and children of God who are wise will put these to heart and watch out for them so as not to miss out on what God is doing in our time. One of such positive signs is found in Micah 4:1
“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.”
This speaks about the prosperity and the glorification of God’s Church before the whole world. It also speaks of the great harvest of souls that God will send to His Church through this prosperity. Anyone who has his or her ears on the heartbeat of God’s Spirit will know that we live in the time when this sign is being fulfilled. The wise will connect themselves to what God is doing through His Spirit and experience this prosperity, while the foolish will continue to argue that prosperity is not for God’s children.

Another of positive sign is the great outpouring of revival, which the Holy Spirit spoke about in Acts 2:17, saying:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”
This has already started, and a greater outpouring is gathering momentum among the youths. For this reason, the Church must begin to prepare the youths for the greater revival that is coming. This is not a theological proposition, but a truth that is founded on God’s word. We must therefore allow God to use us to bring it to pass. The old ones in the Body of Christ will dream dreams for the youths to carry out. There must therefore be collaboration and understanding of our distinct roles in God’s programme for these end times. While our elders like Moses sit on the mountain to seek the Lord’s face, our Joshua’s must take the battle to the enemy’s gates with their God-given vigour (Exodus 17:8-15). When we follow this divine pattern, the battle will be won decisively by the Church of Jesus Christ on earth, and the kingdom of God our Father shall be gloriously inaugurated at the second coming of His Christ.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, we will be reflecting on the subject of hypocrisy. In general terms, hypocrisy is the habit of pretending to be what one is not. Hypocrites especially pretend to be morally upright but in reality, they are morally bankrupt. Jesus Christ identified the Pharisees as perfect examples of hypocrites, and He exposed some interesting characteristics they possess. Let us consider some of these traits, so that we can guard ourselves against them. Simply put, hypocrites are blind to their own faults (Matthew 7:5), they are ignorant of the current move of God (Luke 12:56), they do not know what is important to God (Luke 13:15-16) and they obsess over the traditions of men (Mark 7:. Furthermore, they lack knowledge on God’s true expectations of His people (Matthew 23:14-15), and love to make public displays of their moral and religious standing (Matthew 6:2). Hypocrites view themselves as the only godly, virtuous and spiritual people around. Consequently, they are highly judgemental of other people’s mistake and shortcomings in public, whereas they themselves may even be guilty of worse sins in secret. A careful consideration of these characteristics may reveal one or two that may be evident in your life. I pray that God will destroy every root of hypocrisy in your life today in Jesus’ Name.

Jesus often called the Pharisees hypocrites because of the conflict between their external actions and their internal state (Matthew 23:27-28). In order not to end up like them, we must thoroughly check ourselves often. Do you seldom preach to yourself as a Christian? Do you find yourself practising what you preach against? Are you blind to your own faults? Do you have the habit of crucifying others when they fall into error? Are you judgmental of other people’s mistakes? Is your internal state consistent with your external works? Are you in anyway hypocritical in thought or action? May the Lord shine His light into our hearts and deliver His Church from hypocrisy in Jesus’ Name. Jesus compared hypocrisies to whitewashed tombs and to dishes that are clean on the outside but dirty on the inside (Matthew 23:25-28). It’s such a scary thing to be viewed as neat and clean outside while the internal space that matters most is in despicable condition. This illustration also speaks to Christians who are deemed to be mature, and yet are secretly involved in shameful things. If you are in such a situation, it is time to remove the log from your eyes and straighten out your life. Your efforts to do away with hypocrisy will receive God’s approval in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Partnership or friendship involves a deep, strong connection between two individuals who are bound together in a way that affects every aspect of their individual lives. It is a close relationship that involves mutual trust, fellowship, sharing and companionship. Friendship enriches human life. The mutual affection and devotion that David and Jonathan shared with each other was extraordinary, and it is a prime example of what friendship or partnership is (1st Samuel 18:1-4). A friend or partner is a person you feel connected to like your own soul. The Bible discusses the benefits and requirements of friendship or partnership in Proverbs 18:24, while it stresses loyalty and steadfastness as hallmarks of true friendship in Proverbs 17:17, which says:
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

In Ecclesiastes 4:8-12, the Holy Spirit explains the dangers of being a lone ranger and the benefits of partnership. This passage of scripture states clearly that two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour. If they should slip on any issue, they will console and help each other to recover. Whenever they suffer an attack or are faced with an adversary, the two will put up a more formidable defence, and they stand a better chance of surviving the enemy’s attack together than as individual entities. The Holy Spirit also reveals some more truths about friendship and partnership in Proverbs 19:4 & 6, saying:
“Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.”
The wise will keep these truths to heart. Many Christians in the business world would have done better with godly partners, but they are running their businesses alone because they feel that introducing partners will increase their overheads or reduce their profits. This position of the Bible on this is that a right partner will help to increase production and push up profit margins. For example, the great catch of fish in Luke 5:6-7 would have been wasted without the involvement and assistance of partners. The advantages of partnership cannot be overemphasised, even though some people are in a friendly relationship for personal gain. Nevertheless, God wants His children to prayerfully identify, acknowledge and appreciate His talents and special gifts in others. More importantly, He wants us to harness His wonderful investments together in our lives for maximum profit in all that He has destined us to do. The Lord’s declaration in Matthew 18:19 encourages us to work together to achieve greatness that would otherwise be impossible. Begin to harness the power of this word from today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prophet Isaiah had the rare privilege of having a vision where he witnessed what was going on in the palace of the Almighty God (Isaiah 6:1-. The setting he observed was a kind of conference with the hosts of heaven in attendance. God threw a simple question to the multitudes present, which should ordinarily not be much of a challenge to them. The Lord asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” The seemingly little hesitation that followed God’s question before Isaiah responded was not an act of rebellion by the angels or the hosts of heaven; rather, there was hesitation because this question was not meant for them. If angels were supposed to take up the assignment, it would have come as a command instead of a question. The privilege of disseminating the good news of the kingdom and propagating the gospel has been expressly assigned to human beings by God. The term ‘evangelism’ therefore refers to spreading the gospel, and the one doing this work is called an ‘evangelist’. The duty of an evangelist is to function as a spokesperson for the Church in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Just as God was searching for someone to take up the assignment in Isaiah 6:8, He is still searching for faithful people who will relentlessly participate in spreading the gospel today. Will you say yes to Him?

The need for evangelists today is further amplified by these words of the Lord in Luke 10:2b:
“The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”
The gospel is needed more than ever before in this world of sin, where immorality pervades everywhere and the pursuit of worldly pleasures is taking over the Church of God. God expects us to walk worthy of our calling and election as children of God (Ephesians 4:1-12). He has endowed each individual in the body of Christ with gifts to function in at least one of several offices, as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Therefore, it is not only pastors and altar ministers that are called to work in God’s vineyard. Everyone who is genuinely born again is called to do the work of an evangelist by spreading the good news of the gospel all over the world (2nd Timothy 4:5). Understanding this fact is very necessary if we desire to please God, fulfil our purpose on earth and receive the best from God. Winning lost souls and making them disciples is the whole essence of Christianity.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The sons of the prophets in 2 Kings 6:1-7 showed serious concern when they lost an axe head that they had borrowed. After doing their best to recover it without success, they thought it necessary to approach the man of God, Elisha, for assistance. Unlike these men, many today are nonchalant in the way they handle other people’s property in their care, not bothering about the condition and welfare of such goods. As a matter of fact, many people handle borrowed items in a way that exposes them to damage or loss, either because they don’t know their true value or they simply don’t care. This scenario mirrors the human life, which God gave to us to put to profitable use. Do you know that your life is borrowed? What are you doing to ensure that your life is not being wasted? Have you been careless with your life because you didn’t know that it was borrowed and that the true owner will soon call for an audit?

It is a well established truth in the Bible that we are living borrowed lives, and we will be requested to give proper account of all we have done with our lives at the appropriate time. To this effect, without exempting anybody, Roman 14:12 says:
“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Ecclesiastes 12:14 also echoes this truth, saying,
“For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
Every human being should get ready to give account to God because everything is set for the day of reckoning. The story of the unprofitable servant, who was given one talent in Matthew 25:24-30, further emphasizes the importance of viewing life as a borrowed item that must be properly accounted for in due time. Learn from this servant who returned his talent without making any profit with it. He was seriously reprimanded and referred to as a wicked and slothful servant. His excuse for being unprofitable was not accepted. Rather, he was dispossessed of his talent, declared to be unprofitable and was thrown into outer darkness to weep and mourn forever. Every talent, gift or natural endowment given to you by God should be seen as a divine investment to be carefully nurtured, proudly displayed and gainfully deployed in your daily life. How well are you using your life for Christ?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the context of John 14:12, the prospect of possessing a double portion anointing or doing “greater works” is somewhat scary and considered impossible by many. However, a prayerful consideration of the Master’s words in this verse will immediately highlight an important difference between Elisha’s experience and the Lord’s revelation here. In 2nd Kings 2:9, Elisha’s request was “Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. “The focus here is “thy spirit”, referring to Elijah’s anointing. In contrast, the Lord’s focus in John 14:12 is not on having a greater portion of the His anointing (which may be virtually impossible to bestow on mortal flesh for many reasons), but rather on doing His works. We carry out the works of Jesus by gaining access to His anointing through His Name (Acts 3:16). Therefore, we don’t need a huge amount of our own anointing to do the greater works spoken of in John 14:12; we only need to call on Jesus by faith to gain access to His unlimited power, which is an anointing without measure (John 3:34). No wonder Jesus in Matthew 17:20 said:
“…If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Therefore, you should throw away every form of fear, doubt and unbelief in response to Jesus’ call to do greater works than He did.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was quite conscious of the weight of His words in John 14:12, and for this reason, He started His statement with emphasis, saying “Verily, verily, I say unto you”. When Jesus declared that His disciples would do greater works than He did, He meant that their works would have greater reach and impact on the wider world than His. He was not merely referring to miracles, signs and wonders, but to all aspects of what God had planned to do by the power of the Holy Spirit. Part of the greater works involves taking the gospel beyond Jerusalem to all parts of the world. It also involves miracles, signs and wonders of salvation, healing, deliverance, raising the dead and destroying the works of darkness wherever we go. I therefore challenge you to recognise Jesus as the Miracle-Worker and see what He will do through you. The Lord does not expect you to do any of His works with your own power. In John 14:14 He said:
“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”
So, whenever you are faced with impossible situations in your life and in the lives of others, all you need to do is to call on the Name of Jesus. From today, whatever you decree on earth will be granted in heaven in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the Jewish culture, a godfather is primarily a person who assist a father in performing the rite of circumcision by holding the child upon his knees. He also takes interest in the child’s welfare and plays the role of a father to the child. In modern times, the concept of a godfather has become synonymous with the leader of a powerful criminal organisation, especially the Mafia. In more general terms, a godfather is viewed as one who sponsors a person and who goes to great lengths to promote the interests of that person, often having something to gain for himself from this support. A godfather will do everything in his power to fight for the interest of his protégé, including illegal actions like giving bribes or using political power and personal recognition to influence things in favour of the protégé. For this reason, people of all ages, up and coming professionals, business people and even pastors go to great lengths to source for rich, famous and powerful individuals to play the role of godfathers in their lives. The question the Spirit of the Lord is therefore asking you today is, are you seeking for a godfather or God the Father?

Looking to others for encouragement is not bad, but having godfathers will at the very least lead to partial dependence on a human being to achieve success. God views this as paying allegiance to ordinary man and a rejection of His ever present help. He frowns at this attitude, and in Jeremiah 17:5, He has very strong words for anyone who depends on a human being for success.
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”
The Holy Spirit further highlights the futility and agony of anyone who places his or her confidence in man instead of God, saying in Proverbs 25:19:
“Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.”
Dependence on God to meet our spiritual and physical needs arises out of an awareness of human helplessness and trust in God’s ability to do all things. Note that the use of the word “princes” in Psalm 118:8-9 stands for godfathers. God alone is more than able, and He is very much willing to help His people to achieve their purpose and fulfil their destiny. Therefore, looking elsewhere for help is tantamount to rejecting God and paying homage to the arm of flesh which fails. I pray that God will hear your cry for help today and respond speedily in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the reasons why we Christians are so special is that we serve a God with whom nothing is impossible. There is no such thing like a hopeless case with our God. In this regard, I have learnt many great and wonderful lessons in my time as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). By the grace of God, I have witnessed how God transformed His church from a humble beginning of about 40 small parishes in 1980 to where we are today all over the world. I deliberately used the word “witnessed”, because leaving my lecturing job at the university to become General Overseer of the RCCG at that time exemplified madness to most observers. More so, it wasn’t anything I did in particular that led to the miracles, signs, wonders and astronomical growth experienced by the church over the years. I know that I cannot explain it; I only witnessed it like every other person. Obviously, it is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes (Mark 12:11).

Adversity can indeed be deceptive. Esther became an orphan at a very early age, and she was taken into captivity alongside her uncle, Mordecai. Life was truly looking bleak for her, but by God’s providence she became a queen in a foreign land (Esther 2). Joseph also was sold into slavery by his brothers out of envy, and he later found himself in prison for an offence he did not commit (Genesis 39:41). However, in spite of all this, he became the prime minister of the whole realm of the Egyptian empire. I pray that wherever you are on the ladder of life today, the power of God will move you to where He has destined you to be in Jesus’ Name. Some years ago, the condition of a sick woman on admission in a hospital in Lagos got considerably worse, and the doctors told her family she had just few hours to live. On hearing this, her husband left her in the hospital and took his mistress to their matrimonial home. Unfortunately for him, his wife was prayed for, and she got miraculously healed a few hours after he had left her in the hospital. He was shocked beyond words when she showed up unexpectedly at their home, interrupting his lustful escapade. This story may sound unbelievable, but it is a true story. I therefore decree that all those who think you are finished and those who think you cannot amount to anything in life will soon join you to celebrate your breakthrough in Jesus’ Name. Paul and Silas were locked up in the inner prison and their feet were fastened in the stocks. They lost the freedom to do many things, but they were free to worship and pray to God. So, they decided to use the only freedom they had to the fullest. As they prayed and sang praises to God at midnight, there was a great earthquake that immediately transformed them into lords of their captors (Acts 16:22-34). What the Lord did for them, He will also do for you in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our Lord Jesus Christ in John 14:1-3 assured us of His second coming. Indeed, He is coming to take us to be with Him, so that we may be where He is. The size of our heavenly home is so large that it has taken over two thousand years to complete it. As the number of saints keeps increasing continually. Considering the omnipotent power of the Most High to do all things, this may sound ridiculous; however, the ways of the Lord are unsearchable, and the prerogative of mysteries belongs to Him alone. When dealing with mysteries such as this, all we need to do is believe and take Him by His word.

Isn’t it wonderful that our Lord Jesus Christ in John 14:2 said:
“In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
In other words, He does not want us to see our present place of abode here on earth as our final destination. He wants us to be mindful of a better place being prepared for us. Those who are busy killing, stealing and embezzling funds in other to amass “mansions” for themselves here on earth are being foolish. Such people do not have an understanding of what is ultimately good for them. Also, those who would not want to be born again because of the material things of this world do not know what they stand to lose in eternity. The truth is that there is enough room for everyone who is born again in the kingdom of God. Those who teach that there is no heaven anywhere and that our heavenly mansions will be here on earth lack spiritual understanding of the Scriptures. Jesus said if what He declared to us about our heavenly mansions was not true; He would have told us so. Aside from the fact that He cannot lie, He has no reason to tell a lie about this. Faith in this promise led Paul to pen the words of 2 Corinthians 5:1, where he referred to the anticipated replacement of our physical bodies and temporal places of abode with celestial bodies and heavenly mansions respectively. Unfortunately, those who miss out on the heavenly mansions being prepared by Jesus Christ will have their place in the devil’s abode, which is the lake of fire. There is no middle-way about it. My prayer for you today is that you will not miss your celestial body and heavenly mansion in Jesus’ Name. Your portion will not be in the lake of fire in Jesus’ Name. for this prayer to be answered, accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, and make sure you do not live or die with any unconfessed sin in your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Restoration is the process of returning something or someone back to a state that had previously existed, through the power of God and through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Restoration is said to be complete when the subject of restoration is returned to a pristine state, such as the healing of a wound without leaving a physical scar. Many children of God may think that faith or prayer is the secret of complete restoration, but based on God’s word, this may not be entirely correct. There is no doubt that faith, prayers and other factors may lead to restoration; however, thanksgiving is the secret of complete restoration. Sharing your testimony of what God has done for you and witnessing about Jesus Christ are powerful ways to appreciate God and give Him thanks.

The power of thanksgiving to bring about complete restoration is evident in the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19. When one of these leapers noticed that he was healed, he returned to Jesus, glorifying God with a loud voice in the presence of everyone around. In appreciation, he offered Jesus the highest worship by falling down on his face before Jesus’ feet, thanking Him for doing something wonderful in his life. Note that when lepers become healed, leprosy immediately stops its destructive work on the body, but those body parts already affected continue to bear the scars of the damage already done by this destructive disease. However, for this grateful man, what followed in Luke 17:19 was complete restoration. This means that the damaged skin, fingers and toes of this lepers were restored to their pristine state, so that it would be impossible to identify him as a former leper. I pray that God will grant you complete restoration that will return everything concerning your life and destiny to their original state in Jesus’ Name.

Testifying to God’s goodness involves telling others of what God has done and bearing witness to His mighty acts, both in your life and in the Bible. We are encouraged to give testimonies as a way of bringing glory to God, perfecting our victory over the devil, receiving complete restoration and building up the faith of others. The power and benefits of testimonies cannot be overemphasized. It was after Nebuchadnezzar blessed the Most High God, praised Him as the God who lives forever and testified about His mighty acts that his sanity and kingdom were completely restored to him (Daniel 4:34-36). As you testify to God’s goodness today, you also will experience complete restoration in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible teaches that any form of restoration must start with true repentance. Repentance is a radical change of one’s thinking, personality and behaviour from a state of rebellion against God’s commandments to obedience to God’s word. A repentant person turns a new leaf through a new relationship with God, after attaining a new understanding of his or her nature and character. Repentance is usually demonstrated by remorse, mourning over sin, weeping, wearing of sackcloth, making restitution for wrongs committed and humbling oneself before God. However, the emphasis must be on taking a new course in life that proceeds from a new relationship with God. God always responds positively to a broken heart. Psalm 51:17 says:
“The sacrifices of God are a broke spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

In Joel 2:12, God specifically called His children to approach Him in repentance with fasting, weeping and mourning wherever they needed restoration, saying:
“… turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:”
God still honours genuine weeping and mourning in repentance. It is a pity that such open declarations of repentance are no longer “fashionable” in contemporary churches. There are two aspects to true repentance: it looks upon the errors of the past with a weeping eye and unto the future with a watchful eye. To fast, mourn and shed tears of sorrow because of sin was the normal practice of the founding leaders of many Christian denominations. The wonderful effect of such expressions of deep genuine remorse of sin is that it usually marks a permanent departure from a sinful lifestyle. Although repentant people may still fall into error in the future, sin and immorality cannot remain a lifestyle for them because they will not want to go through the experience of deep remorse again. The determination to live in holiness therefore becomes their life ambition. In contrast, those who come to God for salvation with levity, while chewing gum and chatting with friends, may not have given any deep thought to their sinful past and the implication of the decision they   are making. Such people may not place much value on their salvation. They usually don’t take sanctification seriously and therefore stand the risk of falling back into sin. How genuine is your repentance?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Doubt and indecision reflect the ability of a person to make a choice between two opinions. Doubt reveals the presence of an internal debate and a lack of conviction. It signifies double-mindedness and partial faith. Doubt paralyses the ability of a person to make sound judgement on critical issues. A person in doubt is therefore often a confused person, divided in opinion and at odds with himself or herself. Here is how the Holy Spirit describes the true condition of a doubter in James 1:8:
“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
A person living in doubt may believe in the authority of God’s word, but somehow he or she thinks it’s impossible or uncertain that what God says in it would come to pass. The harmful effect is that doubt moves from a divided attitude towards God’s promises to a wholesale questioning of God’s word itself. Doubt is obviously responsible for many seemingly unanswered prayers and unfulfilled promises among believers. Concerning a double-minded person, James 1:7 says:
“For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”
Consequently, anyone who lives in doubt may not receive anything from God. May the Lord destroy every spirit of doubt that has denied you the fulfilment of God’s promises, in Jesus’ Name.

Disobedience to God introduces indecision and doubt into the life of a child of God who hitherto was walking in faith. Sin robs us of our confidence in God’s presence. You will observe that Adam and Eve hid themselves from God after they had sinned (Genesis 3:8-10). Indecision and doubt may appear to be simple problems but they have devastating spiritual implications. In 2 Kings 7:1-2; 16-20, doubt cost an official of the king his life. Similarly, in Matthew 14:31, the Lord Jesus Christ identified doubt as the reason why Peter began to sink after he had walked towards Him on water. He would have drowned if the Lord had not stretched forth His hand to get him. These Biblical examples show us that doubting the word of God is so dangerous that it can lead to death. I pray that God will deliver you from the devastating effects of doubt in Jesus’ Name. In 1st Kings 18:21, Elijah asked the Israelite's an important question which I am also asking you today: “How long halt ye between two opinions?” If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then believe in Him with all your heart. Stop wavering, and follow Him wholly. Do away with sin and be determined to pursue holiness for the rest of your life. Share your salvation experience with others and tell them about the good things that God is doing in your life. it is well with you in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our God works in diverse ways and He cannot be boxed into a pattern. While He may choose to perform something instantaneously, He can also choose to do it in progressive stages. The problem with modern day Christians is that they always want God to perform His work instantaneously, and for this reason, they end up falling for magic instead of experiencing the miracles of God. Speaking on Isaac, the Bible makes it clear that he did not become great over night; rather, he progressively increased and moved forward until he was declared to be very great (Genesis 26:13). In contrast to this, what do we see in Christendom today? People are trying to experience a breakthrough that will make them great overnight. This has led to so many falling into diverse temptations of ill-gotten wealth and apostasies. Some people don’t want God to take His time and course to bless them, and so they move away from Him and off they go to the devil, who promises to build them castles in the air like he did with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:4-5). In their search for instantaneous breakthrough by ungodly means, such people have shipwrecked their faith. May you never fall victim to the deception of “fast” and instantaneous breakthrough that has its roots in the kingdom of darkness in Jesus’Name.

Do you know that there was a time when I could not afford to pay two naira to pass through a toll-gate while on a preaching assignment as a General Overseer? That was a phase God took us through in the ministry. From that little beginning, to the glory of God, we now take the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world with the use of a private jet. However, this testimony manifested itself many years after I had surrendered my personal ambition to God and chose instead to preach the gospel. Again, when I came into full-time ministry, I left a mansion for a tiny house in a slum, but the Almighty God promised me that He would build me a city. This promise of God is a reality today but it took so many years to manifest. I assure you that whatever God has promised you shall come to pass if only you keep on trusting and waiting with expectation for the fulfillment of His promises.

Mark 8:22-25 contains an example of God’s progressive work. The lesson to learn from this is that God has innumerable ways of accomplishing His will in His created world and in the lives of His creatures. He does not only determine what He wants to do and when He will do it, He also determines the pace at which He will do it. The good news I have for you today is that your breakthrough, which seems to be an illusion, is coming your way this season. Irrespective of how long you have waited for your healing, this is the season of your complete restoration in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If there is one man who epitomized what it means to wait on the Lord, that man is Job. In spite of his un-quantifiable loss, his wife’s taunts and the harsh, judgmental words of his friends, he could still declare these words in Job 14:14:
“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”
Irrespective of the contrary voice all around him, all he desired was to hear from God about his situation (Job 13:3). He was even willing to wait until the resurrection of the dead at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to get an answer from God and experience a change of his situation (Job 19:25-27). Because he waited on God with all his heart, God indeed came to “reason” with him as he desired (Job 38:1-3), and his situation was turned around (Job 42:12)

Waiting on God leads to an atmosphere of expectation and confidence in God. It also makes us realise the inadequacy of our own judgement. Waiting on God is associated with patience, submission, dependence on God and contentment with His timing on delivering a pending and much needed divine intervention. For example, while the Psalmist anticipated God’s vindication against his enemies, he told his soul to wait patiently on Him (Psalm 27:12-14). Waiting upon the Lord is an act of faith that God will hear the prayers of His Children and respond positively on our behalf. I pray that whatever you are waiting on God for, He will answer you speedily, and your expectation shall not be disappointed in Jesus’ Name.

Waiting requires patience and perseverance, and the word of God is clear that children of God sometimes need to wait on Him. Waiting is necessary when we are anticipating God’s judgement or hoping for His blessings. Children of God must not consider taking revenge or repaying evil with evil; rather they must wait for the Lord’s help and timing in all situations. Persecuted and oppressed Christians must never rely on what human strength alone can do for them, they must pray earnestly with total reliance on the efficacy of God’s word (Psalm 46:1). Finally, waiting upon God comes with many benefits. It builds up your hope, faith and trust in God (Psalm 5:3, Job 13:15, Jeremiah 32:27). Rest in God and wait patiently on Him. Although He will act according to His own will, it will be in your favour and for your benefit.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God is Spirit, and so He does not have physical attributes or possess a form like that of a physical body. For this reason, a “closeness” or “gap” between mankind and God in the real sense of these words is practically untenable. The existence of closeness or space between man and God is therefore used as a spiritual term to express the level of relationship that exists between us and God. The Bible speaks of a gap or space between God and man in terms of a break in fellowship between them, otherwise described as backsliding, falling away or straying away from God or godliness (Ezekiel 22:30). It portrays rebellion, betrayal, faithlessness or apostasy. In 2nd Thessalonians 2:3, the Bible teaches that a falling away will precede the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Confirming this, the Spirit of God further spoke on people falling away from the faith in 1st Timothy 4:1:
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”
The apostasy spoken of here by the Holy Spirit includes giving attention to doctrinal deception, moral insensitivity and departing from the truth in God’s word. The world is obviously in the last days, as we can see these prophecies being fulfilled more than ever before.

Several things can create a gap between God and man: hardship, temptation, lust, doubt, complacency and self-indulgence. Once a gap is allowed to develop, a more devastating outcome will follow. The gap that existed between Peter and Jesus Christ after His arrest eventually led to Peter’s denial of the Master. To maintain a healthy fellowship or relationship with the Lord, we must follow Him closely rather than from afar off. As soon as a gap developed between Peter and Jesus, his status changed from being a member of Christ’s inner circle to being a mere spectator who could only observe things from afar off. Peter lost the privilege of direct communication with Jesus, and he could no longer ask questions or receive directions from the Master. What a terrible loss this was! Thankfully, God is able to heal His backsliding children (Hosea 14:4). He is also able to keep them from falling away (Jude 1:1). However, some people argue that although a Christian may stray, he or she can never totally fall away, and so once saved, a person is forever saved. This is a lie of the devil as we have seen in our devotionals for the first two days of this month. Romans 6:1 tells us that if we continue in sin, grace is rendered ineffective. BE WARNED! Maintain a close and healthy relationship with Jesus always.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Power and might symbolise human strength of every description, including physical, mental, moral, financial and intellectual strength. They represent the degree of resources at a person’s disposal to undertake an assignment, and therefore form the basis of assessment of a person’s ability to achieve success in any given task. Every human being seems to have an awareness of his or her own abilities and limitations, and for this reason we respond with confidence to things we have the natural ability to do, while we react with fear and anxiety to those things we consider beyond our capability. With this understanding, the purpose of God’s words to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:6 should become clearer to the discerning heart. Zerubbabel was responsible for directing the work of rebuilding God’s temple in Jerusalem. God sent him these words through Prophet Zechariah because the temple was being rebuilt under very challenging conditions. God gave the prophet a vision of a candlestick with seven lamps, seven pipes and two olive trees, to show that just as oil was being supernaturally supplied to these lamps, so also was the work of rebuilding the temple being accomplished through spiritual means far beyond human understanding. I therefore decree over you that the unseen hand of God will intervene in your situation today, and your victory will confound your enemies and detractors in Jesus’ Name.

So, you need not be discouraged by your personal weaknesses, because the weakness of man is not an obstacle to the move of God. God can accomplish His purpose, “whether with many, or with them that have no power” (2nd Chronicles 14:11). God’s purpose in any situation will always be accomplished, irrespective of personal weaknesses or the limitations of the people involved. God has chosen to work in this manner because He does not want any man to glory in His presence, neither does He share His glory with anyone (1st Corinthians 1:27-29, Isaiah 42:. God specialises in using physically weak and inadequate persons to confound and dispossess giants. He used David, who was but a young man without military experience, to overcome Goliath the giant champion of the Philistines. He also used four unarmed leprous men to put the whole Syrian army, which had besieged Samaria for months, to flight (2nd Kings 7). All these were made possible because God’s purpose is always carried out in the power of His Spirit, and His power is made perfect in human weakness (2nd Corinthians 12:9). I prophesy that the power of God will perfect your weakness and use you to accomplish great things in this generation in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the kingdom of God, to be courageous is to have the spiritual, emotional and moral willpower to speak and act without fear in the face of distress or concerns over a threat or challenge being faced. Courage is a cardinal virtue that is required to handle any godly leadership position or spiritual assignment. To underscore the importance of courage, sayings like “fear not”, “be strong” and “be courageous” were used in several passages of the Bible to encourage God’s appointed leaders. For example, God commanded Joshua to be strong and to be of good courage four times in Joshua chapter one alone. In Daniel 10:19, a heavenly being encouraged Daniel saying, “Fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong.” God also encouraged Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Zerubbabel, Jeremiah, Peter, Paul and several others in similar fashion. The Lord will support you, encourage you and grant you the fortitude to overcome every obstacle and challenges of life in Jesus’ Name.

Moreover, God often instructs His children, especially leaders amongst them, to embark on assignments that are new and great, unprecedented, unbelievable, unrealistic and practically impossible by any natural means. The nature of God’s assignments usually strikes fear, doubt and confusion into people’s hearts, making it difficult for them to proceed with such tasks without first receiving divine support and encouragement. Courage therefore derives from the hope and assurance of the divine presence in such circumstances. This was what prompted Moses in Exodus 33:15b to say:
“If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”
Confronted with the impossible task of leading the Israelites to the Promised Land, he hinged his willingness to move forward on the assurance of God’s presence. David also single-handedly ran through a troop because God was with him (2nd Samuel 22:30). I pray that God’s presence will see you through your present challenges and catapult you to your breakthrough in Jesus’ Name.

Courage is demonstrated in various ways, such as leading God’s people against their enemies, proclaiming the gospel to others, and exercising the authority of God’s kingdom in your sphere of influence. God gives strength to His people and enables them to be courageous by giving them faith. God proves Himself faithful to His promises and His faithfulness enables His people to trust Him for sustenance in everyday life. Children of God are created to be the head and not the tail. You were created to take charge as a leader wherever you find yourself. You therefore need to be bold, strong and courageous because that is your heritage in Christ.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.