₦airaland Forum

The story of Samson in Judges 15:9-15 shows the reality of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 10:36. Samson had dealt a devastating physical and economic blow against the Philistines, and so seeking revenge, they laid siege on the town he was in. The Israelites asked why the siege and the Philistines told them how Samson had killed so many of them. To save their own necks, they struck an agreement that would see the Israelites bind and hand Samson over to the Philistines! One lesson here is that the damage which external enemies cannot inflict would be an easy task for the enemies within. The men of Judah decided to hand Samson, their kinsman, over to his enemies. Another lesson here is that while all the planning and bargaining to bind Samson was on going on, God said nothing. However, as soon as these plans were carried out, God arose for Samson. When God arose, Samson’s enemies were divinely defeated with the jawbone of an ass. You can see here that the feeble nature of a weapon does not matter when God is at war. I prophesy to you today: the Almighty God will arise and scatter all enemies of His plan and purpose for your life that are within your household in Jesus’ Name.

The enemy within your household may not always be human but could come in other forms, such as a generational sickness that has claimed precious lives in your lineage. Today is the end of that sickness in Jesus’ Name. It might be a successive chain of poverty that has been transferred from one generation to another; that chain is broken today in Jesus’ Name. It could also be barrenness or failed marriage, but because you are representing God in your family, that enemy within your household is destroyed today in Jesus’ Name. However, my advice is that after these household enemies have been destroyed; keep worshipping God so that they do not resurface. Most of the time, these enemies are spiritual entities that relocate from dangerous zones where God’s children are. Here is what the Lord says about this in Matthew 12:43-45:
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walkeht through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first…”
Beloved, ensure you are a child of God who is given to the intense worship of God alone. You will live to see the end of all enemies within your household who have connived to hand you over to external enemies. You will triumph over them all in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The benevolent Creator of all things speaks to mankind using different means and methods, one of which is dreams. King Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream which became more worrisome to him when he realised that he could not even remember its details. Indeed the awesome God of heaven and of earth does what pleases Him in the affairs of men. The king thought he had experts who could unravel his mysterious dream, but he was mistaken. His astrologers and stargazers could not reveal the secret things of life to him. Disappointed, he threatened to kill them all. Little did he know of the way God works, outlined in Psalms 25:14. If you will be wise and learn from King Nebuchadnezzar’s experience, you need to first recognise and accept that there are secret things which determine the course of life. The knowledge of such secret things could avert evil, make a person wise in decision making and even lead to unimaginable breakthroughs in life. My prayer for you today is that secrets which will lead to your success will not be hidden from you in Jesus’ Name. In Joseph’s time, it was the revelation of the devil’s secret plan to destroy the whole of Egypt and all other surrounding nations with hunger that saved them from dying during a devastating seven years of famine (Genesis 41). King Nebuchadnezzar would have killed all his so-called wise men out of frustration, but for the God of heaven who intervened through his prophet, Daniel.

When King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree brought the threat of death to the doorsteps of Daniel and his cohorts, they sought the mercies of the God of heaven, and He released His wisdom to them. Beloved, where do you seek wisdom: from God or from men? The wisdom of men will definitely disappoint you, and so you must seek the wisdom you need for overcoming life’s challenges from God. You may be wondering what the basis of my recommendation is. God is rich in mercy and His mercy endures for ever (Ephesians 2:4, 1st Chronicles 16:34). Because He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, He knows the secrets behind all things that are yet to happen (Isaiah 46:10). You would therefore be wise to put your trust in Him. Daniel and his brethren consulted Him and they were not disappointed. Furthermore, learn a vital lesson from their attitude after the secret things of the king’s dream were revealed to them by God: they gave all the glory back to Him immediately (Daniel 2:20-23). This attitude is unlike that of some people who after obtaining just one degree would conclude that there is no God. We know what the Bible calls such people in Psalm 14:1. I pray for you today: the knowledge that would take faith away from your heart will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The value of a man’s life is not dependent on the number of years he spends on earth, and neither is it dependent on the amount of goods that he possesses. The value of a man’s life has to do with what he does with his life in appreciation of the benevolence of his Maker, who is also the Redeemer of his soul. The wisdom of God in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be devil.”
According to the above scripture, the value or quality of a man’s life is based upon the service he renders to his Maker in obedience to His commands. God hates a life of disobedience. He likens disobedience to the sin of idolatry (1st Samuel 15:23). Reading through the Bible, you will discover that idolatry is passionately abhorred by God with a promise of severe punishment to the fourth generation of those found guilty of it (Exodus 20:5)

Some people erroneously think that the amount of material possessions they have determines the value of their life. For this reason, they struggle at all costs to get rich, even to the extent of abandoning the pursuit of the eternal life. Eventually, they end up frustrated and in serious agony. How I wish such people would listen to those words of Jesus in Luke 12:15:
“…Take heed, and beware of coveteousness for man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
The Lord Jesus Christ admonished his audience to labour for things that have eternal value (John 6:27). They in turn asked Him what works they must do in order to do the works of God. Here is His answer to them in John 6:29:
“….This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
This is the only way our labour in life will have value and meaning. Any labour you put up that will not further your cause of having eternal life in God’s kingdom is an exercise in futility. Believing in Jesus Christ and the work of redemption He did for all mankind is a great work of faith that will add value to your life, which transcends this present life. Enoch’s life was so valuable to God that God decided to personally come to take him to Himself. He did not send any of His angels on this assignment because of the value He placed on Enoch. Such a life is worthy of emulation. I encourage you to determine to add value to your life by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and by living a life of obedience to God in truth.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The title of today’s devotional (The Living Faith) presupposes at least two categories of faith: living and dead faith. In James 2:17-26, the Holy Spirit confirms to us that there is indeed faith, and He also teaches us what makes faith have life. My prayer for you is that any aspect of your faith that is dead will come alive today in Jesus’ Name. Is it not amazing that faith, as powerful as it is, cannot stand on its own without works? This is not contestable, because it is the word of God. James 2:18 puts it this way:
“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee faith by my works.”

Faith sees into the invisible and beholds what the Almighty God is capable of doing. While the act of exercising faith can spur God into action, there is also an obligation on the part of the one exercising faith. The obligation is the work of faith which we are talking about today. Without this, faith is seen to be lifeless. Apostle James expounded on this truth with the classical example of the father of faith, Abraham.
“Was not Abraham our Father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”
James 2:21-23
Beloved, what would have been left of Abraham’s walk of faith if he had refused when God asked him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering? Thank God Abraham acted on the demand of God. In response to the demonstration of his faith that had moved from theory to practical, God said to Abraham:
“…Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”
Genesis 22:12
After all the time that Abraham had been walking with God, why did God say “It’s now I know you fear Me?” It’s because his works had collided with his faith, which then came alive and became substantial. Beloved, do you have living faith in God?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our loving Father commanded His prophets and apostles of old to record the words of the Bible so that through these sacred writings, we may live profitable lives to Him, ourselves and to all of humanity in general. The wisdom of God manifested in these writings can make us wise, if we apply our hearts to His teachings. This wisdom speaks to us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 saying,
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
When a man knows the appropriate time to act and not to act, he is considered wise. It is profitable for the children of God to be observant of times and seasons so that they are not found to be labouring against the divine timetable. Psalms 126:6 speaks of the time of sowing, which is often not as pleasant as the time of reaping, even though there is an assurance for the sower that in the time of harvest there shall be rejoicing. In other words, the Bible teaches us to endure in the time of sowing so that there could be a time of harvest. Consequently, if there is no sowing, there will be no reaping. It takes the grace and wisdom of God for us to know the correct time of sowing and the correct time of reaping. It is calamitous for a man to be sleeping when he should be reaping, because his harvest would have been wasted before he wakes up from his slumber. On the other hand, if by the time you ought to be sowing you are sleeping, at the time of harvest you would have nothing to reap.

Timing is so important that there is even a time to speak and a time to be silent. There is a thought provoking message that sounds paradoxical but is perfect in wisdom, found in Proverbs 26:4-5:
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”
In other words, although not speaking out during an argument is wise and virtuous, it becomes a vice when there is a need to speak out and you keep your mouth shut. At such times, silence insinuates consent or denial of the truth. Our Lord Jesus Christ kept mute in the face of malicious and unfounded allegations against Him until He was asked if He was the king of the Jews and if He was the Christ (Matthew 27:11, Luke 22:67-70). To these questions, He answered in the affirmative. He could not have denied who He was because that would have contradicted or negated the Scripture. As a born again Christian, do you deny or refuse to affirm who you are in front of friends and colleagues? Ask God for forgiveness and begin to take a stand for your faith.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A belated offering is a worthy present that is offered a little too late. A perfect example of this is found in Mark 16:1:
“And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.”
These women had real love for Jesus. They followed Him everywhere He went as part of His disciples, and they catered to His needs. They were there at His crucifixion and even stayed behind to see where He was buried (Luke 23:55-56). After observing His burial place, they combined resources to invest in preparing sweet spices for the purpose of anointing His body in the grave. Sadly enough, it turned out to be a belated offering: a wasted effort that didn’t serve the intended purpose and a colossal disappointment. Indeed, it was the news of the resurrected Lord that served as their consolation. As children of God, we must avoid coming late to the presence of God or delaying our praise, worship and service to God beyond the appointed time; neither should we offer our vows, first fruits, tithes or special offerings belatedly.

Many years ago, at the inception of the Redemption Camp building project, I told one of my sons of the need to urgently carry out an assignment that God would want Him to handle. He responded that He would go and pray about it over the weekend and then feed me back. As soon as he walked out of my office, God brought someone else who accepted the responsibility and immediately went to work, finishing the assignment in record time. My son came in early the following week to announce his readiness to do the work. He was dazed when I told him that the project had been completed by someone else, and he saw the evidence of this. He learnt his lesson that day and has never allowed such opportunities slip through his hands since then.  I pray that you and your offerings will be acceptable to God in Jesus’ Name. The terrible thing about a belated offering is that it is always an opportunity lost that may never be regained. Esau carelessly lost the opportunity of a lifetime, and although he later sought it carefully with tears, it was impossible to reverse the situation. Hebrews 12:17 says,
“For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”
Please don’t let this be your story. God bless you. 
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

What is a timely offering? It is a worthy gift that is offered to God at the right time. People who offer timely offerings are usually inspired or motivated to do so by unseen divine powers. Such people usually tell stories of a strong inner influence encouraging them to do a worthy deed, particularly in the house of God, in support of His work. Matthew 26:6-13 gives us a perfect example of a timely offering. A few days to the very weekend that Jesus was arrested and crucified, a woman was motivated by the Holy Spirit to anoint Him with a very precious ointment. In the presence of the disciples and a few guests, she poured an alabaster box of very precious ointment on His head. The disciples responded with anger because they could not understand the reason for her action, but Jesus explained it to them in Matthew 26:12:
“For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.”
Just as Jesus said, this woman’s precious ointment was the only perfume that He had on His body throughout His three-day sojourn in the grave. After His death, by the time some women arrived in the morning of the third day to anoint His body, it was too late because Jesus had already risen from the grave (Luke 23:55-24:3). The woman who did this good work received her due reward, stated in Matthew 26:13. You will receive your due reward for obedience in Jesus’ Name.

God is not only interested in your obedience; He is also interested in your timely obedience, according to Exodus 22:29. God wants you to render to Him on time the first portion of your produce which has been set aside for Him. He wants you to honour Him with one tenth of your income and bring all your offerings without delay. Delayed offerings are not acceptable to God. In our service to God, He demands our punctuality. Be faithful in attending the teaching and preaching sessions in your church. Arrive on time, appropriately dressed and ready to make meaningful contributions toward the effectiveness of all that is going on. Be faithful in the giving of your time, talents and in rendering other services to God. There is something about rising early to praise and worship God as exemplified by the life of David (Psalm 57:8-9, Psalm 63:1). Whatever you have decided to do for God, do it on time. He is interested in the timing of your actions. Proverbs 8:17 says,
“I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
Abraham, David, Solomon, and other God lovers in the Bible always rendered anything they had to offer to God promptly and without delay, because only a timely offering is acceptable to God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Although the events that will herald the second coming of Christ are disturbing and could even be frightening, our Lord did not forewarn of these events in order to frighten or terrify us. His purpose was to prepare and empower us with the right attitude and mind-set. Based on yesterday’s study, since it is obvious that we are now in end times, we will be considering the instructions that the Lord gave to us on how we ought to live in these last days. The Lord instructed us to watch out so that we are not deceived by anyone (Matthew 24:4). This warning should be taken seriously as it is increasingly becoming difficult to focus on the message of the gospel. Some false prophets, hiding under the cloak of possessing special revelations, are padding new doctrines that have no foundation in the Bible. Many issues that are clearly stated in the Bible, such as those relating to salvation, sexual orientation, abortion, divorce and remarriage, termination of life on request, tithing and the giving of first fruits are now being presented in ways that are contrary to the word of God. Do not be deceived, but rather hold on to the true word of God in all situations.

As we read about the signs and observe their fulfilment, we should not be alarmed, because they must happen. Having foreknowledge of their occurrence should remove the element of surprise that may affect those who are uninformed. We are to use our knowledge to our advantage by standing firm to the very end. Our knowledge should also motivate us to continue preaching the gospel throughout the world. Warning all men about the reality of the second coming of the Lord and the impending danger of ignoring this warning. We must be well prepared for the persecution that may come in the form of government laws and regulations, or as conditions to be met in order to have access to certain benefits. Our duty is to watch continually for our Lord’s second coming. He repeatedly stressed that His coming, though certain, would happen when people least expect it to. As His bride, we are to continually stir ourselves up to be ready for His coming at any time. Frequent reflections on Christ’s beauty, love, mercy, glory and honour, in addition to a lifestyle of praise and worship will help to cultivate a readiness to meet Jesus in the air. Aggressive evangelism in our families and communities will also help to increase our readiness for Christ’s coming. We must actively strive against worldliness because a worldly mind-set is contrary to a watchful spirit. Finally, we must pray for the coming of the Lord according to Revelation 22:17:
“And the Spirit and bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

While Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him privately to ask what has now become a recurring question: “What shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?” Even scientists today are interested in knowing if and how the world will end. In response to their questions, the Lord took it upon Himself to outline to anyone who will care to listen, the signs and significant historical events that would herald His second coming and that will eventually lead us to the end of the world. A diligent study of Matthew 24:4-38 reveals about thirty signs of the end times, and the most prominent of these are the appearance of deceivers and impostors, wars and rumours of wars, famine, earthquakes and natural disasters, the hatred of Christians around the world leading to persecution and martyrdom, many renouncing their faith in Christ, the love of many waxing cold, the rise of many false prophets performing signs and wonders, the sun and moon getting darkened, and people living a carefree life just as it was in the days of Noah.

In the last few decades, we have witnessed the appearance of deceivers and impostors of the Lord Jesus Christ in different parts of the world. Some famous ones have succeeded in leading people astray, even to the point of committing mass suicide. Civil unrest, rumours of war, terrorism and full-scale wars have been constant news items for years now. The occurrence of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters have been on the increase in the last few years. It is sad to hear of and witness the unbelievable level of persecution and martyrdom of Christians currently going on in several parts of the world. There has been leaked video footage of Christians being lined up and murdered in parts of Africa and the Middle East. Several governments, including those of the Western world, are now making laws that are hostile to the Christian faith. In some countries, Christians are being pressurized to perform activities that are contrary to their faith. Some Christians have even caved in under pressure to renounce their faith. False prophets in various forms are showing up everywhere on the surface of the earth. They all claim to be representing the Lord Jesus. Some of them display the gift of revelation and prophecy, even performing convincing miracles. They usually give themselves off as false prophets because their works and lifestyle are not consistent with the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Despite the abundant evidence that the time of the Lord’s coming is near, most people in the world are still living carefree lives, just as it was in the days of Noah. Unsurprisingly, everything is playing out according to the warning and prophesies of our Lord. Therefore be alert! The trumpet could sound any moment from now. Are you prepared to meet your creator?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the Jewish culture and tradition, wedding festivities are usually held in the evening and run into the night. Typically, the bridegroom would go to meet his bride in her father’s house with lamps, and the bridal train would proceed from the bride’s father’s house to the groom’s house, where a feast would be provided for the invited guests. It was against this backdrop that the Lord Jesus Christ gave the parable of the ten virgins. In general, the parable speaks of the second coming of our Lord and the judgment that will accompany His return. In this parable, the Lord classified the people His message was targeted at into two groups: the wise and the foolish.

There are various lessons to be learnt from this parable of the ten virgins, especially because it contains a lot of symbolism with deep spiritual meanings. The virgins, lamps, oil, the absence of the bridegroom, slumbering and sleeping, the midnight, the cry, the trimming of lamps, having no oil, asking for oil, the refusal to give oil, entering into the feast, and several other aspects of the story represent different aspects of our Christian race to heaven. However, we will be considering just a few lessons behind some of these metaphors. The virgins represent the Church, while Jesus is the Bridegroom. The message of the parable is therefore for the Church and not for the world. We are warned in this parable that our Bridegroom may delay His coming. He may not come at the time we expect, but He will surely come at midnight, meaning that He will come suddenly and unexpectedly. Note that all the virgins who set out to meet the bridegroom dozed off and slept. The only thing that separated the wise virgins from the foolish ones was the level of their preparedness. The wise virgins took extra oil with them in anticipation of a delay in the bridegroom’s arrival, while the foolish ones failed in this regard. They obviously did not anticipate that the coming of the bridegroom could be so delayed. Their failure to take extra oil made the difference and determined their fate. The Lord will take only those who are ready at His coming into the marriage supper. The door will be shut against those who are not ready after the call has gone out, and it will not be opened to anyone who comes late.

The practical lesson of this parable therefore is the unexpected nature of the Lord’s Coming. We must be ever ready to meet the Lord. The lamps of our faith and Bible study must be kept burning all through the day and night. We must uphold and defend the truth in the word of God. We must not allow modern thinking and liberal theology to water down or pollute our faith. We must keep our focus on the message of the gospel as we continue to follow the footsteps of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

From the beginning, God’s plan has always been to have continuous fellowship with mankind. Looking at God’s interactions with Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 3, we see that He normally visited them at a certain time of the day to have fellowship with them. However, in the dispensation of the New Testament, because the Almighty has better things in store for us, He has chosen not to visit, but rather to dwell in us. How privilege and blessed we are! The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul expounded on this truth in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. As a Christian, you need to recognise that your body is the sacred dwelling place of the Almighty. You also need to know that because you have been redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus, you have been purchased by God at a very high price. You therefore do not have any claim over your body anymore, and consequently, you have no right to pervert, misuse or engage your body in anything that is contrary to the will of God.

God expects us to exercise responsible stewardship over our bodies. He expects us to do everything necessary to glorify Him with our bodies and make them suitable for His worship. 1st Corinthians 3:17 says,
“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
This is an important statement with very serious implications. A lot of people in the world today, especially youths, view their body as theirs, and so they believe they can do anything they like with it. They have chosen to tread the path of defiling their bodies, which should be the temple of God, through ungodly lifestyles and association with evil companionship. Obviously, this is the reason why early death is trending upwards in the world today. Those who choose to abuse their bodies with unhealthy food, alcohol, sexual immorality, hard drugs and other dangerous substances usually fall sick and end up dying prematurely. Some develop emotional or psychological problems that eventually lead to instability, loss of sanity, depression and even suicide. Defiling your body has such terrible consequences. You need to trust God on His recommendations for the well-being of our body. Keep your body away from anything that can contaminate or pollute it. Don’t yield to any contrary peer group pressure. Those who keep their bodies pure are directly inviting the presence of God into their lives, and they will receive divine invitation from above. It is a great privilege and honour to embody the presence of the Almighty.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, we will be reflecting on the necessity of holy living to the success of our Christian journey. Looking at this topic through the eyes of the book of Leviticus helps us to better understand God’s mind-set concerning it. The book of Leviticus reveals the holiness of God and His love for His people in a way found nowhere else in the Bible. Today, this book is still calling on God’s people of all ages to embrace holiness as a way of life. In reality, holiness is the only kind of life approved by God. The purpose of Leviticus was to show the Israelites how to live in ritual and moral purity. Whenever they met God’s standard of purity, He approved of them, so much so that He came to live amongst them. However, whenever they forsook the lifestyle of holiness, He would in turn abandon them to the hands of their enemies. From the example of the children of Israel, it is obvious that holy living is necessary for a continuous, unbroken fellowship with the Almighty God.

To understand the necessity for holy living as a Christian, we have much to learn from the instructions on holy living in the book of Leviticus. First, we must understand something about God’s holiness. Leviticus 11:44 and 1st Peter 1:16 both contain the same message from God on holiness: “You have to be holy because I am holy.” Holiness is the nature of God, and because He cannot change, He remains holy forever. Since He cannot behold sin, it is therefore necessary that anyone who will come to Him must live holy (Habakkuk 1:13). Secondly, holy living becomes necessary when we consider the great price paid for our redemption from sin (1st Peter 1:18-19). As a true Christian, when you think about the agony, pain, deep sorrow and emotional trauma of the passion of Christ, you will not want to do anything that would amount to crucifying Him the second time. Thirdly, all Christians have the honourable duty of presenting only their best to God in every situation they find themselves. In light of this, Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. You need to understand that the view of some that the salvation received when we become born again cannot be lost under any circumstance is at variance with the true message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:26 says:
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”
Hence, a holy lifestyle is not an option, but rather a necessary condition for a successful Christian life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

John 14:12 focuses on one of the farewell statements of the Lord Jesus Christ that I consider to be of utmost importance to the Body of Christ today. This statement was addressed to anyone who believes in Jesus as the Messiah. Note that the mandate contained in this statement is not directed at the 12 disciples or any special group. It was not directed at bishops, pastors, prophets, evangelists or other “highly spiritual” Christians. Jesus was speaking to anyone who believes in Him, which means all Christians. Although all Christians claim to believe in Jesus, a vast majority are not even aware of this important mandate of the Master, while some others, due to unbelief, argue that it is impossible to walk in the reality of it. The word “works” in this mandate comprises of everything Jesus did during His whole earthly ministry. These include teaching, preaching, discipleship, miracles, signs and wonders. The question then is: are we Christians doing the works that Jesus did? The answer is obvious. May the Lord ignite His fire in His Church and wake us up to our responsibilities in Jesus Name.

Discipleship is the process of following Jesus Christ, serving Him and obeying Him in all things. Jesus encouraged His disciples to strive to become like Him so that they can represent Him in His absence (Mark 9:17-19, Matthew 10:25b). The template of discipleship instituted by the Lord demands that anyone who wants to be a true disciple must first deny himself (Matthew 16:24). Self-denial is all about sacrificing personal interest and preferences to focus on the will of the Master only. The Christian race becomes very easy for anyone who is able to take this very important step. Soon after I gave my life to Christ, the Lord helped me to give up my personal ambition of becoming the youngest occupant of the highest office in the academic world on the African continent. This decision helped me to commit the whole of my time, attention, money, and all other resources at my disposal to the service of God. It paid off, as the Lord took me from my humble beginnings to where I am today. The Lord says no one can serve two masters; every disciple is therefore expected to be totally committed to God and His kingdom business (Matthew 6:24). Doing the works of Jesus entails going out to proclaim the message of the gospel, and demonstrating acts of mercy, love and compassion around the world. We must live in holiness as good examples to the world. Our message must be backed up with the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit in signs, wonders and miracles. We must win souls and disciple them to maturity. Nothing short of these is acceptable as the works of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Almighty God created the sun as the major source of light and heat for the earth. He also appointed the sun as an indicator of time and direction (Genesis 1:14-15). A new day begins with the rising of the sun, and its setting indicates the end of the day. Have you noticed the effect that the sun has on people’s overall mood? People tend to be more active on a bright and sunny day, Ecclesiastes 11:7 says,
“Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:”
The sun also serves the vital role of sustaining life on earth by stimulating plants and other organisms to produce food. Deuteronomy 33:14a says.
“And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun,”
As advantageous as the sun is to mankind, God also uses it as a weapon against evildoers and to correct His own disobedient children (Revelations 16:8-9). Jonah 4:8 says,
“And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die,”

When you understand the importance of the sun to mankind, you will then begin to appreciate and better comprehend what the Holy Spirit declares to you in Isaiah 60:20:
“Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.”
I therefore pray that in accordance to God’s word, your sun will not go down, and your day will not be turned to night in Jesus’ Name. The devil knows the importance of light and is very familiar with darkness. This is the reason why he attacks people by extinguishing their light and throwing them into utter darkness. If you are experiencing darkness in any way, I am happy to announce to you that Jesus has the power to turn your night to day (John 8:12). Darkness may endure for a night, but be sure that the Sun of Righteousness will rise over your life in the morning. Even though the devil may have succeeded in putting out your light by whatever means, our Lord Jesus Christ is able to make your sun rise again by the power of His word, and He has sent His word to you today. I therefore decree in the Name of Jesus, wherever there is darkness in your life, let there be light now! Receive the light of God for illumination, direction, sustenance, health and joy!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

To seek is to diligently search for or pursue after an object or person of value. The greater the value placed on an object or person of interest, the more intense the labour, time and money that will be expended on the search process. God is the Creator of heaven and earth, yet He loves us so much that He gave up His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for sin so that we may have abundant life in this world and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Having done so much for us, His desire is that we all should seek after Him and His kingdom. God has a reward for those who seek Him with all their heart, but those who ignore Him do so at their own peril. Hebrews 11:6 says,
“…for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

God wants His children to know that seeking after Him and His kingdom is like acquiring a gem of inestimable value; which is why the Lord Jesus Christ in His parables compared the kingdom of God to seeking a treasure (Matthew 13:44-46).
In as much as God’s desire is for His people to seek after Him, He also is seeking for those who display genuine interest in fellowshipping with Him (Psalm 14:2, John 4:23). The word of God encourages us to seek the Lord and Worship Him always for who He is. He is our Creator, Redeemer, Provider, Healer, the Mighty Warrior and Saviour of the world. We need to show appreciation for His goodness, enduring mercy and great kindness towards us. He is our peace and our shelter in times of trouble. We must seek after God wholeheartedly and with simplicity of heart; we must seek Him continually and without delay. We must also seek Him in holiness and righteousness. Seeking God and His kingdom should be the priority of our lives (Matthew 6:33). When you seek after God, He will offer Himself to you as a gift, just as He did to Abraham (Genesis 15:1). When God gives you Himself as a gift, you have access to everything that belongs to Him, and of course all things in heaven and on earth are His. No wonder the Holy Spirit, speaking to those who seek after God and not men, in 1st Corinthians 3:21b said “all things are yours”. In conclusion, I leave you with the words of a dying father to his son in 1st Chronicles 28:9:
“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The word ‘favourite’ is used to describe a person who is preferred to others or who is especially well liked. Treating a certain class of people as favourites is generally considered to be an unfair practice. Why would God then have favourites? Looking at God’s principles of truth and justice through the prism of our human understanding of favouritism makes this question a very tricky one to answer. Indeed, Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us this about God:
“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
We also understand from John 3:16 that He loves all human beings alike. Likewise, Romans 2:11 clearly state that there is no respect of persons with Him.  However, another truth of God’s word is that He is sovereign and He does as He pleases (Psalm 115:3. Psalm 135:6). To demonstrate His sovereignty, in Romans 9:15 He declared:
“….I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
The choice to have favourites is therefore a manifestation of God’s sovereignty which He says cannot be questioned (Romans 9:20). God has shown this aspect of His sovereignty in the lives of individuals like Abraham, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, Moses, Pharaoh, Esther, Mary and several others. I am happy to declare to you that my Daddy has a special relationship with me that comes with special privileges that are not common to all men. How else can anyone explain my appointment as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, or the phenomenal growth the Church is experiencing even now? What shall we say about the fulfilment of seemingly impossible prophecies, outstanding miracles and great testimonies of unbelievable proportions? How can one explain all these, except that I am God’s favourite?

In Matthew 3:17b, God proclaimed these words concerning Jesus:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
For those who are born again, it then follows that since we are joint heirs with Christ, and since the Holy Spirit has indicated that as Jesus is, so are we in this world (Romans 8:17, 1st John 4:17), we are truly the beloved of God and are therefore His favourites. I pray that you will begin to walk in the reality of this truth from today in Jesus’ Name. Being God’s favourite surely sounds good, but it comes with some responsibilities. As a favourite of God, you must make holiness your lifestyle. You must dedicate yourself to God in true worship, submitting yourself totally to His will. You are also expected to dedicate yourself to service in the Body of Christ. Are you God’s favourite?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I love to hail my Daddy as the Unchangeable Changer for many reasons. He is unchangeable because He is not subject to variation or alteration (James 1:17). The Almighty God is an infinitely perfect and self-existent Being. He is exalted far above the possibility of change because He is independent and not limited by all the factors that cause change. As a self-existing being, God cannot be changed by forces outside Himself. He is also not subject to change from within His person because He is perfect in nature. He cannot be subject to any form of change at all because He is eternal and independent of time (1st Timothy 6:16). The unchanging nature of God is established throughout the Bible (Numbers 23:19, 1st Samuel 15:29, Isaiah 46:9-11, Ezekiel 24:14). Here is His declaration about Himself in Malachi 3:6:
“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
The moral consistency of our God guarantees His commitment to unchanging principles. Just as His nature is unchangeable, His character is also unchanging. The Psalmist testifies to this truth in Psalm 100:5:
“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
In addition to God’s character being constant, His plans and purposes cannot also be altered by any outside forces. Proverbs 19:21 says
“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”
As our God lives, His good counsel over your life shall come to pass in Jesus’ Name.

God’s unchanging nature is connected to the fact that He is Omniscient. A person usually changes his or her mind because of new information that was previously unavailable, or because of new developments that require a different approach. Since God is Omniscient, He cannot learn something new that He did not already know. The unchanging nature of God, coupled with His ability to turn any situation around for good is a great advantage to His children. Because our God is faithful, you can be sure that every promise in His word to you will come to pass. Remember also that the fact that He has not imposed His promised judgment on workers of iniquity is indicative of His enduring mercy and unchanging grace. Please tap into this grace while it is yet available. 
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When God completed the process of creation, He carefully appraised everything He had created and concluded that they were very good. Genesis 1:31 says,
“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
However, looking at the world created by God today, it is obvious that a lot of things are no longer very good. Why is this so? Through the deception of the devil, Adam and Eve fell into the error of sin, and this brought corruption and degeneration into the world. After the fall, mankind began to worship created things such as the moon, stars, mountains, rivers, trees and animals as God. Because the Almighty God is a jealous God, He responded by cursing the earth, and this led to a situation where these created things began to work against humanity, thereby making life terribly difficult for them. The land refused to yield its increase, weather became contrary, and animals became wild and unfriendly. However, the Almighty God knew that humanity needed restoration: the kind of restoration that only He, the Creator, could provide. This prompted Him, out of love and compassion, to send His only begotten Son on the difficult assignment of restoring mankind to his original state. May God’s Name be praised forever.

During the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, He went about restoring things that had been destroyed by the enemy back to God’s original plan and purpose. Through the Land Jesus Christ, the restoration power of God was released, not only by miraculous healing and deliverance, but also through forgiveness of sin, restoration of destiny, recovery of lost glory, and restoration of communities (Luke 8:39-40). Through His restoration work, a once shunned leper could now freely join other people to worship God, and people who were previously blind, lame and incapacitated became useful members of their society instead of living as beggars. Those freed from demonic possession were no longer feared by their neighbours. Some even became evangelist, openly testifying to the glory of God. That same Jesus is still in the business of physical and spiritual restoration. I pray that in any way your destiny has become corrupted, the Lord will grant you total restoration in Jesus’ Name. I also pray that in every way perversion has entered into the Body of Christ, to attack and paralyse its operation, the Lord will step in to completely restore His Church in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the Bible, the Red Sea symbolises persistent obstacles and difficult barriers standing on our way to the Promised Land. Within 24 hours of their deliverance from 400 years of slavery, the people of Israel were confronted with an unusual problem. They suddenly discovered that their supposedly dead enemy had resurrected and was hotly chasing after them. They faced a serious dilemma as the army of Egypt was on their tail while the Red Sea was ahead of them. The people of God obviously left Egypt with a sense of victory in their hearts, thinking that the journey to the Promised Land would be fast and easy. They would have felt a sense of euphoria especially after witnessing the way God had dealt with their oppressors. Their focus was now set on getting to the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, without any further hindrance. But here they were at the Red Sea. They would drown if they continued, but they could not retreat because the Egyptian army was coming from behind, ready to slaughter them. To them, it was a totally hopeless situation. What was the state of their faith at this point? Exodus 14:11-12 says,
“And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”
The people of God were so threatened that they verbalised their preference to return to slavery, thereby rejecting God’s love and abandoning His plan of freedom for their lives. The devil always threatens and harasses people with the sole aim of pushing them to give up on God and themselves. I pray for you today: no matter what you are passing through, you will never lose your faith in God or surrender your dreams to the devil in Jesus’ Name.

When you are passing through a seemingly hopeless situation, you need to recognise that the Lord’s solutions are always bigger than your thoughts can comprehend. Isaiah 55:9 says,
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Do you know that beyond your wildest imagination, God has perfected a plan that will launch you into your destiny? All you need to do is stand firm. The Lord will soon destroy your enemies and give you a fresh start on your journey to your promised land in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“The Divine Presence” is a term commonly used among Christians to describe the apparent presence of the Almighty God. In the Bible, we see instances of the divine presence associated with different manifestations. Some of these manifestations occurred with bright lights, fire, heavy vibrations, visible glory, whirlwinds, loud trumpet sounds and even great silence. There were also instances of the divine presence without any manifestation. The Bible speaks of the presence of God in a remarkable number of ways, and the manifestations of His presence to His children comes with the assurance of peace and security, victory in battle, unmerited favour, miraculous deliverance, divine support, healing, unusual success and breakthrough. I pray that from this day onward, God will overshadow your life with His presence in Jesus’ Name.

The presence of God finds its greatest expression in the person of Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:9 says,
“For in him dwellleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”
Apart from the work of salvation which He came to accomplish, Jesus also came into this world to perfectly demonstrate the nature and character of God, and to experience our pains, sufferings and limitations as human beings (John 14:8-11, Hebrews 2:16-17). Through His works, He showed us the significance and benefits of enjoying the presence of the Almighty God. Just as God paid attention to the suffering of His people in Egypt and stepped in to deliver them at the right time, He is fully aware of your situation, and He is highly interested in helping you out. God will step into your situation today and turn your life around for good in Jesus Name. Jesus has broken down the wall of separation between God and humanity (Ephesians 2:14-16). We therefore have open access to the presence of God to enjoy salvation, abundant life, peace, joy, healing, deliverance, victory and all-round success in this world. More importantly, we also have access to the straight and narrow way that leads to heaven. Are you enjoying God’s divine presence through Jesus Christ? If you are not, you are missing out on a lot of great things. Give your life to Christ, and the Holy Spirit will flood your life with the manifest presence of God. You will then have a taste of his wonderful presence as described in Hebrew 12:18-24. If you are saved, begin to fellowship more with the Holy Spirit, and He will manifest more of Jesus, who is embodiment of the divine presence, to you. I pray that God will manifest Himself in your life so much that you will begin to tell your personal testimony all over the world in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 2nd Thessalonians 2:3, the term “son of perdition” is used as a code name reserved for the man of sin, the beast, who is also known as the Antichrist. Interestingly, in John 17:12, the Lord Jesus Christ also used the same name in an obvious reference to Judas Iscariot, who was one of His disciples. Jesus used this term to describe Judas Iscariot because he was an embodiment of the spirit, character and essence of Antichrist. Just as the Antichrist will be possessed by the devil himself, so also was Judas Iscariot possessed by Satan (2nd Thessalonians 2:9, John 13:27). It is food for thought that such a person could be seated with Christ at the same supper table. As it was in the time of Christ, so it is even now in the Body of Christ; which is the reason why we are warned in 1st John 4:3 that the spirit of the Antichrist is already at work. Without any doubt, dangerous personalities working in the spirit of the Antichrist should be correctly identified and isolated in order to curtail their evil activities in the Body of Christ. In order to achieve this, these questions come to mind: who is the son of perdition? What are his characteristics? How can he be identified and how should I relate with a person walking in this spirit? I pray that every agent of Satan hiding around you will be exposed in Jesus’ Name.

In Psalm 55:12-21, much is said about the characteristics of the Antichrist. Amongst other things, the Antichrist works as a rebel leader against God’s authority. He is a covenant breaker, and he wages war against those who are at peace with him without provocation. Although the words of his mouth may be smoother than butter, war is in his heart. The Antichrist is a smooth talker, an expert in the art of deception and pretence. Most importantly, the Psalmist reveals that a person walking in the spirit of the Antichrist may not be a total stranger or an outsider (Psalm 55:12-14). Such a person may not be perceived as an enemy, because his or her hatred will be camouflaged and therefore hidden. The spirit of the Antichrist may operate through people we consider acquaintances. It could be someone we trust with our innermost secrets; someone we regard as a true born again child of God and a faithful partner in our Spiritual walk with God. Judas Iscariot conformed to all these characteristics. He chose to rebel against the Lord despite his exposure to the truth. For this reason, the Lord Jesus Christ correctly identified him as the son of perdition. Brethren, check to ensure that you do not share in any of the evil traits. Do not join anyone to do such things, and distance yourself from evil doers. I pray that you will not become lost forever in spite of your interactions with the Lord in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Divine intervention can be described as an incursion of the supernatural into human affairs in the physical world.  The message of the Bible is built on the existence of an invisible spiritual realm and the principle of divine intervention. Many people today, including some who claim to be Christians, deny the existence of a spiritual realm and the reality of divine intervention in the functioning of the universe, due to the high level of learning, knowledge and understanding they have attained, especially in modern science. This is a trick of the devil to get them blindsided to his activities in this world, and to get them to rebel against God’s authority. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the activities of the devil and his cohorts in Ephesians 6:12, saying:
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Because the devil and his cohorts operate with invisible weapons of warfare, mankind therefore requires divine intervention to secure victory over them. This is why 2nd Corinthians 10:4 says,
“For the weapon of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;”
Today, the Lord shall deliver you from the hands of your wicked foes in Jesus’ Name.

King David was a man who had first-hand experience of deadly battles and was exposed to several evil attacks of the enemy, but he triumphed over them all. One of the secrets of his success is evident in Psalms 57:1-6, where he passionately prayed to God for mercy and divine intervention. Rather than rush into a battle in his own strength as an accomplished warrior, he chose to take refuge under the shadow of God’s wings until the disaster has passed. What a wise man he was! David’s recognition and understanding of the activities of the wicked world is discernible in the psalms that he wrote. A more dramatic example that shows his mind-set on divine intervention is his battle with Goliath in 1st Samuel 17. In 1st Samuel 17:47, David sort of removed himself from the scene and declared the fight a spiritual battle against the Lord. It was David’s appeal for divine intervention that was responsible for his outstanding victory over the powerful Philistine warrior. I hereby decree that the same God who created heaven and the earth, delivered Israel at the Red Sea, turned water into wine, healed the sick, raised the dead, brought water out of the rock, stopped the sun from going down for hours, and who fed the multitude with five loaves of bread and two fishes, will grant you victory over all the challenges of life in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Without controversy, my God is indeed a prayer-answering God. In my life, He has proven Himself to be a prayer-answering God over and over again. Not only does He answer prayers, He can also answer them instantly. If there is any example of a prayer that was answered instantly, it is the prayer of Elijah, which brought down the fire of God in 1 Kings 18:36-39. In the Name that is above every other Name, God will answer your prayers by fire today. Elijah is one of my favourite characters in the Bible, and I spent three years studying him, I observed something very, very, significant about him: he was a prayer warrior (James 5:17-18). He is one of the reasons why I pray so much. I spent quality time studying his prayer in 1st Kings 18:36-37, and I would like to share with you some of what the Holy Spirit taught me.

You will observe that Elijah started this prayer by calling on the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What is the significance of this? He was first worshipping God by eulogising Him. When you go through the Scripture, all those who worshipped God got their request granted. You will never find a single example of someone who worshipped God in Spirit and in truth who did not get his or her request granted. Matthew 8:1-3 tells the story of a leper who was granted his request. This was someone who had an incurable disease; someone who was not supposed to be found among the multitude. He came to Jesus and the first thing he did was to worship Him. He worshipped Him before he said “I know You can heal me if You want to.” Of course, he had already prepared the ground for his request to be granted. Jesus had no choice but to say” I am willing, be thou cleansed.” A similar story is found in Mark 5:1-15. It is the story of the mad man of Gadara, who when he saw Jesus from afar off, ran to meet Him and fell at His feet. Remember he was mad, but even in his madness; he was still able to worship God. If a mad man could worship God, what is your excuse for not worshipping Him? Read the story very well, he did not even pray to be delivered, but God delivered him all the same. Furthermore, in Mark 5:21-24, how did Jairus get his daughter resorted to life? He worshipped Jesus! Even though he was a great man, in the presence of Jesus, he considered his status to be of no significance. This is why I feel uncomfortable when I see some so called “great men” who cannot worship God.  Whenever we are praising God and we are dancing and rejoicing, I see some people who feel they are too big to worship the king of kings. This is rather unfortunate because there is no one like God. He is greater than the greatest, higher than the highest, older than the oldest, richer than the richest, and He is better than the best. Worship your way into victory today!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The simple meaning of holiness is complete obedience to God. In Luke 6:64, Jesus said “Why do you call Me Lord when you don’t do those things that I command you?” The evidence that Jesus is really Lord to you in spirit and in truth is doing whatever He commands you, Holiness is obedience: not just half obedience but total obedience. In 1 Samuel 15:16-23, Samuel announced to Saul that to obey is better than sacrifice. While living a sacrificial life in service to God has its place, it is not a substitute for obedience. In Revelation 3:15-16, God says that it is better you obey Him completely or you don’t obey Him at all. He said this because His nature of holiness commands full obedience from those who are partakers of His divine nature.

You cannot claim to be living a holy life if you are not evangelising to win souls. This is so because in Mark 16:15, we are commanded to go and preach the gospel. It is not a suggestion; it is a command. If you are living in disobedience to that single commandment, then forget about holy living. Your evangelism should be a lifestyle. God’s commandment does not stop at evangelism; after evangelism comes follow-up. John 15:16 says,
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”
If you don’t follow up the souls you have won, you have not yet finished the job. Furthermore, according to Matthew 28:18-20, you are not just to win souls and follow them up, you are also commanded to make them disciples of Christ, because your fruit must abide. You disciple them by teaching them the sound word of God and by being a living example of the word you teach. Your work on your convert is not over until that convert has become rooted and built up in Christ (Colossians 2:6-7). Only after doing these can you claim to have finished the job. Let it be settled in your mind that there is no holiness without evangelism, no holiness without follow-up and no holiness unless you make disciples of every nation. This is the reason why we are planting churches, so that the souls we are winning, following up and making Christ’s disciples can have a place to grow and worship God in spirit and in truth. Our number one goal is to make Heaven, and our second goal is to take as many people as possible with us. Therefore, our lifestyle will be holiness, and holiness means total obedience. Total obedience includes soul winning, follow-up, and the making of disciples. So, do not be surprised if I tell you that no evangelism means no Heaven! This may sound hard to you but it is the plain truth.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The devil’s main objective is to prevent people from actualising their God-given goals, thereby stopping them from fulfilling their destiny. The devil accomplishes this by first separating his victims from the true God through disobedience. He then blindfolds and brainwashes them to become addicted to ungodly practices that are abominable to God and detrimental to their own wellbeing. Such victims develop uncontrollable interests in evil acts such as sexual immorality, night crawling, prostitution, alcoholism, drug abuse, money rituals, occultism and other vices that usually result in a terminated destiny through untimely death. I decree concerning you today; your destiny will not be trapped, and you will be unstoppable in the journey of life in the mighty Name of Jesus.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10
If you are a child of God, you need to recognise that the life of God you now possess has made you unstoppable against sickness, poverty, sin, destructive habits, demons and evil powers (2nd Peter 1:3-4, Romans 8:31). Anyone who desires to be unstoppable must first of all be a partaker of God’s divine nature. You become a partaker of the divine nature by becoming born again, which means that you renounce sin and the devil, and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. Those who have the nature of God are shielded from every evil attack that can endanger their destiny, by an invisible covering of God. This truth is revealed in Psalm 27:5:
“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.”
As a partaker in God’s divine nature, there is a responsibility that goes along with it which makes you unstoppable to every onslaught of the devil, and this is the responsibility of being a good witness and a soul winner of Christ. The devil cannot stop a witness for Christ because he or she carries the banner of God’s kingdom into the devil’s territory (Matthew 16:18). Anyone who goes about telling everyone that Jesus saves, Jesus heals and Jesus provides, will always be victorious, even if all the host of hell should gather against such a person. This was the experience of David when he was fighting the Lord’s battles, which is the reason why he wrote the words of Psalm 27:1-6. I pray that you also will experience the reality of this truth in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Nobody can succeed in this world if the Lord withholds His mercy from him or her. I pray that God will show you His mercy by granting you divine favour today in Jesus’ Name. One character that illustrates a life operating under divine favour is Joseph. Genesis 39:21 says this concerning him;
“But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
When you consider the events of His life, you will begin to understand the magnitude of God’s mercy available to someone operating under divine favour. For example, from Genesis 37:19-21, we see that nobody can kill a person operating under divine favour. When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they said amongst themselves, “Let us kill him.” However, they were not able to carry out their devilish intentions because Joseph was operating under God’s favour. When powerful people decide that the time has come for a divinely favoured person to die, they will surely fail. I want to assure you today by the word of the Lord, you will not die before your time in Jesus’ Name. Why am I so sure of this? My assurance stands on the declaration of the Almighty God in Deuteronomy 32:39:
“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”
Based on this declaration, when you are operating under the favour of God, nobody can kill you or terminate your destiny. As a matter of fact, Isaiah 54:17 says this about you:
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”
By this word of the Lord, every weapon formed against you shall be neutralised in Jesus’ Name. When you are operating under the divine favour of God, rather than you dying, as wished by the enemies of your destiny and vision, the Lord will strengthen the arms of your spiritual hands to fulfil your destiny. Here is what the Holy Spirit says about Joseph in Genesis 49:23-24:
“The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel: )”
As the Lord did for Joseph, so shall He do for you today in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.”
Psalm 102:13
For everyone who has been looking up to God for assistance in one way or the other, I am happy to announce to you that the time of your favour has come in the mighty Name of Jesus. I want you to utter the prophetic words of God in the above verse of scripture to yourself, inserting your name into the appropriate places. As you declare these words over yourself, believe in your heart that what is written is fulfilled in your life today. From this scripture, we discover that when a man’s time of favour comes, God does two things: He arises and He shows mercy.

What are the implications of God arising? Based on our studies for the past two days, when God arises, his enemies are scattered (Psalm 68:1-3). This question then comes to mind: who are the enemies of God? Well, when you look at Acts 9:1-5, you will discover that the enemies of God are the enemies of His children. There was a man called Saul to Tarsus, who made it his life’s mission to persecute Christians, throwing them into prison and even killing them. His hatred of Christians was so intense that he sought and got permission from the leaders of the Jewish nation to go to Damascus to seek and arrest them. His mandate was to bring them back to Jerusalem in bonds so that they could be severely dealt with. On his way to Damascus, the Lord met him and knocked him down from his horse. Do you know that those persecuting you are about to be knocked down from their high horse right now? After knocking him down, the Lord spoke to Saul in Acts 9:4c saying,
“Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”
Saul’s response was “How can I be persecuting you when I don’t even know who you are?” The Lord then said, “I Am Jesus, and it is Me you are persecuting when you persecute My children.” Those tormenting the children of God don’t know that they are in serious danger, because they are actually fighting against God, and when God arises, His enemies will be scattered. So if I were you, I would quickly accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour so that I can be numbered among God’s children. I would then congratulate myself, knowing well that my enemies are in serious trouble from now on. Brethren, God is not blind. He is fully aware of everything happening here on earth, and He will arise for you today in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The presence of wickedness and the acts of evil perpetrators on earth are indicative of a continuing rebellion against God’s holiness. This poses a constant threat against the people of God, and persistently attacks God’s plan and purpose for humanity. The Lord Jesus Christ, in Matthew 13:24-30, clearly reveals the source of this situation as the devil. Matthew 13:25 says:
“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”
Thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit further reveals that we are empowered to pull down the strongholds that the devil uses to perpetuate wickedness in this world (2nd Corinthians 10:4-5). The devil and his cohorts are not only against the children of God, they are also strongly opposed to God’s plans and purpose on earth. For this reason, an appeal to God for assistance against these enemies usually yields immediate results. Only God’s mercy and the hope of repentance compel God to delay His judgment on evildoers (Romans 2:4, 2nd Peter 3:9). Nevertheless, when God finally arises, His enemies are scattered and made to disappear like smoke, causing the righteous to rejoice exceedingly. The joy and celebration of the righteous is understandably great whenever God puts an end to the evil activities of the wicked. I prophesy that very soon you will have great joy, as God will silence all your enemies and detractors in Jesus’ Name.

Whenever God arises, it is always bad news for His enemies for many reasons. First, the rising of the Lord is mostly sudden and unexpected by the camp of the enemy. The Lord thereby throws them into confusion and inflicts terrible damage on them. Whenever God arises, He scatters His enemies and violently overthrows their domain without resistance. No one ever hardens his heart against God and prospers. When God arises, He sits as the Righteous Judge to pass the deserved sentence upon the wicked, just as He did to Pharaoh, Haman, King Herod, Judas Iscariot and several others. The day of God’s judgment is usually the day of complete and final destruction of ungodly people. However, God arises as an act of mercy to bring comfort, joy and celebration to His people. When God arises, His children are comforted after enduring persecution. Injustice, oppression, and sometimes prolonged hardship. They rejoice at witnessing the destruction of the enemy, and they celebrate the freedom and liberty to continue the pursuit of their destiny. It is usually a time of singing and dancing on the victory march towards the Promised Land. In the Name that is above every other name, you will celebrate with exceeding gladness over your enemies this year.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Every call unto God to arise in the Bible takes its cue from Numbers 10:35:
“And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.”
At this point in time, the children of Israel spent 13 months at Mount Sinai after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt, and it was time to take their very first steps on their journey to the Promise Land. It was like a journey into the unknown and they were sore afraid of the militant nations that they had to pass through on their way to their destination. Therefore, as they set out on this phase of their victory march to the Promised Land, they had to call upon God for divine support. “Let God Arise” is therefore a call for divine assistance. It is a call for divine intervention, and a call to secure victory over perceived enemies without a fight. Today, the Lord will arise for your sake as a mighty warrior and scatter all your enemies in Jesus’ Name

We as children of God today should take a cue from the Israelites of old. They cried “Arise O Lord” in times of trial. Since we must also confront similar trials on our journey through the wilderness of life, we must learn to look unto God alone for help as we call on Him to arise for our sake and deal with everything that stands as an obstacle to our progress in life.  In our daily supplications to God, we must cry “Arise O Lord” so that our enemies will be scattered. The Israelites cried “Arise O Lord” in confident expectation of victory over all their enemies through God’s intervention. Therefore, no matter how perilous the circumstances may be, and no matter how powerful your enemies are, the Lord will arise for your sake if you call on Him with the expectation of victory. As you call upon God today, your expectation shall not be disappointed in Jesus’ Name. Note that the Israelites called unto God to arise and scatter their enemies as the only safeguard to their continued existence. Moses never deemed himself and the children of Israel to be secure without the divine protection of the Almighty God. For this reason, he pleaded thus with God in Exodus 33:15b:
“If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”
Even when you are at peace, you must remember that the devil, who goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom to devour, is never at rest. He is ever ready to take advantage of anyone who is careless, carefree or without protection. The devil will not devour you in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many passages of the Bible make it very clear that the healing power of God is available to heal all manner of sickness and diseases without any limitation. Matthew 8:16 says,
“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:”
Luke 6:19 also says,
“And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.”
It is important to note that in the instances cited above and on several other occasions, Jesus healed all the sicknesses in all the people who came to Him (Matthew 12:15; Matthew 14:36). I therefore prophesy to you that God’s healing power will touch you right now and make you completely whole of everything that is troubling your spirit, soul and body in Jesus’ Name.

However, the plan of healing set forth in the Bible is not arbitrary; rather, it is based on some conditions being fulfilled first. This means that there are conditions for divine healing, and we must understand and conform to the standard of the word of God if we hope to receive divine healing. First of those conditions is repentance and forsaking of sin (Matthew 9:2, John 5:14, James 5:15). This is followed by faith in God’s ability to perform the desired healing. Faith is always required of the individual who is seeking healing, in as much as he or she is capable of exercising it (Matthew 8:13, Mark 5:34, John 4:50). Understanding the cause or source of a sickness can also facilitate healing. The Bible teaches that sicknesses and diseases are agents of death, which came into this world through sin (Genesis 2:17), 2nd Kings 20:1, Romans 5:12). These agents of death are propagated through nature, Satan and disobedience to God. Some human afflictions are directly traceable to natural causes (2nd Kings 13:14, Daniel 8:27), while Satan also afflicts and oppresses people with sicknesses (Job 2:7, Luke 13:16). Furthermore, many are sick because they disobeyed God’s commandments (Micah 6:13, 1st Corinthians 11:30). The good news is that anyone who is completely obedient to God’s word can live a life that is untouchable by the agents of death.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

As a lecturer at the University of Lagos, when I became born again, I realised how close to hell I had been, in spite of all my academic knowledge. Because I saw the goodness of God in my life, I began to think of what I could do to publicly show God my appreciation for what He had done for me. So I sought the permission of my father-in-the-Lord to sing, dance and recite “Ewi” (Yoruba poetry) to honour God at least once a year during our church convention. He gave me the go-ahead, and I began to do it annually. When I became the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), someone said to me, “Since you are now our father, there are certain things elders must not be found doing, and such things are best left for the little ones.” He went on further to say that I must now sit like an elder in the church and let the children do the singing and dancing. My response was, “Thank you very much, but for as long as my two legs can carry me and my voice can still be heard, I will sing and dance for the one who made me the General Overseer. I will praise and worship Him for as long as I have the breath of life in me.” I pray that God will give you a heart of gratitude today in Jesus’ Name.

A while ago, I was abroad at a world conference where several big men of God from all over the world were present. They also invited a small man like me and I went with my tambourine. One of the big preachers came to me and asked, “What are you doing with a tambourine like an ordinary member of the choir? You are supposed to be the General Overseer, or is that not what they call you? God have mercy!” May you never stop showing gratitude to God for any reason in Jesus’ Name. When I became the General Overseer of the RCCG, the total number of staff of our Bible College was three. There was a principal, myself and one other person. Today, by the grace of God, in Nigeria alone, the number of full-time and part-time staff of our Bible College is well over a thousand. How can you then ask me not to praise God? If you desire greatness in your life, jump on your feet and let God hear you shout a big Hallelujah! As a matter of fact, if you only praise and worship God whenever you are in a Christian congregation or whenever you are told to do so, then the praise is not overflowing from a heart of gratitude; you are just following orders. Remember that God does not desire people who only give because they are told to do so. He desires those whose hearts spontaneously rise in joy with gratitude to Him whenever they remember His numerous benefits in their lives. If you appreciate the goodness of God in your life, shout a big Hallelujah in His praise. You will forever have reasons to praise God in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God is most pleased with His children when they put Him first in all endeavours of life. For this reason, He gave the commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5 which says,
“And thou shall love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
God often tests His children to see whether they will honour Him by putting Him first in whatever situation they find themselves. Genesis 22:1-18 contains a vivid demonstration of this. After God gave Abraham a son in his old age, knowing well that he loved the child so much, God decided to find out whether Abraham loved the boy (the gift) more than he loved Him (the Giver). He therefore instructed Abraham to go on a journey and sacrifice his son, Isaac, to Him. When God saw Abraham’s determination to obey Him, just before he killed his son, God intervened and provided an alternative. You will pass God’s test in Jesus’ Name. After Abraham passed God’s test, God swore that He would bless Abraham the way no human being had ever been blessed before. God’s blessing on Abraham was the first of its kind, being one that is irreversible forever.

When we speak about the giving of first fruit, some people think it is a pastor’s way of making money, but they are making a great mistake. When you put God first, He makes sure you are blessed in a special way and that your blessing becomes irreversible. If you however try to show God that He is not number one in your life. You will not like what may follow. There was a young man who came to me and said, “Daddy, God has answered your prayers”, and my response was “Amen!” I asked him what happened and he said one big chief in Lagos asked him to help him sell a property of his consisting of 13 flats, 12 of which were regular flats. The chief told the young man how much he wanted for the house, and that the young man could have any amount above this as his personal gain. After narrating this, he looked at me again and said, “Daddy, God has answered your prayers; from this deal alone, I will be settled for life!” I congratulated him and asked him to give one of the flats to the church as his tithe, but he lamented that this was only his first breakthrough, and that God could wait for other future blessings. About a week later, after he got a buyer who was willing to pay far above the owner’s asking price, he went back to the owner, but to his shock, the man denied ever asking him to look for a buyer for the house! He lost his blessing because He did not consider it necessary to put God first. May the Almighty God give you a blessing that will last forever in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.