₦airaland Forum

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.

Delicacies are rich, luxurious or expensive food enjoyed by royals and the wealthy. Satanic delicacies symbolise worldly goodies and pleasures that appeal to the eyes and are deemed good for the body, which Satan and his agents craftily offer in exchange for a man’s soul. Such delicacies could be anything that feeds the ego, such as fame, power and access to wealth. They are labelled ‘satanic’ because the Bible contains several instances of the devil using them as bait while tempting children of God. For example, Adam and Eve fell because the devil convinced them that the forbidden fruit was delicious, beautiful to behold and would inspire knowledge and wisdom (Genesis 3:4-6). In the same way, the devil offered beautiful women to Samson in exchange for his great anointing, and unfortunately he fell for it (Judges 16:18-20). Similarly, the man of God from Judah was tempted to eat bread and drink water, in direct disobedience to God’s directive, and this ended his ministry abruptly (1st Kings 13:11-22). In Luke 4:1-8, the devil offered tantalising delicacies to our Lord Jesus Christ, but glory be to God, He triumphed over the devil by the power in the word of God. I pray that you will not become a victim of satanic delicacies in Jesus’ Name.

Satanic delicacies are often offered in attractive packages to simple minded people. However, full disclosure on the true contents of such packages and the consequences of accepting them are usually withheld. The same scenario plays out in every temptation – a person will only discover the consequences of his or her choices when it is virtually too late. I pray that you will not discover the truth about the satanic delicacies that are set before you when it is too late in Jesus’ Name. The good news is that despite the craftiness and deceptive schemes of the devil, the Bible has provided the means to overcome his wicked devices. Watchfulness, intensive prayer, total submission to God and resisting the devil are all key elements of this provision (Matthew 26:41, James 4:7). Abstaining from all appearances of evil is another effective means of overcoming satanic delicacies (1st Thessalonians 5:22). Satanic delicacies are usually offered to seduce, persuade or cajole gullible people into sin. A Christian should never fall for this old trick or agree with the devil under any circumstance. Proverbs 1:10 says:
“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”
Above all, the Bible tells us that victory is assured because the devil is only fighting a lost battle (1st John 4:4). I pray that you will never lose the victory that Christ has won for you in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Light is the manifestation of God’s creative word. Having been spoken into existence on the first day of creation, light came into being even before the sun and the moon, which were created on the forth day. Light was separated from darkness and declared by God to be good (Genesis 1:4 & 18). Light and darkness are contrasted in several verse of the Bible, and in all cases, light is affirmed as superseding darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:13 equates wisdom with light and foolishness with darkness. Light is declared to be the path of righteousness, while darkness is the path of those who rebel against God (Proverbs 4:18, Job 18:5). I pray that the light of God will disperse every form of darkness in your life today in the mighty Name of Jesus.

At the beginning of creation, the world was filled with gross darkness. This prompted God to create light as a solution to the problem of darkness, which is why He is referred to as the Father of lights (James 1:17). Jesus also declared Himself as the light of world (John 8:12). As light, Christ role throughout His earthly ministry was to destroy the darkness of this world and enable humanity become children of light through faith (John 12:46, John 12:36). He succeeded in His assignment and raised for Himself a people who are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). As His chosen people, our light must shine before all men to provide guidance and leadership in a world full of sin, confusion, hatred, danger and all kinds of wickedness. Jesus lived an exemplary life as the light of the world, and we also must follow in His footsteps. Jesus illuminated the world by preaching the good news of the gospel with love and compassion. Through His own life, He showed us how to live in holiness and righteousness in a world full of sin. He brought joy to the hearts of men by healing the sick, delivering the oppressed and raising the dead. He was a father to the fatherless, husband to the widow and hope to the hopeless. Functioning as light therefore signifies replicating everything that He did while He was here on earth (1st John 2:6). We are to preach the good news of the gospel to all nations and ensure that lost souls are saved and properly made disciples of Christ. Holiness and righteousness should be our watchword and truth should be found in us always. We must be agents of peace and progress in our communities as we show good neighbourliness. Through us, the sick should receive healing and the captives should be set free. We must provide succour to the fatherless, widows and the helpless in our society. We must speak out against sin, violence and wickedness in order to turn sinners to saints. The world must become a better place because of our presence and activities as light.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If good works always yield a good reward, why is the Holy Spirit encouraging us in Galatians 6:9 not to be weary of doing good, and what does it really mean to do good? We will be reflecting on these questions today. Good works can be described as those activities that you are specially endowed by God to do for the betterment of others in obedience to His word. Several factors may discourage or hinder a child of God from continuing to do the good works that he or she is empowered to do. Such factors may arise from the fact that good works sometimes attract envy, opposition or persecution from others. Despite the huge investment of time and resources, good works may be misunderstood, may go unappreciated or even be misinterpreted as eye service.  In John 3:19, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed the reason why good works may be antagonised by some. Saying:
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
Just as darkness despises the revealing power of light, so do evil people detest the testimony of good works, because it exposes their inadequacies. For this reason, they usually respond to good works with hatred and persecution. Consequently, the Bible admonishes us to endure in the face of opposition or persecution of our good works, and ensure that we continue in well doing.

Are you weary from the opposition you have faced in spite of your good works? You can learn one or two things from Elijah. The Lord performed several great exploits and good works through Elijah, including great miracles of healing, provision and the raising of the dead. The Lord also used him to single-handedly destroy 400 prophets of Baal in a contest, ignite the fire of revival in the hearts of men and call down rain after three years of drought (1st Kings 17 & 18). However, soon after accomplishing these exploits, Elijah experienced the worst discouragement of his life when Jezebel threatened to kill him (1st Kings 19:1-4). He was so discouraged that it took God’s assurance and encouragement for him to continue his life’s journey. Similar attacks and discouragement can come from anywhere; endurance is a necessary component of the Christian life. I therefore pray that no matter what you are passing through right now, the Almighty God will support, encourage and see you through those challenges in Jesus’ Name. You need strength and courage to endure hardness as a good solider of Christ. I pray that God will grant you these in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

While God is not against His people enjoying a comfortable life, He is against us living for pleasure. There is a life of comfort and pleasure that can ultimately lead to spiritual death. After God gave David rest from the life of wandering in the wilderness as a shepherd, fugitive, mercenary and warrior king, he started living in pleasure, so much so that he no longer went to battle. In the course of his life of leisure, pleasure and comfort, he fell into sin that would have destroyed his destiny, but for the mercies of God. He experienced spiritual death and had to cry to God for restoration (Psalm 51). Spiritual death is a condition of alienation from God because of sin. It is the absence of spiritual life. Which means being physically alive without having a relationship with God. Ultimately, it leads to permanent separation from God. By nature, all of mankind is dead spiritually. However, whosoever accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour becomes genuinely born again and experiences transformative change. Such a person is liberated from spiritual death and is made alive by the Holy Spirit.

After experiencing new life in Christ, we are encouraged to take pleasure in everything God has created, but never to allow pleasure in His creation to overshadow our pleasure in the Creator Himself. We live in times when the desire to live a pleasurable life is most paramount on people’s mind. We must not allow ourselves to become overtaken by the wanton desire for pleasure we see all around us. Remember that in the last days, men will become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2nd Timothy 3:4). In these perilous times, people are craving to satisfy the lust of the flesh through food, drinks, stimulants and sexual gratification. They also strive to satisfy the lust of the eyes through fashion, materialism and the inordinate acquisition of the beautiful things of life. Lastly, they live to satisfy the pride of life through the accumulation of titles, recognition, fame and other achievements. Children of God must not be caught in this snare of the devil. With respect to the pleasures of this world, the Spirit of God recommends restraint and discipline to every child of God. In 1st Corinthians 7:31, He says:
“And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.”
God’s people must have self-control, be generous and have consideration for others. The Bible insists that anyone who places priority on pleasure or invests much time and resources into a pleasure-seeking lifestyle is spiritually dead, even though alive physically. There are so many of such people in the Church of God today (Revelation 3:1)! I pray that God will help such people to recognise their state and move them to cry to Him for restoration.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Persecution is the harassment and suffering that people and institutions inflict upon others for being different in their faith, world view, culture or race, with the intention to intimidate, silence, denounce, convert or even kill them. The story of man outside the Garden of Eden begins with the persecution of the righteous by the unrighteous in Genesis 4:3-8. Abel was killed by Cain simply because God respected Abel’s offering and considered him to be righteous (Hebrews 11:4). Lot’s experience, as narrated in 2nd Peter 2:7-8, illustrates the suffering involved in refusing to conform to popular culture. Daniel was persecuted because he disregarded the king’s decree by praying to the God of heaven. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were persecuted because they refused to worship the image of the king (Daniel 3). Psalm 119:84-87 speaks of the cry of the righteous one who was being persecuted for upholding God’s word. Various prophets of God in the Bible also suffered persecution because they tried to live out the will of God in adverse circumstances. Jesus Himself noted in Luke 11:50-51 that the persecution of God’s people began from the foundation of the world and would continue throughout history.

“Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you…”
John 15:20
Based on these words of our Lord, persecution is a hard fact of life to be faced bravely, and a hallmark of genuine children of God. Are your Christian virtues causing you problems with your friends, colleagues, neighbors, family members or boss? Have you been tagged antisocial because of your modest way of dressing, attitude to the opposite sex, refusal to consume alcohol or other stimulants, and rejection of a worldly lifestyle? Have you been told that you may never make it because you have refused to participate in illegal and fraudulent business practices? Have you been told as a woman that you may never get a man to marry you unless you wear skimpy dresses and make up excessively? Are you under any pressure to join a cult or swear allegiance to someone or something in order to make it in life? Are you under any attack because of your constant praises to God, Bible study or witnessing about Jesus? Do not yield to any of these threats or believe their lies. Rejoice because the Lord has pronounced His blessings on everyone who endures persecution to the very end (Matthew 5:10-12). The blessings of the Lord will be permanent in your life in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, we started reflecting on the doctrine of eternal security. We considered what this false doctrine teaches and the character of its teachers. Today, we will be looking at the truth of what God’s word says in contrast to this doctrine. If there was no possibility of falling away and losing one’s inheritance in Christ, the Holy Spirit would not have given the counsel we have in 2 Peter 3:17. In fact, the Holy Spirit in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 also warns:
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”
Only those who occupy a high position need fear a fall. The “falling away” in this scripture therefore refers to the falling away from grace of those seated with Christ in heavenly places. The possibility of a saved person falling is registered in these scriptures and in several others (Galatians 5:4, Revelation 2:5). Also, in Ezekiel 33:12-20, God Almighty told Prophet Ezekiel the truth which disproves the doctrine of eternal security. The Lord is therefore warning everyone who chooses to live a godly life never to depart from the path of righteousness, or else his or her past righteous deeds will not be remembered on the day he or she departs to do evil.

Some people argue that nobody sends his child away to the lions because he or she sins, and so God will not judge His children for their sin. What such people don’t seem to understand is that you cannot equate the ways of God with that of mere mortal men. They fail to recognise that a person who continues to live in sin after being saved does not have the nature of God and is therefore not a child of God. This is made clear in 1st John 3:8:
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Furthermore, while forewarning us of things to come in Matthew 24:12-13, Jesus Christ said:
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.”
In other words, the global increase in iniquity will not exonerate a backslider on the Day of Judgment. This is a lesson for those who think that because the world is changing, God should also change His standards (2nd Timothy 2:19). Beloved, it would be immoral for God to accept from us what He did not accept from those who ran the Christian race before us. Don’t be deceived; there is no eternal security. The wages of sin is death: this is the truth of God’s word that is forever settled.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One deadly error in some quarters of the Christian faith is the doctrine of eternal security. Those advancing this doctrine use the Scriptures to convince their followers that once you are saved, you are forever saved, irrespective of the type of life you live after receiving salvation. It is therefore not surprising that in circles where this doctrine is taught, a loose lifestyle of sin is the norm. In order to appease the conscience of their followers, some modern day teachers of this doctrine have tried to repackage it by redefining what sin is. Some even teach that a Christian cannot sin. It is unfortunate that some people still fall for this old deception of the devil which resurges from time to time.

When you critically examine the life of those teaching this doctrine, you will observe that they themselves fell into the error of this falsehood because of secret sin in their lives which they could not overcome. Instead of humbly submitting themselves to God in an environment of accountability for their character to be built up, they proudly developed another “gospel” to justify themselves and deaden their conscience. The unfortunate thing is that several innocent souls who genuinely want to serve God end up being destroyed by these teachers. Because they see such teachers exhibiting the gifts of God, they believe that whatever is coming from their mouths is sanctioned by God. These beguiled souls forget that Romans 11:29 says:
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Based on the principle established by this verse of scripture, a person who received the gifts of God’s Spirit while teaching the truth of the gospel will continue to manifest these gifts after they fall into the error of another “gospel”, even if it’s for a while. It is for this very reason the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:22-23 clearly said:
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
From the words of the Master Himself, it is obvious to any serious student of the Bible that the working of miracles or the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit is not a wholesale stamp of approval by God. Therefore, beware! Any teaching not founded on the totality of the truth in God’s word should not be accepted, irrespective of the charisma of the teacher. When it is all said and done, you will stand alone to give account of your life before God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Is it possible to be meek and militant at the same time? To be meek is to do what other people want without imposing your own opinion. It is having the power to act but refusing to use it to oppress others. Being militant on the other hand means to use force or pressure to achieve your goals. How is it possible for a Christian to be meek and militant at the same time?

Our Lord, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, clearly taught us that it is a blessed thing to be meek (Matthew 5:5). In his letter to the Galatians, Apostle Paul also declared that meekness is a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated meekness when He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Hear what He said in Matthew 26:53-54, when He was about to be arrested:
“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angles? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”
This same Jesus tells us that there are times when we need to be violent. In Matthew 11:12, He said:
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
Paul further expounded on this truth, telling us the reason why we are in battle and providing the guidelines for how to shield and prepare ourselves for this violent warfare. In Ephesians 6:12, He wrote:
“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.”

The beautiful swan which vigorously paddles away under the water to stay afloat is viewed as one of the most graceful animals on water because it appears calm on the surface. Our Christian life needs to emulate the posture of the swan. In the spirit realm, we need to display all the militancy that is needed to secure us a place in heaven and push the agenda of the kingdom of our God on earth. At the same time, in the physical realm, the fruit of the Spirit – meekness – must be visible in our lives.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is amazing that not only are many leaders guilty of self-abuse by working more than is necessary, they are also guilty of stressing themselves out to the point of exhaustion, thereby leading to their untimely death. When God created man, He created us in His own image and likeness and so we are expected to be like Him in many respects. One area we should resemble Him is in the attribute of delegating responsibility. Genesis 2:15 and 19 reveals how God readily delegated the responsibility of keeping the Garden of Eden and the naming of animals to Adam. There is no monopoly of responsibility in the attributes of God. We need to begin to emulate God by sharing and delegating responsibilities with our colleagues, subordinates and neighbours to avoid burning ourselves out and even killing ourselves.

In Exodus 18:13-27, Moses was taught the art of division of labour by his father-in-law, Jethro. When Jethro came visiting, he observed that Moses hardly had time to rest, because he was ever busy attending to every case brought to him by his people – even minor cases that were domestic in nature. Although the reason Moses gave for this arrangement was genuine and good intentioned, Jethro pointed out the folly of what he was doing to him. In Exodus 18:17b-18, Jethro said:
“The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.”
Jethro then taught him how to delegate his judicial responsibilities to elders who were able and capable. Moses heeded his advice and it worked: judgment was no longer delayed and Moses had time to take care of himself.

Members of the Body of Christ need to be willing to work, and their pastors need to be willing to prepare them to take responsibilities. Nevertheless, responsibilities must not be delegated carelessly. They should not be passed on to those who would destroy the work you have laboured so much for. In delegating responsibility, adhere to what Paul said in 2nd Timothy 2:2:
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
Apply this principle in your church, business and family and you will find rest for your soul.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One reality of life that many people, particularly children of God, find difficult to believe is that a meek person can be offended. People who are meek are assumed to always be calm and saint-like, and hence people around them tend to take them for granted and abuse them in many ways. We all know that meekness is a constituent of the fruit of the Spirit, but Ephesians 4:30 clearly shows that the Holy Spirit can be offended. For this reason, you need to realise that the person carrying the Holy Spirit can also be offended.

Although Numbers 12:3 describes Moses as the meekest among all men on the face of the earth, in Numbers 20:1-12, this same man got so upset that instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded, he struck it with the rod twice, to the Lord’s displeasure. The consequence of this outburst of anger and frustration by Moses was grievous: the Lord rebuked him and denied him entrance into the Promised Land, after forty years of labouring hard to lead all the Israelites from Egypt.

The key lesson we need to learn from Moses’ experience is that our brethren and leaders are all still living in human bodies, and so we need to be sensitive to their humanity and not overstretch them because we believe that as meek people, they will not break. Another lesson is that the meek should not allow themselves to be solely people-driven; they should instead focus on following the instructions given by God.

While we live in this human body, we will always experience offence or provocations from different sources. However, we need to exercise self-control, which is another constituent of the fruit of the Spirit, in all situations. The Bible is clear that only the foolish burst out in anger; you must refuse to be foolish. Proverbs 14:17a says,
“He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:”

Beloved, what are you known for? Are you the kind of person that engages in confrontation with everyone, or are you known to be an example of someone who manifests the fruit of the Spirit?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Every Christian is expected to be a standard for people around to emulate. Standing out for God as a standard has a price tag attached to it. The price of being God’s standard is comprised mainly of antagonism, loneliness and persecution. In John 16:2, our Lord Jesus Christ prepared our minds for what we should expect if we would be His standard in this world, saying:
“They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whatsoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”
We live in times when these words are being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

To live as God’s standard in this world, you have to be ready to walk on the cold road of loneliness sometimes. God’s standards we celebrate today, such as Elijah and Apostle Paul, all faced this reality (1st Kings 19:14, 2nd Timothy 4:16). When you choose not to follow a multitude to sin, they will confront and antagonise you because you are different. When they realise that they cannot win you over to their side, they will sideline and isolate you. You must be willing to pay this price to avoid the contamination of the world. Always have at the back of your mind that the Christian race you are called to is an individual race that can be lonely. However, be assured that the Lord will be with you always, and so you are never alone. He stood by Paul in his moments of loneliness and He also strengthened Elijah in his time of despair (2nd Timothy 4:17, Acts 27:23-25). You can be sure that what He did for them, He will do for you also.

To live as God’s standard in this generation, you must prepare your mind for it. The secret of not conforming to the standard of this world lies in the continuous renewing of your mind with the word of God. The Holy Spirit revealed this truth to us in Romans 12:2, where He said:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
The reason is that what is in your mind determines what you would become and the nature of life you would live in this world. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood out for God and they became standards and reference points in the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires. Although they suffered a great deal, their suffering yielded extraordinary promotions (Daniel 3:30, Daniel 6:26-28). Anyone who wants to be a standard of godliness must be ready to suffer all sorts of evil from the enemies of the cross. The good news is that Jesus Christ promised He is with us till the end of the world (Matthew 28:20b). 
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God in His unfathomable wisdom sometimes connects us to our destiny through some strange helpers. Such destiny helpers appear strange to us because they are people we least expect help from. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit teaches in Romans 8:28 that we need to see God’s hand in all things that happen to us. The Holy Spirit also makes it clear that this truth will only work for those who are called according to God’s purpose, walking in line with His precepts and instructions.

A good example of strange destiny helpers is Joseph’s brothers. While they were aiding the fulfilment of Joseph’s destiny, they did not even know it. They thought they were selling him into slavery, but they only helped in transporting him to the land where he was destined to become the prime minister. Joseph had other strange destiny helpers along his way to becoming the prime minister of Egypt, such as Potiphar’s wife, Pharaoh’s cup bear and Pharaoh’s baker. All these different encounters worked together for his good until he became the first prime minister of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-41 tells of the awesome promotion he received in one day through the aid of strange destiny helpers.
“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.”

Joseph’s experience shows that every person you meet in any situation can be one of your destiny helpers. I pray for you today that your destiny helpers will emerge from the places you least expect in Jesus’ Name. Things worked out for Joseph because he was faithful to God and could not imagine sinning against Him. This same attitude is expected of every Christian today. You need to remain faithful and true to God, so that you can be assured of His hand in all that is happening to you. At the end of it all, Joseph also became a destiny helper to the whole of Egypt. An ex-convict and slave ended up saving an entire country from famine. No one is too small to be your destiny helper. Beloved, if you will love God with all your heart, all things will continue to work together for your good in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In the Body of Christ, we often talk about how Noah found grace in the sight of God, but we hardly ever mention what the Bible says about him in Genesis 6:22:
“Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”
Noah was an obedient instrument in the hands of the Most High God, and God cherished him for that. To show the extent to which God cherishes obedience, Prophet Samuel in 1st Samuel 15:22 said:
“…Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Naaman’s story teaches that only complete obedience to divine instructions is rewarded. Prophet Elijah had instructed Naaman to go and wash in River Jordan seven times in order to receive healing from his leprosy. When he first heard this, he felt insulted for not being given a dignified reception, as Elisha, did not even grant him face to face audience. He also felt insulted at the simplicity of what he was asked to do and where he was asked to do it. He was instructed to wash seven times in “dirty” River Jordan. His initial response to God’s instructions is captured in 2nd Kings 5:12 as follows:
“Are not Abana and Pharpa, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”
Thank God he had servants who persuaded him to do what the prophet had said. After his servants succeeded in persuading him, the result that followed shows that the pains of complete obedience pale in comparison to its benefits. 2nd Kings 5:14 says,
“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

Beloved, only after Naaman’s obedience was complete did he receive his miracle. The loss would have been great if Naaman had stopped dipping his body in the river after the fifth or sixth attempt, since nothing about his situation had changed. I pray that your obedience to the word of God will be complete, and you will receive your miracle thereafter in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

During a solemn Assembly at the Redemption Camp, Nigeria, the Lord instructed me to teach my children who were present some pairs of “two-legged” divine instructions which every Christian should adhere to. What we see today is that most Christians are obeying only one of these instruction pairs while deliberately ignoring the other. Today, we will be considering the pair of instructions revealed in Hebrews 1:9.

While it is easy for every Christian to love righteousness, hating iniquity is what is beginning to fade away. Christians are beginning to give consideration to and show sympathy for iniquity. Issues that are clearly called out as iniquity in the Bible are being tolerated by Christians and have even become subjects of discussion in the Church of God. Such acts of iniquity include sexual immorality like fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality and the likes. These two passages of scripture reveal the danger of harbouring such disposition:
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do these things which are not convenient;”
Romans 1:32
"Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
Romans 1:32

Based on the truth contained in these verses, a lot of Christians have fallen from the position of grace, and God has given them over to a reprobate mind. Although they are usually still able to speak all the right Christian words and phrases, their doctrines and principles are no longer in line with the Scriptures. Some have even gone ahead to start their own congregations where these false doctrines are being taught. The Lord warns us against false prophets in Revelations 2:20. The only way to avoid falling prey to false prophets and ensure you remain on the straight and narrow path is to have a personal relationship with God. You need to study the word of God yourself to know what it says is right and wrong. Your Christian life should not be built on your pastor’s interpretation of Scriptures. I pray that you will grow in your knowledge of God as you study your Bible more.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.