₦airaland Forum

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.

Joshua 1:8 lets us know straightaway that not all success is the same. While some success can be good, others can be bad.  If you want your own success to be good, this Book of the Law, which is the Bible, shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night to ensure that you live according to all that it says. The word of God further emphasises the fact that not all success is good success. For example, Proverbs 1:32 tells us that if prosperity is put in the hands of a fool, it will eventually destroy him or her. This means there is a kind of success that brings destruction. We see this today in the lives of many seemingly successful people, especially celebrities and young stars all over the world. I pray that the kind of success and prosperity that destroys its owner will never come your way in the Name of Jesus.

Good success has many facets. It could mean prosperity without adversity. Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow. It could also mean promotion without the possibility of demotion. It is better not to be promoted at all, than to be promoted today and demoted tomorrow. Good success also refers to deliverance without any relapse. It is sad that some people who were once delivered have later relapsed into bondage again (Luke 11:24-26). Good success also manifest as victory without the possibility of future defeat, as well as possessing an anointing that never dries up. Good success is salvation without backsliding, and it could also mean several other things. The Lord will grant you good success in the form of a blessing that lasts forever in Jesus’ Name.

For you to experience good success, you must first accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. Then, you must submit to the authority of the Bible as the eternal word of God, through a diligent study of its teachings. You must take the word of God as your absolute guide in all matters relating to human life and existence. Your commitment and obedience to the word of God will bring you to a level of fellowship with God that attracts the assured presence of His almighty power, which enforces the manifestation of good success and prosperity in your life. As you endeavour to live according to God’s word today, good success and prosperity will accompany everything you do, in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a relationship between wisdom and Joy. We see this truth in Ecclesiastes 8:1b:
“A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.”
The reason why the wise possess joy is that they work to bring joy to the people around them and not to themselves alone (2nd Corinthians 2:3). Who then are the wise? Proverbs 10:8a answers this question:
“The wise in heart will receive commandments;”
It takes wisdom and humility of heart for a man to abide by the commandments of God. Alas, these two are in short supply in today’s world. No wonder joy is fast becoming a scarce commodity. For a lot of people in the world today, God’s commandments are no longer an issue to be considered. Liberal theologians are busy convincing the gullible that the commandments of God are obsolete, moribund and out of fashion. They argue that the only way to sustain the Christian faith is to abandon the commandments of God as reinforced by Jesus Christ in the gospels. The message of the Bible is being over-contextualized to the point that we have many varieties of beliefs and practices in the Body of Christ today. It’s presented as if when God was giving His commandments, He did not have the whole world in mind. We must admit the truth that when Jesus Christ was teaching His disciples, He was preparing them to evangelise the world. He could therefore not have sent them out to different parts of the world to teach a spiritual curriculum that is different from what He had already taught them as recorded in the gospels. This is the testimony of one of His disciples about their message to the whole world in 1st John 1:3:
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

A hymn writer’s advice would suffice as the crux of the message for today’s devotional: “Trust and obey; for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus; but to trust, and obey.” Only the fear of God, which produces adherence to His commandments, can give you joy unspeakable and make you full of His glory. Be wise today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Information is very powerful, and the wise do not underestimate its power. It can have positive or negative impact, depending on the type of information, the giver of the information and the receiver of that information. The Lord will give you pleasant information today in Jesus’ Name. It was pleasant Information to Abraham and his household, when the Lord announced the coming of the child of promise (Genesis 18:10). However, it was unpleasant information when the Lord later announced the coming total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Abraham’s nephew lived (Genesis 18:17-21). However, irrespective of the nature of the information, it is always a privilege to have access to divine information, because it enables you to always be one step ahead of the enemy.

In Amos 3:7, the Lord committed Himself to the principle of sharing divine information with His servants. The wise will scrutinize this principle and apply it to their benefit. Daniel was wise; he therefore tapped into the possibilities made accessible by this commitment. In Daniel 2:13-19, when all the astrologers in Babylon were to be killed because they could not decode the information embedded in the king’s dream, they turned to Daniel who knew how to access divine information from the spirit realm. Beloved, where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). We can learn some vital truths on accessing divine information from the experience of Daniel and his companions, one of which is that they got the information from the God of Heaven. For you to access information that will guide you aright in life, you need the God of Heaven, This same God has packaged all the information you need to excel in life in a book called the Bible. Just as divine information made a way of escape for Daniel, it also helped the king of Israel, guided by Elisha, to escape the traps of the king of Syria. 2nd Kings 6:9-10 says,
“And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.”
We will be delivered from the snares of our enemies when we have access to divine information, but we must act on it like the king of Israel did. For example, we have been divinely informed that sinners face eternal damnation but can escape this future through repentance and acceptance of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The wise will act on this information and escape eternal damnation.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our God is a God of dominion who rules by decrees (Psalm 148:5-6, Jeremiah 5:22). It therefore follows that if He created man in His own image and after His likeness, man should also rule by decrees. Genesis 1:28 gives an insight into the mandate of dominion that God gave to man after he was created:
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
It is unfortunate that man fell from his position of authority where he ruled by decrees and began to be ruled by circumstances. It is however more unfortunate that some children of God have failed to realise the position of dominion that they have been restored to in the new dispensation of the covenant in the Blood of Jesus (Luke 22:20). It is true that man fell and lost his dominion, but it is equally true that this dominion was restored through the second Adam: Jesus. Therefore, man should no longer live under the curse of sin anymore, because he has regained his dominion through Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, who died as a ransom for the sins of the human race (Romans 5:12,17,18). This is the confidence by which the apostles of old lived, and the basis of their ability to live by decrees. Paul demonstrated this in Acts 16:18:
“And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”

Even before the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, some men peered into the glory of the dispensation that was to come and were able to partake of the glory which they saw afar off (1st Peter 1:10-11). One of such men is Elijah, who lived and ruled by decrees. Elijah was calling the shots and holding sway on behalf of his God (1st Kings 17:1,2nd Kings 1:10). The good news is that we of the new dispensation have a better covenant than that of Elijah, because the Son of God is at the right hand of power backing our decrees up through His intercession on our behalf (Romans 8:34). You must therefore recognise who you are and the power at your disposal. Recognise and believe that the words of Job 22:28 apply to you. Henceforth, live by decrees and dominion, and never allow yourself become a victim of circumstances again. Jesus is Lord!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our imagination cannot begin to grasp the extent of the many benefits which our redemption through the Blood of Jesus Christ grants to us. The price that was paid on the cross of Calvary forever changed our state, our status and our future. One of the changes it made to our status is revealed to us in Revelation 1:5b-6:
“Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
It is clear from this scripture that those who have been redeemed by the precious Blood of the Lamb are kings. To leave no doubt in our minds, our status of royalty is further declared to us in 1st Peter 2:9. Having been taken from the dunghill of sin and made kings unto God, the least we can do is to comport ourselves in a manner that aligns with our new status. In order for us to continually live in the reality of our royal status, the Holy Spirit has gone the extra mile to clearly define what we should and should not do as kings unto God. One of those things we should not do is clearly stated in Proverbs 31:4 as follows:
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel,  it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:”
I believe this is clear enough. For those who want to live their lives as kings unto God in this world and reign as kings with Jesus Christ in the world to come, total abstinence from alcohol is not an option.

Proverbs 23:29-35 further explains to us the reason why alcohol is not for kings. It may seem harmless at the time it is being gulped down the throat, but when it arrives in your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, what does it do? It stirs up things in you that are contrary to the nature of God that you share. Proverbs 23:33 mentions some of such things:
“Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”
Just take a look at Noah to understand what alcohol can do to a great man (Genesis 9:19-25). It eventually brought an everlasting curse upon one of his beloved children. I pray for you that your appetite will not put you in trouble in Jesus’ Name. Please drop your contentious arguments about drinking alcohol today. Count it a worthy sacrifice you need to make to follow after the Master. Seek to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit and the appetite for wine will fade into oblivion (Ephesians 5:18).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus Christ, committed to the life and principles of God’s kingdom which Jesus Christ came to teach and demonstrate on earth. When He was leaving the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ instructed those who were already His disciples to make disciples of all nations of the world. Why is it necessary to make people Christ’s disciples, and how do we make disciples of people? What does the kingdom of God stand to gain when people are made disciples of Jesus Christ? These are questions worthy of our consideration. We are to make disciples of all nations of the world because it is the Lord’s commandment. The Lord commanded us to do this because He wants to reconcile all of mankind back to God. 2nd Corinthians 5:19 says,
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
After a lost soul has experienced the new-birth in Christ, God expects that a systematic teaching of His word will follow in order to transform the new believer into the image of Jesus Christ. For this reason, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 28:9-10 says:
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
One characteristic of a genuinely born-again fellow is the desire to grow through God’s word (1st Peter 2:2-3). Such a person should therefore not be starved of the sound teaching of the word.  If you have led a person to Christ, it should be your desire to see that person grow into the stature of the Son of God (Ephesians 4:13-15).

The Church and the world stand to gain peace as the number of the disciples of the Prince of Peace increases. Terrorism will be eliminated. There would be no Al-Qaeda, ISIS or Boko Haram sects. Murder, drug addiction, homosexuality and other acts of sin will become unpopular. Police stations and Prison yards will perpetually be on holiday. The earth will become a paradise. This will come to fulfilment, because the Lord Jesus Christ, in Matthew 6:10, taught us to pray thus:
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to His disciples very important aspects of His being when He declared Himself as the Light of the world in John 8:12:
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
He followed this up by manifesting this attribute when He performed a creative miracle in order to bring light into the life of a man who had never been able to see (John 9). Before creating eyes where none existed before, to signify the purpose of what He was about to do, He declared in John 9:5:
“As longs as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
I pray that any form of darkness engulfing your life will disappear today in Jesus’ Name. You cannot drive away darkness. All you need to do to make darkness disappear is to let in the light. For this reason, I ask you to allow Jesus into every area of your life without exception, because wherever He is, there will be light. If He enters your life today, light has entered into you.

From James 1:17, we understand that Jesus is also the Father of lights. It then follows that if Jesus is the Father of lights, He must have children who are lights. Who then are the children of the Father of lights? We Christians are. He revealed our identity to us in Matthew 5:14, saying:
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
There is no hiding place for genuine children of  Light, because they cannot but function to expose the works of darkness. As lights, we are to guide those who are in darkness out of it (Romans 2:19). As our Lord is the Light of the world, so are we. We must shine on His behalf by exposing the evil of sin and the wickedness of the devil and his agents. Doing this will certainly attract persecution, and so we must be battle-ready against the kingdom of darkness. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ the Light from whom we obtain our light. Let’s hold on to His message to us in John 15:19
“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
This is where the problem lies; children of the Light today are not ready to be hated. They would rather conform to the world instead of using their light to transform the world. God will help you shine brightly as an agent of transformation in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The God whom I serve is not only the beginning, He is also the ending (Revelations 1:. This is why He can give a lost soul a new beginning and also bring those without hope to an expected end (Exodus 12:2, 2nd Corinthians 5:17,Jeremiah 29:11). This simply means that the Almighty God that I serve is the All in All who fills everywhere (Psalm 139:7-13, Ephesians 4:9-10). The supremacy and pre-eminence of the Almighty God of heaven and earth was not bestowed on Him by any man or creature; they are inherent in Him (1st Timothy 6:16). His supremacy and pre-eminence must be acknowledged by all His creation (Psalms 103:19-22). In Exodus 20:1-6, God demands exclusive worship from those He calls His own. He clearly spelt out this demand because He knows that there is a tendency for mankind to worship the contraptions of his heart. Who is the God that you serve; the self-existing God or a contraption borne out of the imagination of men’s hearts? A lot of people today have idolised other men to the point of worship. They follow what such people say and believe what they spew out of their mouths, even when such things are contrary to what the Creator has said in His word. Some people worship whatever the imagination of their heart brings to them by believing that they are what their thoughts say they are, contrary to what God created them to be. To such people, their imagination is their god and they bend in whatever direction it leads them. This is why some people subject themselves to gender reassignment surgery, based on what their imagination dictates. As a human being, whether you like it or not, there will always be something you worship, even though you don’t realise it. It is a dangerous thing to make anything aside from the God of heaven the object of your worship, because this elicits a curse from heaven.
Jeremiah 17:5 says,
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

Moreover, the Lord commanded that we should not bow to anything or anyone but Himself. This was the position Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took when they were faced with the option of bowing or burning (Daniel 3). They chose to burn rather than bow to the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. Today, for fear of death, many are bowing to the image of witchcraft, sorcery and various occult groups. Jesus came to deliver such people, if they will accept Him (Hebrews 2:14-15). Don’t let anyone deceive you, there is no other god beside the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus is the only way to Him (1st Timothy 2:5). Accept Jesus today and put your absolute trust in Him alone.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
Psalm 1:1
Why does the Holy Spirit counsel us not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful? It is simply because you will be judged by the company you keep. The story in 2 Chronicles 18:28-32 is food for thought and a lesson to all those who think that they can still keep their old friends after their new birth experience. Jehoshaphat, the godly king of Judah, went in the company of Ahab, the evil king of Israel, to fight a battle. Despite the warning by God’s prophet that the outcome of the battle would not be favourable, he still went ahead with Ahab to fight in this battle (2nd Chronicles 18:9-16). Meanwhile, Ahab decided to disguise himself as an ordinary soldier, while he persuaded Jehoshaphat to dress in his royal robes. Unknown to Jehoshaphat, the king of Syria had instructed his soldiers to go after the king of Israel alone. So, on sighting Jehoshaphat dressed in royal apparel, the soldiers went after him, thinking he was the king of Israel. He would have been killed, but for divine intervention. One lesson here is that the king of Judah would not have been attacked if he had not kept company with an evil king who was under God’s judgement (2nd Chronicles 18:27). Another lesson is that keeping company with the ungodly exposes you to the dangers of a fraudulent lifestyle. Why did King Ahad disguise himself as if he was not a king? One can only assume that his motive was to set Jehoshaphat up for intense attack.

There have been stories of young school girls who have been defiled because of the promiscuous company that they kept. So-called “friends” have set friends up for gang rape. One reason why children of God must be wary of keeping company with the ungodly is that the children of this world know how to manoeuvre through the dangers of a sinful life, but the children of light don’t know the ways of this world (Luke 16:. The story was told of a good boy who went out for the very first time in the company of drug addicts. Unfortunately, they were raided by law enforcement agents and this boy was arrested along the drug addicts. His parents could not believe it when the news got to them. A Christian who keeps company with the ungodly will end up becoming a victim. It is certain that nothing good can come out of such relationship. Therefore, be careful of the people you associate or partner with.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is one silent source of confusion in the Body of Christ which must be addressed for the sake of the advancement of God’s kingdom. It is a combination of attitudes and feelings known as the “complex”. A complex is a mental or psychological state that should be alien to the Body of Christ. It manifests itself as inferiority or superiority complex. Ironically, the Church has lived with this issue through the ages. Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:1-12 warns us against the manifestation of such attitudes – whether as inferiority or superiority complex. How does the issue of “complex” operate in the Body of Christ? It is through the exhibition of spiritual gifts. There was an issue with the demonstration of spiritual gifts in the Church at Corinth, whereby some offices were considered superior and some other spiritual gifts were looked down on as inferior. Against this background, Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren to enlighten them on the distribution and operation of the different offices and spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ. The analogy of human body parts used by Paul to explain this spiritual truth is very profound. In 1st Corinthians 12:17, Paul rhetorically asks,
“If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?”
The truth is that the whole body cannot be the eyes; if this were the case there would be no movement, which is the prerogative of the legs. Therefore, if the eye cannot do without the legs and the ears cannot do without the nose, why should the eyes or ears think that they are superior to the legs or nose? Unfortunately, this was the situation in the Church at Corinth, as is the case in a typical church organisation today. We must recognise this reality and work towards eradicating the anomaly by continuously teaching ourselves the truth of God’s word. The most important thing about spiritual gifts is that their recipients must use them for the edification of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13, 1st Corinthians 12:22-25). Another mystery of spiritual gifts is that those gifts which some consider as less important are equally as important as those held in high esteem (1 Corinthians 12:22-25). For example, if we ignore the ministry of intercession because intercessors are often not known or seen like the evangelists and minstrels, the Church may become a comfortable zone for demons to operate, and then the preachers and the choir will preach and sing with no effect. The Church must begin to appreciate the gift of God in each member of the Body of Christ and celebrate them for who they are as very important and valuable. There should be no complex of any kind.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prior to the birth of our Lord Christ, God placed a high value on the Name to be given to His only begotten Son, so much so that He sent an angel to signify what His Name should be (Matthew 1:21). There is absolutely nothing that the Name of Jesus Christ cannot accomplish for whosoever believes in Him. This Name cannot be ignored by the devil or any of his fallen angels.  Why is this Name so powerful? It is because God has bestowed astonishing power, privilege, authority and honour on that Name (Philippians 2:9-11).  Above all else, this Name breaks the power of sin. Acts 10:43 says:
“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
One amazing truth about this Name is that all its accomplishments are to the glory of God the Father, and for this reason, the Father will not spare anyone who despises it. Of course, the Name carries the authority of its Owner, and is capable of doing whatever its Owner can do. Just as your signature can take millions of money out of the bank without you necessarily being there, so also can the Name of Jesus perform the feats that Jesus Christ performed, but only when all the necessary conditions for its use are met by the user. Some of these conditions are spelt out in 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:16. Demons are cast out by the Name of Jesus Christ. You may not appreciate this function of His Name until your eyes of understanding are opened to the diabolical and destructive activities of demons in the lives of people. This Name also empowers us to lay hands on the sick for healing. One of the greatest weapons of torment in the hands of the devil is sickness, but through faith in the use of this Name, sicknesses and diseases are vanquished.

A woman who was demonically attacked with a terrible cough was brought to one of our church programmes. A simple prayer was said for her in the Name of Jesus Christ and she was healed. The agent of the devil who inflicted her with this infirmity wondered how she got healed, because the one who prepared the charm for her said the sickness had no cure. The liberated lady told her adversary that she got her healing in the Church. The wicked woman then begged her ex-victim to take her to Jesus where she confessed her sins and became a child of God as well. The Name of Jesus indeed brings healing (Acts 3:1-16). Peter in Acts 3:16a testified thus about this Name:
“And his name through faith in his Name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know:”
This Name will also work wonders in your life; if you just believe, you will see the glory of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is very dangerous for a person to believe in religious falsehood, particularly because the love a person has for what he or she worships can be stronger than death. We can see the negative impact of this manifestation in the proliferation of suicide bombers in the world we live in today. The unfortunate and sad aspect of this satanic phenomenon is that people engaged in such acts believe that they are dying for God’s cause, but nothing could be further from the truth. No wonder Jesus, in John 4:22, said to the woman at Jacob’s well in Samaria:
“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”
One man who knew who he was worshipping and worshipped Him in spirit and truth was Paul. His worship of God was based on his love for Him and his love for fellow men. This is unlike some today, whose worship is based on the hatred of others who do not share their ideology; hence their commitment to bring sorrow, tears and even death to them. A demonstration of the strong love Paul had for God is seen in Acts 21:8-14. His determination to please the Master is highly intimidating to those of us living in such times as these. He was determined to pay the supreme price, if that was the will of God for his life. This contrasts with what’s happening in the Church today, where people are still arguing about whether they need to give up the worldly lifestyle they were living before becoming born again. Some people find it difficult to change the content of their wardrobe which contradicts the new life they profess to have embraced. Some so-called Christians do not have the love of Christ that is strong enough to make them abandon their appetite for alcohol and other sinful substances. The commitment some people have for Christ does not take their eyes away from women other than their wives. Unlike such people, Paul refused to back down from proclaiming the Name of Jesus to the world, despite the accurate prophecy concerning the suffering his commitment to the cause of the gospel would bring to him (Acts 21:13). How God would love to have many more Christians like Paul today! Heaven clearly acknowledged and recorded the sacrifices and trials of those who have gone ahead of us in Hebrews 11:36-37:
“And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;”
Is your committed to Christ comparable to the commitment shown by them? Examine your commitment to Christ today and determine whether you are worthy of being called His disciple.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When Elisha requested for the double portion of Elijah’s anointing, he was simply asking for the ability to do greater works than what his master had done. Here is Elijah’s response to his request:
“… Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it  shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.”
2nd Kings 2:10
One lesson we should quickly learn from this response is that any child of God asking God for more of His gifts or blessings is actually courting higher responsibilities. Asking for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit required great faith on the part of the upcoming prophet. In the same vein, it requires faith from us to believe that we can do greater things than Christ did. As far as Elisha was concerned, nothing could be allowed to come between him and the anointing for greater works. He therefore keenly watched and followed the footsteps of his master. As they took a walk and talked, a chariot of fire and flaming horses parted them. Elisha beheld this, and he cried out to signify that he saw everything and had met the condition Elijah laid down for him. He tore his clothes and picked up the mantle that fell from Elijah while he was being transported to heaven, signifying that he was ready to change his old garment to a new one for a new life of greater exploits. I have good news for you: someone greater than Elijah is now present with us, and His Name is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. He came to die for our sins and to rescue us from all forms of damnation. The Bible testifies that He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). To be able to do what He did and even greater things than He did, you must decide to follow Him all the way, just as Elisha did with Elijah. In order to be intimate with Jesus Christ, doing His bidding is not optional. After Elisha got the double portion of Elijah’s spirit, other sons of the prophets had to acknowledge the beautiful thing that had taken place in his life, and they all bowed to him. A greater experience awaits those who give their lives to Christ, because demons will begin to bow to them. This is just part of the Lord’s promise to us (Mark 16:17-18).

What is expected of us, therefore, is to abide in Him and follow His way of life and the ideals He brought from His Father, even if this requires our having to suffer for Him. 1st Peter 2:21 says:
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Everybody needs at least one destiny helper in his or her life time. In spite of the amount of wealth you may think you have, it is a grievous mistake to ever think you can be a lone ranger. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to accomplish the work of redemption, and yet He needed destiny helpers. Here is what the Bible says concerning Him in Mark 3:14;
“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.”
It is equally amazing to discover that even mighty angels requires help in carrying out their assignments (Daniel 10:12-13). In 2 Samuel 23:8-23, a roll call of David’s destiny helpers is given. Even though David was a mighty man of valour, his destiny would have been truncated time and again, but for the intervention of these destiny helpers, especially when opposition, persecution and even death stared him in the face. Read what the Scripture says about the impact made by one of his destiny helpers in 2nd Samuel 21:15-17:
“Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight he being grided with a new sword, thought to have slain David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.”
Just like David, Apostle Paul also had several destiny helpers, even though he was highly anointed. He made reference to one of such helpers in Philippians 4:16. You must never think of living life as a lone ranger.

Destiny helpers are those who assist you in accomplishing your God-given assignment in life. They hold up your hands when you are weary and cover up your inadequacies when you are weak. One common character with which you can recognise destiny helpers is their unflinching love towards the one they are meant to help. Against all odds, they are always there to help. Think about those you consider to be your destiny helpers; are they really destiny helpers or destiny destroyers? You must seek God’s face to provide appropriate destiny helpers for your life, and you must appreciate them as God’s gift and encourage them. Note that all of David’s destiny helpers became generals in his army when he became settled on the throne: don’t use and dump your destiny helpers.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.