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The poor widow in 1 Kings 17:8-16 was getting ready to eat her last meal and then die; but against her expectations, help came her way. This indicates that help can come to you when you need it the most. Psalm 46:1 tells us who our help is:
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Sometimes, when a child of God is going through some difficulties, God may appear silent. That He is silent does not mean He is ignorant of what is happening. Though things may go on to deteriorate, He will step in before it's too late. The Lord knows about that painful and highly detestable situation you have been living with. Although He has been quiet for a while, He will now arise for you and arrest the situation. When it appears like the enemy is about to put you to shame, just in the nick of time, your help will locate you. God's intervention shall not be late concerning your situation in Jesus' Name. Can you imagine what would have happened if the fourth man had not appeared on time in King Nebuchadnezzar's furnace (Daniel 3:25)? The three Hebrew children would have been history, but because He came right on time, they made history! You too shall make history! God will not be late for you. His intervention in your life shall be timely, and He shall shut up the mouth of your enemies.

Moreover, in the case of this widow, not only did help come in time, it kept on coming everyday because she was connected with the One called the All Sufficient God (Genesis 17:1). When you go into battle, your strength, wisdom and resources are limited to what you and your allies have. In other words, who you partner with in a crucial battle can either guarantee your victory or turn out to be your undoing. At such a decisive moment, the widow partnered with the God that is more than enough, she never lacked again. Who is your your ally today? When faced with a most trying time, who do you run to? If you run to man whose strength, wisdom and resources are limited, you will be unable to tackle that situation. If you run to a local or fereign deity, you will still be limited. Some people depend on charms, rings and amulets from so-called Indian spiritual temples for help. It's a pity that after the serpent spirits of such temples have offered some form of fake assistance to them, those spirits end up turning them into their slaves, thereby ruining their destiny and that of their family members. Partner with the One who can always help you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

"And such as do wickedly against the Covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."
Daniel 11:32

It is clear from the above passage of scripture that knowing God is the key to doing exploits. The knowledge of God releases the power that helps us perform exploits. To know God means to be a partaker of His divine nature and essence (2 Peter 1:3-4). Because our God is a God of exploits, those who manifest His nature will consequently do exploits. To know God, you need to have experienced Him as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Someone might ask: Does this mean we have three Gods? The answer is no! He is only one God, but He manifests Himself in three personalities. How can this be? Permit me to use myself as an example. To my children, I am Adeboye the father; to my mother, I am Adeboye the son; while to my wife, I am Adeboye the husband. Does this make me three? No. I am still the same person. How I respond over an issue will be determined by the person I'm dealing with. The way I behave as a father will be different from the way I behave as a son or as a husband.

How God relates with you depends on whether He is relating with you as the Father, as the Son or as the Holy Ghost. To further illustrate, I will use the example of my beautiful crystal drinking glass-cup. If it falls from my son's hands and gets broken, I will rebuke him sharply with words like: "Son, what is the matter with you? Don't you know that you should not be careless with such an expensive cup?" But if the same cup falls from my mother's hands, I would be gentle with her, showing understanding and care. In this case I would say "Mama, take it easy; I hope you were not hurt; I am sorry about that incident ma." The same cup, the same me, yet my reaction as a father is different from my reaction as a son. Similarly, there are some ways I would relate with my wife that cannot be applied to my mother. For you to boldly say that you know God, you must know Him personally under His three personalities. Can you say you truly know Him? Do you have firsthand knowledge of God as the Father? Have you experienced Him as the Son? Do you walk with Him as the Holy Spirit? What strength or exploit has your knowledge of God produced in your life? Ask God to reveal Himself the more to you today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Sometimes, we as children of God become so familiar with a passage of Scripture that we loose the essence of the truths embedded in it by the Holy Spirit. One such passage is Isaiah 60:1:
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee."

The first truth the Holy Spirit is relaying to our spirit through this passage today is that this statement is an express command. Here, the Almighty God is commanding us to arise! It is someone who is either sitting or lying down that would be commanded to arise. So, when God says "Arise", it presupposes that you are either sitting down idle, or that you are on a bed enjoying the sleep of death. I command this day that whosoever is wasting away his or her time in idleness or in the sleep of sin and death will arise in the Name of Jesus Christ! In addition, we are not commanded to arise into obscurity; rather, we are commanded to arise and shine. I also decree that all who are reading this devotional today will arise from their state of obscurity and mediocrity and come to the limelight of success in Jesus' Name.

Another truth worthy of note in this same verse of Scripture is this: God is announcing that your light has come. Before now, the Lord did not command you to arise and shine because there was nothing to aid your shining; but now, He is declaring that your light has come. I therefore say prophetically to you today that your light has come in Jesus' Name. Here is the big revelation we must not allow to slip away from us: the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 60:1 declares "Thy light is come." You may be wondering, "What is the light?" The question however should not be what, but Who is the light? John 8:12 reveals the answer:
"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."

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Isaiah's prophetic writing in Isaiah 60:1 came to pass the day Jesus Christ came into this world.

Indeed there is darkness in this world; majority of us are witnesses of this fact. The darkness we are talking about is not the absence of physical light. We are talking about spiritual darkness, principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12). Here are some pertinent questions for you to answer: Are you still in darkness? Why has your light not come? It may be because you have not embraced the Light. If that is the case, today is your day. Accept Jesus, the Light, into your life today and darkness will no longer comprehend you, and therefore will be unable to stop you (John 1:5).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the titles of the Lord is "The Bread of Life".
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
John 6:35

Do you know that no name or title of the Lord Jesus Christ is there just for fun? Each of His names is revealed to accomplish a definite assignment in the life of the one to whom it is declared. May the Lord's names and titles become real in your life this season in Jesus' Name!

In John 11:25, the Lord introduced Himself as the Resurrection and the Life. Less than an hour later, just to demonstrate the reality of that name, someone who had died and had been buried for four days came out of the grave alive. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I command every good thing that is dead in your life to experience a touch from the Resurrection and the Life now! Similarly, He announced Himself as the Bread of Life. In John 6:5-13, a young boy handed over his lunch to Him, comprising five loaves of bread and two tiny fishes, and when that day ended, everyone present could testify to the reality of that title: The Bread of Life!

Whatever you hand over to the Lord Jesus Christ is multiplied by Him. When the young boy gave Him his loaves of bread and fishes, He began to break the bread. As people watched Him, they could not believe what they were seeing. The more they focused on Jesus as He broke the bread, the more they marvelled. He was breaking off thousands of pieces of bread from one loaf of bread, and yet that loaf in His hand did not get smaller! Why? It is because as the Bread of life, He Himself is the heavenly bakery. Having Him as our Source means He can supply all the bread that is needed to feed the whole world. If He could feed the thousands of people in this passage, and if He could feed the nation of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness (without them engaging in any form of farming, fishing or hunting), He can definitely feed you and your family throughout your stay on earth. Therefore, hand over what He has given to you back to Him! How much do you depend on Him for both physical and spiritual bread?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Welcome to this New Year! It is always good to experience something pleasantly new. At the dawn of a new year, hopes are renewed, aspirations are born and expectations are high. But when the ups and downs of life take their toll in the course of the year, many people are not able to sustain the zeal and zest that they started the year with. Does this sound familiar? For some, it appears as if the events they experience in the course of a year are set up to completely dash their hopes. If this has been your experience, it shall be different this time around in the mighty Name of Jesus.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
Jeremiah 29:11

As you take in the fresh New Year breeze, know for sure that God has something great in store for you which will unfold in the course of this year. Something huge is coming your way, so let your hope be fixed on the Lord. God wants you to end this year big and great, and to have your heart overflowing with joy. Remember that in the Kingdom of God, the end of a thing is always of greater significance than its beginning. Hence, the Holy Ghost in Job 8:7 said:
"Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase."

Because some people start a new year with little or nothing, they don't expect anything great to come their way that year. If you find yourself in such a situation, know that if you settle some key issues in your life, you can be assured of a greater, bigger and glorious year. First, start the year with God (Proverbs 8:17). If you are still living in sin, the greatest way to start this year is by going on your knees, confessing your sins to God, asking for His forgiveness and inviting Jesus Christ to be your captain and pilot from now onwards. Also, you need to cultivate a personal relationship with God by studying the Bible regularly, fellowshipping with other believers in a Bible-believing Church, worshipping God and taking time to pray on a daily basis. In addition, daily ask God for direction, wait to receive it, and be sure to follow as He leads. Utilise all opportunities that come your way and give your best to God and His work. If you do all these, I assure you that this year will end very well for you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The major difference between David and the other soldiers at the war front was simply the fact that David could not stand the insult and blasphemy against the God of Israel. He knew God so well, and he feared and honoured Him so much that he decided to confront the giant warrior called Goliath without any fear of losing his life. David, in this case, took the meaning of acceptable service to another level. It can be very painful when the authority of God is so challenged, you will want to do anything to defend Him even if it means doing so with your life. In 1 Samuel 17:23-26, Goliath came out, boasted exceedingly and asked; "Where is the God of Israel?" For as many as had no intimate relationship with God, this threat, challenge and disgrace meant nothing to them. But then, one day, a little boy who loved the Lord was there, he heard Goliath talk against his God and he got very angry. His love for God propelled him to dare this giant that was bringing shame on God and His people.

It can be very painful when you have a problem that has persisted, especially when you know that your God is more than able to solve it. People may even ask, "Did you not say your God can do all things? Why has He not done yours?" Yes, it can be painful, but you must be prepared to love God to the extent of not minding what people are saying about your condition.

In Psalms 115: 1-3, when the unbelievers where asking the psalmist "Where is your God?" instead of being embarrassed or wallow in self-pity, he was not bothered. In fact, he began to make excuses for God because of his love for Him. He replied them: "Are you asking of my God because of this little problem? My God is still in Heaven. He is still on the throne and He cannot be dethroned. If you must know, my God does whatever He pleases and is not accountable to anyone. Whether He does it or not, you cannot take Him to court. He knows the right time to solve this problem because your time and mine may not be His. Is it not for me? I am prepared to wait for His time; I am not in a hurry". With that kind of answer, the mouths of the enemies will be stopped. How much do you love God? The proof of your love for God against all odds is the mark of an acceptable service unto Him!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The first instruction that God usually gives to any appointed spokesperson in the Bible is to be bold. Moses, Joshua, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were all enjoined to be bold and courageous to face the task ahead of them. This is simply because human beings are always rebellious to God's commandments, this is more so with the rich, powerful and influential people in the society. Without boldness, it becomes difficult to speak against such prominent people out of fear of reprisal. However, when God surrounds your life with His presence as a mountain, you become immune to all attacks of your enemies. It is not that they won't try; but their attempts will fail. Many believers take God's protection for granted, because it is not physical or tangible to them, however, it is very visible to their enemies who operate in the negative spiritual realm. For so long, Satan desired to harm job but could not, because of the protective wall he called a hedge.
"Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land."
Job 1:10

The enemy knows the areas God's protection covers in the lives of believers. They know the areas that are exposed, and it is those exposed parts that they usually target. If you are toying with sin, you are gradually exposing yourself to the enemies. From Satan's reply, he must have been frustrated in previous attempts to harm Job. He could touch just anybody else but Job. As long as you are inside the protective cover of the Lord, the enemies will be frustrated concerning you. They will look for every opportunity to strike at you, but finding none, they will attempt to distract you from the path of holiness into sin. If they can succeed in getting you to sin and especially get you to continue in that sin, God will withdraw, and they will take over. Ensure you remain under His cover.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible presents the devil as the accuser of the brethren, but more importantly, the devil is also in the business of presenting God in a bad light to human beings at every opportunity he gets. He usually puts questions in the heart of men in order to cast doubt on God's acts of love towards humanity. He successfully did that in the Garden of Eden, and he is still using the same trick today. The Psalmist, in the midst of his troubles asked questions.
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance."
Psalms 42:5

There is a difference between questions and queries. He asked why his soul was feeling downcast. In other words, he expected his soul to look up to see the brighter side in the midst of gloom. When you ask God questions, but still demonstrate faith in Him and His ability, it is okay. But when your questions do not reflect your past experiences of what you enjoyed from God's mercies and faithfulness, you are already issuing God a query. Before any child of God issues out a query to God, the fellow must have changed his view about God and how powerful He is, if not, he wouldn't dare query God. After all, you cannot issue a powerful king a query. Romans 9:20 says,
"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?"

Similarly, the one who would query God is in doubt of God's love and good intentions. He believes God is negligent, carefree and irresponsible. At such a time, he has believed the lies of the devil.

Beloved, God loves you much more than anything else, He is the One who gave Himself for your salvation and washed you clean in His Blood. No matter the situation, His love for you will never diminish as long as you remain in His Kingdom. Believe the best about Him. Believe His good intentions even when you do not understand. The One who died for you will not work against you when you are in a good relationship with Him. Never query God; it will worsen your situation.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Spiritual warfare is an invisible battle that is waged in the spirit realm. The enemies cannot be seen with the physical eyes and the weapons of warfare are not physical as well. What is even more significant is that it is what happens spiritually that determines the physical manifestation that will be experienced by humans. A person overpowered in a spiritual war may become sick, paralyzed, or mad in the real world. Many that are attacked at night may develop an incurable sickness that will lead to their death within days. Some may be physically alright health-wise, but may begin to operate under a terrible demonic bondage that hampers growth of any kind, and this may go on for years unnoticed. These are prisoners living within invisible prison walls while appearing to be normal and free. Isaiah 49:25 says:
"But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: For I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, And I will save thy children."

The worst type of imprisonment is being within invisible prison walls while appearing to be free. Nobody will offer to help you out because there will be nothing physical to suggest that you are imprisoned. The lame man in Acts 3:1-18, was physically born into a prison of sickness and was there for over 40 years, he was in a physical prison, obvious to everyone, but most people are in spiritual prisons, invisible prisons. One of my uncles, who studied in Britain returned, and in an attempt to protect himself from forces of darkness, went to meet an herbalist and obeyed the man's instructions to the letter. He got seven leaves of a particular plant, spread them on the floor and defecated on them. Thereafter, the herbalist gave him a particular powder to spray on his faeces and instructed him to eat it. After this, he returned home boasting that since nobody touches faeces, nobody could touch him. He almost died of cholera! Some professors, despite all their Western education, still bow to trees and worship various objects because they are in a spiritual prison. A medical doctor who knows and teaches people about the dangers of smoking but still smokes himself is imprisoned spiritually.

It is not enough to point accusing fingers at somebody somewhere, consider your life and find out if there is any trace of imprisonment. Prayerfully take steps to break loose from it. When you are free from physical and invisible prisons, then you are truly free.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Life is full of battles. This is confirmed by the Word of God in Job 5:7 which says that man is born into trouble. What determines whether you will be a victim or victor in the battles of life is who you choose as your ally. In Mark 5:25-34, we read about a woman with the issue of blood. She went through a lot in her battle with that sickness. If you do not think sickness is a serious thing, just ask for stomach pain for one hour, and then you will know that sickness is a war. Every agent of sickness fighting against your health shall be destroyed in Jesus' name. Poverty is also a war, Proverbs 10:15 says poverty destroys. The poor is a victim or captive of the spirit of poverty, and the poor who refuses to fight the spirit of poverty will die poor. Besides, poverty makes your relations hate or look down on you (Proverbs 14:20). That means that if you refuse to fight against poverty, those who should become your friends will be your enemies. If you do not want to loose your loved ones, you must win the battle against poverty. Poverty shuts you up; it robs you of your right to the freedom of speech. The foolish ideas and opinions of the rich are heard at the roof tops while the most brilliant ideas of the poor are unheard. In anyway poverty has shut you up; the Lord will reverse the situation today in Jesus' name. The book of 2 Corinthians 10:4 says:
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;"

All we need is to be equipped with the Word of God, live a holy life, and have strong faith in the saving Power of the Lord Jesus.

Barrenness is also a war. When Hannah was still childless, she was put in perpetual sorrow. She lost her right to joy. Is barrenness denying you of the joy of the Lord? The Lord will intervene and deliver it into your hands this season in Jesus' name. Another thing to fight is bondage. The man in Mark 5:1-15 was in bondage. He lost the right to do what he wanted. When Paul saw himself doing what he hated, he knew he was in the same bondage as the mad man of Gadara (Romans 7:15-25). Yet, in both cases, God gave victory. Paul did not mince words; he called it a war. Are you struggling with sin? Start a fight against bondage. The Lord who rescued Paul and the Gadarene will give you victory over sin and your flesh today in Jesus' name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today's devotional is meant to remind children of God of the fact that sexual immorality is ravaging promiscuous youths and careless married people in the body of Christ. Many are facing unexplained challenges as a result of their illicit sexual activities. I often tell my spiritual children that if anything God has given to you is precious to you, then keep satanic offers billions of miles away from it. John 10:10 says whenever the devil comes forget the promises he makes; it is to steal and destroy what you already have. If he cannot steal from you, he will not waste his time coming in the first place. How then could you think that when you give into the devil in committing adultery or fornication you will not loose something? You are so greatly deceived! The greatest losers are those who engage in sexual sins, especially because their bodies are involved, they drive God out of their hearts and welcome in the devil. Oh! If only you knew what you lost by that single act of sex, you will never do it again! If you are still living in fornication or adultery, you are a big time loser. Repent and the Lord will deliver you by His mercy today in Jesus' name. The book of 1 Corinthians 6:15 says:
"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid."

Proverbs 6:26 says it is the precious thing you have that the devil targets when he tempts you with sex. While you are relishing in ecstasy for a few minutes of pleasure, you are losing what it took you several years of agonizing prayer, fasting, seeking God's face and self-denial to obtain. It is like pulling down a house. Some people build their house for up to six months, one year, five years or even more. But bring a bulldozer or let there be a fire outbreak in that house and the house is down in a matter of minutes. Fornication razes you down below your foundation in a matter of minutes! Every fornicator is a loser. Fornication or adultery does not allow its victim to have permanent blessings. When God gives such victims a blessing that they are expected to secure through righteousness, the moment they fornicate, the blessing is eaten up and before they realize it, everything is gone. Are you secretly fornicating or committing adultery even as a Christian worker, or minister? You are undoing yourself. Repent and stop it now before it takes your life and sends you to hell!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Diligence can be defined as conscientious hard work and perseverance, particularly with regards to your relationship with God. The Bible presents diligence in a highly favourable manner, which clearly shows that God loves hardworking people but hates the lazy ones. When He looks for people to use for assignments, He chooses hardworking people. If you see a lazy and nonchalant fellow occupying an ecclesiastical position, ask him how he got there because God has no business with lazy bones. Even when a person becomes mad, that state of insanity does not take away hard work from the fellow. When you observe mad men, you will know those who were hard-working and those who were lazy. The lazy ones will sit all day long or scavenge in one location for virtually the whole day, but the hardworking ones will go far distances, even travelling several kilometres on foot. Very hardworking mad fellows are possible candidates of God's mercy. If you see them, pray for them and the Lord will deliver them.

Diligence results in a rich harvest and links you up with the high and mighty in the society. That is why Jesus, in Mark 5:1-20, came all the way to a graveyard in search of a mad fellow, bypassing other people in the process. It was because that mad man was a diligent fellow and Jesus knew that after his deliverance, he would use his energy and diligence to serve the Lord. Hence, Jesus delivered him and he immediately became an evangelist, combing the whole country for Jesus.

Similarly, you need to use the temperament that God gave you to serve Him, for example, if you are an extrovert, God wants you to use that extroverted nature to reach out to people, go from place to place speaking for God and leading souls to Christ. If you were extroverted before you were saved but thereafter you became introverted and hardly speak with anyone, you are getting something wrong. One reason God saved you was because of your extroverted nature which He expects you to use for the increase of His Kingdom. Paul was an extrovert and worked for Satan, but after his conversion, he worked much more for Jesus, touring different countries for the Lord. Are you adequately engaging your temperaments? Are you diligently handling the Kingdom business?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a category of people that God is counting on to spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. We can see how powerful the testimony of a witness could be in John 9:1-7. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus declared all followers of Jesus as the light of the world and He went further in Matthew 5:16 to say:
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven".

We are therefore called to be witnesses to the Power of God in our lives, sharing the testimony of His saving Power, Goodness, Mercy, Faithfulness, Love, Blessing, and the Miracles with the people of the world. 1 John 1:5 says:
"This then is the message which we have heard of him, declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

Many perpetually live in darkness without any hope of deliverance; many are in bondage to sin, sickness, poverty, and lustful desires. God is counting on you to share the testimony of your salvation, healing, deliverance, and victory over demonic powers with somebody today. As you begin to share your experience from today, God will turn you to a mighty beam of light that will shine into the Kingdom of darkness to liberate souls that are in bondage in the mighty Name of Jesus.
Testifying to the Glory of God is not only beneficial to others; it also provides an opportunity to destroy the stronghold of the devil in your life. Revelation 12:11 says:
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony."

One sure way of repelling those who want to drag you into sin is by confronting them with the light of the Gospel. Also, when light shines in a dark environment, all secret activities will be exposed. Do you know that it is possible for you to know the secret thoughts and plans of your enemies before their implementation? To do this, let the light of God's Word shine in your heart and be full of the Holy Spirit. There is hardly any significant thing that takes place on earth without God first revealing it to one of His confidants (Psalms 25:14). In addition, when light comes, it propels you into action. Not many people want to perform brain tasking assignments when it is dark. If you allow the light of Jesus to shine in your heart, you will be supernaturally propelled to pick up your lost destiny and fulfill it. So, arise and shine, let your light shine bright in the dark places of the earth, share your testimony, let the whole world see what the Lord has done for you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Treasures are highly valued objects or accumulated riches. Physical treasure has at best only short-term benefits and is capable of opening up the owner to various physical and spiritual dangers. However, spiritual treasure is of eternal value and comes from knowing and serving God. The Bible encourages Christians to save for the future and expects good parents to keep an inheritance for their children. It is also desirable to invest wisely. By the special grace of God, these processes could lead to a huge accumulation of wealth. The focus however is not the wealth but the mindset and attitude of the owner. Matthew 6:20 says,
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"

The problem is that wealthy people are familiar with how to make earthly investment and acquire earthly treasures, but only a few of them have the understanding of what it means to layup treasures in Heaven or how to go about it. The Bible recorded an encounter between Jesus and a very rich ruler with a similar challenge in Luke 18:15-25. Luke 18:22 says,
"Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven..."

The solution that Jesus offered is simple, if you want to have treasures in Heaven and you have earthly wealth, sow a bulk of it into the lives of the poor. If you go the extra mile to enrich the poor, you will have treasures in Heaven. Your wealth or possessions on their own are worth nothing to God, except they are converted into something of value that promotes the work of God, or affects the lives of others for good. If you use your wealth to promote the gospel or you meet needs with it, you will reap the harvests in Heaven because the principle of sowing and reaping applies there. Way to be rich in Heaven is to be rich in good works (1 Timothy 6:16). Use your wealth to better other people's life, no rich Christian Brother or Sister has a reason to be poor in Heaven. No poor believer should also be poor in Heaven. You are the one to take the decision that will positively impact your eternity. Invest in the work of God by promoting the Gospel and sow bountifully into the lives of the poor.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible in several passages referred to God as the good Shepherd, but in the book of John 10:14, Jesus boldly declared, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." Also in John 10:27, God says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me". The Lord is omniscient, He is all knowing, nothing is hidden from His sight, and He therefore has a very good knowledge of the identity of all human beings. Furthermore, 2 Timothy 2:19 says:
"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

Every Christian is hereby encouraged to depart from all forms of immorality in order to benefit from the heavenly package reserved for true children of God.

Because God paid for the salvation of humanity with His Son's Blood, Christians in the world are precious to Him. Hence, the Lord will always keep His obedient children from partaking in the judgment of sinners. An example of this is recorded in 1 Kings 14:7-16. Jeroboam was a very wicked king. He did not only sin, but caused so many to sin with him. When God pronounced judgment on him, his entire family faced extinction. He had many sons who all perished with him, but Abijah was spared because he towed the path of righteousness. When judgment is determined against families, yours will be spared in Jesus' name. When cities and communities are to face disasters and destruction, you will be spared.

If you love to do God's will all the time and diligently obey His voice, He will keep you from judgment. When He brought plagues on Egypt, in the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived, there was no trace of the plaques (Exodus 8:21-23). God separated His own from those who were not His. 2 Timothy 2:19 says no matter what people claim, God knows His people. Are you one of God's sheep? It is not enough to claim to be a child of God; does God know you as His bonafide son or daughter? If you are not sure, check your life and be reconciled to God today. If you are recognized by God, there is a hiding place reserved for you in Christ where you will not be a casualty in the time of judgment. Like the psalmist, you shall only see and hear of those who are casualties but you shall never be touched (Psalms 91:7-. Once again, are you among the faithful few?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The word 'anointing' is often used in the Old Testament in recognition of the Lord's divine calling upon the lives of individuals. In addition, the anointing was a physical recognition of the particular role or office of people such as kings, prophets, or priests.

However, the anointing in the New Testament is not limited to prophets and priests, it is the birthright of every born again Child of God. In Mark 6:7, Jesus gave power over unclean spirits to His disciples. In Luke 9:1, He gave them power to cure diseases, and in Luke 10:19, He gave them power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. I once told my spiritual children that the new anointing is so powerful, that it can repeat whatever it has done for your spiritual fathers. It can re-open closed doors and turn the mocked into a celebrity. In 1 Samuel 16:11-13, when Samuel came to the house of Jesse while shopping for a kingly candidate, nobody presented David. It was until Samuel specifically asked for him that he was summoned. But after David was anointed in 1 Samuel 22:1-2, the same brothers who saw nothing good in him came to submit themselves under his authority. Have people written you off as a nobody? Do they deny you your rights and consider you unfit for any meaningful position? The anointing of God will reverse that situation in your life this season in Jesus' name. You will be sought after. You will be transformed into a very important personality by the anointing.

Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 12:7 says:
"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal".

The above verse shows that God's anointing is not for flamboyance, globetrotting, or to be made merchandise of. On the contrary, the anointing is for making a difference in this evil world by living in holiness and righteousness, healing the sick, setting the captives free, making the barren fruitful, replacing sorrow with joy and moving the impoverished into prosperity so that the Name of the Lord may be glorified. To what extent does the anointing on you impact those in need of it? To what extent are you making a difference in your community?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, we are revisiting a previous discussion on a deadly sin that has been trivialized in modern times. Indeed, lying is not a Christian virtue; on the contrary, one of the fruits of righteousness is the hatred of lies. Today, the world has classified lies. Some are called heavy lies, some feather weight lies, some are white lies, some are green lies, some are business lies, some are ministerial lies; some are lies that cannot hurt a fly, while some are dangerous and implicating lies. No matter how men, by their own opinions, choose to classify lies, deciding what a lie is, is not in the purview of men but of God; hence such classifications hold no water. If you are a lover of lies, you are far from being righteous. If you tell lies at all, you are miles from being righteous. Do you know that if you keep away from sin and the only crime found in you after death is a lie, it will keep you from entering through the pearly gates? Revelation 21:8 says that all categories of liars will be found in the lake of fire, not in Heaven:
"And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the lamb's book of life."

Nothing can ever take anyone in the above categories into Heaven. If you are a lying leader, you are simply on your way to hell. A righteous fellow cannot stand lies because he or she is a chip off the old block; a child of truth whose father is the Truth (Revelation 19:11-16), In John 8:44, Jesus says that the devil is a liar and the father of all liars. If you are a General Overseer or superintendent, a senior Pastor or believer and you tell lies, your father is the devil. A day is coming when everybody will go back to their father. After death, the devil will stand in the way to claim his own. He will ask some popular leaders and believers; "Where are you going?" they will reply: "I am going to Heaven of course". The devil will laugh them to scorn. "Did you not read that all liars will go to hell in Revelation 21:8? You are my child, come with me to the lake of fire, our eternal abode". Make restitution on the lies you have told. Have you offered some people some benefits in a business transaction and you received the payment, but for one reason or the other, you did not give them what you promised? Go and return their money or else that lie and deceit will not allow you into Heaven.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The basis for all spiritual warfare can be explained as the opposition or hostility between light and darkness. Darkness is associated with blindness, emptiness, uncertainty, inactivity, stagnancy, ignorance, failure, wickedness, fear and evil. Darkness was the dominant authority over the universe in the beginning, and this was evidently the status quo at the time of creation in Genesis 1:1. Then God said let there be light and there was light. Light is a very powerful force. When there is light, darkness has no choice than to disappear. John 1:5 says,
"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

However, the truth is, not all light can outshine darkness. For instance, Genesis 1 talks of categories of light.
"And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also."
Genesis 1:16

There are lights of the sun, moon and stars. Then there are man-made lights of varying sizes. If you put on a tiny torch in the midst of total darkness, you will only see the spot that the torch is pointing at. Everywhere else will be surrounded by darkness. The size of a light determines the area it will dominate or rule over. The sun rules over the day because it is far brighter than the moon. If the moon were to replace the sun during the day, there will be darkness during the day. Similarly, if you bring the sun to replace the moon during the night time, the night will turn into day. This tells us that what determines the result of a situation is the amount of light it is exposed to. This means that exposing varying degrees of light on the same situation will give you different results. The volumes of the light of God's Word that you are exposed to will determine the degree of the change you will experience.
The intensity and size of God's light in you will determine your sphere of domination. Although, God has commanded you to dominate everything, the actual scope of your dominance will be determined by the amount of God's Word that is in you. The Word is the light of the world. If you lack the Word, you lack the light that gives definition to your ability to dominate. As you increase your Word content, you enlarge your coast. Staying away from the Word automatically reduces your glow and ultimately your ability to control forces, situations and circumstances. On the other hand, the moment you stop shining as light, darkness will swallow you up. If you want to be victorious over forces of darkness, you should daily expose yourself to the light from God's Word. The Word is the sword of the Spirit and the chief weapon of warfare as Christians.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The whole of the Bible and everything about Christianity is summed up in the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which arises naturally from believers' love for God and the appreciation of all that He has done for us, is known as evangelism. The New Testament Bible stresses the importance of evangelism, and provides important guidance as to how it should be done. Matthew 28:19 spells out the great commission:
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

The focus of evangelism is the proclamation of the good news of the coming of the Kingdom of God, including forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Daniel 10:6, describes the peculiar features of the original messenger (Jesus Christ) as follows:
"His body also was like beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour of polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude".

The fiery face and the fire in His eyes represents the countenance of a no nonsense Judge, the voice of a multitude symbolizes peoples, nations and languages of the world. There is no place on the surface of the earth where His message will not be heard. Another thing the passage talks about is the Lord's feet, how they appear like brass when on fire. Brass signifies strength. Jesus feet are said to be polished brass. This indicates that His feet are empowered to trample upon His enemies. If you are truly located in your place of authority in Christ Jesus, the only place your enemies can be is under your feet. Like Jesus, your feet need to be empowered so that when you trample on serpents and scorpions, you will not be hurt. To do this, you must empower your feet as God's messenger with evangelism. Every soul you win for God's Kingdom turns your feet to be as strong as the Lord's so that you can easily have victory over your enemies. How many souls have you won to the Lord since the year began?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Christianity, prayer is generally defined as a solemn request for divine intervention or an expression of thanksgiving addressed to the Almighty God. It is therefore clear that prayer is not synonymous with murmuring, protest, demand, or complains. A proper understanding of the art of prayer and the type of prayer that brings results is very important in Christianity.
Let's consider some biblical examples of prayer. While describing the way he prayed under a particular circumstance, the Psalmist in Psalms 42:4 says he poured out his soul to God. The phrase, "I pour out my soul" describes the soul like it is liquid. Depending on the situation, some prayers can take on a casual form while others may wear a grab of seriousness. The intensity of your thanksgiving prayer will differ in a case where you experienced a hitch-free trip compared to when you met with several difficulties during the trip but eventually arrived safely. The Psalmist in Psalms 130:1-2 talks of calling unto God out of the deep. Somebody said that this was Jonah's prayer in the belly of the fish. When there is no imminent danger, and you are in the comfort of your air-conditioned bedroom praying, that kind of prayer will be sweet, smooth and leisure-like. But the one in the belly of a fish such as in Jonah's case would definitely be different. Jonah would have been very aggressive and desperate and must have prayed like a drowning man.
In 1 Samuel 1:13-18, when Hannah was praying, only her lips moved. Some people have used this as an excuse to engage in silent prayers. But the truth is, although she was not making a sound, it does not mean that she was not praying aggressively. We could compare this to a situation where an eight-day-old baby boy is circumcised and he is in pains. He cries out in agony and he continues to cry until his voice pales out, yet he will continue crying. Hannah must have cried to the extent of losing her voice. There is an extent to which you will pray and you will realize that you have gotten God's attention. What kind of prayer takes place in your family? How desperate are you? If you can pour out your heart to the Lord without being so mindful of grammar or who may be nearby, or who is looking or not looking at you, you will get His attention.
At the end of the day, what is important is getting answers to prayers and not whether you appear to men as being prayerful. I have often stated that whatever progress and achievements are visible in the RCCG today; they are by the grace of God and the prayers of the saints. As you engage heaven in aggressive prayers this season, you will receive divine attention in Jesus' name. Call on Him!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Sometimes, you find yourself in a situation where you cannot explain your actions. All you know at that point is that you are strongly motivated by the Spirit of God to act in certain ways that are not really in your personal interest or for your benefit. Such steps are usually seen by others as unreasonable, irrational, and sometimes foolish. In the process of obeying God's instruction, you ask yourself repeatedly; "What is going on?" I have learnt from my own personal experience that this period is like a roller-coaster ride with the Holy Spirit. On one hand, you are excited, while on the other hand, there is fear and uncertainty. Sometimes, a blend of opposition, obstacle, and criticism, comes in to make the situation more complex. Such was the situation when at the very early stage of my Christian walk, my father in the Lord, the then General Superintendent of RCCG, asked all of us at the Headquarters to close our bank accounts and bring all the money to the Church on a certain date. Thank God I and my wife heeded the instruction. This puts me in the position to tell you today that such an unusual call provides an unusual opportunity to prove your loyalty to God, thereby setting you up as a major factor in the fulfillment of divine purpose. I pray that you will correctly discern the unusual opportunities that always precede the fulfillment of divine purpose in Jesus' name.

King Joash had such an opportunity but could not make the best of it. When Elisha was about to die, since there was nobody worthy of his double portion anointing, he felt led to give king Joash an unusual opportunity to defeat all his enemies in all future battles through a prophetic action. With Elisha's hand on the kings hand, every arrow shot represented a victory for Israel. If only he had maximized that opportunity, he would never have been defeated: his victory would have been complete. I can imagine that if the king had been aware beforehand, he would have shot all the arrows in order to maximize the opportunity. But unfortunately, he did not discern the times, and the whole nation of Israel suffered loss. May you not miss your unusual opportunities this year in Jesus' name. God will open the eyes of your spiritual understanding to identify the signs of divine purpose in Jesus' name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Several passages of the Bible describes the prevailing atmosphere of the period now known as "perilous times". 2 Timothy 3:1-5 gives some important details about the events that will surround the arrival of this period. This period is going to be the final epoch of history, marked by the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of God's kingdom. The Bible tends to tie the terms "last days" and "perilous times" together, pointing to the period between Jesus Christ's first coming and the consummation of all things at His return. This period will also be marked by increased godlessness, false prophets, doctrines of devils, persecution, wickedness, war, and apostasy. Are perilous times here?

The Bible says truth will be watered down and sound doctrine will be replaced with fables. In the church at Ephesus as recorded in Revelation 2:1-7, the Lord singled out a sect within its walls which believed and preached that holiness was no more truly possible. These were the Nicolaitans and the Lord said He hated them. Can the Lord hate those who claim to be His followers? This may be surprising, but the Lord hates every preacher and teacher of false doctrines. This is a warning for those in the teaching ministry systematically veering off the path of sound doctrine, teaching cunningly devised fables and philosophies of men. Be very conscious of what comes out of your mouth. Cross check facts and perceived revelations with the Holy Spirit so that you may not lead any astray. The Lord hates false preachers. Anyone who teaches you that you can continue to sin, since after all we are human beings and will still make it to Heaven, is heading for hell and wants to take you along. Watch out brethren, perilous times are here!

People will deny the power of God, meaning that there will be widespread practical atheists. You will hear some say things like; "God is not as wicked as to fry His children in fire for minor sins and so there is no hell fire", some also say that salvation is by what you are able to do; by works. Idolatry is being openly practiced in some churches today because somebody spoke against Exodos 20:1-5, proposing that there is nothing wrong in making images of God, Jesus, Mary and the apostles and using them to connect to God. Backslidden pastors, ministers or workers are teaching false doctrines of mercy that is contrary to Romans 6:1-2. All these are taking people to hell in their millions. In what ways are your actions contradicting your teachings and messages? Such contradictions turn you into a false preacher!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible teaches Christians to love God. The Bible also teaches that such love should be expressed in worship and practical service. One of the most important lessons that the Bible teaches on love is that love is unconditional, and that the ultimate test of love is sacrifice. Therefore, any declaration of love that is devoid of sacrifice is questionable. The Bible is strongly in agreement with the fact that love is sacrificial.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

When you are genuinely in love, making sacrifices for the one you love will be a thing of pleasure and not a burden. Jacob was in love with Rachel and asked her father what he must do to marry her. Rachel's father told him to serve for seven years and he willingly did so. Because of his love, seven years were like seven days to him. When he was deceived, he yet agreed to serve another seven years for his heartthrob (Genesis 29:18-28). No price is too much to pay for the one you love. If you truly love your wife, you will pay the price of faithfulness in the midst of pressure to be unfaithful to her in your workplace, or even in the ministry. Some husbands are yet to demonstrate their love for their wives by sacrificially giving to her. If your relationship with your wife is all about convenience - you do things for her only when it is convenient, then you owe your wife big time. Wives of such husbands should demand of their husbands the debt of sacrifice.

Sacrifice helps to gauge your love for God. We can say God loves us exceedingly because He was prepared to part with His only begotten Son. If you say you love God, you will be ready, like Paul was, to spend and be spent for Him. Some questions I often ask people are; can you serve the Lord for 14 years without pay? Can you serve the Lord in the rural areas with no social amenities? Can you serve under an uneducated man of God when you are well educated? Can you leave certainty for uncertainty in the name of vision and revelation? What do you have to show for your love for God? Where is the sacrifice in your relationship with the Lord?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The Bible tells us about the things that will happen to mark the end of this world and the beginning of eternal life. Beginning with the rapture, there will be extreme joy for those that will be found on the Lord's side, while there will be extreme pain and sorrow for those that will be found on the devil's side. As the curtain begins to be drawn over the activities of this world, the trumpet will sound. Then, Jesus Christ will appear physically in the sky with overwhelming glory, to raise the dead, judge the world, destroy every opposition to God, and consummate His everlasting Kingdom.
Believers from the Bible days prepared for His return, waiting with eagerness and joy, but rapture didn't happen. It was with this in mind that the disciples asked Jesus questions about what would be the signs of the last days in Matthew 24:3:
"...the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

The same two important questions that the whole world still asks till date are; when shall these things be? What shall be the signs? Fortunately, the Bible does not beat around the bush about the first question (when), Jesus clearly states that nobody knows the exact time except the father. Note that Jesus preceded the answer with a warning, "Take heed that no man deceive you".
Never believe anyone that gives you a date or timetable for the Second Coming of Jesus, no matter how advanced the mathematical theory may seem. Jesus however, spoke extensively on the signs of the last days; the Bible has enough information to help Christians make adequate preparations for the Second Coming of Christ. Matthew 24:1-14 speaks volumes and 1 Timothy 4:1 says:
"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 key things to look out for are these; false prophets, lovers of self, wars and rumours of war, famines pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, betrayal, iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold, some shall depart from the faith, seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, hypocrisy. All these are presently happening at an alarming rate all over the world. Children of God should pay special attention to false prophets with teachings that are contrary to the Word of God. Any teaching that cannot be substantiated with the Bible belongs to the devil; avoid them and their messages like a plague. Be warned.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God's acceptability of any human being is an act of His love, mercy, grace and favour. This is clearly evident in God's interaction with the nation of Israel and the Gentiles. However, the Bible reveals that God does not open His arms to all who come to Him; there are heavenly conditions for acceptability. God accepts people who respond to him by faith. This is why we have categories of children in the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten of the Father (John 1:14), while the rest of us that are saved are His adopted children. Amongst the adopted children, there are golden, silver, wooden and earthen sons and daughters. Also, there are repentant and reliable as well as deceitful and unreliable children. What kind of child are you?

Although, God loves all His children, yet, not all of them please Him equally. While the unrepentant ones displease the Lord, the repentant and reliable ones please Him. In John 4:34 Jesus says, "...My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work". God's acceptability therefore depends squarely on our readiness to pay the price of loyalty and obedience to God. Jesus paid the ultimate price; He dumped His personal desires and aspiration for that of His Father's. What He enjoyed doing the most was making God very happy. Even when the task involved giving His life, He obliged. At the Garden of Gethsemane, when He was struggling between His own will and God's will, He gave up His (Matthew 26:39-42). No wonder God gave such a wonderful commendation of Jesus in Matthew 17:5:
"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him".

Hence, to be acceptable to God as a beloved son or daughter is not an easy task. It requires total submission to God's will and total obedience to His commandments. This translates to living our lives to please God in all ramifications. Some people are ready to please God only when the price is affordable or cheap. For instance, a beloved child of God will not struggle with paying tithe or placing personal preference on fashion, entertainment, and other social consideration above the Word of God. Are you ready to pay the price for God's acceptability?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Rejection is a terrible form of punishment that God sometimes uses to call the attention of His backslidden children to quit their sins and immoralities. Therefore, experiences and feelings of rejection are to be dealt with through the prayer of forgiveness and perseverance. In many cases in the Bible, God's rejection came as a shock because everything seemed normal until a sudden calamity struck as a result of the departure of God's Presence. Such was the case with Samson and the nation of Israel. The reality of God's rejection dawned on them by the terrible defeats that they suffered in the hand of their enemy. Judges 16:20 says:
"And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him."

All houses appear to have strong foundations until they go through the test of storms. In Matthew 7:24-27, the Lord talked of two houses; one built on the rock and the other on sand. Both appeared quite strong and promising until the floods came, one collapsed while the other stood firm. Do not wait till the day of the storm to discover your status with God, check yourself today and do everything possible to reconcile with God if need be.
In the same vein, all children are the same until they commit an offence. While the bona fide ones are immediately corrected and disciplined, the bastards are left on their own. A child left to himself is doomed. If God does not correct you for wrong speech, reaction and conduct, it simply means He is not your Father! When last did God cane you for wrong doing? May you never be above correction!
That God calls you does not mean He cannot call you something else. As our Creator, He has that right. Matthew 15:21-28 says, "the children's bread shall not be given to dogs" and Revelation 22:15 says "dogs have a place outside". This means that no matter how much a dog is loved, sooner or later, it will end up outside and the gate of Heaven will be shut against it. Do you feel as if the gates of Heaven are shut against you? Do you feel as if you are shut out of God's blessings? It could mean that you are a 'dog'. Why not accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour today? Why not reconcile with your Maker?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Bethel is the house of God, a place where God dwelled with His people. Over time, the Bible redefined the true place of worship to be the heart of man. Today therefore, Bethel could be said to represent the house of God, the true place of worship, or the dwelling place of God. The Samaritan woman by the well asked a million-dollar question from Jesus about the location of the heavenly approved place of worship. Jesus answered by saying that the time has come when the location is not of utmost importance to God anymore. John 4:23 says:
"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."

The realization that man is the dwelling place of God should be taken seriously by every Christian. Several passages in the Bible confirm this truth. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says:
"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

The freedom and liberty granted to Christians at conversion does not translate to ownership and absolute authority over ourselves as some erroneously think. Brethren, you are not your own, you belong to God your creator, you owe your allegiance to Him and you will do well to live your life with that consciousness. This will help you to be conscious of what you do with your body. It will help you to avoid anything that could abuse the body such as sexual immorality, indecent exposure, drug abuse, alcoholism, etc. It will also help you to watch what you consume or take into your body such as literature, audio and video contents. Realizing that your body is the temple of God will also affect the type of company that you keep and where you go.
More importantly, 1 Corinthians 3:17 says:
"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

Children of God should avoid doing anything that can defile them. In addition to the things mentioned above, engaging in any form of cosmetic reconstruction of the body in order to change or improve one's complexion, sexual orientation, or appearance, is a defilement of God's temple.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

From Exodus 23:25, we see a positive relationship between our service to God, what we eat and our health. Christians are supposed to overflow in health, so much that when we touch sick people, they become healed.

Many Christians joke with their service to God, no wonder they fall sick. I thank God and give Him all glory for my life; ever since I sold myself out to the service of God, He has been my only Doctor. I remember vividly well how I used to battle malaria helplessly, until one day when I decided to enter into an agreement with God, I told Him to heal me of malaria permanently and I will serve Him, and malaria has been a stranger to me since then. When you serve God wholeheartedly, He will ensure that no sickness stays in your body.

Another reason why some Christians are sick is because of what they eat. Exodus 23:25 says that God will bless your food and water and you will not fall sick, but many don't ask God to bless their food before eating it. Also, God cannot bless what He has not approved of. Our body is His temple, and anything that can destroy His temple is not approved by Him. We must keep way from junk food, over eating, unhealthy eating habits and the likes. God does not approve of food or drinks that are injurious to our health. Eat more of fresh vegetables and fruits. Eat the right quantity at the right time of the day. Stop overeating. Stay fit, exercise regularly. Some Christians quote Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4:8:
"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

Yet it is true that bodily exercise profits a little, however, that little must not be done away with. We must take care of God's temple so that it can be available for Him to use when He needs it.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God is not a poor God, He is wealthier than we can ever imagine. He owns all the natural resources on earth, all the gases in the air and all the elements in the universe, just to mention a few. Can you imagine if scientists are able to get a tiny piece of the sun. Imagine how much they will sell it at an auction. The Almighty God owns the entire sun and all elements in the universe. A God as rich as this will definitely give His children more than enough resources to take care of their needs. He lacks nothing, so His children should lack nothing too. However, this is not the case in reality. We see many Christians these days wallowing in poverty for years, in fact, many unbelievers don't want to become born again because they are afraid of poverty. God is not happy with this. More often than not, these Christians are the cause of their own predicament.

God in His Word has given us several instructions and principles that will guarantee our wealth, but He will not force us to practice them, we have to do them ourselves to see them manifest. For example, in Luke 6:38, Jesus Christ Himself said:
"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

Whenever I see Pastors trying hard to convince people to give, it hurts me, because if every Christian has the understanding of this passage, they will constantly compete to give the biggest offering. The Bible says also in Proverbs 11:24:
"There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty."

This implies that if you want to increase, sow seeds. Also, the second part of this verse tells us that there is a certain amount that is necessary to be withheld. Many Christians don't save. They eat like every day is their last day on earth. This is wrong; if we want to lend to nations like the Bible promises, then we must learn from Joseph's strategy, he saved 20% of everything they got in Egypt, after a few years, nations from all over the world were coming to Egypt for food.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Discipline in the family happens when parents lovingly correct and train their children in accordance with the Word of God, so that they may grow up in the way of the Lord. The type of relationship that exists between parents and their children determine whether the children will be disciplined or not. When a servant misbehaves, you may ignore his offence but when a son or daughter commits the same offence, they should not get away with it. It is the goal of every reasonable parent to ensure that their children are better versions of themselves. On the other hand, some parents are extreme; they don't discipline, but crush their children. Being high-handed is applying discipline the other way round. Matthew 5:48 says, we should be as perfect as our Heavenly Father; God wants us to be as good as Himself. Jesus, the Prince of Peace wants us to be even better; hence, He says we will do greater works than He did. My joy as the General Overseer of the RCCG is in seeing my spiritual children excel and achieve greater heights than myself. I decree into the lives of everyone reading this devotional right now, you will excel in all that you lay your hands on and you will achieve greater heights than myself in Jesus' name.

Meanwhile, children are naturally naughty, that is why Proverbs 22:15 says:
"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

Since Adam's fall, this has been the trend. You do not need to teach a child to be angry before he or she manifests it, even at infancy. It is innate. So when a father wants his child to become like him, he would have to employ his rod of correction. How often do you correct your children? Proverbs 29:15 says any child left to himself will bring shame to the parents, and Proverbs 29:17 says the child that is disciplined will give joy and peace to the parents.

Don't over pamper your children. Don't spoil them by using love as an excuse. Many ladies do not know how to cook or handle domestic chores because their parents left everything to the house-help. You are undoing your children if you deny them good home training and discipline. You owe it to your children to discipline them. If you fail to give it to them, the result of their indiscipline will haunt you here on earth and you will have a case to answer in heaven.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The first attribute that becomes noticeable in a genuinely born-again child of God is the love for God and humanity. Every converted and renewed child of God operates under the control of the Holy Spirit, he is fully aware of new spiritual experience and desires, as the Holy Spirit kick-starts the work of character restoration in him. A loving relationship between a Christian and Jesus therefore provides the most credible evidence of the grace of God at work in the life of a believer.

We all know that true lovers always enjoy each other's company and fellowship. When one lover has an opportunity to spend time with the other, and for any reason misses that opportunity, he becomes sad. God loves to fellowship with man, and this has been so from the very beginning. God created man to fellowship with Him; this is the major reason why He created us in His image. He enjoyed coming to meet and fellowship with Adam in the cool of the day. How He cherished it! It became a daily appointment which He never missed. Then imagine His disappointment when He came one day and Adam was nowhere to be found. After that, God needed another person to continue from where Adam had stopped. He kept searching until He found Enoch. Genesis 5:24 says:
"And Enoch walked with God; and he was not: for God took him."

Enoch walked with God for at least 300 years! The fellowship was so intense that death could not touch him. God had to call him to glory to continue the fellowship there. The reverse is the case for anyone that hates God.
Proverbs 8:36 says:
"But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death."

Indeed, love is an antidote for death, if you truly love God and obey His commandments, death will be far away from you. Do you love God? Do you have a regular time to fellowship with God? Some believers do not have a standing altar of fellowship with God as a family. This is wrong; God wants to be intimate with you. Open yourself and your whole household to God, and create time for regular fellowship with Him today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God ordained seedtime and harvest not just to mark time, but as a life principle. He also gave varying degrees of talents to every human being as a form of heavenly investment. Consequently, every legitimate human task, however menial it may seem, is of intrinsic worth and a potential means of glorifying God.

God expects us to use our God given talents and abilities profitably. I once told my children that if they understand the natural farming process with the scriptural principles on sowing and reaping, entering into their harvest will be a work-over, because they will know what to sow, how to sow it and how to water the seed sown in order to have their desired harvest. In essence, they will know how to profitably use their talents for the progress of God's kingdom. When the Holy Ghost Service congregation grew beyond what I could handle all by myself, I chose seven elders to assist me. I gave each of them a neck tie I had used during previous ministrations, and asked them to wear them as mantle from me. Each time they wore them while ministering, there were records of miracles, signs and wonders. But then, I also observed that I began to harvest neckties from close associates and friends who travelled to South Africa, London or America. I became curious about the fact that whenever anyone brought me a gift, it was a neck tie. So I asked God why. The Lord said; "Son, if you sow ties, you will reap ties." Then I realized that I was receiving the harvest of the ties I gave out. So I began to sow shoes to pastors who shared the same shoe size with me. After giving out several of them, some of which were my best, I waited the first and second months but no shoe gift came from anywhere. Worried over the delay, I asked God why the harvest was yet to come and He taught me another lesson. He said; "Son, if you plant maize, you can harvest it within three months, but if you plant yam, you will have to wait a little longer.

Shoes are more valuable than ties; the greater the quality of the seed you have sown, the longer you will have to wait for its harvest. Since you have planted shoes, you will have to wait a little longer, but the moment the harvest begins, it will not stop."

When the harvest came, I got shoes of different sizes, colours and levels of sophistication. Have you sown a seed? Your harvest will come. If you have sown quality seeds, give it time to mature. If you are impatient with your seed, you cannot obtain it's full potentials. On the other hand, sow quality seeds; sow only what you want to reap. It is wrong to expect a harvest from where you have not sown. Have you sown towards your desired harvest?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.