Sunday 31 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 31 March 2013 NO GAIN IN GREED By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 31 March 2013 
NO GAIN IN GREED  
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live” Proverbs 15:27
Read: Proverbs 15:26-27
Bible in one year:  Mark 11-13
Key point: If the greedy knows the long term effect of his greedy action, he would have done everything possible to avoid it.

Deuteronomy 25:1 6 says if you want to live long ¡n your God-given land, do not cheat others. In other words, cheating others is directly related to untimely deaths. Do not  alsify your measuring tools. Every act of deceit takes something offyour life. Some water bottling companies when processing their permit, satisfy all the standards prescribed by the regulatory authority. But on getting what they want, they begin to compromise laId down standards. They cut corners, refuse to use certain chemicals meant for water purification and still sell their products at the normal price. They end up giving people acidic water disguised as wholly processed water. This is evil! What you think you are saving or gaining from reducing one or more of the materials [ you should have used, will definitely work against you. What you are gaining financially you are losing health wise. Put an end to such rip off, restitute and follow all the stages of water purification. This also applies to all other businesses. People cheat others out ofgreed. Greed ¡s a terrible destroyer! Proverbs 1 5:27 says,
“He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live .“
Apart from reducing the lifespan of the cheat, greed brings trouble into the family of the cheat. Greed opens the door to devourers. Some employers of labour do everything possible to cheat on their workers. They will owe them salaries for months telling them that there is no money, while they have money from the same business to take care of their personal needs and even extravagance. Some will come up with flimsy reasons to  continue to reduce worker’s wages or salaries. Even in Christendom greed is rife. If somebody is spending time and effort in serving you, you must give the fellow what ¡s commensurate or else, you will be undoing yourself. Moreover, another aspect of cheating which is also borne out of greed ¡s truce breaking. When two or more people enter into a business agreement, be it written or verbal, the profit must be shared as earlier agreed. If you take a kobo, cent or penny beyond your agreement, you will pay dearly for it. You cannot escape God’s judgement no matter your garb of Spirituality or position. Some people have closed the doors God opened to them out of greed. Some have deadly diseases especially believers because they cheated fellow believers. Repent, return what you stole from that partner and ask the fellow to pray for you and you will be healed. 
 

Saturday 30 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Saturday 30 March 2013 PARTNERING WITH SATAN? By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Saturday 30 March 2013 
PARTNERING WITH SATAN? 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” 2 Corinthians 6:15
Read: Acts 16:16-18
Bible in one year:  Mark 7-10
Prayer point: Pray that God will deliver genuine servants of God from falling prey to the deception of agents of darkness.
 
In the Body of Christ today, there ¡s so much of spiritual prostitution and pollution taking place. Lazy pastors and I ministers who want to either attract a crowd or perform miracles but cannot pay Heaven’s price, eventually condescend to accepting hell’s cheaper but more devastating alternative. Not all that glitters is gold. There is so much of fake gold around hence we should be very careful. The Heaven-bound believer will not major on miracles but on the Word of God. Sometimes, the difference between counterfeit spirit and the original Spirit of God ¡s so slim that it will take the one with the gift of discerning of spirits to know which is which. May the Lord open your eyes to see the spirit behind the scenes in Jesus name. In Acts 1 6:1 6-1 8, Paul and Silas were going about their Kingdom assignment, but unknown to them, their Public Relations Officer was an agent of darkness. Ordinarily, they thought the lady was doing very well in introducing the men of God to the people, but unknown to them, it was the spirit of divination that was in operation. it took them a while before they could arrive at the truth and cast out the spirit One lesson here is that Satan seeks to partner with genuine men and women of God. When the Kingdom of Satan is being threatened by your commitment to God’s Kingdom, they will offer you a truce - some kind of subtle partnership. They may send their agent who will claim to be a leader of a church organisation or an association of church organisations, who would tell you that they have watched you with keen interest over the years, and want to assist you in any way possible, but you will have to step down on your message of holiness. If you accept their offer, you may still think you are working for God: ¡n fact, you may have alt the money to erect gigantic structures and improve on externals, but you will be serving a new master as your message would have been edited In like manner, from time to time, some so called prophets or prophetesses will go to a living church and want to use their gifts to manipulate the entire church and bring it under their control. This is why you have to pray for your leaders never to tall pre’’ to these imposters. As a pastor, you should not just allow anybody called man of God or woman of God to mount your pulpit. Use only those who are tried and tested who are still living with clean records. 

Friday 29 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 29 March 2013 PAINS OF EX-CHAMPIONS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 29 March 2013
 PAINS OF EX-CHAMPIONS 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.” Judges 16:21
Read: Judges 16:20-21
Bible in one year:  Mark 4-6
Prayer point: thank God for your nation. Pray that God’s plan and purpose will be done and that God will uproot every hindrance on your path.

To remain a champion, there are certain activities that must be sustained, failing which the champion will lose his position. You shall not be dethroned in Jesus name. Activities such as prayers, fasting, self-denial and regular study of God’s Word do not respect educatinal level, wealth, status or marital status. In other words, if you were very prayerful during your secondary  days, but now believe that since you have bagged your doctorate degree, you do not need to pray as much again, don’t be surprised ¡f you end up in the teeth of lions. If you were poor but prayerful, now that you are rich, you should pray more, not less. If you could pray and fast while still young, now that you are older, do not diminish ¡n your prayer and fasting so that . what the enemy could not do to you when you were young, he would still be unable to do it to you now that you are old. This is why Mark 13:13 says only those who endure to the end will be saved. Your sacrifices and efforts must continue until you reach the finishing line. Philippians 3:12-14 says your past must not come between you and your future. If you think the cost of remaining a champion ¡s too much, then you may consider the alternative being an ex-champion. It is better to pay the price to remain a champion than to face the horrors of being an ex- champion. After Samson was dethroned, Judges 1 6:2 1 says, “But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.”
It is horrible to be an ex-champion. It ¡s better never to have been a champion than to be an ex-champion. Samson lost Gods presence, his sight and freedom. An international champion became a local prisoner, a laughing stock to those he once terrorised. Do everything possible to refuse compromise, as the goal of that seemingly harmless temptation is to make you an ex-champion. Just one sin ¡s all the camp of the enemies require to shut you up permanently. There are many ex-champions around us today who are savouring the shame and losses of their new status Are you an ex-champion? Come back to God repentance, restitution and humility. Make 100 percent obedience your watchword henceforth. If you are sincere and steadfast, it is possible that God may reconsider using you again 

Thursday 28 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 28 March 2013 A CONFIRMED DISCIPLE? By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 28 March 2013 
A CONFIRMED DISCIPLE? 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;” John 8:31
Read: John 8:31-32
Bible in one year:  Mark 1-3
Prayer point: Father, take me to a level of relationship with You where I will readily have access to revelations of Your truth.

There are different types of bondage . spiritual, mental, financial, physical, psychological, etc. A lot of people are in one form of bondage or the other. The desire of everyone ¡n bondage is freedom. if you do not know you are in bondage, you may never seek to be free. This is the greatest form of bondage one can ever experience. When a mad man sees and tells a sane fellow that he ¡s mad, you can tell his madness has reached a great height. The greatest need of the one in bondage is information. What you know has a direct bearing on your freedom or otherwise. But ¡t is not just about getting knowledge but getting the right knowledge. In John 8:32, Jesus says,
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Only the truth can deliver freedom to captives. In other words, If the information you are exposed to is not the truth, instead of being free, you will go deeper into bondage. Many people are in bondage today because they were exposed to wrong information. What kind of information are you exposed to? A look at today’s passage tells us of a chain of events and their final outcome. It says that the truth that sets free does not just come but is released after certain conditions have been met. First, the candidate for freedom must move from unbelief to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as saviour. He or she must be born-again. Then the fellow must be exposed to the Word of God, receive the Word, think on it and do it, then he becomes a disciple. It ¡s at this stage that the Word will release the revelation that can bring deliverance. After the revelation comes from God’s Word, it follows a process in order to set free . This process involves applying the revelation and standing in faith. After this, you will begin to see situations change for the best. This means ìf you work on your relationship  with God and His Word, your bondage  will go. Also, God’s freedom tips are best shared with those He can trust and confide in Him. How close re you to Him? Aria u a believer in Christ? Move on ¡n your relationship with Him. The closer you are to Him the more of His liberating secrets you  will receive. 
 

Wednesday 27 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 26 March 2013 RELATING WITH ENEMIES By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 26 March 2013 
RELATING WITH ENEMIES 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise:” Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.1Peter 5:9
Read: 1Peter 5:8-9
Bible in one year:  Job 38-42
Action point: Pray that God will grant you grace to increase your resolve and not to yield to satan as satan increases his resolve to bring you down.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave three orders to His army on earth. First, we are to love, which ¡s the greatest of all. Second, we are to recruit civilians into His army. The third order has to do with our relationship with the enemy. James 4:7 says, 
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
If you are a soldier of Jesus, you are expected to resist the devil. To resist entails applying force in preventing something from happening. If you do not understand your relationship with your enemies, you will waste God’s valuable resources and turn yourself into a laughing stock. For instance, many people bind the devil while they are expected to resist him. He will only laugh at them and continue to do what he was doing. Such a Christian may think that the devil has either become more powerful or God’s Word has become less potent, not knowing that the problem ¡s with him or her. Stop straying from the code of conduct guiding God’s army! According to Revelation 20:1-3, the only time Satan will be bound is sometime in the future. One big angel with great authority will bind the devil and throw him into his prison the bottomless pit; he will be there for 1 000 years. On the other hand, you can bind demons or evil spirits and cast them out. How do you resist the devil? It is by being steadfast in the faith. Satan is a very persistent opponent, ¡n resisting him you must be unmoveable. You must doggedly refuse to shift grounds. Satan knows how to muster several demons to put pressure on someone to give in. He cannot sustain this for too long but within that period, the fellow will be virtually under immense pressure. At such a time, leave the vicinity of that temptation, shut the eyes of your mind to that temptation, pray ¡n the spirit and consciously affirm that you are not yielding to Satan’s pressure. Confess in the name of Jesus Christ, I resist you Satan. Every demon assigned against me on this matter, I hind and cast you out of this Situation. In the name of Jesus, I refuse to yield my members to sin but to righteousness (Romans 6:1 1 .1 4). Sin shall not dominate my body because I am now under grace, etc. As you continue to resist even  in tiredness, the devil will flee from you. So always use the Word of God to ward him off.
 

Monday 25 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 25 March 2013 ASK FOR SPIRITUAL SIGHT By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 25 March 2013 
ASK FOR SPIRITUAL SIGHT 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” Hebrews 10:9
Read: Esther 5:1-3
Bible in one year:  Job 32-34
Prayer point: Father, thank you for giving m access into Your presence. Lord, let me never be denied this presence now and in eternity. Amen 
 
When Queen Esther went into the inner court of the king, she risked her life, but because she obtained favour, the king stretched the golden scepter he was holding towards her. She was then allowed to approach the king and he made her an incredible offer. The first thing we learn in this story ¡s that powerful kings are not easily approached except according to laid down rules, otherwise the individual could lose his or her life. As it is with earthly kings with regards to access, so is it with the King of kings. When God was about to come down on Mount Sinai, He gave specific instructions to the children of Israel. For them to approach His presence, they were to be set apart for two days, abstains  from sex, wash their clothes and make themselves presentable. Yet, while ¡n God’s presence, they must keep a safe distance from the mountain. Whoever touched the mountain - be ¡t man or beast would have to die (Exodus 1 9:1 0-1 3). Not even the priests were allowed to climb up to meet the Lord at the top of the mountain; any priest that dared violate God’s instruction would be personally dealt with by God (Exodus 19:22). Similarly, during their worship in the temple, while everyone else could worship at the outer court, only the Levites could access the inner court, while only the high priest was allowed once a year, to enter the innermost part - the Holy of holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. While going in, the high priest will have a rope tied to his leg  and some bells were attached round about the lower ends of his apron, so that ¡f he goes in and is not clean enough and dies ¡n God’s presence, the rope will be used to pull him out. But while ushering in the New Testament by His blood, our Lord Jesus Christ changed this. When He died, the curtain preventing people from seeing the Holy of houses was torn into two, meaning through Jesus Christ, we can now access God directly
(Hebrews 9:1 8; Matthew 27:50-51). Today, to access God’s presence by the blood of Jesus, all you need to do is to come to Him with thanksgiving and to worship him with praises. However, never take such easy access for granted! It cost JESUS Christ His life! But ¡f you come before His presence with sin in your life, you will not he able to gain access except you first repent and forsake the sin. You must have clean hands and a pure heart, a right spirit and humility. Come with praise and thanksgiving. Come in the name of Jesus and you will gain entry. Thank Cod for the  easy access we now have into God’s presence. 
 

Sunday 24 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 24 March 2013 BEWARE OF DRAIN PIPES! By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 24 March 2013 
BEWARE OF DRAIN PIPES! 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORISE: Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. (Acts 23 : 5).
READ: Leviticus 6 : 1 – 6.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Job 28 – 31.
KEY POINT : Pending restitution is a drain pipe through which efforts that should give you increase are wasted. The more of it you have, the more wasted and drained you will be.
 
Restitution is the act of restoring what was fraudulently taken, it also involves presenting the truth about the lies earlier told concerning a given situation. It is a way to straighten crooked paths.
Restitution is for the good of the one doing it. Having a pending restitution can actually get you grounded. Many years ago, on my way to the University of Ibadan for a Bible study, we drove into a fuel (gas) station to refuel. The following morning as we were about to leave, the car started but it refused to move. After several efforts, we got a mechanic who checked and said there was water in the carburettor. The fuel we bought was a mixture of petrol (gas) and water. He said we would have to drop the fuel tank and separate the fuel ( gas ) from the water before the car would move. This illustrates restitution. As long as water is mixed with your fuel, you are spiritually grounded. Your engine may start but the car would not move from its current location.
Another analogy is something called a treadmill which keeps going round. If you stand on it, you will have the impression that you are moving forward but in actual terms, you are still at the same spot. Refusing to restitute places you on a spiritual treadmill, there will be lots of motion, noise, activity and effort but no displacement.
Pending restitutions have swallowed the labour of many brethren but they are out there looking for the witch or wizard or even an ancestor they think is responsible, rather than looking inwards. If you have remained for so long on the same spot, or you have made so much effort without commensurate results, pause a while and check your life to find out if there is an area where you have failed to restitute. If you find such, ask God for forgiveness and go ahead and restitute. People procrastinate a lot concerning restitution and in the process, some have died without settling them, thereby facing the likelihood of missing Heaven. Do that restitution today! Tomorrow may either be too late or may not even come for that fellow.

Saturday 23 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Saturday 23 March 2013 ASK FOR SPIRITUAL SIGHT By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Saturday 23 March 2013 
ASK FOR SPIRITUAL SIGHT 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ 2 Corinthians 11:13
Read: 2 Corinthians 11:12-15
Bible in one year:  Malachi 3-4
key Point: If you mind your physical health, you will eat selectively; if you mind your spiritual health you will choose your spiritual diet.
 
The gift of discerning of spirits opens your eyes to see into the spirit world. It also helps you to differentiate angels from demons because the devil sometimes masquerades as an angel.
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" 2 Corinthians 11:14
Such practices have been ongoing since the days of the early church. Paul saw deceitful workers and ministers take the shape of godly workers and ministers. Even Satan's apostles began to camouflage as apostles of Christ. Don't be surprised to see them in the church. When a church is growing, all sorts of people will come, including Satan's agents. Some will join the choir while some others will become ushers or preachers; this is why we need this gift today. You must be able to differentiate between genuine workers and pretenders who appear to pray very well and are so hard working, but their plan is to bring down the pastor.
 
Some people always rush to any gathering where the name of Jesus is mentioned in their quest for miracles or anointing. It takes the gift of discerning of spirits to know that not all empowerment is from God. The mad man of Gadara was so powerful that he could tear iron with bare hands, but what was the source of that power? From demons of course! If you placed him side by side Samson, you may hardly notice any difference. Samson could by the anointing of the Holy Spirit uproot the city gates, while the mad man of Gadara could not be stopped by any man or chains made by men. Some people easily run to so called prophets of God who often boast of just coming down from the mountain after spending weeks or months there. Don't you know that satanic agents spend months and weeks on mountains too? Mark 5:5 says the Gadarene demoniac spent long periods on mountains and in tombs. Be not deceived! Some Christians are so naive and undiscerning that when Satan prays for them on the television, internet programme or meeting, they will say Amen to it! God forbid! Are you so desperate for miracle that you do not mind who prays for you, what spirit the fellow is using and the aftermath of receiving such so called prayers? If you are nonchalant in your quest for spiritual food, you may end up scavenging in a refuse dump. Ask the Lord to open your eyes today!

Friday 22 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 22 March 2013 SUSTAIN YOUR SACRIFICES By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 22 March 2013 
SUSTAIN YOUR SACRIFICES 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “I press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”  Philippians 3:14
Read: Philippians 3:12-15
Bible in one year:  Malachi 1-2
Prayer point: a champion who fails to sustain what took him up will soon be an ex-champion. Father, by all means, help me that I may maintain my position as a champion.

Life is full of battles, contests and struggles. When you win an opponent in a contest, you become a champion or winner. It is not easy to be a champion as ¡t requires great efforts, but to sustain being a champion is even more challenging. All those involved in a contest are potential champions. However out of these, some may never experience what it is like to be a champion. For those who succeed in making it, being a champion is not the end but the beginning of the story. After making several costly sacrifices to become a champion, more daily sacrifices will be required of you to remain a champion. An adage says: “The price of safety is unrelenting vigilance”. For your light to continue to burn brightly there must be constant supply of fuel. There are some spiritual exercises that you cannot afford to stop doing in order to remain relevant. Why do you think Paul said we should pray without ceasing? Or, why do you think he fasted often as recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:27? You cannot say because you prayed throughout January, there is no need for you to pray for the remaining part of the year. Why? The prayer effort for January cannot sustain you to the end of the year. Certain things must be repeated in order to achieve greater impact. As it is in the spiritual, so is it in the physical. Take a cue from the daily ritual of bathing, when you clean up your body on 1st of January, would you refuse to clean up on subsequent days? When you cut your nails, not long after you will discover they are grown again . 1 Kings 18:1 -24 indicates there is no stopping until you get to your destination. After the monthly Holy Ghost service, some who attend never bother to have their own vigil. In the same vein, some people who take part in the month of fasting early in the year never bother to fast for the rest of the year. That you attended Bible Study on a particular Tuesday does not mean that you should not make out time to personally study the Bible for the rest of that week. You must never forget who you are! Usually, when believers fail to do what they are expected to do, it is because they have forgotten who they are. You are a divine champion. You are created to stay that way. But what are you doing to stay a champion? Every daily effort you fail to make gradually erodes your position. Pay the price today!

Thursday 21 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 21 March 2013 NEW FOCUS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 21 March 2013 
NEW FOCUS 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 2Timothy 2:2
Read: Numbers 11:10-17
Bible in one year:  Haggai 1-2
Key point: The overbearing attitude of some leaders has robbed them of their helpers and fast-tracked their untimely exit from earth
 
As you advance ¡n age, there ¡s need to adopt more effective ways of serving the Lord. There ¡s need to move from hitting the rock to speaking to the rock, There is need to shift from human wisdom to divine wisdom. You will need to move from doing things in your strength to doing things in His unlimited strength. Furthermore, according to Exodus 1 7:8-1 3, you should learn to apply the principle of division of labour to be more effective. It ¡s not possible to do everything by yourself. Even if ¡t were possible, results will come  to you at great expense. Let everyone play their God-given role, you just create an atmosphere conducive for them to work. Delegate more responsibilities without  abdicating your supervisory role.
When you delegate, release the commensurate authority for the fellow to perform. In Numbers 1 1 :1 0-1 7, the Lord asked Moses to enlist 70 elders to help him with his assignment. Before then, Moses carried all the anointing alone. Some leaders fail to delegate responsibilities to younger ministers and pastors because of fear of the unknown.  They are afraid that such ministers may fail. It is possible they fail, but if past leaders never trusted you to a point of giving you the opportunities you had, where would you be today? A true leader will create opportunities for those under him to grow. What opportunities are you giving to those under you? It is your responsibility to train those who will take over from you. Your degree of success in ministry or otherwise will depend on how many seemingly unusable or untrained brethren the Lord used you to turn around into reliable, dedicated workers and ministers. Besides, as you grow older, you must increasingly work on your intimacy with God. Zechariah 4:6 says it ¡s not by your ability but by His ability. When divine goals are set, you need divine strength, wisdom and grace to accomplish them. As you grow older, you should reappraise your focus. You should be thinking more about Heaven and hold Colossians 3:1 -2 dear to your heart. You should be working towards your Heavenly crowns and loading your heavenly hank accounts. Some people are still so committed to pursuing money even at old age that you would wonder ¡f they have anything at stake ¡n Heaven. In what direction is your labour, heart and focus
tilted to – to the earth or Heaven?

Wednesday 20 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 20 March 2013 SECURED FUTURE By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 20 March 2013 
SECURED FUTURE 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the LORD; thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
Read: Psalms 33:8-12
Bible in one year:  Zephaniah 1-3
Action point: There is no place for giving up in god’s plan for His children. Ask that God will give you the strength to fight the fight of faith to the end.
 
When Elijah arose from sleep and started to eat of the meal from Heaven in I Kings 19:5-8, his hope was on the rise, and he began to say, ‘1 may be down but I shall not end ¡n defeat. It is one thing to fall and rise and another to fall and stay down. For the first category, falling is just a bus stop, and you know, you will have to go through several bus stops to get to your destination. For the second category, falling has become the destination. In life, simply remember that every point you fall or fail is a bus stop, not your destination. That you failed or fell several times does not mean that you cannot be celebrated tomorrow if you overcome. Thirdly, know that you are falling or failing because there is a great destination for your life which is worth all the fight, struggle and suffering. However, no child of destiny will turn his bus stop into his final destination. Are you down? Rise up this moment, dust yourself and continue the march to Heaven.
Anyone who does not go through these trials with the flesh is most likely on another journey, obviously not the one to Heaven. Has your hair been shaven like Samson out of carelessness? Your hair shall grow again (Judges 16:20-22). Or have you been killed and buried with a big stone placed over your tomb like Jesus? Like Jesus, you too shall arise; you shall be brought back to life (Luke 24: 1-7). When the angel came the second time to Elijah with a second meal telling him to rise and eat because of the journey ahead, he then was sure that God was not through with him yet. Sometimes, people write themselves off before God writes them off. If God is not through with you, you cannot afford to give up on Him; else you will be committing great harm against yourself. If you retire yourself from God’s work before your appointed time of retirement, you will face a query in Heaven instead of a commendation. God is not through with you and His counsel for your life will ultimately stand in spite of your circumstances(Psalrn 33:11; Jeremìah 29:11).When Elijah ate the meal, he knew there was hope for a brighter tomorrow. Isaiah 3:10 says your future is very bright. Forget the darkness that is presently surrounding you. According to Proverbs 4:1 8, it will gradually give way to God’s glorious light. Rise up and serve Him. Praise Him, obey Him, knowing that your tomorrow is secured in Jesus.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

APPRECIATING GOD ON MY BIRTHDAY


APPRECIATING GOD ON MY BIRTHDAY 

Father, I thank you today, for the salvation of my soul

Thank you, God, for giving me another year of life.
Thank you for my life which is ordained and set out by You!
Thank you for choosing me – to come to the earth and be an instrument to show forth Your praise.
Thank you for all the people who remembered and will remember me today by sending cards, gifts and good wishes.
Thank you for GRACE, SALVATION, MERCY, LOVE and all the other many things you bless me with.
Thank You for all the tokens of love that remind me of how I am loved and appreciated.
Thank you for all the experience of the past years
for times of success; for which all glory will forever return to You,
for times of failure; which reminded me of my own weakness and absolute dependence on You
for times of joy which reassures me of your ever abiding presence
for times of sadness which drove me closer to you as my only True Friend

I can not thank You enough for what You have done  in my life,
To bring me to where I am today.
The fact that You made it known to me, that where I am in my life is
Just mediocrity; that You have higher expectations for me.
You have taught me that I can overcome those seemingly impossible things
just by listening to your voice; obeying,  and holding Your hand every step of the way.

Forgive me for the hours I wasted, the chances I failed to take,
and the opportunities I missed in the past years.
Today I reaffirm that You are my Creator and Sustainer
In you I live and move and have my being

I commit this birthday to You
May I honour You more than ever on this special day and each day of my life
I want to know You more, take 'time out' to be with You more and love You more.
Help me in the days ahead to make this the best year so far,
and through and through, to glorify Your Holy Name,
This year and for the rest of my life
Amen.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 19 March 2013 ON HEAVENLY GREATNESS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 19 March 2013 
ON HEAVENLY GREATNESS 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise:  “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24 
Read: Matthew 5:17-20
Bible in one year:  Habakuk 1-3
Key point: Heavenly greatness is not by chance, wishful thinking or mistake. Every great fellow in heaven earned the greatness through obedience.
 
I   accept favourable scriptures but reject the ones you don’t like, you will not only negate your faith but also be unable to receive full dividend from the Word. Ask and receive grace to ‘eat the whole lamb’ as was the case with the children of Israel on the night of their departure from Egypt. Every Word of God is important. We must never trivialise any of Christ’s commandment because they have eternal consequences. in this regard, Christian leaders must be very careful about what they teach, preach and practice. In Matthew 5:1 9, Jesus says,
“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Some people are seen as great ¡n the Kingdom of God on earth, but in Heaven, they are very unpopular, unknown or occupy the least positions. Every erroneous doctrine that leaders teach is capable of derailing multitudes. When we get to Heaven, ¡f such leaders are saved and finally make it to Heaven, their false doctrines on earth would have eroded their heavenly rewards. Stop teaching or preaching vain philosophies of men! Preach Jesus! Teach the whole counsel of His Word. Stick with the full Gospel until He returns or calls you home. Aside this, Jesus says you must do before you teach others the whole counsel, before you can be called great in Heaven. In other Words, it ¡s not enough to teach the whole counsel of God. Lf you don’t practice the whole counsel of God that you teach, you can never attain heavenly greatness. Lastly, whatever step you take must be based on God’s Word like Peter (Luke 5:1 -7). If you are going to choose a particular sister as your wife, or take up a particular job, or even relocate to a particular place, let that decision be because God said so. Never act on your own. Act on God’s Word. Confess the Word in every contrary circumstances according to Mark 1 1 :2324 and see ¡t prevail. Never accept the negative situations that come your way hut confess what God says about them and stay on God’s Word no matter how long ¡t takes, and you shall eventually be victorious. 

Monday 18 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 18 March 2013 OF PLANTERS AND HARVESTERS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 18 March 2013 
OF PLANTERS AND HARVESTERS 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” John 4:36
Read: John 4:35-38
Bible in one year:  Nahum 1-3
Key point: Reward comes from performing the specific assignment given to you by the Holy Spirit, and not the one you assigned to yourself.
 
If you manifest the word of knowledge or wisdom while I witnessing about Jesus Christ, your hearers will find it I difficult to turn down the Gospel message. 1f you evangelise but lack those gifts, ask the Lord to give them to you and He will. More than any one else, it is those who witness Jesus Christ that need these gifts. Another lesson from todays passage relates with harvests in God’s Kingdom. There are two broad categories of labourers in the vineyard - the sowers and the reapers. The sowers are the planters. In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul declares: 
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”
God calls some people to kick-start certain divine projects start a parish, lay the foundation of a church building, etc.. He may not necessarily want them to complete it because He has others who should nurture what their predecessors began and pilot it to its end. Unfortunately in the Body of Christ, instead of seeing one another as partners in
progress, there ¡s a lot of rivalry on who will complete what According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, God is the constant factor ¡n the equation between the planters and
the harvesters. He gives the increase that is noticed in any farming season. Verse 8 of this scripture says,
“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour’
it is possible you sowed the seed into the sinner first, and later another person preached to that person before he eventually received Christ; yet both of you will share from the reward of winning that soul. God is just and t-le knows how to reward everyone for his or her labours. So stop struggling or fighting over Kingdom assignments. Just work out the part that ¡s committed to you faithfully. in due course, you will reap abundantly. From what Jesus said in John 4:35-38, there is reward for the planters, and there is reward for the harvesters. They shall both share in the same joy. If you are sent to start a parish or church building, go ahead and start ¡t. By the time you are transferred, take it in good faith and go to your new place of assignment knowing that you already have a share of the reward tot that place w ether men acknowledge you or not. Just stay focused on the work God has given to you.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 19 March 2013 ON HEAVENLY GREATNESS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 19 March 2013 
ON HEAVENLY GREATNESS 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise:  “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24 
Read: Matthew 5:17-20
Bible in one year:  Habakuk 1-3
Key point: Heavenly greatness is not by chance, wishful thinking or mistake. Every great fellow in heaven earned the greatness through obedience.
 
I   accept favourable scriptures but reject the ones you don’t like, you will not only negate your faith but also be unable to receive full dividend from the Word. Ask and receive grace to ‘eat the whole lamb’ as was the case with the children of Israel on the night of their departure from Egypt. Every Word of God is important. We must never trivialise any of Christ’s commandment because they have eternal consequences. in this regard, Christian leaders must be very careful about what they teach, preach and practice. In Matthew 5:1 9, Jesus says,
“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Some people are seen as great ¡n the Kingdom of God on earth, but in Heaven, they are very unpopular, unknown or occupy the least positions. Every erroneous doctrine that leaders teach is capable of derailing multitudes. When we get to Heaven, ¡f such leaders are saved and finally make it to Heaven, their false doctrines on earth would have eroded their heavenly rewards. Stop teaching or preaching vain philosophies of men! Preach Jesus! Teach the whole counsel of His Word. Stick with the full Gospel until He returns or calls you home. Aside this, Jesus says you must do before you teach others the whole counsel, before you can be called great in Heaven. In other Words, it ¡s not enough to teach the whole counsel of God. Lf you don’t practice the whole counsel of God that you teach, you can never attain heavenly greatness. Lastly, whatever step you take must be based on God’s Word like Peter (Luke 5:1 -7). If you are going to choose a particular sister as your wife, or take up a particular job, or even relocate to a particular place, let that decision be because God said so. Never act on your own. Act on God’s Word. Confess the Word in every contrary circumstances according to Mark 1 1 :2324 and see ¡t prevail. Never accept the negative situations that come your way hut confess what God says about them and stay on God’s Word no matter how long ¡t takes, and you shall eventually be victorious. 

Sunday 17 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 17 March 2013 WINE, NOT FOR KINGS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 17 March 2013 
WINE, NOT FOR KINGS 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine nor for princes strong drink” Proverbs 31:4
Read: Proverbs 31:3-4
Bible in one year:  Micah 4-7
Action point: Thank God for making you one of His kings. Ask for grace to sustain this position now and in eternity.
 
Nonalcoholic wines are okay but should be taken in moderation (Ephesians 5:1 8). Anything you take in, no matter how good1 if taken in excess will definitely cause some kind of trouble, even water. But alcoholic beverage must be avoided like a plague! Proverbs 23:35 says it is most addictive. Addiction does not start with a bottle but from a little sip. Also, the spirit of alcohol is a sister to the spirit of lust and immorality. Those who went to eat out but also took alcohol may end up where they never planned. Single sisters must be watchful! Any so called brother who takes you out and offers you beer or any other alcoholic beverage may have some sinister motive. Run far from that individual! 
“Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.” Proverbs 31:3
There are certain weapons that Satan uses to attack kings and those who are of great use ¡n the Kingdom of God. This includes power, sex and money. The above scripture further adds women and wine. Contrary to what many users of alcohol think, indulging ¡n it robs one of strength. Many take it to get some kind of boldness, but at the end just like immorality they end up losing the little strength that they had. The scripture clearly states that taking alcohol is the path to destruction for kings. Revelation 1 :6 says if you have
been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, you are a king unto God. It is a taboo for a king under the leadership of the King of kings to indulge ¡n alcohol. Similarly, verse 4 says if there is something that is not meant for kings, ¡t ¡s alcohol. In other words, any time a Christian indulges ¡n alcohol, the fellow is dethroning himself or herself. Alcohol may be for others but obviously not for kings. Anytime you take what kings are forbidden to take, you become less of the king you were meant to be. In this regard, such violators will find ¡t difficult to operate as kings. That means, they may make a decree and such decrees will be ignored. You cannot be covered with divine royalty of the Kingdom while you are frolicking with the spirit of alcohol. Are you still a king of the Most High God? Cut off completely from anything that negatively influences you ¡f you want to remain under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Saturday 16 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Saturday 16 March 2013 LUST INSPIRED REQUESTS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Saturday 16 March 2013 
LUST INSPIRED REQUESTS 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” James 4:3
Read: James 4:1-3
Bible in one year:  Micah 1-3
Key point: When your prayer request is motivated by your lust, or a demon of lust, it will go unanswered by God.
 
The knowledge of the spirit operating behind the scene of a given situation will guide a believer on who to fight and how to fight Lying spirits can go to the extent of giving different people fake dreams about their target victim, in order to discredit the fellow. And it will look so real. If several persons believe some falsehood about you, know that lying spirits are at work. Unfortunately, because many believers are not careful enough, almost anybody can be used by such spirits. Too many battles are misdirected. We are fighting against one another in the Body of Christ today because certain demons are operating behind the scene to hit heads against each other. That is partly a diversionary  tactic. And this situation is bringing a lot of wastage in the area of prayer. James 4:3 says one reason we ask but fail to get results is because our requests are misdirected. If only God reveals the man hours in prayer and fasting over wrong requests, you would be very amazed. Some brother can spend three weeks praying and fasting for somebody he perceives to be an enemy to die, and he will be surprised, all he needed to do was to ask God to reveal the true situation to him and afterwards, he will know what spirit to face and how to use God’s Word to face it, while knowing how to pray about the human figure involved in the situation.
1f the advice of James is anything to go by, ¡t is that we must start praying rightly. The truth ¡s, spending five minutes praying hitting the nail on its head will give you more  results than spending 100 hours praying wrong1y. According to today’s reading, James felt bad that certain carnal behaviours and prayers were motivated by lusts, which as a matter of fact were instigated by the spirit of lust. Check the spirit of covetousness while desiring to have what your neighbour has! Check the spirit of lust while desiring a lad because of her physical endowments. Any request you make having these as your motivators amount to lust. God will meet your needs but He will not service your lust!
 

Friday 15 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 15 March 2013 DOWN, NOT OUT By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 15 March 2013 
DOWN, NOT OUT 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” Romans 8:2
Read: Romans 7:18-25
Bible in one year:  Hosea 11-14
Key point: If the Lord Jesus could still commission Peter to continue from where He stopped, after three terrible denials, no matter how low you have fallen, god can return you to His original plan for your life and use you.
 
Going by the personal experience of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:38, we see that God gives hope to the hopeless in ways we cannot explain. In any way you have lost hope, the Lord will restore it this season ¡n Jesus name. Another lesson we learn from Elijah who woke from sleep to eat Heaven’s freshly baked food is that, to be down does not necessarily mean to be out. In other words, that the devil hit you and you fell flat on your face does not mean that you should give up the fight. When a baby ¡s learning to walk, it will fall several times, yet it continues to make the effort. The fact that you can walk, jog or even run only shows that you overcame those failed attempts you experienced while growing up. Are you presently being defeated by a besetting sin? After you confessed and asked God for forgiveness, you promised never to go back to it, and you sincerely meant ¡t; only for you to find yourself at that same bus stop of sin down the line. With this experience continuing for a while, you might begin to think it is pointless trying to serve God.
Are you giving up? Don’t! Such situation is not new to believers. Almost every true Christian has gone through that phase. Can you believe the greatest of apostles went through ¡t? In Romans 7:15, he says,
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I”
This is a state where there ¡s serious conflict between the old and the new nature, between the flesh and the spirit. It does riot mean you have not been saved when you go through this. The devil will tell you all sorts of things. Refuse to believe him. To overcome this phase which is also transient, persevere. If you fall into the sin, don’t stay there. Ask God for forgiveness and rise up on your feet again. Never stay down; always find your way back to the Cross, receive cleansing and continue with Christ again. Also, identify that particular area of weakness an(i begin to pray specifically on it using Romans 6:51 8, personalizing the scriptures. Avoid any individual that will easily take you back to that sin and sever such a relationship. Avoid physical locations, tangible items and even resigí Ifl’ aJ)polnlnwnt th.t may keep OU ei p(’rmarwnt slave of sin. Pray regularly in the Spirit asking for His help. Have no idle moments with your time fully engaged in things that glorify God.

Thursday 14 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 14 March 2013 CHANGE YOUR METHOD By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 14 March 2013 
CHANGE YOUR METHOD 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6
Read: Numberss 20:7-12
Bible in one year:  Hosea 8-10
Action point: Prayerfully list 5 different ways of doing what you normally do, taking time of time requirements and cost implications, and adopt the best alternative.
 
To get the best from God, you need to know when to make your requests. When you have the opportunity to access God’s mighty presence, explore it to the fullest. A wise believer will optimise every opportunity from God because time is short. Moreover, because of the brevity of time, we should reorder our priorities and move from the unimportant and less urgent matters to the most important and urgent issues. In the same vein, efforts should be made to treat the important but not urgent issues so that they do not end up putting you under avoidable pressure tomorrow. Everything you needed to do which was ignored because it was not urgent, will become urgent at some point, and could cost you much more. Besides this, Luke 9:57-62 tells us that sometimes, an individual, family or group may have to go through self-denial in order to please God. Whenever there is a clash of interest between God’s and yours, just let God have His way.
As we advance in years and become older, our days on earth reduce while our strength begins to give way. As a result of this, there Is need to derive easier and quicker legitimate means of achieving goals. Take Moses as an example. In Exodus 1 7:1 6, God asked him to smite the rock for water to come out, while in Numbers 20:71 2, to achieve the same miraculous result, God asked him to speak to the rock. Although, either way, God can perform the same miracle, yet it is definitely easier to speak to the rock than to strike the rock. When you strike the rock, you exert more energy. Also, the one who is striking a rock will feel some formidable resistance. If you keep meeting with resistance while doing what you routinely do, find out better, easier and more productive alternatives. The difference between speaking to and striking the rock is comparable with using human strength and the strength of the Holy Spirit. Beloved your human strength is largely limited in the things of God: hence you need to wait more on the Lord so as to use His strength to do His work. That way, you get quicker results and you are less stressed. To effectively key into this, find out how you have been working, and the level of result  it has been producing so that you can prayerfully consider what to do extra or  component to be changed for you to get better results.
 

Wednesday 13 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 13 March 2013 ATTITUDE OF WORSHIP By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 13 March 2013 
ATTITUDE OF WORSHIP 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “I would therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” 1Timothy 2:8
Read: 1Timothy 2:1-8
Bible in one year: Hosea 5-7 
Key point: For quality worship, avoid distractions, absent-mindedness and be free from sins.
 
The wise men who trailed the star that appeared at the birth of Jesus were selective worshippers. There are various postures you can take when worshipping God. You can stand and lift up your hands to the Almighty provided your hands are clean’. This position ¡s a way of saying to God, ‘Lord, I surrender to you’. 1 Timothy 2:8 says,
“I will therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting’
For this position of worship to be acceptable to God, your hands must not have shed innocent blood, or be defiled with anything shady. Also, there must be no anger in your heart and no room for doubt. In addition, you could go on your knees to worship God. This position acknowledges that God is superior to you. This was one of Daniel’s favourite positions. Daniel 6:10 says Daniel knelt down to pray and thank God three times a day. Some people feel too big to kneel down for the Lord. If you cannot bend those kneels for God, whom would you bend them to? When God was speaking of His 7000 reserves who feared Him, He described them by the fact that they have not bent  their knees to an idol (1 Kings 19:1 8). After you were saved, your knees are no longer to bend to idols but to the true and living God. How often do you kneel to worship God? Bending your knees is humility. It could be painful to go on your knees to pray, yet, you do not mind enduring that pain in humility to the Almighty God. When last did you bend those kneels to God? The truth ¡s, when you bend your knees to worship God and you do ¡t with all sense of reverence, humility and purpose, sooner or later, situations, circumstances, seen or unseen enemies will be compelled to bow to you. In other words, worship God the way you want things around you to worship or submit to you. 

Monday 11 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 11 March 2013 USEFULNESS OF THE GIFTS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 11 March 2013 
USEFULNESS OF THE GIFTS 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth in Him” Daniel 2:22
Read: John 4:15-20
Bible in one year:  Jonah 1-4
Action point: when the gift of the Spirit is in operation, the word that will hit the sinner below the belt will always be available. Ask god for this gift.
 
After a long trip, the Lord was weary yet instead of resting, He preached to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. John 4:8 says,
“For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.”
Not only was Jesus tired, He was also hungry. It is commonly said that ‘A hungry man is an angry man’. When some people are hungry, you will hardly notice it because of the way they have disciplined their bodies. Yet, there are some people whose bodies will be shaking when they are hungry, due to lack of self-control. The question is, how many Christians can go out to evangelise when they are very hungry? It is easy to do this when you have been able to subdue your body under your spirit man. For our Lord Jesus Christ, unpleasant situations will not allow him miss an opportunity to win souls. Have you ever channeled your hunger towards winning souls? If you have not, the next time you are really hungry, shun the canteen or dining table, go out and look for souls. You will experience the joy that the Lord experienced which surpasses the pleasure from eating. Moreover, another lesson from the story in John 4:2-38 has to do with the place of the miraculous in evangelism. While preaching to the woman at the well, the Lord engaged a gift of the Spirit and revealed to her that she was with a sixth man who was not her husband. With this information, she knew she was dealing with a prophet and she easily accepted the Gospel and went into the city to bring others to Him. You must not rest on your oars until you fully manifest all the gifts of the Spirit. There is one of my Sons who, while preaching to people on a one to one basis, engages the gifts of the Spirit and reveals certain facts that are known only to them, through this, their defenses are destroyed and they submit to the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 8:1 -1 1 , when the woman caught in adultery was dragged before the Lord for judgment, they wanted to start stoning her, but Jesus said the only people that should stone her must be those who have not sinned. At that point, He had keyed into the realm of the Spirit ready to reveal their sins to the public had they cast a stone at her. There are many people who build serious fences around themselves. They hide behind such fences thinking they are smart, to reach such people, all the soul winner needs ¡s the gift of the Spirit to reveal their peculiar state to them and they will submit to God.

Sunday 10 March 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 10 March 2013 ALCOHOL AND IMMORALITY By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 10 March 2013 
ALCOHOL AND IMMORALITY 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things” Proverbs 22: 33
Read: Proverbs 22:29-33
Bible in one year:  Amos 7-12, Obadiah
Key point: If you truly want Jesus living in your home, remove all thrones you have created for the devil
 
Ephesians 5:1 8 says you should be filled with the Holy Spirit and not with wine. That means, you should be so full of the Spirit that there will be no room for any spirit of liquor to occupy. If you are not full of the Holy Spirit and you drink beer or alcohol, you cannot avoid confusion. Those who take alcohol will most likely find sexual sins attractive. Some of them have as a result gone into incestuous intercourse with their daughters or relatives or even rape. Alcohol makes done more vulnerable to sexual sins. If you were struggling with your flesh and you start taking alcohol, you will descend into a deeper level of bondage. Verse 33 of today’s reading says,
“Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things”
Some Christians will build their personal houses and instead of creating a prayer room there, they will have a bar where they will stock different kinds of wines. When you try to dissuade them, even their wives will rise up In their defence. Don’t be surprised to find that they are already having mistresses outside, and if care is not taken, the strange women that are now more appealing to them may drive away their legitimate wife and take over. That shall not be your portion!
The truth is, any Christian sister who allows her husband to drink alcohol is simply setting the stage for strange things in her home. Is your husband saying, ‘It is just a little harmless sip once in a long while’, remember a little sip today will become an uncontrollable gush tomorrow. Be warned! In addition, having a bar in a Christian home completely negates the ethics of godliness. It is an invitation to the spirit of liquor to have its permanent abode in that house. That house will no longer have peace. have peace! Having a bar in your home is having an altar for Satan in that home. You can be sure that the Holy Spirit will simply step aside. Believers’ homes should be identified by the serenity of the place and by the provision of a prayer room for God. You should have an alter where God will meet with you daily. If you don’t, convert your bar or one of your rooms into such an altar for the King of kings today!