Friday 31 January 2014

THE BLESSING OF THE LORD - 01/02/2014

THE BLESSING OF THE LORD - 01/02/2014

In yesterday’s message, titled “WHERE ARE YOU?”, you will agree with me that God is using this forum to touch lives. Thank God for everyone that contributed and for all the prayers. I pray that God will continue prove Himself Mighty in our lives in Jesus Name.  Today’s topic is titled “THE BLESSING OF THE LORD” as given by Pastor E. A Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Proverbs 10:22: “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” and read 1 Kings 17:8-16. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from 1 John1-4 and Psalm 30 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below for our usual discussion. God bless you as you make your contribution to this forum


“A human king sometime ago asked: what should be done for the one in whom I have delight (Esther 3:3)? At the end of the day, the fortune of that fellow in whom King Ahasuerus had delight was turned around. This fellow was Mordecai; his story is a confirmation of 1 Samuel 2:7. The King of kings has all the power and can turn any situation around no matter how seemingly hopeless it is. Time is not a limitation for Him, therefore He can do it within the shortest period, just as He did in the situation of Samaria (2 Kings 7:1-14). He will do much more for you in Jesus‘ Name. The Lord loves to demonstrate His glory by decorating his own people with blessings. Sometimes in order to make it outstanding, he allows the situation of his beloved to become “hopeless” before intervening; this was the case with Lazarus.

The Bible says that Jesus loved Lazarus, yet when it was reported to him that Lazarus was sick, one would expect that He would rush down immediately to heal him, and by so doing, demonstrate to the people how He really loved him. Instead, Jesus waited another three days, and did not get there until the case had completely gotten hopeless - the point where the dead body of his friend (Lazarus) had started decomposing. He did all this in a bid to show how great God is and to make the testimony thick. Do you love God, do you make him number one in your life and yet there is a challenge in your life that seems to have defied solution? Maybe it is even getting worse. I have good news for you: this season, the Lord will step into the situation and make you a star by the time He is through with you.
Note that, following his being raised from the dead, Lazarus of Bethany became an insignia of the greatness of God. He became a wonder. Of course, God would not do this for just anybody, it is for the one whom He loves. However the one He loves must be a lover of God himself.
”I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” Proverbs 8:17  

A lover of God would want to be in the presence of God first thing in the day. Jesus loved his Father when he was here, and so a great while before the day dawns, before  others were up he would visit with his Father (Mark 1:35). How often do you do this?”


The prayer point for today as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye (Adeboye, 2014) is that God will bless you and even more than that, make you a blessing.

I pray for every reader of today’s devotional that as the Almighty God  raised Lazarus from the dead and made him an insignia of His greatness, He will give us an overflowing transformation that will announce His greatness to the whole world through us, Amen

Wishing you a happy new month. Happy overflow!!!

Reference:

Adeboye, E. A. (2014) . Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.

Thursday 30 January 2014

WHERE ARE YOU? - 31/01/2014

WHERE ARE YOU? - 31/01/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “SECRETS OF OVERWHELMING BLESSINGS” while today’s topic is “WHERE ARE YOU?” as given by Pastor E. A Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Philippians 3: 14: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” and read Philippians 3:12-15. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from 1 Peter 5, 2 Peter 1-3, and Psalm 29 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below for our usual discussion. God bless you as you make your contribution to this forum.

“If a child of God will fully actualise and fulfil in totality the purpose of God for him, the question — ”Where am I?” must be asked and answered conscientiously from time to time. Right from the day of birth, a man begins a return journey to where he came from (Ecclesiastics 12:1 -7). This is   why you are not asked how young but rather how old you are? Even though some individuals would like to tie down time and prevent themselves from ageing, thinking of a means for achieving such only amounts to living in a fool's paradise. No matter the level of cosmetology therapy you accord your body, your internal organs would tell you: ”you are only joking”. The facial ridges and furrows would betray your ”smartness”. The point therefore is: you need to face reality. To answer the question, ”where am I?’’ you need to consider the following questions in sequence:
- Where was I yesterday?
- Where am I now?
- Where can I be?
- Though where I am now may look good to me, is this where I ought to be?
- Where do I want to be, going forward?
In Philippians 3:10, Apostle Paul declared: ”That I may know Him”, even though he was already an apostle. There is always room for moving higher. If however you are already satisfied with your present level or position, then there is nothing anyone can do to move you forward. Note however that the day you get satisfied, that day you begin to come down the ladder of ascent. It is my prayer that you will not be satisfied yet. Are you thirsty for more of Christ and all He has for you? If thirsty, how thirsty are you? Jesus in Matthew 5:6 said: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

You need to know also that there is a price to pay to achieve greatness (Philippians 3:7). Are you therefore ready to go through some physical hardships and discomforts in order to reach your goal? You should also be aware of the danger of resting before arriving at your destination (1 Kings 1 3:1 1-30). The misleading old prophet caught up with the young prophet while he rested along the way to his destination (1 Kings 13:14). This cost him his life and destiny. Finally, be aware of the great joy of finishing well (2 Timothy 4:7-8). You Will finish well in Jesus’ Name”

Today, we have been asked to pray as follows: “Father, keep me thirsting for more of you; anything that would constitute barrier in my upward journey, let it be removed by fire in Jesus' Name”

I pray that we shall all finish well in Jesus Name. See you at the top…….

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) . Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

SECRETS OF OVERWHELMING BLESSINGS - 30/01/2014

SECRETS OF OVERWHELMING BLESSINGS - 30/01/2014

Yesterday’s topic was "THE PRESENT HELP IN TIME OF NEED" while today’s message is titled "SECRETS OF OVERWHELMING BLESSINGS" as given by Pastor E. A Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Deuteronomy 28:1: “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth” and read Proverbs 11:24-25. Our Bible in one year reading for today is taken from 1 Peter 1-4 and Psalm 28 (Adeboye, 2014).

Today’s message is quoted below for our usual discussion. God bless Daddy GO and God bless every one of us as we reflect on the message.

“God wants you to have overwhelming ‘blessings; blessings that you will have and you Will say it is enough. Having such blessings - t e type that God gives, depends on what you hear and on what you see. Also, to be overwhelmingly blessed depends on how you go about acting on what you hear and see. Hearing well, seeing well and doing what you hear and see well depends on God. It is He alone who can give the grace to hear, see and do well. This is why it is very important and urgent too for whosoever wants God's type of blessing which does not include sorrow to be born of God (John 3:3). Indeed God wants you to be the head and not the tail. He wants you to be above the principalities of poverty and all forms of suffering that come with it. In 3 John 2 He said: ”Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth .” It took a long time before some people accepted the truth that God is interested in the prosperity of His children. Many still have not come across or accepted this truth even today.

There are several people today that God wants to bless, but they are not yet ready for the blessing because they have not heard the correct teaching concerning godly blessings as clearly written in Deuteronomy 28. This is just like many people today, who ordinarily would have loved to live holy lives, but because they hear all the time that it does not matter how they live their lives, that once they are born-again they are on their way to heaven, they live a lifestyle that has shipwrecked their faith. What this people are hearing is determining their destination after this life. Beloved, if you have been taught that tithing is an Old Testament practice and you ignore the commandment of God in Malachi 3:10, then you have sentenced yourself to perpetual penury. Know that the condition for God's blessing is diligent obedience to biblical instructions as His eternal truth for all ages. This is why you must hear well and see well in order to do well for God to open His treasury of blessings upon you. This is why every child of God must make sure he or she fellowships in a Bible believing Christian assembly where they will be taught to practice godliness without compromise. My prayer for you is that the truth that will take you to your next level of prosperity will be unfolded to you in Jesus’ Name.” (Adeboye, 2014)

Our prayer point for today is that God should please open our eyes and ears to the secrets of overwhelming blessings in His word and help us to be diligent enough to do accordingly in Jesus Name.

I pray that the Almighty God will open my eyes, and the eyes of everyone that read today’s devotional to see the needed secret that will transform us to a greater height in Jesus name.  

Reference:

Adeboye, E. A. (2014) . Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.

REMINDER:2014 100 DAYS FASTING AND PRAYERS 30/01/2014

REMINDER:2014 100 DAYS FASTING AND PRAYERS 30/01/2014

It's exactly 4 weeks since RCCG started the 100 DAYS  fasting and I can assure you that I am already witnessing the Hand of God in a new dimension in my life. I'll encourage you to join if you have not yet started; I'm posting the prayer points again. God bless us all in Jesus name

RCCG 2014 100 DAYS FAST: PRAYER POINTS

OH LORD, WE THANK THEE
1        Worship God for who He is. 1 Chron. 29:11-14; Psa. 96:9
2        Thank God for being our help in ages past. Psa. 90:1
3        Thank God for His mercy that is renewed upon us every morning. 1 Chron. 16:34
4        Like Noah, thank God for a miraculous cross over into a brand new year. Gen. 8:13
5        Thank God for preserving our lives. Psa. 121:7-8
6        Thank God for the peace of God that in reigning in your country. Isa. 26:3
7        Thank God for the glory of God that is manifesting all over the world. Psa. 19:1-3
8        Thank God for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that is penetrating the unreached part of the world. Matt. 4:6
9        Thank God for genuine men of God and their ministerial assignments. Matt.12:18
10    Thank for fighting for your country against destruction and terrorists. Psa. 35:18-20
11    Thank God for His good hands that is upon RCCG. Neh. 2.8
12    Thank God for blessing this generation with Daddy and Mummy G.O. Gen. 12.2-3
13    Please give thanks unto the Lord for Daddy and Mummy G. O.
14    Thank God for Great expansions in RCCG. Eccl 9.11
15    Thank God for all the monthly Holy Ghost Services. Psa. 127.1
16    Thank God for the Special Holy Ghost Services in March.
17    Thank God for all the Holy Ghost Congresses in December starting from Lekki ’98. Psa. 127.1
18    Thank God for all other programs in RCCG. Rom 9.15-16
19    Let many praise you because of what you are doing in our lives, O Lord. Psa. 76.3-5
20    Praise God for His healing power.

OH LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US
21    Have mercy and answer our prayers, O Lord. Eccl. 9.11
22    Let us confess all our sins to God and ask for His forgiveness. 1 john 1.9-10
23    Let God have mercy and establish us forever. Psa. 40.2; Psa. 125.1
24    Ask that God should, by His mercy, destroy the yoke of falling and rising in the lives of all His children all over the world, O Lord. Psa. 125.1
25    Let God have mercy on us and rearrange every disorganized thing in this world of ours. Gen 1.2-3

ARISE, OH LORD
26    Arise, O Lord, stretch out your hand and deliver us from horrible pits and miry clays of life. Psa. 40.2
27    Arise, O Lord, and let every power of the enemy on my life become impotent. Psa. 68.2
28    Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered in our nations. Psa. 68.1-2
29    Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered in all our churches. Psa. 68.
30    Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered in my family.
31    Let God arise and let all those against the Church be totally frustrated.
32    Let us ask God to arise and scatter every enemy of our progress. Psa. 68.1-2
33    Let God reach forth to hold your right hand and use it to subdue every personality that is rising against you. Isa 45.1
34    Let God arise and let every yoke of time-wasters be broken in your life. Isa 45.2

OH LORD, OUR GOD….
35    Father, put a new song in the mouth of your children.  Psa. 40.3
36    Father, do a creative miracle in your Church. Psa. 1.1-5
37    Father, let your light shine into every situation of our lives. Gen 1.3
38    Father, let your light overshadow every activities of darkness in your Church. Gen 1.3
39    Father, expose every secret of your enemies in all our parishes. Gen 1.4
40    Father, do marvelous creative miracles in our lives. John 9.1-7
41    Father, as smoke is driven away, so let the wicked be driven away from our homes. Psa. 68.2
42    Father, as wax melts in the presence of fire, so let the wicked melt away in our countries. Psa. 68.2
43    Father, be our God in all our nations. 1 kings 18.36.39
44    Father, continue to be the Shepherd of our souls. Psa. 63.7-14
45    Father, speak to us in the way we will be able to understand your leadings. Psa. 23.1
46    Father, help us to win more souls to your Kingdom.
47    Father, release upon me the anointing to fulfill my destiny.
48    Father, you are holy; keep us in your holiness.
49    Father, give us the heart to obey you as sheep obey the shepherd. Psa. 23.1

OH GOD, HEARKEN UNTO US
50    Let us decree peace into our countries. Psa. 23.2
51    Let us decree peace into our homes Psa. 23.2
52    Let us pray against riots and war in our countries Psa. 23.2
53    Let us ask God protect our His Church from the aggression of destroyers Psa. 91.1-16
54    Pray for peaceful weather all over the world. Psa. 91.10-13
55    Pray for the president of your country and his/her cabinet. 1Tim. 2.1-4
56    Pray for the salvation of souls of the politicians and leaders of your country 1 Tim. 2.1-4
57    Pray for the progress of your country
58    Pray against natural disasters in your country. Psa. 91.3
59    Let us pray against road accident, plane crash and ship wreck. Psa. 91
60    Let us ask God to protect His children from sudden death. Psa. 91.7-8
61    Pray for safe arrival of travelers throughout this year. Psa. 91.1
62    Pray against fire disaster in your homes and offices Psa. 91.1
63    Pray for God’s protection over your home Psa. 91
64    Ask God to open the heavens for the Redemption Prayer Garden (RPG) in the Redemption camp, Nigeria. Psa. 23
65    Pray that God will move men to favour the building of the Redemption Prayer Garden Psa. 23.5
66    Let us ask God to cage and disgrace every Sanbalat and Tobiah assigned from the kingdom of hell to hinder the work. Neh. 4.4
67    Ask God to open the flood gate of heavens and let it rain financially over Redemption Prayer Garden. Isa 45.1
68    Pray that every evil association that is against your progress be scattered. Isa. 45.2
69    Pray that God will make a way for you where there is no way. Ex. 14.19-26
70    Pray that God will make you the head and not the tail. Deut 28.13
71    Let us ask for open heavens for all nations of the world.  Deut. 28.12
72    Let us ask God to help all the nations Presidents and their Cabinets to lead us rightly. 1 Tim 2.1-4
73    Let us pray that God will raise men of vision to move us forward in all our nations. 1 Tim 2.1-4
74    Let us commit the education of our children into the hands of God. Psa. 121
75    Let us pray that every enemy of our nations be uprooted in Jesus name. Psa. 143.12
76    Let us command that every ritual killer be exposed and judged by God in Jesus name. Prov. 26.27
77    Let us pray that everyone who is working against our nations be put to shame. Psa. 356
78    Let us pray that God will make our leaders faithful leaders. 1 Tim. 2.1-4
79    Let us pray for open door for gospels in the yet unreached lands/nations of the world. Isa 45.1
80    Let us pray against fraud and corruption in our nation. Psa.1.4-5
81    Let us pray for peace in our land.  Psa. 23.2
82    Let us ask God for bumper harvest of souls all over the world. Gen 1.28
83    Let us ask God to scatter every coven that is gathering against our nation. Psa. 68.1-2
84    Let us ask God for His intervention in the Banking system of respective nation. Psa. 127.1
85    Let us pray for restoration of the glory of Naira, the currency of Nigeria. Joel 2. 25-26
86    Pray that God will help all those who put their trust in Him. Psa. 60.11
87    Pray that God will help His people to rely on Him alone. Psa. 60.11
88    Ask God for help from any area you need help. Psa. 108.12
89    Pray for God’s help to make it home eternally. Rom 9.15-16
90    Ask God to breathe the breath of life into all good efforts of the rulers in your country.
Gen 2.7
91    Let the wind blow and let breath come from all four corners of the earth and revive every dead good project in your families. Ezek. 37.1-12

HEARKEN UNTO ME, OH LORD
92    Ask God to visit your country and reverse the irreversible. Psa. 125.3
93    Pray for your Pastors and other leaders that God will reverse every irreversible in their lives. Psa. 125.3
94    Pray that God will reverse the irreversible in your life Psa. 126.
95    Pray that God will restore back to you your lost glory Psa. 126
96    Ask God to restore back to you, the years eaten by locust. Joel 2.1
97    Ask God to restore you in all the ways you have strayed from the narrow path. Psa. 50
98    Ask God for a new beginning. Gen 1.1-3
99    Ask God to deal with all agents of death against your life. Psa. 35.1-6
100 Ask God to let you enjoy peace like a river – in your body, marriage, business, ministry, etc Psa. 23.2
101 Ask God to apply His healing balm over every sick area of your life and heal you all round. Jer.8.22
102 Pray that you will not know any form of sickness again from today. John 19.30
103 Ask for the grace to walk perfectly before the Lord. Gen 17.1
104 Ask God to give you the very best He can give to any man this year. Psa. 23.5
105 Ask God to make you be the very best that any human being can be for Him, this Year Psa. 23.5
106 Ask God to make you a blessing to the whole world. Gen. 12.2-3
107 Ask God for the grace to forsake every way of sin and live holy.
108 Ask God to put an end to all your problems this year. Psa. 60.11
109 Ask the Lord to pray for you just like He prayed for Peter. Lu. 22.32-33
110Ask God to empower you to be a blessing in healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead to life, etc Acts 10.38
111 Ask God to part every river Jordan before you and remove everything that is blocking the way to your destiny. 2 kings 2.12-13, Matt 7.7
112 Ask that every curse in your family, town and everywhere change to blessings. Ex. 28.1-14
113 Ask that God would show all those who have been mocking you saying, where is your God, that He is by your side.
114 Ask God to make your blessing last forever so that, after my death, will still be a blessing. Gen 12.2-3

FINALLY BRETHREN, PRAY FOR DADDY AND MUMMY G. O.
115. “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be  glorified, even as it is with you:  And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and  wicked men: for all men have not faith.” 2Thessalonians 3:1-2



Tuesday 28 January 2014

THE PRESENT HELP IN TIME OF NEED- 29/01/2014

THE PRESENT HELP IN TIME OF NEED- 29/01/2014

The topic that was treated yesterday in the Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014) was “EVERYONE NEEDS A MIRACLE”. Today’s topic in the Daily Devotional is “THE PRESENT HELP IN TIME OF NEED”; the memory verse was taken from Philippians 4:19: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ”. and the Bible Reading for today’s message  is given as Matthew 17:24-27. In order to observe our Bible in one year’s reading, we have been asked to read James 1-5 and Psalm 27. (Adeboye, 2014)
The message is quoted below for our usual discussion. God bless Daddy GO and God bless every one of us as we reflect on the message.

“The Lord is the Great Provider. He has provided for numerous people before and He will provide for the needy again and again. In John 6:5-13 we read of how the Lord provided food for a multitude. He can provide for your family as well. God's provision takes different forms. In this case, that which was available - a small meal was multiplied supernaturally as it was shared. After everybody had eaten, there were twelve baskets of extra food left over. There are times He provides by creative miracles - bringing into existence what was not available before. The case of money from the mouth of a fish as we read in today's Bible reading is a very good example. I have always believed that in every man's life, there is a river with a fish in it. I implore you to take soul winning seriously because there is somebody somewhere waiting to be witnessed to, in whose hands the Lord has deposited resources that will meet some kingdom needs. By the grace of God, the Lord has enabled me to catch some fishes for him, who in turn He is using to meet some of His needs. Those whom the apostles won to Christ brought everything to the apostles‘ feet for distribution among the saints. God loves you so much that you don't have to beg to possess anything. You will enjoy a deep sense of freedom when you realise that everything you need is in God's hands and that he can direct it to you as He pleases. During our annual convention a few years ago, I completely ran out of money because we usually feed the participants whose number we normally could not determine in order to draw up a specific budget. It was on a Thursday of the convention week which was to last till Sunday and we had completely run out of money. My wife ran to me and said, ”Darling, we need N5,000 now”. I told her to go and come back to me later. After she left, I said ”Almighty God, you heard that; I need N5,000 now”. Some minutes after the prayer, a man came and said, "I was just driving past and saw the activities going on here. I didn't know so much is going on here. Next, year, I would like to be a part of it.” As he turned to go, he dipped his hands into his pocket and gave me an envelope which I eagerly opened to find N1,000 in it. I was encouraged and told God that ”We have N1,000 down, now it is N-4,000 to go!” Shortly after that, two young people in the Church came with,‘ envelopes in their hands and handed them to me. I found N2,000 in each of them. This was how the Lord met that immediate need. I pray that before the end of today, the need that woke you up from your sleep shall be met by the Present Help in Jesus’ Name.”

Today’s Prayer Point as given in the Open Heavens is, “Father, I thank you because you are the Present Help in the time of need. Please meet me at the point of my needs today in Jesus' Name”. (Adeboye, 2014)

I just said this prayer point with the whole of my heart. What about you?


Monday 27 January 2014

EVERYONE NEEDS A MIRACLE: 28/01/2014

EVERYONE NEEDS A MIRACLE: 28/01/2014

The topic that was treated yesterday in the Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014) was Yesterday was “WHO SHALL GO FOR US” and it really awakened my zeal for evangelism. Thank God for everyone that contributed to the forum. I pray that the grace never to be weary will be released to all of us in Jesus name. Today’s topic in the Daily Devotional is “EVERYONE NEEDS A MIRACLE”; the memory verse was taken from Psalm 55:16: “As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me”.
To observe our Bible in one year’s reading, we have been asked to read Hebrews 11-13 and Psalm 26

The Bible Reading for today’s message  is given as Mark 5:22-23

22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

The message is quoted below for our usual discussion. God bless Daddy GO and God bless every one of us as we reflect on the message.

“Some years ago, I was invited to be the guest speaker at a garden party in an exclusive, highbrow residential area. Because I arrived at the venue (Luke early, I was made to sit for a while in the house of my host. The house was an exquisite parade of wealth and splendour. I had never seen such brazen display of wealth in my life. The house contained six living rooms. I was kept in one of them. From where I was, I could see five other living rooms in ascending order of affluence. It was as if prosperity was on parade. After surveying the entire environment, I decided to change the topic of my message. Initially, I had wanted to preach on the topic: ”Your miracle is around”. I concluded: ”These people do not need a miracle”. I decided to change my topic to: ”What the Lord has done for me, I cannot tel it all” or ”Bless the Lord, 0 m soul”. While I was still thinking of changing the message, the Holy Spirit nudged me: ”Son, these people need a miracle more than you could ever imagine”. With every opportunity the Lord gives me to minister to men and women of substance, I have always leant that even they need miracles. All human beings need miracles irrespective of race, status or social standing. The Bible is a complete book. There is no aspect of human life that is not addressed in God's word. There is something in the Bible for all.

The story in today's reading centres on an eminent personality. Jairus was a man of uncommon achievement by all standards. He was a man of whom it could be said: ”he has made it in life”. in spite of his great achievements, however, he had one problem which money could not solve. His only daughter was at the verge of death. I n his seemingly hopeless situation, Jairus sought help from the Lord and the Lord met him at the point of his need. The Lord will meet you at the point of your need today in Jesus‘ Name. Like the case of Jairus, the man whose house I described above had one problem money could not solve. After the programme, the man pleaded passionately with me to pray over the case of his  son who was then a drug addict. The fact that the man was respected in the society God not grant him immunity from the storms of life. Before the intervention of God, this son was busy ruining the fortunes of the family; but I thank the Lord who touched him. The good news is that he has remained responsible and sensible since he received the touch of God. If you feel you don't need a miracle for yourself, you may need it for your family and children. It is possible that you may not need a miracle for your children but someone else who is precious to you might need a miracle. I pray that that your long-awaited miracle shall come to you today in Jesus‘ Name. Only believe, and you shall see the glory of God”

In today’s Devotional study, we have been asked to pray as follows: “Father, give me a miracle today that will turn life around for good in Jesus Name”- (Adeboye, 2014)

I pray that that long-awaited miracle will overflow in our situation today in Jesus Name.

Reference:

Adeboye, E. A. (2014) . Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.

Sunday 26 January 2014

WHO SHALL GO FOR US? -27/01/2014

WHO SHALL GO FOR US? -27/01/2014

In yesterday's message, as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014), we learnt about the necessity of the miraculous.  The message that we studied in the devotional this morning is titled "WHO SHALL GO FOR US?"

The memory verse is from Isaiah 6:8, "Also I heard the voice of The Lord, saying Whom shall I send? who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me" and our Bible reading is taken from Mark 16:15-16 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" while the Bible in one year exercise for today is Hebrews 9-10 and Psalm 25

Thanks to all that read and contributed to yesterday's discussion. Today's message is quoted below, as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye  (Adeboye, 2014). Please feel free to continue the conversation and edify one another in the process (Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend- Proverbs 27:17)

"God needs men and women who have found the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to go out in search of lost souls. He laid down an example for us in Genesis 3:9 where He went looking for Adam in the Garden of Eden after the fall. God is looking for people to win street boys and girls, (pimps, hardened criminals, robbers, social miscreants, drug dealers, prostitutes, etc. God is looking for those who are highly anointed to bring these unreached| groups into. His kingdom. We must target people who are the brains behind insecurity in our societies if we really desire security of lives and property. God like in the days of Isaiah the prophet is looking for highly anointed people to send to nations that are resistant to the gospel. We need people who can minister in societies that are dominated by atheists, hard-core Muslims, secularists humanists as well as those who are sold out to the occult: God needs missionaries who are powerfully anointed to out for Him and rescue perishing souls around the world. The Church needs believers who have what it takes to go out there and heal the sick, cast out demons and deliver the oppressed in the Name of Jesus Christ. God is asking passionately, ”Who shall I send, who shall go for us?” Are you highly anointed? If your answer is yes, then say to Him: ”Here am I, send me”. The anointing which God is bringing your way through this devotional is not meant for frivolities, it is meant to meet the needs of the assignment God has for you.

When my birthday approaches, people ask me time and again: ”What do you desire as a gift for your birthday?” I have always replied: ”Souls”. The greatest gift anyone can ever give me is the salvation of multitude of souls. The salvation of souls not only brings joy to me but also to my Daddy. Go all the way to win souls if you want to please God. The Bible in Ezekiel 3:18 says,

”When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”
The implication of this scripture is that some believers may be in danger of hell, not because they directly commit the so called popular sins, but because of the sin of omission. Failure to go all out to evangelise is a sin of omission. The Lord consistently is asking: ”Who will go for us?” Let our answer be: ”Here am I, send me”. You shall be mightily rewarded for it."

Today's action point is for us to draw out a personal soul-winning programme for ourselves and better still, for our family and work out its execution without further delay.

I pray that the divine grace and ability to execute my soul winning plans will never be truncated by the enemy in Jesus name.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) . Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.


Saturday 25 January 2014

THE NECESSITY OF THE MIRACULOUS

In yesterday's message, as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014), we learnt that God's Government is supreme to any earthly government. Today's topic  is "THE NECESSITY OF THE MIRACULOUS"

And the memory verse is taken from Psalms 77:14: "Thou art the God that does wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people" 

The Bible readings for today is John 2:9-11 and Bible in one year, Hebrews 5:10-8:13 and Psalm 24

Quoted below is the message, which is of a great blessing to me and it is open to our discussion as usual. God bless you all as you share your ideas and inspiration.

"Miracles are desperately needed in the world today as multitudes have found themselves in situations that require divine intervention. Have you ever wondered what would have happened if there were no miracles in the world? Of course, many lives would have been destroyed. Thank God, we serve a miracle-working God. In Psalm 136:4 the Bible calls Him the God that does wonders. Wherever God finds human needs, He manifests His power to perform miracles, signs and wonders if invited. There is no need on the face of the earth that God cannot meet. It was the miraculous deed of Jesus that saved the bridegroom in the storm of John 2 from life-time shame when the wine finished half -way into his reception party. People have asked: Why do we need miracles‘? The answer is very simple. To live without miracles is to live at the average or below average level. It is very dangerous to be at the average level. It is unfortunate that most Christians have decided to live and die averagely. You don't need miracles, if all you want to be is an average achiever. However, if you make up your mind to be outstanding, you need the miracles of God to achieve your desires in this hostile world.

You need to rasp the meaning of average for you to better understand the necessity for the miraculous. When you survey the entire spectrum of wealth, you will discover that there are various categories. At one extreme, you will find the Poor who can never make ends meet. Next to the poor is the Comfortable. He is the one who makes ends meet but has no savings. After this comes the Rich. In this category you have people whose needs are met with added luxury of some savings. Next to the rich are the Wealthy. How can we identify the wealthy? Such people do not only have some A savings, but they are so rich that they can afford to put their surplus in fixed deposits. At the extreme end of the spectrum of wealth are the flourishing. This group of people are so rich that they can lend to nations. Based on this spectrum, average is defined by the rich. God is willing to take many of us to the realm of the flourishing if we believe in miracles (Psalm 92:12-1 4). God’s plan for your life is to make you fat and flourishing. However when you look at the situation of man since the fall in the Garden of Eden, you will clearly see the necessity of the miraculous in returning man to God's original plan. This plan is expressed in the fact that God had prepared all that man would need before man's creation (Genesis 1:28). I pray that the miracle that will lift you from the level of the average to the level of the flourishing will come your way this season in Jesus’ Name"
Adeboye (2014)

For today's action point, we are to pray like Jabez, that God would bless you, enlarge your coast and cause you to flourish.

The Almighty God will surprise us with the miraculous today ans we reflect on this message in Jesus name


Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) . Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.

Friday 24 January 2014

GOD RULES IN HUMAN GOVERNMENTS - 25/01/2013

Today's topic as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014) is "GOD RULES IN HUMAN GOVERNMENTS" 

The memory verse was taken from  Daniel 4:17: “To the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men” , the Bible Reading is given as 2 Chronicles 20:5-6 and Bible in one year is Hebrews 1:1-5:9 and Pslam 23

The message is as quoted below. Feel free to discuss the lessons learnt from today's study and let's shame the kingdom of darkness

"God rules in the affairs of men. There is no government of this world outside the control of the sovereign Lord. Political scientists may try to predict future events that will occur in a government, but the most accurate Information about a government lies in the hands of God. In an ideal democracy, people assume elective positions based on the votes of the masses. The constitutions of such countries spell out how long a government should stay in power before a change can take place by the same electoral process. The sovereign Lord does not require such procedures to change any government. e fact remains that He is in charge in the affairs of all nations. Wise people would therefore pray and commit their government into God's hands. Those who think they can carry on without Him have realised too late that there is someone above and over all the governments of the world. A good example of God's intervention in human government is the case of Egypt. They were at one time the strongest of all governments on earth and so controlled to large extent, the affairs of the known world. The sovereign Lord intervened in the dream of Pharaoh King of Egypt. He had a dream that troubled his spirit. The meaning and application of this dream was beyond what the magicians could look into by their usual consultation with the powers of darkness. Sometimes, God conceals a secret for a divine purpose to be fulfilled. God revealed the secret to Joseph who interpreted the dream. This feat earned him the position of the prime minister. Ordinarily, the slave boy could not have become so powerful by human manipulation.

Prayer for those in Government is very good and clearly recommended. God expects His children to pray in this direction: that He may control the affairs of their government and that He may get the attention of those in power. This is why Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1 -2 advised that we should pray for public office holders, that God may use them to maintain peace in our environment.

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead  quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

We must cultivate the habit of praying for our governments if we want God to rule in our affairs for justice, peace, progress and prosperity"

Our action point for today is to decide to spend time praying for the various governments of our country and for those in position of authority.

We pray that God will reign supreme in the lives of the Government of Nigeria and other nations of the world

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) . Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.



Thursday 23 January 2014

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Friday, 24th January, 2014: GOD IS STILL IN CHARGE By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Quoted below is today's message as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). I was seriously blessed by it. Hope you too are blessed.

TOPIC: GOD IS STILL IN CHARGE

Memorise: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Colossians 1:17

Read: Jeremiah 31 :35

Bible in one year: Titus 1-3, Philemon 1, Psalm 22:22-31

 MESSAGE:
God is at the core of the creation of Heaven and Earth. Without Him, there could never have been anything’ The opening verses of Genesis 1 reveal the activities of God in making creation suitable for man's habitation Unlike many ancient and modern writers who assume what they do not know about creation, Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit began his account of creation  Genesis with conviction and plain claims. By revelation he knew God was behind creation and he stated it plainly as that. This kind of accurate knowledge that takes a writer back to several years before his time could only come by revelation. Some theologians say that the earth had been in that disorderly state for several millions and billions of years and scientists also claim that archaeological discoveries reveal prehistoric matters that had existed before man was created to exercise dominion over creation. Whatever it was, the point is that with God, there can be a new beginning no matter how far back the record of disorderliness and darkness in anybody's life may go. The most important period in your life begins when God gives you a new beginning. The wastage  of the past, the crisis of the past and the darkness of the past will give way for a new beginning when God commands a new sunrise in your life. I decree on behalf of my Daddy in heaven, that every disorderliness and darkness in your life will give way in Jesus' Name.

Before God commanded the light to be, the Bible says the earth was void and without form, and darkness reigned over creation. This state was totally against what God had in mind for creating the heavens and the earth, but this problem was not beyond redemption. We must let this fact sink into our minds: that God is still in charge of His universe. The Lord can redesign your life which the enemy may have battered. Your achievements may be nothing to compare with what God had in mind about you from the beginning and darkness may be reigning supreme in your life instead of light. God will give you a new beginning because He has control over the entire creation. He is completely in charge. Several years ago, one of my children went to America to study. There was a change in government and the new government refused to continue the scholarship. Things got so bad for him and his family that there was no food in the house, but God Almighty who will always be in charge sent some Americans who were going on house to house evangelism to them. On realising that this couple and their set of twins were starving, they did not only provide food but also job for his wife. Today, the family has at least two houses that I know about in America. This season shall mark the beginning of new things in your life in Jesus name.

Prayer point:

Father, speak your creative words into my life and turn it around for good in Jesus' Name.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) . Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.

Wednesday 22 January 2014

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Thursday, 23rd January, 2014: NEW LIFE IN JESUS II By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Thursday, 23rd January, 2014

TOPIC: NEW LIFE IN JESUS II

Memorise:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Read:
Romans 6:12-13

Bible in one year: 
2 Timothy 1-4,  Psalm 22:1-21.

MESSAGE:
As a born-again Christian, you need to understand and live by the nature of the new creature that you are. This is the key to your victory in this world. One character of your new nature is revealed in Galatians 5:25:
”And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts ”
Once you belong to Jesus Christ by being born-again, your sinful nature has been crucified. Your nature no longer conforms to that which is controlled by the flesh because you are dead to the flesh. This is further clarified in Romans 8:9-10:
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
 However it does not end there. Armed with this understanding of who you are, you have to conscientiously by faith enforce this victory over the flesh in your mind. 1 Peter 4:1 says:
”Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; ”
This day-to-day battle of enforcement and resistance will be very ”painful”. The flesh is not going to like your stance; but you must let it know that you are dead to it and it cannot rule you; As a matter of compulsion, make no provision for the flesh . Apart from the flesh being crucified, another character of your new nature is that through Christ, the world is crucified to you and you are crucified to the world (Galatians 6:14). This implies that you are dead to the world. What does this mean? Before we were born-again, we had friends or relations whose company we used to enjoy, people whose opinions mattered a lot to us and influenced us to do lots of things we did not really want to do. Many a times some people are found smoking not because they enjoy smoking,

But because they were worried about their friends’ uncomplimentary remarks about their abstinence from such habits. Therefore when their peers smoke, they join them to smoke even though they know that smoking will send them to their untimely death. However, once you are born-again, armed with the mindset that you are dead to the world, such opinions will no longer matter. It does not matter what they say, you are determined to follow Jesus. You will not perish with the world in Jesus‘ Name.

Prayer point:
Father, thank you for giving me a new life in Christ; please help me to live by this new life till I see you in glory

Tuesday 21 January 2014

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Wednesday, 22nd January, 2014: NEW LIFE IN JESUS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Wednesday, 22nd January, 2014

TOPIC: NEW LIFE IN JESUS

Memorise:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become   new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Read:
Galatians 2:20

Bible in one year:
1 Timothy 1-6, Psalm 21

MESSAGE:
No doubt, there are lot of things that Apostle Paul wrote which are hard to fathom. How can somebody be crucified and yet be alive? A crucified fellow is bound to die; but in Galatians 2:20, Paul says ’’I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live”. What he is saying here is that ‘the man that I used to be is dead: the fornicator is dead; the liar is dead; that man who used to be angry is dead; that man who used to defraud is dead; the man with the unforgiving spirit is dead; thank God, that man on the way to hell is dead; now I am going to heaven; I am a brand new creature‘.
What message is Apostle Paul trying to convey when he says:  “I am crucified”? What really does he mean when he says: “Christ is living in me”? When we become born-again, the Bible says we become brand new creatures in Jesus Christ. Quite a lot of things change when we become born-again; all of them are inward things which later reflect on the outside. Assuming you attend a church service and you become born-again during the service, if you came in as a black fellow, you would still leave as a black fellow. After salvation, the colour of your skin does not change and you don't grow taller or shorter. However, inwardly, certain things have changed. Your spirit now is in communion with God. Your spirit man that was dead before is now alive; but you are still living in the same body. The devil will try as much as possible to use that body to drag you back to his ways, but you must not give in. I pray that you will not backslide in Jesus’ Name. It is now your duty to keep on renewing your mind to keep the cravings of your body under the control of your spirit. You need to keep reminding your mind and body that your flesh has been crucified. Apostle Paul writing in Galatians 5:24 said:
“And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
There are certain things that the body loves to do and it is eager to do them all the time. Many will claim that they are already crucified with Christ, but their stomach is still their lord. For instance, if a fasting period of seven days is declared, many people will be very sad. Why will they be sad? It is because almost immediately, their stomachs will start rumbling in agitation: “What are you trying to do? Do you want to starve me and deny me food?” That is the flesh grumbling and crying out. What you must do at that moment is to silence the flesh, declaring by faith that it has been crucified, thus bringing it under and subjecting it to the dictates of the Spirit.

Action Point:
Decide as from today, which day(s) of the week you will be fasting. This is on way of bringing your body under subjection of the Spirit



Monday 20 January 2014

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Tuesday, 21st January, 2014: A LESSON PROM GOLIATH By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Tuesday, 21st January, 2014

TOPIC: A LESSON PROM GOLIATH

Memorize:
 “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber; a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.”

Read:
Proverbs 6:10-11, 1 Samuel 17:41-43

Bible in 1 year:
1 Thessalonians 5 - 2Thessalonians 3, Psalm 20

At the first sight of David, Goliath despised him. He was amazed that the children of Israel could find no man to fight him but a young boy. As if that was not enough, Goliath did not see any conventional weapon of war on David. So he asked, “Am I a dog?” The first lesson we have to learn from this story as Christians is that we must never underestimate our enemies. A small snake can be full of potent poison. In Joshua 7:2-6, the Bible tells us that after the fall of Jericho, Joshua relaxed, thinking that since they were victorious over Jericho, a small town like Ai would pose no problems. He underestimated the enemy and lost thirty-six men. Any overconfident person will fall; so, be careful that you don't fall. It was overconfidence that destroyed Samson according to Judges 16:6-21. Delilah asked him outright about the secret of his strength and how he could be bound and tormented. The intent was clear enough for him to take caution, but Samson underestimated the power of a woman and he fell. You better not underestimate your enemy. The Bible says that we should beware of little foxes in Song of Solomon 2:15. These are things that we think are not very important or too bad. For example, a little exposure of your nakedness can make you a victim of rape as a woman. Also, a brief glance at pornographic pictures on the internet can weaken your power of resistance against illicit sex and you could become a victim of sexual perversion. A little indulgence in idleness and pleasure seeking could make you poor perpetually according to today's memory verse.

Goliath came to the battle with swords, bow and arrow while David came in the Name of the Lord of Hosts. One said he would do it on his own while the other said the Lord would do it for him. Another lesson we must learn from Goliath is pride which I describe as a dangerous relative of overconfidence. Overconfidence leads to pride. When you are too confident of yourself, you will feel you do not need God. God says in Proverbs 6:16-17:
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,”
Goliath never thought David could come near him, not to talk of defeating him. Many of us boast that nothing can stop us from getting to Heaven. We relax and become overconfident, forgetting the warning of 1 Corinthians 10:12. If you do not remember that your standing in the faith is not by your ability, then you are in danger. I pray that God will not resist you.

Prayer Point: 
Father, help me not to fall prey to the spirit of pride, overconfidence and  careless living.