WHERE ARE YOU?

MEMORISE: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

READ
Philippians 3:12-15
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 PETER 5, 2 PETER 1 – 3 and PSALM 29MESSAGE

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 13:11-30). 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.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, keep me thirsting for more of you; anything that would constitute a barrier in my upward journey, let it be removed by fire in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR: PST. E.A ADEBOYE

SECRETS OF OVERWHELMING BLESSINGS

MEMORISE:
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: Deuteronomy 28:1

READ: Proverbs 11:24-25
24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 PETER 1 – 4 and PSALM 28

MESSAGE
God wants you to have overwhelming blessings; blessings that you will have and you will say it is enough. Having such blessings – the 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 blessings 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.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please open my eyes and my ears to the secrets of overwhelming blessings in your word and help me to be diligent enough to do accordingly in Jesus’ Name. 

 AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.  

THE PRESENT HELP IN TIME OF NEED

Memorise:
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Read: Matthew 17:24-27
Mat 17:24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

Mat 17:25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

Mat 17:26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

Mat 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JAMES 1 – 5 and PSALM 27

Messages
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 N4,000 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.

Prayer Point:
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. 

  

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.  

EVERYONE NEEDS A MIRACLE

Memorise: As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Psalm 55:16

Read: 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.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: HEBREWS 11 – 13 and PSALM 26

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 quite 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 tell it all” or “Bless the Lord, O my 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. In 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 did 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.

Prayer Point:
Father, give me a miracle today that will turn my life around for the better in Jesus’ Name. 

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE. 

WHO SHALL GO FOR US?

Memorise: Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8

Read: Mark 16:15-16

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: HEBREWS 9 – 10 and PSALM 25

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 go 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 your answer be: “Here am I, send me”. You shall be mightily rewarded for it.

Action Point:
Draw out a personal soul-winning programme for yourself and better still, for your family and work out its execution without further delay. 

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.

NEW LIFE IN JESUS I

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

READ: GALATIANS 2: 20

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 TIMOTHY 1 – 6; PSALM 21.

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 one way of bringing your body under subjection to the Spirit.

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE

A LESSON FROM GOLIATH

MEMORISE: 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. Proverbs 6:10-11.

READ: 1 SAMUEL 17: 41 – 43.

41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 THESSALONIANS 5, 2 THESSALONIANS 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.

AUTHOR: Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.

ATTRIBUTES OF GOAL GETTERS

MEMORISE: Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Proverbs 22: 29.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 17: 20 – 33.

20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.

26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 THESSALONIANS 1 – 4; PSALM 19 : 7 – 14.

The children of Israel were intimidated for forty days by Goliath. David came to the scene and made enquiries about what would be done to whosoever defeated the giant. The reply he got fascinated him and straightaway, he set for himself the goal of defeating the giant. To David, nothing could stop him from being the king’s son-in-law. When Eliab, David’s brother heard about his intention, he rebuked him. Eliab was angry with David because he was jealous. He was jealous because David had been anointed as king instead of him earlier on. Goal getters would not be deterred by any act of jealousy. What did David do to reach his goal? He ignored Eliab. Anyone who wants to reach his or her goal must not be distracted by envious criticism. If your goal is to work for God, do not listen to what anybody may be saying. Focus your attention on the Almighty God and do not be mindful of the scornful ( Psalm 1 : 1 ). You have to press on if you want to reach your goal. There will be those who may want to slow you down but you have to push them out of the way and keep doing what you know God wants you to do. This is one way to reach your goal.

There are many lessons in the Bible reading of today for those who aspire to achieve the set goals of their life. It is not how long but how well. Within a short period of getting to the battlefield, David was already standing before the king! The Bible in Proverbs 22 : 29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”

If David had not been a diligent person, when his brother rebuked him, he would never have gotten to King Saul; he would have been discouraged. It took diligence for David to run towards the battle when the giant rose to crush him to death. The Bible in 1 Samuel 17 : 48 says:

“And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.”

 

The rest was history for Goliath when the smooth stone from the sling of David sank into his forehead. As if that was not enough, when Goliath fell, the Bible says that David still ran and stood upon the Philistine, took the sword of the giant all by himself and cut off his head. David was diligent enough to feel the pulse of the Philistine to know that he was still breathing. He then diligently completed the assignment. I pray that as you focus on God with diligence and with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will reach your goal in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please remove all obstacles hindering me from reaching my goal, in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.

THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

MEMORISE: And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. ACTS 13 : 52.

READ : JOHN 14 : 16 – 17.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EPHESIANS 4 : 17, 6 : 24; PSALM 18 : 29 – 42.

Do you know that it is possible for a man to become the house of God? 1 Corinthians 6 : 19 says:

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

You can be the temple where the Holy Spirit lives. Your home can also become the house of God, if for instance, you have a house fellowship centre in your house. From time to time, we find Paul writing to someone and telling the person to greet the Church in his house. If there is a Church in your house, you can be sure that the Almighty God will be there. Wherever God is, there will be light there. Where light is, darkness cannot stay. Whenever God comes to visit, He does not come empty handed. When He is dwelling in your heart, you can be sure that He will not come empty handed. As a matter of fact, in 1 Corinthians 12 : 4 – 11, the Bible lists for us at least 9 gifts that the Holy Spirit will bring along when He comes to dwell in us. These gifts can be classified into three groups: The Revelation gifts, The Inspiration gifts and The Power gifts. When you have these gifts available to you at any moment, you will find out that it becomes easy for you to win souls. In Acts 2 : 41, Peter preached one sermon and he won 3,000 souls. I am sure there are many Christians who will be extremely happy if in one year they are able to win 3,000 converts. By the time Peter preached his second sermon in Acts 4:4, 5,000 souls were saved.

Once the Holy Ghost begins to dwell in you, you have the potential that everyone you touch will receive a healing, as it happened in Acts 3 : 1 – 8. If the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you, the heat coming out of you will be anointed like it was with Paul in Acts 19 : 11 – 12. With this kind of power, you will be able to tear into pieces every spiritual lion, witch and wizard that wants to attack you or your loved ones as was the case with Samson in Judges 14 : 5 – 6. In the case of David, it was the anointing of the Holy Spirit that made it possible for him to kill two wild animals – a lion and a bear, with bare hands (1 Samuel 17 : 34 – 36). When you are full of the Holy Spirit, it becomes easy for you to live a holy life. You will just discover that holiness is as easy as breathing. The Holy Spirit will then begin to produce His fruit in you. When you are full of the Holy Spirit, people will begin to discover certain new things happening in your life, patterned after Galatians 5 : 22 – 23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” 

I pray that you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Receive this baptism now in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, I am ready, please cleanse me and fill me with your Holy Spirit NOW in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR: Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.

THE CHOSEN OF THE LORD

MEMORISE: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1PETER 2 : 9

READ: 1 SAMUEL 16: 12 – 13.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EPHESIANS 1: 1 – 4 : 16; PSALM 18: 20 – 28.

When they brought in David from watching over his father’s sheep in the wilderness, the first thing that God said to the man of God about him was that he was the chosen one. What kind of person will God choose? 1 Corinthians 1 : 26 – 29 offers the answer to this question. God will choose the foolish. God will choose the weak. God will choose the people regarded as nothing. Why will God choose the foolish? It is because He will fill the foolish with His wisdom. If you believe you are already wise, He can no longer fill you with His wisdom, so He will not use you. This is probably why we find very few academics in the service of God. The ways of God don’t conform to human sense. For example, God says if you want to be rich, you must give. God says if you want your home to overflow with blessings, you must pay all your tithes. This does not make human sense. For some people, 100% of their earnings is not enough, not to mention 90%. When I became born-again, I really argued about this question of tithe with God. I thank God that He took my wisdom from me and replaced it with His foolishness. This is why I am where I am today. 

Why will God choose weak people? He will choose weak people so that He can fill them with His power. If you are already strong, how can God give you strength? The Bible says He gives power to the faint, and to those that have no might, he increases strength ( Isaiah 40 : 29 ). If you say you are strong because you are young, a time will come when you will exhaust the energy in you. Nevertheless, they that wait upon the Lord will constantly have their strength renewed by God. Before I became born-again, I was a sportsman, but malaria fever knocked me down at least once a month. When I became born-again, I told God to heal me and I will serve Him. He healed me and I am now serving Him with more than ten times the ability I had back then. By the grace of God I am waxing stronger. Why will God choose those who are nothing, like David? God finds it difficult to use those who are already something. I like one inscription that I saw in one of the offices at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria which says: “God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called”. God does not choose the qualified, the wise or the strong; He makes His chosen vessels wise and strong. You too can be God’s chosen vessel. Allow Him to work on you and you will be a chosen vessel of honour in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please work on my weakness and foolishness. Make me strong and wise enough to be your chosen vessel in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR: Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.

THE DAY OF GOD’S MERCY

MEMORISE: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ROMANS 9 : 15.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 16 : 11 – 12.

11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GALATIANS 4 – 6; PSALM 18 : 1 – 19.

The day that David was preferred above his brothers could best be described as a day of God’s mercy. While he was in the wilderness looking after his father’s flock, he never dreamt that he could become a king. There was no king in his family, and in any case, King Saul was still alive. David was not the son of King Saul, so it could not have crossed his mind that he could ever be king. He never prayed for it. In the case of Elisha in 1 Kings 19 : 19 – 21, he was busy working on the farm when the Almighty God graciously told him that he had obtained mercy from Him. He became the son of a prophet. In the story of Gideon in Judges 6 : 11 – 16, the Bible tells us that Gideon was by the winepress working, and the Almighty God met him there. You may be working in a factory and God may meet you there. When your day comes, nothing can stop it. In the case of Moses in Exodus 3 : 1 – 10, the Bible says Moses was at the backside of the desert where you wouldn’t even think of looking for a deliverer. You may live in a village that is not even on the map but God can pick you up from there. You may be a servant like Joshua – the servant of Moses, who was in deep sorrow in a tent because his master had just died. God met him there and said he was to replace Moses. Joshua trembled but God said He would be with him just as He was with Moses ( Joshua 1 : 2 & 5 ).

David woke up a shepherd boy and by the time he went to bed, he was a king. Today may be your day. It may be the day that you will get answers to all your prayers. All you need to do is to worship God and let your destiny be fulfilled. You must however remember that the day came for Gehazi too. He was a servant of a man of God and he was a very crooked one. He must have been playing some pranks and God must have been watching him. One day, his day came. He ran after Naaman and got something. He got leprosy. Do not let today be your day of destruction. If you are still in sin, let today be your day of salvation as it is written in 2 Corinthians 6 : 2 : “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

The mercy of God is pleading with someone reading this devotional today: stop arguing with God, repent of your sins; stop that extra-marital affair; stop that fraudulent practice; that the day of God’s mercy may come speedily. It may even be today.

ACTION POINT:

Think of those things the Holy Spirit has been warning you against; stop doing them and turn a new leaf so that today would be your day of experiencing God’s mercy.

AUTHOR : Pst E.A ADEBOYE.

GOD’S JUDGEMENT IS IRREVERSIBLE.

MEMORISE : And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? 1 SAMUEL 16:1a.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 16 : 13.

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah..

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GALATIANS 1 – 3; PSALM 17.

God is the supreme Sovereign. His dictates are unquestionable. In Genesis 1 : 1 – 4, with the whole earth full of darkness and everything being empty, He said: “Let there be light”, and there was light and not darkness. He did not say He wanted a vote on whether to have darkness or light. He merely dictated it. I pray that He would dictate light into your life in the Name of Jesus Christ. Our God just decides what He wants to do and He does it, according to Psalm 33 : 11:

“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”

Once He has decided on something, it is a settled matter. Each time I think of the sovereignty of God, and His prerogative to decide what to do, it frightens me. When you read Romans 9 : 17 and you are told that God created Pharaoh for destruction; you are bound to be frightened. He was made to become a great king so as to be drowned in the Red Sea for people to acknowledge the greatness of God. I thank God that He did not make me like Pharaoh. When you read Job 21 : 29 – 30, you will always thank God for the salvation of your soul.

God told Samuel to stop mourning over King Saul because He had already rejected him ( 1 Samuel 16 : 1 ). He told Samuel to fill his horn with oil and anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king. When Samuel got to Bethlehem, he called Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice. When Jesse started bringing out his sons, it was Eliab that came out first. He was such a tall and big man that when Samuel saw him, he thought he was the chosen one. God told him that he had already rejected Eliab. He said man looks on the surface while God looks at the heart. God’s judgment before Samuel got to Jesse’s house was that David must be king to replace King Saul; hence, He said He had rejected Eliab. I pray that God will never reject you. Another person rejected of God is Ephraim. God gave him the blessing that would have gone to his brother Manasseh. But after he prospered, he forgot God. He joined himself with idols.

God said in Hosea 4 : 17:

“Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.”

Later in Hosea 5 : 9, God said:

“Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.”

It was a final judgment. I pray once again, you will not be rejected by God in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT :

Gracious Father, help me to abstain from doing what will make you reject me in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A. ADEBOYE

GOD HAS A SUBSTITUTE.

MEMORISE: And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 1 Samuel 15 : 28.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 16: 1.

1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 CORINTHIANS 10 – 13; PSALM 15 – 16.

One important thing we need to learn in today’s reading is that God always has a substitute. If God says He wants to use you, rejoice! However, be careful, because even as He is choosing you, He has already prepared a substitute. 1 Samuel 2 : 27 – 30 tells us about Eli. God chose Eli and his family to serve Him. God later changed His plans because He only honours those who honour Him. One thing about God’s rejection is that the devil takes the place of the resultant vacuum that is created. This was what happened to King Saul. We also have the case of Judas Iscariot in John 13 : 26 – 27. He was a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. The moment God rejected him, Satan entered him and he ended up hanging himself. Psalm 75 : 6 – 7 tells us something interesting: “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Whenever God gives you an opportunity to serve Him, please humble yourself. It is better for God not to use you at all than to use you and then push you aside. Once He pushes you aside, this gives room for the devil to come in. I pray that God will never substitute you with someone else.

In today’s reading we see the rejection of King Saul and his replacement by David. No one would have heard of David if King Saul had not lost his crown and position; just as nobody would have heard of Esther if Vashti had not lost her position. God has given us these examples so that we can learn a lesson. God told Samuel to stop mourning over King Saul because He had already rejected him. He told Samuel to fill his horn with oil and go anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king. Samuel said Saul would kill him if he found out about his mission. This is an interesting statement because it shows clearly that Saul had degenerated so badly that he could kill a servant of God. It is a terrible thing to backslide. This is why you must never touch sin. We need to study the lives of the people that God rejected in the Bible so that we can learn one or two lessons from their cases. We have to know what God saw in their lives to make Him reject them, so that we can run away from their mistakes. Why was Esau rejected? The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12 : 15 – 17 that he was rejected because he could not control his appetite. I pray that your stomach would not send you to Hell. Some people have never fasted since they became Christians. I pray that your appetite would not put you into trouble to the point where God would reject you in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, have mercy on me. Help me not to embark on a path that will lead to my rejection and replacement in Jesus’ Name. If I’m on such a path, please salvage me from it now.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE I

MEMORISE: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6 : 11.

READ : EPHESIANS 6 : 10 – 13.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 CORINTHIANS 14 : 26 – 16 : 24; PSALM 10 :12 – 11 : 7.

When we are told to put on the whole armour of God, one thing becomes clear instantly. This is the fact that there is a God. We cannot be talking of the armour of God if there is no God. Anyone who thinks that there is no God is a fool ( Psalm 14 : 1 ). You have to pray that God would reveal Himself to you. The Bible in Daniel 11 : 32b says, “...but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

Little wonder, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ in Philippians 3 : 10 also said: ”That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

These scriptures show that knowing God is a weapon of spiritual warfare! When you know your Maker, your battle is 90% won. From our Bible reading, we also realise that there is the armour of God. This armour is made up of several parts, otherwise we would not be told to put on the whole armour of God. The constituents of this armour are listed for us in Ephesians 6 : 14 – 17. The armour of God is not built into us by default as children of God. It is external, and we have to pick it up in order to be able to put it on. The reason many children of God are defeated in the battle of life is because of their failure to fortify themselves with the armour God has made available to them.

From today’s memory verse, it is also clear that there is a devil. The devil is alive and active. In Job 1 : 7, we read about the instability and unpredictability of his destination. This is one of his wiles. Through this corrupt wisdom, he gets people into trouble. The devil’s attacks are not always direct. They may not come from the direction which you expect. A good example is found in Joshua 7 : 1 & 12. Joshua had been victorious all the time; Jericho had just been taken and Joshua was beginning to feel confident. Then the enemy came from behind. He entered one man who stole what God said they should not take. Joshua thought God was still with him so he went against a small town called Ai. The Israelites had to flee from this small town. The enemy had used a new method. It was an indirect attack. Another classical example of an indirect attack of the devil is found in 1 Samuel 18 : 5 – 9. David did nothing wrong but the devil used wiles. He got women together and taught them a song: “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands”. This turned Saul against David. I pray for you that the devil’s wiles against you will be exposed and defeated in Jesus’ Name. However, you must put on the whole armour of God.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, arise and fight on my behalf and on the behalf of my loved ones in Jesus’ Name.

PROVOKING SIGNS & WONDERS II

MEMORIZE: And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11

READ: 1 Samuel 17:34-37

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Corinthians 11:17-14:25, Psalm 10:1-11

There is one other very important principle for provoking signs and wonders akin to prayer and worship; this is testify to the goodness, majesty and wonder-working power of the Almighty God. Some years back, I observed that I could not hear people well when they talked with me. While they were almost shouting at the top of their voices talking with me, I would say to them “louder please; speak up”. I later found out that there was a growth in my hearing canals. The doctor who did the check-up advised that I should be ready for urgent medical operation but I told her that I was not ready for the operation. After she left, I told God that i did not want healing but brand new ears. Seven days later, the doctor came back and did another check-up. This time, she found nothing and she could not hold back her amazement at the wonderful works of God. It was a simple matter with the Lord because He only had to replace the old, faulty parts with brand new ones. He will do the same for you today in the Name of Jesus.

A man who had been married but childless for some years listened to this testimony of mine and his faith was provoked. He had been told that he had no sperm count and so his case could not be medically helped. He said to himself, “since what I have cannot be improved upon medically, let me ask for a total replacement from above” after prayers during one of our all-night programmes, he got back to his house and dreamed that he saw me walk and smile towards him. He woke up and knew that the Lord had visited him. By the time he was sharing his testimony, the man with no sperm count at all was carrying his own child. I pray that your testimony will be greater than this in Jesus’ Name. Either your testimony or the testimonies of others can provoke faith which in turn will provoke signs and wonders because Romans 10:17 says: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.

Because your testimony about what the Lord has done for you is a form of praise, worship and practical show of gratitude, it is very potent in provoking further signs and wonders. I want to encourage you to cultivate the habit of listening to testimonies. These testimonies often provoke miracle-working faith in hearers just like or even more than sermons. The problem with some children of God is that they sometimes feel that time given to testimonies is a waste; hence they don’t pay attention to them. I decree that you are the next to give your testimonies in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT:
Cultivate the habit of sharing your testimonies, and your miracles will not only be permanent but will also increase.

PROVOKING SIGNS & WONDER

Memorise: John 11:40- Jesus saith unto her, said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
 

Read: Matthew 8:8-10

⁸ The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Corinthians 8:1-11:16, Psalm 9:11-20 

The prayer of the centurion is the model one want us to consider as a typical example of a prayer that was answered instantly with commendation, it is the prayer of the centurion. The prayer of this man made the wonder-working saviour to marvel! This prayer manifests something I must draw your attention to: it was a prayer of humility. The man said: “I am not worthy”. When you listen to some people praying to God, you begin to wonder whether they are talking to their houseboy or maid. With every sense of arrogance, they begin to issue commands after listing the reasons for which they believe God must answer them! May your prayer-life receive a fresh sense of humility, coupled with an assurance that will provoke signs and wonders in Jesus’ name.
Another spiritual principle that provokes signs and wonders is the principle of praise and worship. When I see some people who think they are good to worship the King of Kings I begin to wonder what they think themselves to be. Do you know that even God wanted to say no to ‘yes’? The syro-phenician. Woman in Matthew 15:21-28 came to Jesus and said:” have mercy on me; my daughter is grievously vexed of the devil”. Jesus didn’t answer her a word. This woman persisted in asking, yet Jesus seemed not to pay attention to her. He even said He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The bible says the woman came and worshipped him saying: “I know I don’t qualify for a miracle but look at me, I am on my knees”. At the end of the day, she got her miracle. So when you hear me eulogising God with names such as: Rock of ages, Ancient of days, the Lion of the tribe of Judah etc, I know what I am doing. I am provoking signs and wonders. How many people get up in the morning and say: “Thank you Lord” on a daily basis? When you are provoking signs and wonders that will greet the day you are going into. As from today, learn how to use the weapons of prayer, praise and worship to provoke the needed signs and wonders in your life.

ACTION POINT:
Before you begin to bombard God with your requests, thank him, worship Him and praise Him for all His benefits you have received in the past.