COUNTERFEIT OR GENUINE?

SUNDAY 8th MARCH 2015

COUNTERFEIT OR GENUINE?

Memorise: 

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1st Thessalonians 5:21

Read: 1st Corinthians 3:10-14

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 38:1-39:24 and REVELATION 17

Message

It is rather unfortunate that many who started their Christian journey on the foundation of apostolic faith and teachings have abandoned the faith and are now living in error. There are many who have even become heretical in the name of “Pentecostalism”. It is not everything you hear from the pulpit of the 21st century preacher that is healthy for a Christian who is heaven-bound. There are many good Christians who had taken to a life Christian modesty, but suddenly backslid on getting to a foreign country, all in the name of modernism. Today, several genuine blessings of God have been replaced with counterfeit. Many today have replaced a lifestyle of thanksgiving, fervent prayers, intense worship and deep, regular Bible study with that of occasional indulgence in a social gospel. No wonder many of our worship centres have become so comfortable for unbelievers. They come and they remain the same because there is no genuine fire on the altar. The Church has become entertainment-focused rather than salvation-driven.

“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig trees together and made themselves aprons” Genesis 3:7

Before this experience, Adam and Eve had the glory of God as their genuine covering, but after they disobeyed God, they were exposed to a counterfeit covering. There is nothing you can get elsewhere that can be better than what God has to give. Go for His gold and not for bronze. Adam and Eve lost their heavenly garment and continued to struggle in sin, rather than cover themselves in the ashes of humility and sober repentance. The glory of God that had been covering them disappeared and they became exposed to man-made coverings. May the covering of God over your life not be removed in Jesus’ Name. No matter how wealthy a man is, without the genuine protection of the Almighty, one will realise that his life is not safe. There are many believers today who have lost the genuine power of the Holy Spirit and are resigned to faking it. It takes the enlightenment of the Almighty for the very elect not to be deceived or carried away by the counterfeit gospel which is popular but not real. The love of many has waxed cold as prophesied by the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:12). The quality of some people’s service in the vineyard has dropped, and the commitment level of many needs to be reappraised. Like the prodigal son, you can repent today after comparing the peace of genuine salvation to the struggle of pretence. Satan is all out to deny people of genuine salvation. He is introducing counterfeits dressed as salvation to people. It is my prayer that you will never suffer loss in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, help me not to be a victim of any form of end –time deceit.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE

SATURDAY 7th MARCH 2015

SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE 

Memorise:

The meek will he guide in judgement: and the meek will he teach his way. Psalm 25:9

Read: Exodus 4:12-15

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 36:16-37:28 and REVELATION 16

Message

It brings great pain to God when His children refuse His guidance. There are many believers still living in bondage because they have refused the guidance of God. There are many in wrong relationships, wrong businesses, wrong careers, wrong locations and wrong vocations simply because they have refused to trust the ability of God to guide them. Many pray for God’s guidance, but they refuse this guidance when the way God is showing them seems different from what they want. Some years ago, a brother was asked to relocate from his company’s branch in western Nigeria to the northern Nigeria branch. The Lord further revealed to him that he would not stay in the north for long but that he should relocate first. On hearing that he would still return to the west, he began to question God on why it was necessary for him to go up north at all, but he obeyed. Little did he know that the Lord wanted to exonerate him from a disaster that was about to happen. After this event, he appreciated the love of God. The scripture says in Isaiah 30:21,

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

If you partner with God, He will guide you in every area of your life for your own good. He will remove from your path those things that looks good but the end of which is utter destruction. If you are in partnership with God, He will warn you of danger zones. He will warn you against “blessings” that will lead to your destruction. He will guide you against marrying someone who will cause you irrecoverable loss in the journey of life. He will show you opportunities that people despise but which possess great potentials. There are many people experiencing loss everyday simply because they have not trusted in the guidance of the Almighty God who knows everything (Proverbs 3:5-6).

There are times God will say “No” to a beautiful request. When this happens, the one asking feels disappointed. But to the One who has all power, there are great things compared to what is being asked for. In spite of all the prayer efforts you have invested in certain requests, God can still say “No” if He has something greater in the offing for you. Have you been trusting God for a particular blessing for so long? I have good news for you. Do not be discouraged; God has something better for you because you are a child of covenant and because you have no appointment with failure. The best is reserved for you as you trust His guidance and submit to His will for your life.

Prayer Point:

Father, please remove every communication gap between us that hinders me from knowing your will.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

A CHANGE FOR GOOD

FRIDAY 6th MARCH 2015

A CHANGE FOR GOOD

Memorise:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19

Read: Isaiah 55:6-7

6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 

EZEKIEL 34:11-36:15 and REVELATION 14:14-15:8

Message

After God has done something spectacular in your life, there is a need to give quality thanks to Him. You need to appreciate God for His faithfulness and blessings over your life, home and career, as well as for the peace of mind that money cannot buy. Never allow anything to limit your thanksgiving, and always colour your thanksgiving with praise and testimonies. After surviving the flood, Noah and his household offered quality thanks to God for preserving them in the midst of the destruction that came upon the earth. Some years ago, one of my daughters praised God like never before during a New Year cross-over service. Many were curious to know the reason for her uncommon thanksgiving and praise. In response, she said she was thanking God for preserving her life to see the New Year despite all that had happened to her in the previous year. In the previous year, she lost her job, lost her car to robbers and lost her flat to a fire incident. But when there is life, there is hope. There is a user of this devotional, every good thing you have lost before now will be restored in Jesus’ Name.

Many people only thank God when things are going well, but for some, thanksgiving has become their lifestyle irrespective of what is happening around them. Do you remember to thank God at those times when you have enjoyed uncommon grace to do the right thing, when ordinarily the devil would have wanted you to do otherwise? It is one thing to know how to do the right thing, and it is another thing to receive the grace to do it.

The Lord wants everything to change for your good. He wants you to experience the times of refreshing. Change can be positive or negative. If a man gets promoted in the office to an enviable position, it is a change. This change attracts other changes; for example, the one who has been receiving orders becomes the one issuing them. The one who has been driving himself becomes the one with an official driver. This year, the Lord will surprise you and surprise your enemies by what He will do in your life. This is why you cannot afford to be unserious with God. While things change for good for His children, for those who are not on the Lord’s side, the change will not be positive. When the Lord set the children of Israel free from the hands of their slave masters, it was a change to freedom, but on the side of the Egyptians, it was the beginning of destruction and self-service. I am speaking to the life of someone: a change is coming to you now. It shall be a change for good that will affect every area of your life and bring uncommon blessings to your life, family, ministry, business and career.

Key Point:

Change happens to those who are prepared to handle it.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

LOSING YOUR RELEVANCE

THURSDAY 5 MARCH 2015

LOSING YOUR RELEVANCE

Memorise:

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Mathew 5:13

Read : John 15:1-2

1 I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 33:1-34:10 and REVELATION 14:1-13

Message

The presence of God is very crucial in the life of anyone who wants to be influential in the things that pertain to righteousness . Any child of God who does not carry the presence of God will fail because he will be struggling when he is supposed to be shining. In the reign of King Solomon, he observed that all those who could have easily refused to obey his commands submitted to him instead. Only the presence of God guarantees such. 1 Chronicles 29:25 says that, 

' And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.'

Are your subordinate rebellious of despising you? Go and receive the power of God's presence. Are you hiding instead of manifesting? Are your children refusing to submit to your instructions? It means you need more of God's presence. 

There are many people who have lost their relevance because they are too choosy. Many people struggle for kingdom assignments that feed their ego, while they run away from other tasks. Some people will give God a list of why what He is asking them to do cannot be done. Making excuses to God can place you on the wrong side of His judgement. ( Luke 9:61-62 ). Excuses can move an individual from relevance to irrelevance. As a genuine Christian, wherever you find yourself, you must be concerned about impacting lives ( Mathew 5:16 ). While David was in the cave of Adullam, all kinds of people with all sorts of problems come to him ( 1 Samuel 22:1-2 ). With the presence of God in life of David, the problems of these people were solved and their status changed. Your success would be measured to a large extent by the number of lives that changed in your ministry. If your ministry cannot impact lives for good, it is either you are not salt, or you have lost your savour. Several years ago, I visited a friend. During my visit, I observed that his youngest daughter was carried on the back of her mother. This girl would just not allow anyone else to carry her expect her mother. As I arrived at the house, the baby stretched forth her hands for me to carry her, and I did . Afterwards, I prayed for her and left. Months later, the mother of this girl confessed that on the day I visited, plans had been concluded to take the life of the baby, but this plans failed. You must pray earnestly so that your life, your ministry and your family can have more relevance In the Body of Christ. When many fall in the midst of trials, temptations and pressures, it is not because the grace of God is not there; rather it is due to a gradual loss of relevance.

Prayer Point

Father, remove everything that is hindering my relevance in this generation. 

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

NO ROOM FOR LAZINESS

WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2015

NO ROOM FOR LAZINESS

Memorise:

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Proverbs 6:6

Read : 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12

6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 31-32 and REVELATION 13

Message

If there is one truth every believer must know in this present age, it is that God hate laziness. God set an example of hard work for us through the creation of heavens and the earth. Without the hard work of God, this world wouldn't be a beautiful place. He did not rest until He had finished with creation. His hard work resulted in the excellence we can see in the beautiful world around us. Whenever God is looking for people to commit serious assignment to, He look for people who will never give excuses for not delivering. He looks for hardworking people because He has no business with lazy bones. God is in search of diligent and resourceful people who will use all their energy to ensure that the work of God suffers no loss. One of the secrets behind the success of Paul's ministry is this: he went about wining souls with the same zeal with which he was persecuting the church before he met Christ.

'Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:' Proverb 6:6

There are certain truths we cannot ignore from this passage. This passage is meant for those who are lazy and for those in need of wisdom. Though ants are small, there are lots of lessons that can be learnt from them. There are lessons parents can learn from children, just as there are lessons leaders can learn from their followers. But this can only happen in the absence of pride. The more humble you are, the greater the things that will be committed to your hands. Because you have learnt the secret of hard work. Through hard work, Paul achieved more than his peers. He even wrote more books of the New Testament than those who were direct disciples of Jesus Christ. The epistles he wrote are still positively affecting generations far more than you can ever imagine. Paul never gave room for excuses in the course of reaching his goals. Little wonder he emerged a great success in the early Church.

Today, I see a lot of people wasting their time. They have no goals for their lives. They are not after anything because success is not a desire for them. They are just comfortable with the normal routine of the average person, and that is why there is nothing significant about them. No performance, no achievement. Some people are so lazy that they are not consulted wherever performance is expected because people already know what to expect. May this not be your story In Jesus'Name. Beloved, you must decide to take the path of greatness. No great thing come easy. You must aim high even if you are starting small. You have no barrier, limitation or excuse for not achieving greatness in life. The seed of God is in you. You must say no to those things that are slowing you down from the fulfillment of your God-given destiny.

Action Point:

List out all the possible excuses for your non-performance and pray against them.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

IT IS FOR YOUR GOOD

TUESDAY 3rd MARCH 2015

IT IS FOR YOUR GOOD

Memorise:

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7

Read : 2 Timothy 3:15-17

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 28:25-30:26 and REVELATION 12

Message

Getting your breakthrough does not necessarily depend on the discovery of new methods. But on receiving fresh revelations from the Word of God. Every revelation from the Word produces a manifestation in the lives of individual, and consequently in the life of a nation. While many view God's word as ordinary, a few see it as a divine weapon ( Hebrew 4:12 ). 

One reason why the Word fails to deliver its potential to us is our attitude to it. This includes how we see and receive the Word. If you casually take the Word as ordinary, you render it powerless, but if you take it seriously, it will aid your spiritual development. The Word is good for us because it brings hope to a hopeless situation, brings life to a lifeless situation and reverses the irreversible. The Word is the platform on which we should lay the foundation of our desires and requests. The moment the Word is released by God on any issue of life, you can safely act on it. In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are commanded to study to show ourselves approved unto God. There is a great depth in God's Word. By engaging the Word, you are opening yourself up to great revelations, hidden treasures and fresh insight. If you do this continually, you are changing your life subconsciously ( Psalm 119:11 ).

The Word of God is one of the weapons with which you can fight the devil and every unpleasant situation of life. With the Word, you can begin to defeat the enemy during temptations and attacks. The Word is good for renewing your mind, because it reveals God's thoughts to you,and it makes you see things through God's eyes. The Word that God send to meet your needs is all en-compassing. Psalm 107:20 says: 

'He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.'

I decree that the Word that will change your life for good and have a great impact on your destiny will come quickly In Jesus'Name. There are some believers who do not tremble at the Word of God. In our churches today, when the Word is going out, there are some people who will be holding discussions with others; chatting about things that do not matter. This should be stopped. We are to tremble at God's Word. We are to pay close attention to the Word anywhere we are. If you tremble at the Word, you will take down notes while reading it and you will put the Word into practice. On the day of the Lord's return, the Word alone will form the basis of assessing what we did. You cannot be a victorious Christian with your own strength. You have to depend on the Word of God to be able to fix every issue of your life.

Key Point:

When you study the Word. You are putting Christ in your heart.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

PRACTICAL SPIRITUAL MENTORING

MONDAY 2nd MARCH 2014

PRACTICAL SPIRITUAL MENTORING

Memorise:

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

Read : John 13:12-17

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 27:1-28:24 and REVELATION 11

Message

In the contemporary Christian church, there is a problem of lack of practical mentoring for new believers. Practical mentoring involves a mentor at the fore-front of practical Christian living, instructing the mentee to follow after his or her example. Such an arrangement faces two problems in today's world. First, some so- called spiritual mentors teach and point their mentees to the narrow path that leads to eternal life, but they themselves are not on this route. They tell disciples the truth about Christian living, but they themselves do something else. Such cannot say what Paul said in Phillippians 3:17:

'Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.'

On the other hand, so-called spiritual mentors compromise the truth of the scriptures so that they can be "free" to exhibit their lusts and unethical dispositions. The youths they ought to give a sense of direction are the same ones they copy under the guise of encouraging them to come to Church. An African adage says : "The wife you marry from a dancing hall will eventually abandon you for sightseeing in the very near future." Another adage also says: "The house you built with spittle will be demolished by the mere dew of heaven." In other words, it does not require a tornado or tsunami to wipe away such spiritual houses built worldly ideas. This is the reason our younger generation of Christians are easy prey to the devil.

In today's Bible reading, we see Jesus practically teaching, mentoring and furnishing his disciples with gems of leadership. He demonstrated to them in a practical way what He had taught them in Matthew 20:27-28:

'And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

Are you a Christian mentor, doing or teaching what is wrong? Beware! One dangerous consequence of wrong Christian mentoring is found in the words of Jesus in Mathew 5:19:

'Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.'

Action Point:

Say to the Lord: Father, I Thank you for giving me perfect spiritual mentoring through Jesus. Please make me a perfect spiritual mentor as well.' Pray for me on this my birthday , that the Lord will continue to make me an avenue of blessing to this generation.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE