ANY DIVIDEND OF MENTORING

Tuesday 31 July                                     Bible in one year :1 Kings 20-21

Memorise: Be ye followers of me, even as i also am of Christ.1 Corinthians 1:1

Read: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

After Elijah’s rapture to Heaven , Elisha moved on to the next phase of his life. Anyone who lives in the past will definitely experience a bleak future. One way to recognize those living in their past is that they will not have fresh testimonies. If all you can do is testify how God used you to win several souls some years ago, or how you were used in the area of healing in time past, you are still in your past. If you nothing to show today as an evidence of your present walk with God, you are becoming history. Move forward today!
When Elisha got to the River Jordan, he smote the waters with his mantle like his father Elijah did ( 2KIngs 2:14). From this we see that anyone who will be great must have someone he follows- a mentor. Mentoring is not only relevant in business but also in ministry. God has provided in the Christian faith for His children to be mentored by the leaders He has given to them, so that they can know what their leaders know and even be greater than them. Elijah was great but his protege Elisha was greater. Moses was great but could not take God’s children into the land of promise but his protege Joshua did. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul Said:
Be ye followers of me, even also i also am of Christ.

A good mentor would always follows Christ and at the same time bring up his or her proteges to follow Christ by a lifestyle that mirrors Christ. Do you have a mentor? Do you have a pastor you can virtually pattern your life after? However, in every mentor-protege relationship, there is a always a limit. From the words of Paul, the student(learner) must stop copying his mentor(teacher ) at any point the latter stops following the Lord. Today, there are some leaders who started on a good slate but they have gone into error. Anyone following such a leader will go deeper into the error of his or her mentor. Are there still Christian apprentices ? Too many people want to become their own boss- start up a church or becoming the General Overseer of a church without necessarily undergoing tutelage. No wonder they bring shame and disgrace to the name of the Lord all too often. But if you follow a bona fide spiritual head and humble yourself to study, observe, ask questions, carry out practicals , and be properly taught under him, you will be better prepared for the assignment God has for you.

PRAYER POINT: Father, open my eyes to see the mentor you have given me and grant me the grace to faithfully follow him.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye

PRESUMPTOUS?

Monday 30 July                                Bible in one year: 1 Kings 17-19

Memorise: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily , as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23

Read : Deuteronomy 1:42-44

God promised in Proverbs 23:18 that the expectations of the righteous shall be met,but many expectations are not granted today and people are wondering why. Why do expectations of believers fail? Expectations based on presumption will most likely fail. In other words,what you base your expectations on will determine whether it will be granted or not. When expectations are based on assumptions ,disappointment is inevitable. Great expectations are founded on God’s promises which are forever settled in Heaven . Deuteronomy 1:42-44 documents an account by Moses, where he warned the Israelites not to go and fight the Amorites because God was not with them. They paid deaf ears to his warning and went into the battle and got the disgrace of their lives. God has a strategy for every battle. There are some battles He will not want you to fight, some He will want you to ignore and others He will fight Himself. Never fight any battle when God is not on your side. It is presumptuous to assume that because God gave you victory yesterday when you were in obedience, God will give you victory now that you are in disobedience ; you will be disappointed!

When God says don’t go ,you have no business going except you want to go and make a fool of yourself; that is if you even live to tell the story. Those Israelites assumed that since they had all the soldiers , war know-how backed up by their zeal, they can still manage to win the battle, but the lost out a nation which normally would not be able to face them. Any expectation based on assumption is nothing but foolishness. When God disapproves of you doing something, it means He will not back you up. If you go ahead, you are on your own. Never blame God for what you suffer thereafter. Many people are entering marriages God told them not to. By the time they start facing the music of their self guidance, they call on God but He may chose not attend to them. Presuming that a particular business will give you lots of profit because it is doing so for others, without God’s permission or direction may lead to disappointment. Are you entering ministry or starting a church based on presumption? You will be disappointed! Go back to the Lord today!

KEY POINT:

God is not committed to what He has not commanded.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Avoid this trap

AVOID THIS TRAP

Sunday 29 July Bible in one year:1 Kings 14-16

Memorise: A man that flaterreth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet. Proverbs 29:5

Read: 1 Samuel 18:6-11

David had victory over challenges he faced. His problems started not long after God gave him victory over Goliath; some devil-inspired and highly immodest women began to sing his praise

…..Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 1 Samuel 18:7

Immediately King Saul heard the song, he was very angry and began to see David as a threat. He saw him as someone who was out to take over his throne form him; no wonder he fought this young boy with all the military might of Israel! but how was their relationship before then?

And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he love him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. 1 Samuel 16:21

King Saul had a mental challenge and David was brought to play harp to get him relieved.When he first saw this boy, it was love at first sight. The bible says he loved David greatly to the extent that he specifically asked Jesse his father to allow him to stay in the palace. He even put him over the soldiers (1 Samuel 18:5). Even when David offered to go and fight Goliath, King Saul tried to prevent him. However,after hearing David’s testimonies and seeing his faith in the God of Israel, he reluctantly released him, transferring his personal armour to him and praying for him( 1 Samuel 17:31-38)

After David defeated Goliath, what should have given David a higher leverage in favour before his boss was suddenly reversed to disfavour because of unguided praise singers. It was not David’s fault but when he heard the song exalting his achievements above the king’s , he could have asked the ladies to stop that song, but he didn’t. I don’t think he enjoyed the persecution that followed.Beware of praise singing and praise singers! One thing that is causing supposed good leaders to miss the mark is the sycophants that surround them. Beware of those who come to you to say that you are the best thing that ever happened to the church, community or organisation. Many of them have hidden agendas. If you are easily carried away by such flattering lips, you will fall into their net and regret it for a long to come. Surround yourself with those who can tell you the truth and correct or check your excesses. They may appear unfriendly but at the end of the day, they may be the only true friends you have.

ACTION POINT: Pray that every tongue that will sing your praise to your detriment will shut up in Jesus name.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye

MASTER YOUR DESIRES

MASTER YOUR DESIRES

Saturday 28 July                                 Bible in one year: 1 Kings 11-13

Memorise:All things are lawful unto me,but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me,but i will not be brought under the power of any.1 Corinthian 6:12

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:11-13

If God has blessed you with wealth and riches,be cautious so that your prosperity will not become your undoing.Solomon was so blessed he could afford most things that came his way,he went on an acquisition spree.He bought everything money could buy and acquired all his eyes liked. He found himself in a pit of self-indulgence.In Ecclesiastes 2:10 , he said

and whatsoever my eyes desire i have kept not from them, i withheld not my heart from any joy;for my heart rejoiced in all my labour:and this was the portion of all my labour.

He had lost control! His money was now pushing him in every direction. Has God blessed you?Praise God! But never let it get to a point where you are no longer led by the spirit but by the spirit of mammon.You should remain in control of what you have not the other way. To this end Paul says:

All things are lawful unto me,but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me,but i will not be brought under the power of any.1 Corinthian 6:12

You don’t have to buy something because you can afford it.There are many things you can buy off the shelf but you don”t because you do not need them. Abundance can kill and power with control corrupts.To distinguish themselves according to their class,rich men eat certain processed  foods which at the end give them special illness which the poor do not have.Many like power but they fail to realise that it is a two-edged sword. Keep your power under lock and Key! Deliberately refrain from over indulging yourself. If a water bed will take away your prayer life,don’t buy it or if you have bought it, get it out.If television programs will continue to tempt you, avoid the box. If a particular type of car or house will make you to become proud, do something about it.Never allow what was meant to serve you become your lord.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, help me to put my desires under the control of your Spirit in me.Thank you for the past conventions of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). I pray that this year’s convention will witness God special visitation,power and harvest of souls as never experienced.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye

which israel is it?

Friday 27 July                                   Bible in one year:1 Kings 8-10

Memorize:For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision , which is outward in the flesh;Roman 2:28

Read: Romans 2:25-29

When it’s all been said and done, good will always have victory over evil.In Revelations 3:9 , the Lord made a promise to the church Philadelphia saying:
Behold, i will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, are not,but do lie;behind, i will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I loved thee.

This is a powerful promise but appears somewhat controversial. How can you tell the Jews that are not regarded as Jew by God?Earlier, God specifically choose to reveal Himself to the world through the children of Israel.This started right from the old testament. Even Jesus came, He said He was not sent to the gentiles but the lost sheep of Israel.hence he sent His disciples only to them( Matthew 10:5-6). But when they took for granted that they were Jews and the children of Abraham and thought they could do whatever they liked, John the Baptist told them that God could replace them with children from stones ( Luke 3:8). But they did not believe.At some point, when the Lord was done reaching out to them, He left them desolate ( Matthew 23:37-39).

Afterward the Lord created another entity which is His body, the church believers,comprised of believing Jews and believing Gentiles. These are the spiritual Jews or “Israel of God”. In these group ,there is no discrimination (Galatians 3:28-29;6 :15-16). All God’s dealing according to His covenant with Abram are now realized through being a spiritual Israelite.All promises of God to Abram are now also appropriated thought this body of believers.They are the bride of Jesus Christ. In Revelations 3:9 , God promised that the enemies of His church will bow down and worship before the spiritual Jews.The physical Jews expect Isaiah 49:23 to be fulfilled but they have failed to realized that a change has occurred.These promises have now been transferred to the church. Any physical Jew who fails to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will together with other unbelievers will bow to us Christians someday. Those who are persecuting the church today will one day bow to us.Are you part of the  true Israel of God? If you are , do everything possible to keep it so.

KEY POINT: To be relevant in God’s end time plan, everyone, including natural Jews heed to become a part of the church-the spiritual Jews

Lust or Love

Thursday 26 July                                          Bible in one year: 1 Kings 5-7

Memorise : God commendeth his love toward us , in that , while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.Romans 5:8

Read : 5:7-8

A discuss on love would normally focus on a minimum of two people-the lover and the loved. The lover is the subject while the loved is the object. In a true love situation, the subjects seeks the welfare of the loved, whether the object deserves it or not. Romans 5:7-8 says Jesus Christ died for us at a point no one else could have. While we were separated from Him as sinners with enmity between us , He died for us. How many of you can die for your enemies? If anything , most people would want their enemies dead this minute. What love can be greater than that of Jesus Christ? Most times, we misunderstand the word “love”. A man telling a lady,”i love you”,might really mean “I am lusting after you”. This is a counterfeit of God’s love. Lust is selfish, self-centered and seeks to exploit the object. Lust is dirty and does not care how it satisfies its ungodly desire, hence you find men raping ladies or being involved in incestuous sex, same sex intercourse or bestial sex. The one in lust is seeking for somebody to use. To him, the object of lust is only an object-just like any tool or machinery used for work.

When a subject is lusting after an object, he will show a lot of interest, shower gifts and feign care for the object. The man will do anything to convince the lady he loves her. But as soon as he gets what he wants, the object will mean nothing to him. In some cases, after the man has succeeded in sleeping with the lady, the so called love turns into extreme hatred(2 Samuel 13:1-15). Just as it is in human relationships, so it is in our relationship with God. Many people who claim to love God but do not love Him but are only desirous of what they can get from Him, He has become an object they can use to get what they want(John 6:25-27). Do  you love God? Why do you love God? Examine yourself to see that your love is not really lust?

KEY POINT:  Are you seeking God or His works?

VALUE GIVER

Wednesday 25 July Bible study in one year : 1Kings 1-4

Memorize: And he is the head of the body,the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18

Read: Colossians 1:15-18

If we study the lives of those who in bible times carried the glory of God, we will understand their secrets.We can partake of the same glory by using these secrets. However , it must be stated here that the glory of the Lord made available to New Testament saints by His blood far surpasses the entire glory of the Old Testament as the Old was only a shadow of and a fore runner of the New,Yet many of us are yet to manifest the glory of the Old testament, how much more the New Testament, May you partake of this latter House glory in Jesus name.

An outstanding carrier of His glory under Covenant was Moses.But how did it all begin? Exodus 3:1-6 says it started with a personal encounter with the Lord. For every true carrier of God’s glory, there must be a day in his or her life that the personally encountered with the Lord .This is more than your parents dedicating you to the Lord while you were still a babe. It is beyond a family community decision. Personal conversation to Christ is sacrosanct and foundational to partaking in God’s glory. Some years ago, a particular “man of God” rose with predictions for each year. He became a quite popular. One day, he was interviewed by the press on how he started up till his point of fame. While perusing his comments, it was observed that there was no mention of a day in his life in which he gave his life to Christ. He claimed to have certain gifts from the womb which brought him to his current level. Going by God’s word, he has not started. There are yet many people who are presiding over churches today and preach salvation messages because it is in vogue,but have never received Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal savior. They have not started. In God’s kingdom, you can not skip a very foundational experience like salvation and think you can be relevant. All you will do will be without record and without reward. Do all the good in this world and all you get for each is zero. Jesus is the only One that can add value to any life. Receive Him to today

KEEP POINT: John 1 vs 9 says Jesus gives light o all who comes into the world. Anyone who has not received Him will spend his or her years in darkness,

LEAVE YOUR PAST

 

Tuesday 24 July                                       Bible in one year: John 18-21

Memorise: 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, Philippians 3:13

Read : Proverbs 37:23-25

When God uses one of His servants to bless you, you can appreciate that servant of God but appreciate God much more. Why? God is the source of the blessing while His servant is only a vessel. Never turn a vessel into your source. If you do , both you and the vessel may get into trouble with God. It was in light of this Knowledge that Elisha, despite his devotion to Elijah did not forget the God of Elijah. He called for the God of Elijah and not for Elijah or his anointing at the River Jordan (2 Kings 2:13-14). Elisha faced a new reality after the departure of Elijah. It was a new phase for him. You need to walk in understanding that life is in phases. When one phases ends, another begins. Psalm 37:25 says:
I have been young, and now am old; yet have i not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

According to this scripture, there is the phase of being a youth and another phase of being old. A new phase had just began in the life of Elisha. The phase of Elisha the servant, who went everywhere with his master had just ended and another phase of Elisha the national prophet with several attendants had just begun. When the time for his next phase came, he refused to continue in the old phase.
You must be ready to move forward. Stop living in the past. In 1 Samuel 25:1 , after mourning the death of Samuel, David continued with his journey. Life continue irrespective of the challenges of each day, and so must you. Paul had to adopt a strategy of forgetting his past so that he could face his future ( Philippians 3:12-14). Some people have lost their future to their past because somehow, there were never able to put the past behind them. Have you lost someone you love so much? Move on from that spot! Have you lost someone who promised to help sponsor your education or help set you up in business? Move on from that spot and another helper will surface. You could also receive direct help from above.Never allow past failures hinder your success. Also, never allow past victories and successes hinder future ones. Stop dwelling in your past! As long as your remain at the bust stop of life, no new thing will come to you. Move forward! take a step into your future today!

KEY POINT:
If you don’s leave your past, it will continue to hunt you.
Open Heaves by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Hope of Restoration

Monday 23 July                         Bible in one year: 1 Samuel 29-31

Memorise: For there is a hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Job 14:7

Read: Ezra 10:2-3

Sin is a cruel robber of hope. You will observe that as a believer in right standing with God, it is easy for you to express faith and hope but the moment you sin, the basis for faith and hope is eroded. Fear and doubt invade your heart. You will begin to wonder if the promised of God you have been waiting for will still be realised or not. Sin robs you of hope so you should keep away from it. After falling into sin,some people completely lose the hope of being forgiven or restored to faith. A young evangelist who faithfully won several souls to the Lord was a victim of this. He fell into fornication one day and the devil deceived him that because of that act he could never receive pardon.He believed that lie and continued to live in sin until he fell ill one day and was hospitalised. While there , he was in the same ward with another man- a pastor who carefully studied his bible. He admired him. One day , the pastor asked him if he was a Christian and he said He used to be.”used to ? What happened?” The pastor asked and he told him his story. The pastor immediately swung into action showing him through that he could be forgiven and restored. Then he prayed with him and joy flooded his heart that night.

By the following morning when the pastor woke up ,he did not see his ward mate so he asked the nurses about him. He was informed that the man had joyfully passed on. After his tests, his wife- a medical doctor- announced to the pastor that he was free to go. Annoyed that he was kept in a hospital bed for days for nothing,he pondered on why God would allow that , only to realize he was used to restore hope to the hopeless. Have you backslidden and believe there is no more hope  for your restoration? There is hope for you today! Go on your knees, confess your sins and re-invite Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior and dedicate your life to Him. He will forgive and restore you. From today’s Bible reading , some men who were isrealites, violated God’s command in Deuteronomy 7:- yet they had hope for restoration. However , do not deliberately sin thinking you will always have opportunity to repent and be forgiven; you may not. But today, you can be restored to the Lord now. He will forgive you and put you back on track to Heaven.

ACTION POINT: Prayerfully search for three backsliders around you and lead them back to Christ.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Launch out into the deep

Luke 5 vs 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

In our newsletter titled Peter Gifts , we discussed about five things peter gave before he got his breakthrough. He gave his boat,strength,time,freedom and his life. If we carefully study Luke 5vs 1-7, we will notice that after he gave this things nothing happened until he launched out into the deep(as advised by Jesus). What Peter's gift got him was the attention and presence of Jesus . Psalm 62 vs 11 says in the presence of God there is fullness of Joy. Giving what Peter gave to Jesus will earn you fullness of Joy but there is a higher level of Joy as described in Jude 1vs24 called exceeding joy.

Jesus appreciated the efforts and gifts of Peter but He knew that alone will not earn Peter the breakthrough he desired so He advised him to launch out into the deep.

This brings us to the question what is in the deep ? Healing of diseases both curable and incurable. According to Exodus 15 vs 26 , the Lord is the greater Physician / Healer. He can heal the body , soul and spirit. In Mark 5 vs 25-34 , Jesus healed a woman who had the issue of blood for 12 years. I know most of us men might not understand what this means but just imagine a woman who had been menstruating non stop for twelve years. I need not to tell you that after her healing she was filled with exceeding joy. In Luke 13 vs 10-17 , Jesus healed another woman who had a bent back for eighteen years. In eighteen years , she never stood upright or straight for once but the Most High God healed her. In John 5 vs 1-18 is the story of a man who had been sick and been by the pool of Bethesda for thirty eight years. To be sick with fever for two weeks is a lot talk less of sickness that is worse than that for 38 years. I pray today that the Lord will heal every sickness in your body in Jesus name.

Also in the deep, fruitless efforts become fruitful. In Luke 5 vs 1-7 , Peter fished all night but there was nothing to show for his effort but when he got to the deep , he launched his net once and he caught a net breaking ,boat sinking catch. Sarah tried like every other women on earth but had nothing to show for her effort. She tried everything to get a child even she went to the extent of try to get a child through her maid and that one decided to despise her for been barren but one day the One who is so deep that no one can completely understand Him came and visited her and she became a mother of nation . Hannah was constantly reminded by Peninnah that she was barren- 1 Samuel 1 vs 6, but one day she launched into the deep and became a mother of six – 1 Samuel 2vs 21. I believe there is someone reading this newsletter at this point who is been reminded regularly that she is barren , I pray that in the name of Jesus , very soon you will be a mother of twins.

In the deep is wealth. Contrary to many beliefs , God does not give wealth He gives you the power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8 vs 18 says and you shall remember the Lord your God , for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenants He swore to your fathers. He gave Isaac so much ability and power that He sowed in Genesis 26vs 12-13 and became very rich. Actually He was greater than a nation. He gave Solomon ability too and that one made silver as common as stone- 1Kings 10vs 27

Also wisdom can be found in the deep. James 1 vs 5 says God is the giver of wisdom. Proverbs 4 vs 7 says wisdom is a principal thing ;therefore get wisdom , and in all your getting ,get understand. When we talk of wisdom , Daniel was a man of wisdom .The bible says in Daniel 1 vs 20 that Daniel and his friends were ten times better than the intellectuals of Babylons. By the time we get to Daniel 6 vs 3 , the whole nation began to commend Daniel's wisdom , they said they found an excellent spirit in him. Bezalel was another man who was full of the spirit of wisdom. The man was so full of wisdom the Lord recommended him for work -Exodus 31 vs 1-5. I pray that the Lord will give me and someone such a spirit in Jesus name, If you are that person say amen.

In the deep is divine protection .There is no protection anywhere except in the Lord. Proverbs 18 vs 10 says the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs to it and he is save. Psalm 127 vs 1 says a house is only save when the Lord watches over it .Psalm 125 vs 2 says just like mountain surrounds Jerusalem so also He surrounds His people both now and forevermore. In 2 Kings 6 vs13-18 , Gehazi saw that the host of Syrians had surrounded Dothan and he ran to Elisha. The prophet prayed that the Lord should open the eyes of Gehazi and he saw Heavenly host in their multitudes on horses and chariots of fires all around protecting them. This is what I call protection.

Also in the deep is open doors -John 9vs 1-12, deliverance -Mark 5 vs 1-20 ,peace . Jesus said in John 14 vs 27 my peace I leave with you ,My peace I give unto to you;not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid. Isaiah 66 vs 12 talks of God extending peace like a river.

Now the question in most people's heart is how can I launch out into the deep or what does it mean to launch out into the deep ? How did Peter launch out into the deep ? The first thing Peter did to launch out into the deep was obedience. He fully obeyed Jesus .The problem with most of us is half obedience , some of us pay our offerings but we do not tithe, some of us tithe but do not witness or evangelize , many evangelize but do not pay their first fruits. Proverbs 3 vs 9 says Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase. Many of us even pay offerings,tithe ,support other projects in the church and still do dodgey or funny deals at work. All these are partial obedience and God demands full obedience. There are many who sisters who are not submissive to their husbands , there are many brothers who still abhors unforgiveness . The only way to move from fullness of joy to exceeding joy is total obedience.

Another thing Peter did was he stepped up his commitments, he said nevertheless at your word I will let down the net- Luke 5 vs 5. Anyone who wants to breakthrough needs to step up his commitments to God. We have to decide that no more attending church on Sundays alone ( Sunday Sunday tablets) but to attend mid week services,we have to put an end to ten minutes of prayer and step up our prayer lives ,we have to decide that we will not only speak in tongues during church night vigils but everyday , we have to decide that we will read at least a chapter of the bible daily, we have to decide to stop hiding our faith in Christ in our places of work or business or amidst friends,we have to put an end to coming to church late,we have to decide to not to be a church goer alone but a worker in the church. We all need to step up our commitment to Christ , we all need to begin to evangelize.1 Samuel 2 vs 30 says those who honor Me , I will honor. Honor the Lord today and He will honor you.

Another thing Peter did was he stepped up his efforts . Launching out into the deep requires an effort. The effort needed to sail a boat in deep waters is more than the effort needed to sail a boat on shallow waters. Proverbs 22 vs 29 says diligence in business is what makes a man to stand before Kings .Proverbs 12 vs 11 says he who tills his land will be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 31 vs 17 talks of a virtuous wife. The bible says she girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arm. It is a bad thing to be lazy as a lady too. Actually by God's standards a virtuous woman is one who seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands – Proverbs 31 vs 13.

A way of launching out into the deep is completely trusting the word of God. Peter said at thy word, Peter had faith in the word of God. The problem with many of us is we doubt the word of God. Hebrew 11 vs 6 says without faith it is impossible to please God in other words when you do not have faith you are displeasing God. Many of us are in the same place we are last year due to fear and lack of our trust in the word of God. We do not have faith in our ability . Colossians 1 vs 27 says Christ in you the hope of glory. Once you have Christ you can never fail. Make that move today and you will see God in action.

Another thing Peter did was he expected a good result that was what geared him to obey God. Proverbs 23 vs 18 says the expectation of the righteous will not be cut short. You will only get what you expect .If a man expects to fail , he will fail. I expect to succeed in Jesus name. Peter was expectant and he got his rewards .

And finally launching out into the deep means spending more time with Jesus. Peter increased the time he spent with Jesus and it paid off. God is not our messenger we bark orders to .We must learn to first worship Him, thank Him and then table our request or petition before Him. We must be willing to spend time in His presence praising Him, studying the word of God and generally fellowshipping with Him. We cant be too busy to spend time with the One who can solve all our problems.

Romans 6 vs 1 says shall we live in sin and ask for grace to abound ? It is impossible sir. 1 John 3 vs 9 says whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. Anyone living in sin is not of God. Jesus said in John 3 vs 3 except a man is born again He shall not see the kingdom of heaven.

If you have not giving your life to Christ please do so and if you have backslidded you can come back to Christ today.

The bible said in Romans 3 vs 23 that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6 s 23 says For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The gift was explained in John 3 vs 16 , For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. What shall we do to be save ? The bible says in Romans 10vs 9 that if you confess with your mouth , Jesus is Lord , and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10 vs 10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth that you confess and are saved.

Pray this prayer from your heart today!

Dear Jesus , I believe that You died for me and rose again on the third day. I confess I am a sinner. I need your love and forgiveness. Come into my heart . Forgive my sins. I receive Your eternal life. Confirm You love by giving me peace, joy and supernatural love for others, Amen.

Welcome to Christ brethren, Please join a bible believing church.

Samuel Oluwatoki

Please forward this newsletter to a friend, family or colleague . Remember Matthew 10 vs 32 which says whoever confesses me before me , him I will confess before my father who is heaven.

Victory Devourer

Sunday 22 July                             Bible in one year: 1 Samuel 25-28

Memorise: whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.Romans 13:2

Read : Judges 14:1-3

It is one thing to be victorious and it is another thing to retain victory. Victory not retained turns the victor into a victim. In order to keep your victory and walk in it,it is very crucial to learn from those who lost their victory, the reasons why their victory was lost. May your retain your victory in Jesus name.

One bible character who got victory over his enemies was Samson. He knew what it meant to be victorious because of the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit upon him,yet he died in the prison of his enemies.What rubbished his victory? In judges 14:1-3 , Samson failed to listen to his parents. He felt they were old fashioned in their views. He could not be under the control or authority of anyone.The elders may not be as educated as you are , but there is something they know that has kept them victorious which you may not know with all your education. Anyone who cannot submit to authority will most likely lose the victory he or she has received. There are some wives who cannot submit to the authority of their husbands because they have a better job or earn better income than them. Sorry, you may not be able to retain your victory! When the Lord says you should submit, He did not exclude your position or income. A minister who cannot be controlled, instructed or corrected by his or her pastor will surely lose his or her victory.

Another reason why Samson lose his victory was because he was unequally yoked together with a philistine in marriage. Brother , of all the sisters in the Kingdom, you could not find one to marry except a lady of another faith? By that marriage , you have automatically become a loser, a big time loser. Are you unequally yoked with an unbeliever in business? Separate today! Are you heading for the altar to wed an unbeliever? Break that relationship now before you end up in your enemy’s prison. In addition, Samson was not circumspect enough to know who to tell what. He opened his mouth and revealed his secrets to his enemy and they enslaved him. What are you telling people about yourself? Do you know who your enemies are? Samson was impatient and self-willed , not caring about God’s will and he was very unthankful. In whatever form any of these is seen in your life,prayerfully expunge them today so that your victory will not be eaten up.

PRAYER POINT: Father , today by your mercy , uproot every victory devourer in my life.

Open Heavens By Pastor E.A Adeboye

HANDLE WEALTH WITH CAUTION

Saturday 21 July Bible in one year: 1 Samuel 21-24.

Memorise: And Lord was angry with Solomon,because his heart turned from the Lord,God of Israel ,which hap appeared unto him twice, 1 Kings 11:9

Our God is a generous God who delights in the prosperity of His servants.He grants to them the power to get wealth. However this wealth has eroded the faith of some while some others have turned their trust to the wealth they have.God so loved Solomon that He blessed him to a point where silver was like ordinary stones during his reign.Since he had so much material things, he began to acquire women contrary to the law of kings. He married 700 wives; as if that was not enough, he added 300 concubines. One man to 1,000 woman!There are some he will sleep with once in three years! Most of his wives were non-isrealites ;they were princess from various kingdoms. Not many kings or presidents in our time can beat solomon’s evil record. 1 Kings 11:4 says

for it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of Davis his father.

Wealth brings power and wealth is a very dangerous thing. Solomon married these strange wives because he could afford to. This is one area where poverty acts as a safeguard for the poor. There are some evil things that some poor people could have acquired if they were rich. But because they are poor, their minds are completely away from such things. The poor hardly argue with God’s Word but the rich do that often because what they have beclouds their mind. Solomon got so intoxicated by his wealth that he multiplied wives to himself, who then influenced him to build shrines to their gods and goddess near Jerusalem. They further influenced him to join them in worshipping their idols until his heart was totally turned away from God. God became angry with the one He loved so much . If Solomon was poor, would he have been able to amass those wives? I doubt it. The wealth that takes you away from God’s will and Word is a curse not a blessing. Handle your wealth with lots of care,prayer and fear of God.

PRAYER POINT:

The wealth that is not brought under God’s control will end up controlling its owner. Pray that the wealth that will lead you astray will never come to you.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye

NEGLECTING THIS DOOR?

Friday 20 July                           Bible in one year: 1Samuel 17-20

Memorise: And all things,whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ,ye shall receive. Matthew 21:22
Read : Matthew 21:18-22

In Corinthians 16:8-9 , Paul said God opened a door for him.God still open doors for His children. God open doors to missionary opportunities.Also,there is a door of prayers.This door is open to everyone. You do not need the permission of anyone to pray.You are free to pray anytime and anywhere.Even when a government outlaws prayers like it happened in the time of Daniel, those like Daniel will still pray. Any government that passes such an obnoxious decree must be prepared to stay awake 24/7 because some of us may choose to start our prayers at 3am. How effectively have you been using your open door in prayer? Your success in Christian faith depends on how you utilize this door. You cannot be anything of repute in God’s kingdom if you neglect this door. One thing that is common to those who rise and fall from the faith so often is that they fail to utilize their open door in prayer. A prayer-less Christian is not only powerless but also a misrepresentation of the Christian faith. Such a Christian will end up a victim and will struggle in his walk with God.Power is released in the place of prayer. You need power to live as a Christian(John 1:14). Without such power, Heaven will be a mirage. If you are neglecting effective prayer life, it means you do not want to go to Heaven.

You are neglecting this door when you see the need to pray but procrastinate,saying :”i will pray about it tomorrow”. That tomorrow may never come. Or when you have a negative dream but only mutter some positive confessions and push it aside or leave it to fate by saying:”if God delights in me, He will do something about that dream so I leave it to Him’. You also neglect this door when you see a sharp or major character flaw in your  spouse , or leader but rather than intercede, you make  it a subject of discussion or gossip. Do you know that about 70% of what happens to most believers could have been averted if only they have effectively utilized the open door in prayer? There is gross prayerlessness in Christendom today. Repent and never take anything for granted. Monitor your dreams and revelations and make the most of them by the door of prayer.

KEY POINT: For the prayerful, prayer is a sieve which determines what they will go through and what they will not, while the prayer-less goes through everything projected their way by the enemy.

THE GENEROUS GOD

Thursday 19 July                              Bible in one year : 1 Samuel 14-16

Memorise: He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?Romans 8:32

Read : Romans 8 :31-32

Our God can do anything. He has all the resources He needs. Unlike men, He is not limited in anyway. Genesis 17:1 says He is the All Sufficient God.The earth with all its fullness belongs to Him(Psalm 24:1). All the silver and gold are also His (Haggai 2:8). In 1 Kings 17:2-6 , God asked birds to serve breakfast and dinner to one of His prophets on daily basis. Somebody once asked where the birds got the bread and meat from ? Where did God get the bread and fish to feed the 4,000 and the 5,000? Where did God get the oil that the widow kept pouring into empty vessels until they filled from one bottle of oil? Asking any of these questions simply means that you have not known the All Sufficient God. He has been baking bread before any bakery existed and has been raining meat before any abattoir existed.Matthew 17:24-27 talks of a gold coin in the mouth of a fish. Are you asking where the fish got the money from ? God knows how to get whatever He wants because He created everything and He knows exactly where He kept them. Human beings only know about what they have discovered but the greater parts of God’s resources are yet to be discovered by man, but God knows where he kept them.

God is unlimited in love. The love of men is very limited. Usually , men may love you when they can get something in return from you. An African proverbs says: “if fire burns you and your child, you will attend to yourself first”. This implies your love for your child is limited. However with our God, it is not so. Even when a mother forgets her sucking child, God cannot forget his own, even if they look neglected ,wretched or haggard. God will not forget you. He loves you without reservation. His love made him to die for us while we were yet in our sins (Romans 5:8). Our God who has unlimited love and unlimited resources also has unlimited generosity. Blessed be His holy name! Romans 8:32 says if God could give His only begotten son, what else can He not give us ? God can give you beyond what you can ever ask or think because He is unlimited in generosity. This season, you shall be a recipient of His generosity in Jesus name.

KEY POINT:If God can give you His best, expect all other blessings that do not measure up to this Gift.

FULLNESS OF JOY

Wednesday 18 July Bible in one year: 1 Samuel 11-13

Memorise: And they departed from the presence of the council,rejoicing that they they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name . Acts 5:41

Read : Acts 5:33-42

God is the giver of joy for in His presence is fullness of joy ( Psalms 16:11) , Romans 15:13 says:

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing ,that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

It is possible to be filled with all Joy. That will be your portion this season. God also wants your joy to be full, not half or quarter ,hence in John 16:24 , He says: Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive that your may be full.

If some very important requests are not granted, your joy will definitely not be full.

But you may ask: Why is my joy not yet full? it could just because you are yet to meet with all the requirements. 1 Peter 4:13 says;

But rejoice,inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that , when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

If you are not prepared to suffer with Christ, then be prepared to forego the benefit of exceeding joy. There are some believers who are still hiding their faith in Christ in their workplace. They do not want their bosses or colleagues to know that they are born again Christians for fear of being persecuted.There are sisters who cannot tell their husbands that they are now saved and so can no longer continue things they did together that did not please God. There are people attending white garment churches or non-Pentecostal churches who along the line contacted believers who preached to them and they received Christ as their Lord. Yet, they are afraid of declaring to their unsaved leaders and fellow church members that they are now born again for fear of being branding rebels. In anyway you are hiding your status as a believer, you are denying Christ.If you find it difficult to preach Jesus to others, you are denying Him. If you deny Him, He also will deny you. No one who denies Jesus will be able to have the fullness of Joy that He promised.Are you prepared to suffer for His name? The early church counted it a privilege to suffer for Christ. No wonder their joy knew no bounds.

PRAYER POINT: Father, let there be a manifestation of the answer to all my prayers that i may experience the fullness of joy that you promised

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye

DOUBLE PORTION: WHERE FROM ?

Tuesday 17 July                                 Bible in one year : Judges 19-21

Memorise: Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights , with whom is no variableness,neither shadow of turning . James 1:17

Read : James 1:16-18

In the story about Elijah’s rapture recorded in 2 Kings 2;11-14 , you will notice the repetition of the phrase: “The mantle of Elijah that fell from him”. This tells us that even when Elisha had paid the price in serving him for some years and in accompanying him on his last assignments, and had even crossed the Jordan with him, Elijah still took his mantle with him until the cry of Elisha’s was heard. This shows the need for patience in God’s kingdom , particularly when you are trusting God for something very precious. If you are not ready to persist until you get it, you may be denied at the very point when you should have had it. Similarly, we learn that every good gift comes from above (James 1:17). When Elijah was taken , he went into heaven then the mantle was sent down with a double portion of the anointing on Elijah. Many people think it was Elijah who delivered Elisha’s request to him. No! There was no way he could give what he did not have which was why he told Elisha he asked a hard thing. He simply took the mantle with him and God released the double portion of the anointing on Elijah upon it for Elisha. Even when the anointing oil is poured on you, the power is released from above.

Also, when the Holy Spirit descended in Acts 2:1-4 , He sat on the heads of the disciples as cloven tongues of fire. This shows the importance of your head. This is why when it is time to ordain people, we go for their heads. The implication of this is that whatever you are , you owe to God. You have no reason to be proud. No wonder David acknowledged his help as being from God (Psalms 121:1-2). When God uses a vessel of His to bless you and you thank the fellow, do not forget that he or she is only a vessel;let your greater thanksgiving go to God who is the giver of the blessing. It is wrong to thank the vessel but forget the One who used the vessel to channel your blessings to you. This season, the Lord will bless you abundantly. How patient are you ?How much do you give God thanks ? Have you paid the price for a higher lever of God’s anointing on you?

KEY POINT: If you want any definite blessing from Heaven, look up to God.

BLESSED HOPE RENEWED

Monday 16 July Bible in one year: Judges 16-18

Memorise : wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18

Read :1 Corinthians 15:51-58

The Holy Communion is a special meal. It is a celebratory meal. As you take of it , you celebrate your victory over worry and anxiety. John 14:1-3 says you should not let your heart be troubled because He is returning to us. Jesus partook of this meal before His departure and He promised to return for us. Even if you have different issues troubling you, the remembrance of the fact that He will return and that your tomorrow will be alright, should bring glorious peace upon you.

1 Corinthians 15:49-57 tells that because He died and resurrected after His body was broken and His blood was shed, we no longer have any cause to fear death. Sometime in 1980,my father in the Lord was sick and his friend was also sick. He sent a message to his friend that he would soon be going. His friend replied, “i will give be gone before you”. They were talking about dying like taking an ordinary journey. When you partake of the Holy Communion , you celebrate your victory over death. Fear of death is completely nullified. Also ,taking the Holy Communion helps you celebrate that blessed hope that one day , your Savior will come. In Matthew 26:29 , the Lord says

But i say unto you , I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine,until that day when I drink it with you in my Father’s Kingdom.

Yes, one day, the Lord will come for us and take us to His Father’s kingdom and there we will wine and dine with Him. What a blessed Hope! This hope is a wonderful source of comfort for all believers in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). Partaking of the Communion therefore reminds you that you have another home ahead-in the perfect land of blessedness where you won’t have to suffer as you did on earth. As you take the Holy Communion ,you are reminded of His promise in John 14:1-3 that one day, He will take you to be with Him and you will forever be in His presence. We shall forever live with your Savior in Heaven. This is why you must not miss communion service. The power of this meal is normally experienced at our monthly Holy Communion Service, If you can ,don’t miss it. How prepared are you for Heaven ?

PRAYER POINT:

Thanks God that Jesus is returning for you. Pray that you will not miss His return.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye

God will always be there for you.

Victory :How Permanent?

VICTORY : HOW PERMANENT? 

 

Sunday 15 July                                   Bible in one year : Judges 13-15

Memorise: O Sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand , and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.Psalms 98:1

Read: Joshua 7:1-6

Every victory God gives can be maintained or lost depending on several factors. Many people know how to obtain victory not how to keep them.It is better to continue in defeat than to have victory and return to defeat due to the inability to keep it. After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea , Moses immediately composed a song of praise and thanksgiving that they sang repeatedly ( Exodus 15:1-21). After that song of praise , every effort to cause them to return to Egypt failed; their victory was permanent. Anyone who does not know how to be grateful to God may never enjoy permanent victories. Are you grateful to God for what He has done for you?

In Joshua 7 & 8, God gave the Israelites under Joshua victory which they lost almost immediately but later recovered. Many people once walked in the victory that Christ has given over the flesh, Satan and other enemies but later lost the reality of this victory. Why did Joshua lose his victory ? It was because somebody under him tampered with what he should not. This simply tells us that your victory could be eroded by the misdemeanour of a close associate. A family can lose their victory because of a disobedient child. If you doubt this,ask Eli. This is why parents must train their children well. Train, not just teach. Parents should act as coaches, mentors and guided to their children in order to maintain family victories.Thank God Joshua’s loss was not permanent because he asked God the cause of the loss and what to do, and did as instructed. Have you lost a victory? Ask God what you can do to have it back and do so promptly . If you know who is stealing in church,expose the fellow. Doing this does not only helps that individual but also the church. Achan’s theft not only affected him but the entire nation . Are you a pastor or minister yet secretly fornicating? You are negatively affecting your church and bringing an evil cloud over the congregation. As a member of the church, if you know of a fornicating minister , or worker, report the fellow to your pastor as way of helping all concerned.

KEY POINT: Thanksgiving is the glue that helps to firmly attach your blessings to you. Without it , your blessing may be lost.

STRAY TEMPTATION

 

Saturday 14 July                            Bible in one year Luke 22-24

Memorise : Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure . 1 Timothy 5:22

Read: 2 Samuel 11:1-5

It will shock you to know that it is easier to manage lack and hardship than to manage abundance and pleasure. If you live in a single room in a “face-me-i-face-you” building (building with multiple tenants of low-income class), it is easier for you to wake up and pray even at night than when you live in an expensively furnished bedroom with water bed in a mansion overseeing the sea. When you want to get up to pray in such a house, the comfort of the bed will motivate you to sleep some more. Before you know , it will be dawn. Let us take the case of David as an example(2 Samuel 11:1, 12:14). While David was being chased from cave to cave,he had no time to think of adultery, but after been crowned king and baptized into comfort, when he should be at war , he was resting and so he saw what he should not have seen and got into trouble.
It is important to be where God wants you to be always. During evangelism, He expects you to be in the field witnessing to souls. During rehearsal time or Sunday School preparatory class, God expects you there if you are a teacher. He expects you in service during the time for service.Any time you are not where God expects you to be, you open yourself to see or encounter what you should not , and you may found yourself in trouble. Do you know that the devil could have planned for one of the David’s servants who stayed in the palace to be one to see the naked Beersheba?But because David was in a wrong place ,he got trapped by this temptation. Many people , like David,have entered into problem not planned for them and became victims of stray temptations. One way to avoid this is by being where God wants you to be at every point in time. But even when confronted with such temptations, know that God’s grace is sufficient to overcome all temptations. Ask God to guide your steps aright from today.

PRAYER POINT:Father ,order my steps according to your will and Word. Let me be where you want me to be at every point in time.

For your attention !!!!

Attention:

While studying Luke 16:23-26 , the Holy Spirit brought my attention to things present in hell . They are
1-Torments through flame
2-Thirst
3-Lack of mercy
4-Rememberance of past and Regrets
5-Tears
6-Cries and
7-Pains .

Also He reminded me of what is present in Heaven as written in Revelations 21:4

1-Tears been wiped away
2-Absence of pain
3-Absence of death
4-Absence of Sorrow
5-Absence of regrets

You have now been informed. The decision is up to you. Deuteronomy 30:19 says I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you , that i have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;therefore choose life , that both you and your descendants may live ;

Heaven and Hell is real! If you have not giving your life to Christ please do so now . If you have backslidded please return to him now. There is no shame in been a christian. We came to the world alone and we will go alone. We will receive judgement alone. Confess your sins and depart from sinful lifestyle now.

The trumpet maybe sounded in anytime from now!

If you want to give your life to Christ .

Pray this prayer from your heart today!

Dear Jesus , I believe that You died for me and rose again on the third day. I confess I am a sinner. I need your love and forgiveness. Come into my heart . Forgive my sins. I receive Your eternal life. Confirm You love by giving me peace, joy and supernatural love for others, Amen.

Welcome to Christ brethren, Please join a bible believing church.

Copy and paste this so that your friends and family may see it. I pray that you will not be held accountable for their sins in Jesus Name.

Samuel Oluwatoki

VICTIM OF PEER PRESSURE?

Friday 13 July Bible in one year Luke 18-21

Memorise:and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of you mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable , and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

Read : 2 Timothy 4:9-11

Undue peer pressure is an enemy to watch our for. Many times when we discuss peer pressure, our minds go to teenagers. Peer pressure is pronounced in that circle but not exclusive to it. Peer pressure exist with every group and assembly of people. Increasingly, and most unfortunately , many ministers of God are yielding to peer pressure. You will hear someone say : ” Pastor X has just moved to his house, i too must move to mine immediately” , or Pastor Y said he prophesied into the life of a member of his church and the fellow brought him a car, i too must prophesy to my members so that they can equally buy me a car”. Beware; peer pressure distorts vision and reorders priorities.

If you must forward and be what God wants you to be, you must overcome this pressure. Peer pressure makes a particular individual your standard instead of Jesus Christ. Whenever you hear that he has just added another feather to his cap, you become restless until you perform the same feat. The one who yields to peer pressure may never achieve his or her God giving goal or destiny because he will have no goal of his own, but only shift the goal posts in relation to the fellow he is copying. Peer pressure puts material things above spiritual things. The one who yields to peer pressure cannot set his or her affections on heavenly things. Such a person will be carnally minded. Peer pressure is all about “measuring up” and making people see that you are conformed . The one who yields to peer pressure can never please God. Like King Saul, he will strive towards pleasing men. While yielding to peer pressure, many have found themselves stealing, lying ,defrauding and dabbling into things they would not normally do. Peer pressure augments the works of the flesh, making a yielded soul wallow in lust , covetousness, envy, jealousy,greed, pride, arrogance, undue comparison, etc. Demas just wanted to be like other people so he yielded to peer pressure and he went out of the faith. Out of greed, some have turned the Bible upside down to support their intention of being rich overnight via the altar. Remember their elder Gehazi tried the same idea and he ended up with leprosy.

ACTION POINT: Peer pressure causes you to conform to the world instead of walking in Christ’s Victory over it.

Pastor E.A Adeboye

God is in control

THE UNLIMITED GOD

Thursday 12 July                         Bible in one year Luke 14-17

Memorise : To whom then will liken me, or shall i be equal? saith the Holy One . Isaiah 40:25

Read: Isaiah 40:28-31

God is the omnipotent God. The word ‘omnipotent’ is a combination of two words omni and potent. Omni means ‘all’ , while potent means ‘power’ . So the word omnipotent means the who has all the power.

Behold , i am the Lord , the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

A major difference between God and man is in the area of limitation. Man is limited but God is unlimited . Man is limited in strength. Isaiah 40:30 says

even the youths shall faint and be weary , and the young men shall utterly fall,

As energetics as youths are, they can still faint, and fall. Man is also limited by death hence James 4:13-14 compares a man’s life with vapour. On the other hand , God is not limited in strength as He is neither tired nor weary (Isaiah 40:28). He does not need to sleep or slumber because He is never tired ( Psalms 121:3-4). God is not limited by death because He lives forever( Revelations 4:9). The spirit of death is only one of His numerous creatures and when God is through with it, He will send it to the lake of fire( Revelations 10:24).

Many people make promises that they honestly intend to keep but before they could fulfill their promises , death snatches them away. God never grows old as He is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalms 90:1-2). Also, He has no beginning , since everything that has a beginning must equally have an end. Hence , whatever problems there are in your life today started one day and must also end one day. Our God is unlimited in resources like men. There are times you will desire to do something,say assist a needy fellow or heal a sick person but the resources will be lacking; but not so with God. Some years ago, my youngest son came to ask me what I wanted for Christmas but I told him not to bother. He insisted that I should just mention it so I asked him to buy me an aeroplane.He laughed and said that was not the kind of gift he was talking about. Why? it was because he was limited. Some people would wish they could support the projects in camp or buy their pastor a car or house but they are limited in resources. The implication is this: because God cannot be limited, all our limitations are extremely limited. Every limitation facing you shall be swallowed up by His unlimitedness in Jesus name.

PRAYER POINT
Father, this season , let your Almightiness swallow every limitation in my life and family.

GOD IS MY PORTION

Wednesday 11 July                             Bible study in one year : Luke 10-13

Memorize : The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. Psalm 16:5

Read:Philippians 1 :19-21

In the devotional for July 4, we saw from John 6:5-13, a young boy offering his lunch to Jesus. It was inferred that at the end of the day the people would have helped him to take home the 12 baskets remains from what he gave. One lesson is that why some giving may take  some time to give its yield, some others can give immediate yields.The boy’s gift got immediate returns.But note that the boy’s giving was sacrificial . He had just his lunch when he went with the crowd to listen to Jesus. When the Lord needed food , he decided to fast- to go hungry so that somebody else-even if it one person, could have something to eat. He did not share his meal; He gave it all like the poor widow did with her mite.  Sacrificial giving is what brings out the extreme giving qualities of God. In 1 Kings 17:8-16, God turned the last meal of an extremely needy widow into long-last supply but remember the widow first surrendered her last meal. She had the choice of eating her last meal and facing death or sacrificing her last meal to live.She chose right. Many people have found themselves in similar state as the widow but their momentary ,fleshly pleasure did not let them choose right, hence they have plunged themselves into more misery, thereby loosing what God had reserved for them.

A lot has to do with your decision.God may tell you what to do but He will not force you to do it. A right decision is a right decision and a wrong decision is wrong irrespective of the circumstances or excuse that are advanced. Ask God for grace to take the right decision  always no matter its immediate effect on you and your family. Sacrifice is a step in the right direction.Romans 12:1 says you should lay your entire life, achievement, family and plans upon the altar of sacrifice. Paul says if i will at all it is to live for Christ and if He wants me to die, there is even greater pain for me ( Philippians 1:21). That means either way, I am a winner. You too can win either way. According to 2 Corinthians 9:6 , to get God’s best , give bountifully. The ultimate of giving bountifully is when you give everything including yourself. If you do this, He will respond and say :’ From today whatever I have is now yours”. Yes , God can be your portion.

KEY POINT: The sacrifice to make God your portion may be enormous but cannot be compared with the unending flow of blessings that will flow

Trust in God

Is it Correction or a Spirit of Criticism?

I have a brother who is a Baptist Minister. I'm Pentecostal and in this all know my brother and I must have some differences in theology. We do, however these differences have never been an issue or a point of contention between us. We agree on the main thing and both of us know what the main thing is concerning salvation.

I received a letter from my brother with a copy of a message he had shared with his congregation that touched my heart. In the letter he granted me permission to share this message with anyone I wish.

The part I will share with you concerns pastors. There has been much said on this site lately about pastors in particular and ministers in general. There is much truth in the proclamation of apostasy in this last day church. There is also a responsibility all members of the body share in this apostasy and a responsibility to His ministers whom He has called and ordained.

The following is quoted from his letter with only some names being altered for their privacy :


Bible students went to hear the great Charles Spurgeon preach while he was in London. They arrived at the church early and met a man who said he would show them around. While taking the tour one of the students said, "If you had to name one reason for the powerful and anointed preaching of Charles Spurgeon, what would it be?" He said, "Come on boys and let me show you the heating room in the basement."

They went to the basement and he opened 2 large doors to the "heating room." There were 700 women and men kneeling in prayer. They were all praying for Charles Spurgeon and his message that would be preached on that day. The man looked at the bible students and said, "I am Charles Spurgeon and this is the room the power of my preaching comes from."



The Bible has much to say about praying for leaders of the church.

Paul was in prison when he wrote 4 different letters. They were to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon.

Paul says,

"Don't forget to pray for us."

It is so easy to take things for granted and forget to do them. I would ask each of you to set aside a time on Saturday and Sunday morning to pray for me.

While my wife and I were visiting in Waco a couple years back, we went to a church with my son and daughter-in-law that was located in a run down neighborhood. A black minister got up to preach. He said, "When I grew up I lived in a 2 room house that only had one cooking stove for heat. All us children would gather as close around that stove as possible to receive the heat. It sure felt good on them cold mornings." He then said, "Would all of you who are right with God come down a little closer so I can be close to the heat?"

I'm asking all of you that are right with God to pray for me. I need it in my preaching and serving each week.

Paul says to pray for me so that he will proclaim the message as clearly as he should.

Billy Sunday once said, "I like to put the cookies on the bottom shelf so even the little children can get one." He was referring to the presentation of the Gospel in such a way that even little children understood what he said.

A preacher once told me that if you preach a sermon that everyone understands, it will pay off in two ways. One way is that everyone listening will understand what was said. Another way is that those that think they are so much smarter than the pastor will feel good. They will sit around the dinner table and say things like, "Bless that preacher's heart. He is so simple until even a little child could understand what he was saying. Well, I guess everyone didn't have the opportunity to be educated like me."

In Luke 19, Jesus tells the parable of the King's 10 servants. The 3rd servant in this story did nothing with the money Jesus had allowed him to have. In other words, he made no investment. He said, "I hid it and kept in a safe" , and then in C9, vs. 21, he said, "I feared thee because thou art an austere man." Austere means hard or strict. Everyone does not know what that word means. Have any of you used that word this week?

An old uneducated preacher was preaching a revival. His scripture was Luke 19:21. He thought that word "austere" was pronounced "oyster." He preached a message titled, "The Oyster Man", referring to Jesus. He described how when diving into the ocean to retrieve oysters one would plunge deep into the water, grapple around in the oysters, their hands would be cut and bleeding and then they would swim to the top holding the reward of their dive. He compared this to Jesus plunging down from heaven and being bruised, beaten, and crucified for our sins but then after His plunge He had the reward and that was souls to be won by Him giving His life for our sins.

After the service a professor with a doctorate degree walked up to the preacher and said, "That was the most butchered sermon of the English language I have ever heard. The word is "austere" and not "oyster" and it means hard, firm, or strict. That was an incorrect use of the English language and you should be ashamed."

The preacher said, "Sir, you can say what you want about me but the Lord used and the Lord retrieved 12 new oysters tonight." The Lord had used the message of an uneducated minister to draw 12 people into His Kingdom.

The Lord is looking for sincere hearts and surrendered hearts.

What about your heart? Has it been fully given to the Lord?


END OF QUOTE FROM LETTER

This message my brother preached really blessed my heart and I pray it does your's as well. It speaks directly and truly to a destructive condition in the body of Christ today. In all too many cases people tend to criticize and fail to pray.

Friends, from my heart I believe "CRITICISM " is of the devil and has no place in the heart of a believer.

Even of our enemies we are instructed to love them, bless them, do good to them, and pray for them. If this is so shouldn't it be so much more for our friends?

And a word from the Lord:

"Touch not mine anointed and do them no harm."

All of us one day will stand before the Lord and answer for every word which has come from our mouths. Careful what you say, especially when you are talking about God's anointed.

Instead of receiving a spirit of criticism take on a spirit of supplication. Instead of wasting your time criticizing and tearing apart, pray and build up.

You are a member of the body, a unique part which is necessary and important, do your part to build and not to destroy.

Instead of being a critical spirit choose to be a part of the body of Christ and build up. Pray for your ministers continuously and have faith in God. God will do the rest. If you are faithful to do your part there will be resolution, God's resolution.

This is the last day Church and the remnant is few in number. Keep praying for the Church as well.

Blessings to all,
Tch

Legalistic vs. Mercy

Here lately I have been sitting back watching people, I am a people watcher by nature. I find humans a fascinating group. I have noticed that when we as humans look at each other we like to judge someone else’s sin in legalistic eyes. But not our own we are very happy to look upon our own sin with mercy, the mercy that the Lord gives us. Funny isn’t it we hold others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves.

I have also noticed a very dangerous game being played not only by the world but by Christians. I like to call it ‘Rank that sin’. Those in the world look at others of the world and reason with themselves that they are a good person because at least they have never done A-B-C. Christians also like to partake in this game when looking at fellow Christians. Don’t we like to think ourselves better. We think hey at least I don’t struggle with the bottle or at least I have never cheated on my spouse or I have never stolen, the list can go on. We loose sight with the fact that sin is sin, black as coal. Doesn’t matter what it is, we are no better than those that we are placing ourselves over in judgement.

We all struggle, my struggles may not be your struggles, your struggles may not be mine. But that does not give us the right to place judgement upon each other. How about helping each other.. Wow there is a thought. If we spent less time playing our little minds games trying to make ourselves feel better about our own sin and more time helping each other overcome what ever it is we are dealing with. Think what a better place this might be to live in. Think about how much easier it might be to go to our Brother’s and Sister’s and ask for prayer, knowing that they will be standing in the gap for us not placing judgment upon us.

I have also noticed that some like to preach Grace and Mercy. Then you have those on the other side of the fence that like to preach Holiness and Righteousness. What would happen if we met each other somewhere in the middle, think about it. Don’t we need all of these elements in our walk?

Grace - Mercy - Holiness - Righteousness

Think about all of the inner bickering that could be cleared up if we were just willing to meet somewhere in the middle. Think about what that could do for the Body. Just maybe healing could begin to take place, just maybe the fracture that has plagued us for so many generations could slowly heal. Then what would Christianity look like.

I read a account from a prophet here recently that said until the fracture in the Body was healed true revival could not take place. After reading this account the Holy Spirit told me this was true. All this time I have been praying for revival, just maybe I need to shift my attention for a season and begin to pray for healing. Maybe all of us need to shift our attention for that season and begin to pray for this, just think what could happen if we all could come together in unity. Think about the difference we could make, think about the lives that could be changed, think about those that could be saved. But to do this it has to start with all of us individually in our prayer room and also in how we deal with one another.

I am not a trained theologian, I am but a humble servant of Christ. My thoughts do not flow as they should but please know that I speak what the Lord places upon my heart. The Spirit has been heavy upon me today, I have been moved to tears a few times, my heart has ached. And this is what He gave me to share with you today, I pray blessing upon each and everyone of you.

In His Love

christineingram

ARE YOU P.O.O.R

Tuesday 10 July                                    Read bible in one year: Luke 7-9

Memorise: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth . 2 Timothy 2:15

Read 2 Timothy 2 :14-16

When Elijah was parted and taken away from Elisha in 2 Kings 2:11-13 , Elisha tore away his old garment. This connotes that for you to take on a new or higher assignment , it is important to change your clothes. if you are still putting on malice,lies,anger or any work of flesh,your new assignment will not fit you. In addition to tearing his old garment, Elisha took up the mantle that fell from his departed master. This means God gave him an opportunity and he grabbed it.God will give you atleast one opportunity but it is up to you to seize the opportunity. Samson was one person who knew how to seize opportunity. When he was taken bound to the Philistines in Judges 15:14-15, the Spirit of God came upon him and he saw the jaw bone of an ass,he grabbed it and used it.The ability to take every opportunity God gives to you is a determining factor in becoming what God wants you to become. The difference between the rich and poor has to do with how they treat opportunities that came their way. Someone defined the word “poor” as Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly. Genuinely rich people are rich today because they did not let opportunities pass them by;while a lot of the poor are poor today because they keep procrastinating and hardly ever seized an opportunity God gave to them.

You can observe this trend in christian faith . Show me a fast growing believer and i will show you a convert who did not allow opportunities for growth to pass by unutilized. Everyone that is born again has an ample opportunities for growth. The issue is : what do you do with such opportunities? 2 Timothy 2 :15 says you should study the scriptures as if you are about to sit for an examination. Bible study, faith clinic, revival services,Sunday services,workers retreat,ministers retreats,ministries conferences, monthly Holy Ghost services, Special Holy Ghost services, Conventions,Congresses,Bible College,School of Disciples, School of Missions, etc., are all avenues for growth. In addition books authored by anointed man and women of God are available for study by the one who wants to be outstanding. Are you grabbing these opportunities? The more you grab the more outstanding you become.

KEY POINT: Opportunities grabbed and utilised add to the user but opportunities ignored diminish the one to which they were sent.

ENLARGING GOD’S SERVICE

Monday 9 July                            Bible in one year:Luke 4-6

Memorise : And i will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly i love you , the less i be loved.2 Corinthians 12 vs 15

When God is looking for those to call, He looks for hardworking people because He is not lazy. God cannot entrust things of eternal value into the hands of lazy people. One thing you can be certain about concerning the 12 disciples the Lord chose, is that they were all hardworking people.Is it Peter, John, James or Matthew the tax collector or even Judas who was their treasurer? Balancing the accounts is not an easy job for the lazy. How hardworking are you ?

Another criteria God uses in selecting those He will use is their determination to serve Him all the days of their lives.Some people serve God now because of their present circumstance,status or location. The day there is a change in any of these , particularly in a negative sense , it will affect their commitment. But there are those who decide to serve Him in all circumstances and until their last breath. In 2 Corinthians 12 vs 15 says:
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly i love you , the less i be loved.
He also said in Philippians 3vs 7-8 that all his gains were counted as losses to enable him know Jesus more. Have you resolved to serve him to the end? Some brethren are asking God for an anointing to heal the sick and raise the dead while God is asking them “how many souls have won to me since i saved you ?” Grace meets you on the move, the idle fellow would therefore be bypassed. Paul made a great sacrifice to appreciate God’s salvation. Some people have never made a major sacrifice to the Lord since they got saved. By His grace i got saved in July 1973 . The following year , I was in my village. I did not have much but i repaired a shop  and agreed with the owner that what i spent in that renovations would be converted into renting the shop for church use. It covered for up to 17 years. We did not spend up to that when we built our own church. I also went everywhere preaching the Gospel. God’s grace is meant to be used for God’s kingdom. What are you doing for Him?

ACTION POINT: Take a stock of your achievements for the Kingdom since you got saved. Compare your findings with the goals you earlier set and see the difference.

Peter's Gift

Read : Luke 5 vs 1- 8

The bible passage above is a very popular story about Peter . He had fished all night and caught nothing ,while he was washing his nets Jesus paid him a visit. Later Jesus asked him to let down his net for a catch and he obeyed. He caught so much fish his nets began to break.

When we carefully study the above passage , we will notice that before Peter received his breakthrough there was an exchange. Peter parted with something to get his blessings. Many a times,when we hear of giving and  what comes to mind is money - offering and tithes . It is not only about money , there are things God wants you to give to Him that are more of value than money and I pray that as you read along , the Holy Spirit will inspire you in Jesus name.Amen

Looking at Luke 5 vs 1-8 , Peter gave five things to Jesus in exchange for his breakthrough. The things he gave came at a cost . David says in 1 Chronicles 21 vs 24 , I will not offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing. David knew the essence of giving a costly gift to God no wonder by the time we get to 1 Chronicles 21 vs 26 we see God answering from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offerings. God was so pleased with the offering that He sent fire from heaven to consume the offering.

The first thing Peter gave was his time . Time Is one of the most valuable resources. Business moguls will tell you time is money. Time is so important God works in it . Genesis 2 vs 2 says and on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. The Lord created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. This is an example of God working in time. When we study the whole bible we see God working in time and with time. Time is so crucial, when the mother of Jesus told Him the wine had finished , He replied My hour has not yet come -John 2 vs 1-11.

When Jesus got into the boat in Luke 5 vs 3 , He began to teach the multitude from the boat.Meanwhile Peter had fished all night and he needed rest but instead of going home to rest, he stood with Jesus . While Jesus was teaching , he was awake on the boat to carry out instructions for Jesus , spending time with Jesus. The time he could have used to do a million and one things , maybe visit his family , friends, look for other means of getting money , complain about he tried all night and caught nothing or sleep but he gave it to Jesus .It was a very inconvenient time for Peter because he was tired and exhausted. Anyone who is wants a mega breakthrough must be ready to first give their time to Jesus. Brethren God needs our time for a lot of things, for evangelism, for caring for the sick,poor and widows , for interceding , for praying , for praising Him. God will always reward every second we spend for Him. A few minutes with God can solve a life long problem. God is only ready to spend time with us when we spend time with HIM.

Another thing Peter gave was his boat . We all know that the most important thing to a fisherman is his boats. Peter's boat was a prized asset to him but He had to let go off it to Jesus. The question is this if Jesus decides to borrow your house , will you lend Him? We know our Lord is rich, Haggai 2 vs 8 says silver and gold belongs to Him,Genesis 14 vs 22 calls Him the Possessor of the heavens and the earth, Psalm 24 vs 1 says the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness. To enjoy God and His abundance we must be ready to part with our prized possessions. Because Abraham was willing to part with Isaac- his only son , God swore to him , He said in blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the sea-shore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies- Genesis 22 vs17. You want God to bless you beyond limits , be ready to part with your prized possession. The widow of Zarapheth gave her last meal and the Lord fed her through famine – 1 Kings 17 vs 7-16.

Another thing Peter gave was strength. We all know that after fishing all night , by the next morning Peter will be left with virtually no strength.  Luke 5 vs 3 says then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the land. Peter had brought his boat to the shore because he was finished for the day but Jesus asked him to push the boat back into the lake. This was not an easy task ,to make it worse Jesus was sitted in the boat which made it heavier. Peter had to summon the last strength he had to push the boat to the sea. Many of us call ourselves christians and we can not remember the last time we spent our strength for Jesus.

A way to use your strength for Jesus is by becoming a worker in your church. Join the ushers, greeters , choirs, cleaners or other departments. The church of God needs workers. We can not expect the pastor to clean the chairs, hoover , be an usher and choir at the same time. We need to support the work of God. A true child of God will be a worker in the house of God. Jesus says in Luke 11 vs 23 , he who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. Are you with Jesus by working with your pastors and church or scattering what Jesus has gathered ? It is God that fills the church but he needs workers to make the church clean and conducive for those He is bringing .

Another thing Peter gave was his freedom. He became a servant in His own boat by giving all his freedom to Jesus. The reason why many do not want to give their life to Christ is because they do not want to give up their freedom. They want to smoke , make filthy jokes , enjoy their bottle of alcohol and all . They do not want to be told how to live their life. They want to live their life the way they want. Peter served Jesus well , Jesus told him to put the boat out a little he did without question. He asked him to launch into deep , he complied ; Jesus told him to let down his net he obeyed.

Anyone who wants God to move for him must first give up his freedom to Jesus. Once you give your freedom to Jesus , He controls what you do . He tells you can not go to clubs , betting shops or womanize. Once you give your freedom to Jesus , you are not free to live a reckless life ,part of giving your freedom will include giving up your life styles . You have to give up the way you dress ,no more tight fitting skirts and blouses,no more micro mini skirts, no exposure of body parts that needs to be covered. Once He has your freedom , you will not be able to attend parties during church services. If we submit our freedom to Him , we will fulfill our destinies in no time. The secret of David's success is found in Psalm 23 v 5 , He leads me in the paths of righteousness . If the Lord leads you , it is obvious you can not go wrong.

The fifth thing he gave was his family. Anyone who is ready to have a breakthrough that the world will be  called to come and see must put Jesus first. Peter fished all night and you will expect him to go home and see his children and wife but he stayed with Jesus. We will not enjoy Jesus to the fullest until we put Him first in everything we do . A disciple of Jesus told him please let me first go and bury my father and Jesus told him “follow me let the dead bury their own dead”. Our God is a jealous God -Deuteronomy 6 vs 15 , that is why He will not take the second place in any life.

He is either the first in your life or He is not there. Is the Lord asking you to do one thing or other and you are considering what people will say ? Or what your family members will think ? Luke 17 vs 33 says whoever seeks to save his life will lose it and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Abraham put God first , that was why he was able to go and sacrifice Isaac before the Lord provided a substitute. The widow of Zarapheth put the prophet of God first before her son . She fed the prophet first before she thought of her son. Every time we put God first He works wonders for us. David put God first before His throne, fame, respect and honor and began to dance in the presence of the Lord. David danced to the extent Michal complained and the Lord got angry and closed the womb of Michal that she died without a child- 2 Samuel 6 vs 22-23. Put God first and you will not be last.

When an individual gives his freedom,time,strength,prized possessions and his family , what is he left with ? Nothing . What makes an individual's life is his /her freedom, time, strength, prized possession and family. To experience God in a way you have never experienced Him, you need to give your life to Christ. A life without Christ is an empty life . People take  take drugs , engage in a reckless life to fill an emptiness within them. Money can not fill the emptiness , so also is status or fame . We have seen the rich and famous die of substance abuse because they were trying to fill a void within them. The only way to fill the void is accept Jesus. Colossians 2 vs 10 says and ye are complete in Him, which is the head of principality and power . Without Him we can do nothing , Philippians 4 vs 13 says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Without Him strengthening you , you will achieve nothing no wonder Psalm 60 vs 12 says through God we will do valiantly, For It is He who shall tread down our enemies.

If you have not giving your life to Christ why not do so now because tomorrow might too late. If you have once giving your life to Christ and backslidded why not come back to Him because He is waiting to receive you.

The bible said in Romans 3 vs 23 that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6 s 23 says For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The gift was explained in John 3 vs 16 , For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. What shall we do to be save ? The bible says in Romans 10vs 9 that if you confess with your mouth , Jesus is Lord , and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10 vs 10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth that you confess and are saved.

Pray this prayer from your heart today!

Dear Jesus , I believe that You died for me and rose again on the third day. I confess I am a sinner. I need your love and forgiveness. Come into my heart . Forgive my sins. I receive Your eternal life. Confirm You love by giving me peace, joy and supernatural love for others, Amen.

Welcome to Christ brethren, Please join a bible believing church.

Samuel Oluwatoki

Please forward this newsletter to a friend, family or colleague . Remember Matthew 10 vs 32 which says whoever confesses me before me , him I will confess before my father who is heaven.