Wednesday, October 30, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 30/10/2013 - THE WISE CHAMPION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE WISE CHAMPION

MEMORY VERSE
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:7

READ
Proverbs 3:5-7

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

MESSAGE
A divine champion is the one made wise by God. Daniel 2:20-21 says it is God who gives wisdom to the wise. This means that every truly wise fellow is indebted to God who is the source of wisdom. No wonder Proverbs 3:5 says:

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

If you want to be wise, you must be ready to set aside what you know, what you have been taught and even what you have experienced in other to receive the wisdom from above. A divine champion recognises how frail he or she is; he also knows how limited in knowledge he is. One reason we fail to let God into our plans is because we believe we know what to do. If verse 7 of our reading is anything to go by, it is that whenever you come before God, you must put aside what you know so that you can receive what He knows. Even if you feel you have the best approach to solving a particular problem, still tell Him about the problem and about the method you know could be used in solving it. Thereafter, acknowledge His unlimited knowledge and wisdom, and humbly ask for the best approach to the issue on ground.

In John 6:37, Jesus says He does not cast out those who come to Him. James 1:5 says,


If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Everyone saved or unsaved has a measure of wisdom he or she was given by God. Today, some people think they are wise when they begin to create, invent or design things: No! It was given to you by God. It was given out of His general wisdom. God still has the special type of wisdom that is accessible only to His children. To receive such, you must be born-again, fear God and flee from sin; you must study God's word intensively because it contains unlimited wisdom that can help you in all areas of life. Thereafter, ask in faith for wisdom and you will be given. Without wisdom, you can never truly be a divine champion. Have you asked of wisdom from the Lord?

PRAYER POINT
Father, give me wisdom to excel and be above board in every area of my life

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 29/10/2013 - THE LOVING GOD BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE


THE LOVING GOD

MEMORY VERSE
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
1 John 3:1

READ
1 John 3:1-2

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

MESSAGE
God is a friendly God who takes steps to cultivate our friendship. The problem is that not many of us who claim to be born-again have reciprocated His moves towards us in the area of friendship. In addition to friendship, He is a loving God. John 3:16 tells us that God made the ultimate sacrifice of His only begotten Son out of love. Romans 8:37 says it is His love that makes us more than conquerors and not because we have learnt the rudiments of prayer. Because He is a loving God, He knows your weaknesses and strengths and is willing to come down to your level to both help and keep you company. Sometime in 1981, I was ministering from 8 a.m. to 6 a.m. and I still had to go take the Digging Deep service (Bible study). When we finished, I was so tired that my body was vibrating and I could not stand. Meanwhile, there was a long queue of people waiting to see me. At that point I asked God: Do l have to pray for these people when you can see that I can barely even stand? Then He told me to sit down and asked me, Who asked you to stand? All they needed is for you to lay hands on them. Until then, I never thought one could sit down and pray as I believed it was disrespect to God.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1 John 3:1

The love of God has given us a change of name  from children of the devil into sons of God. His love also ensures you are not disappointed. One reason He has not fully brought the weight of our sins upon us is because of His love. God loves you. His love has made Him to ignore certain things you did wrong; you did not escape His judgment because you were smart. His love also ensures that you are disciplined so that you can achieve His purpose for your life. How are you responding to His love today?

PRAYER POINT
Father, thank You for your love. Help me to love You and my brethren like You love me.


Saturday, October 26, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 26/10/2013 - DEAL WITH LITTLE SINS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DEAL WITH LITTLE SINS

MEMORY VERSE
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:22

READ
1 Thessalonians 5:21-23

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

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

MESSAGE
If you must be victorious in the battle against Satan and his forces, you must let your separation from evil be total and absolute. Some people look at some things and say it is not too bad. If it is not too bad, then it contains some elements of evil no matter how little. When you tell a 'little' lie to get out of a fix or to cover up some wrong, you may think it is not too bad after all some patriarchs  Abraham and Isaac did the same. In fact, Jacob was worse. The truth is, any sin you indulge in without fully repenting and terminating it has a way of affecting your generations and it will enlarge as it goes further. This is why any vice you do not want to see in your future generations must be stopped in your life. Abraham lied but because he did not deal with it, the ability to lie was passed on to Isaac. He too lied and did nothing about it and by the time it got to Jacob, the ability to lie had multiplied to the extent that deception and fraud started operating in him right from the womb. He was a twin with Esau and tried to subvert him in their mother's womb. But when he could not, he grabbed his legs by the time they were coming out so that he could say they came out at the same time. Since his grandfather and father refused to deal with lies, he became lie personified!

What is the vice you are still harbouring today? No matter how small, deal with it! You cannot be victorious if sin still reserves space in you. Some situations may appear not so tempting, but do not turn them into tempting ones. A brother may be friendly with a lady at the place of work. It may be a purely official relationship and they may face no apparent temptation. But by the time he begins to touch her or she begins to touch him while they exchange banters, they are now changing the mood of the relationship. If such 'plays' does not stop, the innocent touch may gravitate into a more sensitive touch and before long, lust fills the heart and sin is born. Avoid every evil appearance!

ACTION POINT
The weakness you are able to conquer today will most likely be conquered by your generations. Start a good chain today!


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 23/10/2013 - A DIVINE CHAMPION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

A DIVINE CHAMPION

MEMORY VERSE
 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.
1 Samuel 2:8

READ
1 Samuel 2:8-10

1 Samuel 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.

1 Samuel 2:9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

1 Samuel 2:10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

MESSAGE
After a contest, a winner emerges. Who is a champion? He is the winner of the contest, a victor, an overcomer. A champion is also the one who remains standing after the battle is over. When David fought Goliath, after the battle was over, Goliath laid down dead while David stood on top of him. The word divine on the other hand has to do with God, meaning it is God connected or related. Which God are we referring to? We are talking of the Most High God, the One who is higher than the highest, the Almighty, the God of all flesh with whom nothing is impossible (Psalm 91:1). He is the Lord of host, the God who has never lost a battle, the One who can bury His enemies alive (Psalm 24:7-10). People serve all kinds of gods including Satan, demons, men, animals, sports, food, etc. To have a connection with the God of gods, you can only access Him through Jesus Christ.

Who is a divine champion? He is a champion that is raised by God. 1 Samuel 2:8 says,

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

There is no helper or uplifter like God. A divine champion is the one who enjoys God's support and who is strengthened by God (Romans 8:31). When God laid hands on Elijah in 1 Kings 18:46, he outran the chariots of Ahab by foot. Can the one on foot overtake horses? Physically this may not happen, but with God at your back, it will happen almost effortlessly. In every race facing you, you will have to decide how to run it whether by your limited human strength or by God's unlimited strength. To be a champion, you will have to also decide whether you want to be an ordinary champion or a divine champion. The latter is preferable. God is raising His champion these last days, will you be one of them? It is your choice.

Prayer Point
Father, let me be among Your chosen divine champions for the last days

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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 22/10/2013 - COMMUNION HELPS YOU FLY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

COMMUNION HELPS YOU FLY

MEMORY VERSE
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
Psalm 105:37

READ
Psalm 105:36-38

Psalm 105:36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

Psalm 105:37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

Psalm 105:38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

MESSAGE
Beside sickness, disease or poverty, another force that can hinder your flight is spiritual bondage. This happens when forces of darkness use demonic items and methods to hold a person down. In Mark 5:1-20, the mad man that was arrested by demons could not leave the tomb. Whatever power that is holding you from flying is broken now. Every contrary spirit that is operating in your life, I speak to you: your time is up! Pack your load and go now in Jesus name!

Do you know that the sicknesses and diseases holding down the Israelites disappeared after partaking of the uncommon meal? Psalm 105:37 says,

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

With just one meal, sickness was gone. A nation was completely healed. With just one meal poverty disappeared. As a result of that meal, the debts that several generations of their fathers were owed by the Egyptians, the current generation of Egyptians were compelled to pay it. They ate one meal and spiritual bondage became a thing of the past. Those who had refused to let them go all these years suddenly became too impatient for them to stay one minute extra.

You too can take the communion and it will make you totally free right away free from sickness and disease, poverty and spiritual bondage. However, after you have overcome the forces of bondage, you are expected to rise into the sky and fly. You do not fly on the ground. As long as you stay on the ground, you cannot fly. If you do, you will continue to bang your airplane against buildings, trees etc. Many people want to be uplifted but they are not ready to put in more effort. If you apply only the effort of those on the ground, you will walk or at best run like them. Come up today!

KEY POINT
The debt that your debtor could not pay can be recovered from his lineage by the power of the communion.


Sunday, October 20, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 20/10/2013 - CREATIVE MIRACLE - 2 BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CREATIVE MIRACLE - 2

MEMORY VERSE
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13

READ
John 11:39-44

John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

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

John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

John 11:42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

John 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

MESSAGE
The God that we serve exists from eternity to eternity. He created the universe and the creatures in them and apportioned time for them. However this God does not exist in space and time. Whatever He had done before, He can do again as many times as He needs to. Hebrews 13:8 says,

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

He heals instantly and He heals progressively, some healings are repairs and for those body parts that are beyond repairs, He replaces. According to your needs for healing, the Lord will visit you today! In John 9:1-7, the Lord gave the man who was born blind brand new eyes. That is a creative miracle! In Genesis 18:9-14, when Sarah's womb was dead, He gave her a brand new womb. Take the example of the raising of the dead like that of Lazarus recorded in John 11:39-44. The truth is, for a dead man, everything in his body is dead and meant to decompose. So when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it was more than just bringing him back to life. He had to perform a lot of creative miracles in him รข€“ in his flesh that had decayed, in his blood that had turned black, in his brain that had melted. He recreated every part of him.

A young child developed a growth in the brain and she was taken to India for a brain surgery. But after the surgery, the child could not walk again. Her mother brought her to the camp during one of our programmes, and the Lord said somebody was getting a brand new brain. The Lord gave the girl a new brain. A lady who had many fibroids had her womb removed in the process of treatment. Later, she came for me to pray on the anointing oil she brought so that the Lord will give her another womb. She continued to rub her stomach with this, and God gave her a new womb and she had her baby. In the name of Jesus, receive your creative miracle now. That part of your body that is dead, I command it to be replaced. Every missing cell organ that is needed for you to live well is restored now in Jesus name.

PRAYER POINT
Father, in my body, family, ministry, academics and finances, give me a creative miracle. Create whatever is missing that I need.


Saturday, October 19, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 19/10/2013 - IS HIS NAME REVERED? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

IS HIS NAME REVERED?

MEMORY VERSE
He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
Psalm 111:9

READ
Psalm 111:9-10

Psalm 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endurethfor ever.

MESSAGE
When in danger or in an emergency, who do you call?

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 20:7

The Psalmist here says some may call on chariots and some may call on horses but he will call on the Lord. If you must be victorious in life's battles, you must call on the name of Jesus purposely, deliberately, in faith and with lots of expectations. Some people use the name of Jesus without honouring Him; no wonder the name hardly works for them. If they miss a step, they shout Jesus! If the tea burns their tongue, they shout Jesus! If someone touches them from behind, they shout Jesus! The name has become an exclamation mark. Before they speak for three minutes, they will call the name several times devoid of honour. If you want that name to work for you, you must learn to call it with purpose, respect, honour and humility.

One of the things God frowns at is using His name in vain. Exodus 20:7says,

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Ordinarily, you do not call the name of your father or mother anyhow. When you call their name, you do it with some sense of respect and honour. If you do so to mortals, how much more should you treat God's name with reverence? Psalm 111:9 says,

He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

God's name must be highly revered above all others because Philippians 2:9-11 says it has been exalted above every other name. Do you know that the way you call the name of Jesus indicates whether you have the fear of God or not? A wise person will call the name of Jesus with lots of fear and worship. If you call Him like you are calling a servant, if He answers at all, it will be out of mercy. Many of us cannot call God's servants the way we call God. What an irony! Repent, and adjust today. Begin to attach honour, fear and reverence to His name.

KEY POINT
When it comes to reverencing God and what He stands for, we can learn from the devotion of idol worshippers

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Exodus 11-13


Friday, October 18, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR OCTOBER 18,2013... THE LIGHT EXPOSES

THE LIGHT EXPOSES

MEMORY VERSE
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
John 3:20

READ
John 3:19-21

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

MESSAGE
The Holy Spirit gives light. If you ignite a fire, no matter how little it is, around the fire there will be light. In Genesis 1:1-3, in the midst of the darkness, emptiness and chaos, the Holy Spirit stepped in and light had to be created immediately. In other words, it was His coming that brought about light at the very beginning. The beauty of this is that the light of the Spirit exposes the hidden contents of darkness. This is confirmed by our Lord Jesus Christ when He said in John 3:20:

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

The light has a way of exposing the enemy. We see this in Acts 28:3-6, when Paul gathered some firewood and lit it up, a serpent that was hiding in the wood suddenly reared up its ugly head, but Paul threw it back into the fire.

If the fire of God is really burning in your ministry, it will expose every evil person in church, and deal with them. When under the strong influence of the Holy Spirit, your personal problems will be exposed to you. Your greatest enemy is not the witch or wizard around but yourself. Not many of us think we are part of our problems. If you ask a student to mark his examination sheet, he will most probably award himself the highest grades. If you know that what is hindering your progress is in you, it is then important to deal with it. The fire in Acts 28:5 not only exposed the serpent, it also killed it. Every serpent that is hiding in any corner of your life shall be exposed and destroyed in Jesus name. Moreover, if you walk in the light of the Spirit, people will hate you. Don't be surprised that compromising brethren and church leaders would not only hate and persecute you, they may also want to get rid of you. If your presence does not allow them to steal, they will hate your guts. The more you allow the light of the Spirit to shine in and around you, the more difficult it is for your enemies to cover up their evil intents. This season, the Lord will expose all the hidden agenda of your enemies by the light of the Spirit.

PRAYER POINT
Father, increase the light of Your Spirit in me and expose and destroy the operations of the kingdom of darkness around me.



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, OCTOBER 17, 2013- BROTHERS AND FATHERS

BROTHERS AND FATHERS

MEMORY VERSE
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Romans 12:10

READ
Genesis 27:30-35

Genesis 27:30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

Genesis 27:31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.

Genesis 27:32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

Genesis 27:33  And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

Genesis 27:34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

Genesis 27:35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

MESSAGE
Your calling and divine destiny as well as your present spiritual build up add up in determining the kind of battles that will come your way. You cannot ask a featherweight to engage a heavyweight in the ring. When you consider David, you will observe the kind of opponents that he faced “ a lion, bear and Goliath, all these were heavyweights (1 Samuel 17:34-37). If you consider your life, you will realise that God has brought you this far because His purpose for your life is yet to be fulfilled. Many like me, should be able to say that if not for God, they would have been dead long before now. The Lord that has kept you alive will continue to keep you.

However, considering the life of Joseph, there is need to note the difference between a brother and a father. You will note that some brothers can kill. In Genesis 4:8when the first murder was recorded, it was committed by a brother. A brother can steal your blessing: if you doubt this, ask Esau and he will tell you of his experience (Genesis 27:30-35). Brothers can also try to kill your dream like it happened to Joseph (Genesis 37:13-20). This is why when it comes to the issue of making heaven; you cannot rely on anybody other than yourself and God. Are you a brother with a negative assignment to fellow brothers?

However, fathers are different. Thank God for fathers! They can bless and prophesy into your future. Genesis 49:1 relays when Jacob gathered his children together to prophesy into their future. When your father prophesies into your future, it becomes a settled matter. For this reason you must honour your father and mother so that you can live long on earth. Honouring your father is one thing that can sustain you amidst the battles of life. How often do you do this? To provoke the best from your father, you must please him and obey him. You must avoid what he hates and give him the good things that he likes. Lead him to Christ, and make his remaining days on earth worthwhile.

Key Point
You can be the ideal brother or sister to both your blood relations as well as fellow brethren in Christ

You

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. WEDNESDAY 16 OCTOBER 2013 THEME : WHAT GOES UP, COMES DOWN.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. WEDNESDAY 16 OCTOBER 2013 THEME : WHAT GOES UP, COMES DOWN.
by lordpercyo

MEMORISE : The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Psalm 34 : 10.

READ : MARK 5 : 22 – 24

22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 1 – 4.

Another lesson from 1 Kings 18 : 41 – 45 is that it is what goes up that comes down. In other words the rain could fall because something had earlier gone up. Psalm 67 : 5 – 7 says when praise goes up, blessing will come down. You can load your cloud through offering high praises to God. Also, when worship goes up, healing comes down. Check the Bible and you will notice that almost everyone who got a major healing from God started by worshipping Him. In Matthew 8 : 1 – 3, the leper first worshipped Jesus before he was healed. Also, before Jairus asked for help, he fell down before Jesus and worshipped Him (Mark 5 : 22 – 24). If you don’t know how to give God quality worship, you will be robbing yourself of several benefits.

Similarly, when prayers go up, deliverance comes down. In Acts 12 : 5 – 11, after Peter was arrested, the church prayed without ceasing and deliverance came for Peter. In Matthew 15 : 21 – 28, a woman prayed and deliverance came for her daughter. If only you can pray, deliverance will come to your loved ones, your church and leaders. Such prayer is a demonstration of love and commitment to the one you are interceding for. In addition, to provoke a divine visitation, an uncommon offering should go up. An example here is Solomon who gave an uncommon sacrifice and God Himself came down (2 Chronicles 1 : 6 -15). If you are a miser, you will surely miss visitors from Heaven. When the giving of first fruits increase goes up, unlimited returns come down (Proverbs 3 : 8 – 9). Also, when first fruits sacrifice goes up, irreversible blessings come down. An example here was when Abraham set out to sacrifice Isaac and God swore to bless and multiply him (Genesis 22 : 1 – 18). Isaiah 1 : 19 says when obedience goes up, the good of the land comes down. When you seek the Lord, Psalm 34 : 10 says abundance would come down. When you seek God’s Kingdom, all your needs would be met. When repentance goes up, forgiveness will come down. What are you sending up?

KEY POINT :

What you send up should be determined by what you want to come down.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 15/10/2013 - ARRESTING GRAVITATIONAL PULL BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ARRESTING GRAVITATIONAL PULL
MEMORY VERSE
For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
1 Corinthians 16:9
READ
Acts 3:1-8
Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Acts 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

 Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
 Acts 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
 Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
MESSAGE
Flying is the best method of motion. It is faster and usually safer than road transport. However, before you can fly, there is a major force you must overcome: this is the force of gravity. The force of gravity is a force that is out there to pull down anything that goes up. Although this force operates in the physical realm, you have a similar force operating in the spiritual realm. There are three main areas that can pull you down spiritually as you attempt to climb up or to fly: first is sickness and disease. Many times, people would want to get up and fly for the Lord but sickness and disease will pull them back. In John 5:2-9, we read of a man who was held back for 38 years. For that length of time, he was restricted to the colony of the sick. Do you desire to fly for Jesus and to accomplish great things for the Master, but sickness or disease is holding you back? In the name of Jesus, that force of sickness and disease operating in your life is broken this minute! Remember as you receive your healing, it is for you to go and serve the Lord.
Another force that could keep an individual from flying is poverty. The man born lame recorded in Acts 3:1-8 was not only incapacitated by his inability to walk, but also by poverty, hence he begged all his life for alms until the day he was healed. It is usually the rich that mostly travel by air, most poor people cannot afford to fly. When Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go, he told them to leave their flocks and wealth behind. If you are born-again but poor, you may not be a great threat to the devil. In fact, he will even want to discourage you because you lack the resources to live and serve God. But if you are saved and wealthy, the devil will be scared because he knows that you will be able to serve God, sponsor Kingdom projects, help fellow brothers and sisters in need and use that money to win souls to Christ. Are you financially limited today! That yoke is destroyed today! However, pay up all your tithe and vows to God. Sow sacrificial seed into His Kingdom, release your faith and it shall be well with you.
PRAYER POINT
Every spiritual gravitational pull meant to hinder my motion, Father, uproot them today.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 
MARK 14 – 16.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Unless you Guarantee Our Freedom

I have been added to many groups on facebook while I am an administrator of seven groups. I use my groups to show how it is to make people have freedom in a Society they belong to. I have demonstrated this by allowing people to air their views without unnecessary restrictions. Where correction is required, I make sure I come up with stronger argument to push my points home and still retain the friendship that exists in these groups. Ordinarily, you may not even know I am one of the administrators of these groups.

However, I wonder how the names of groups administered by youths be different from the attitude of the administrators. You bear DEMOCRACY, yet you insult contributors on your page? Are you really democratic when you dictate people's opinions? Are you really ready to fight corruption when people seek for your approval to express themselves? Sometimes, you go ahead to warn those that refuse to see things from your perspective. Are you really ready to live in a democratic Society when you lack simple points to disprove your critics?

If you can deny the people of their right of freedom of expression because you formed an ordinary group on facebook, you will surely be worse if the Society at large is handed over to you. You are worse than those you think you formed the group to fight against.

You criticize Tukur? Honestly, Tukur is better than you. I once found myself in a group administered by some Ghanians. All that are posted in this group was all about sexual relationships. One day, I made my own contribution. I acknowledged how good the expressions are but  there is need for us to read how people contacted their first STD and how painful the first abortion was. I also challenged them to explain how bad luck is transmitted through sexual intercourse. Honestly, before I could go to see their reactions, they had already kicked me out of the group. This was the reason for my article, WHY I WAS SACKED which still circulates on the web.

It is good we practise what we preach. Freedom and the war against corruption share a common boundary.

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Lesson Al Gore Teaches Nigerians

"There is certainly something wrong in a dance only one man is prominent."- Senator Chuba Okadigbo

How many times did Al Gore contest for American Presidency?  Does contesting once make him less important than these power drunk African RULERS? Why has he not been presented again by  the Democratic Party? Al Gore, why have you not formed your own party where you will be the sole owner of the presidential ticket?

Al Gore served as the 45th Vice President of the United States of America. He sought to be President just like any other aspirant and was given the ticket to run the 2000 U.S. presidential election under the platform of the Democratic Party. Despite winning the popular vote, Gore lost the Electoral College to Republican George W. Bush. Bush’s victory was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Why did Al Gore accept the verdict? Why did he not make America ungovernable? Why did he not form his personal party? In his exalted wisdom, Chuba Okadigbo said:"There is certainly something wrong in a dance only one man is prominent."

One of the reasons why the Democratic Party has not made the party ticket Al Gore’s birth right as we have in Africa is because the party has ideologies. The party is larger than an individual’s ambition. Furthermore, America is larger and more important than any American. For having the opportunity to serve as a Vice President, Gore remains grateful to the party and the nation. Unless we start to see public offices as opportunities to serve, power drunk individuals will keep on making things difficult.

Al Gore is currently an author and environmental activist. He is the founder of Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit organization which seeks to protect the environment. It may interest you to know that Al Gore has received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in climate change activism. You must not be a political activist after losing election. Receiving such a prize after his service means that he kept himself reasonably busy. In Africa, that could be an opportunity to show how powerful a political leader can be by joining another party. Even those in power should also learn to accept defeat in the interest of the nation.

As a future leader, don’t you think we have a lot to learn from Al Gore?

Friday, October 4, 2013

My Experience in the Second Republic



Honestly, I did not know it was in 1983. I did not also understand what election was all about. I did not also understand what it means to support a candidate for election. However, I still remember so many things about the election that gave Shehu Shagari his second term in office. I remember that my father bought a calender the the portrait of the Zik of Africa where he was greeting with his two fingers. As a child, I learnt to great same way. My father and other elders would always be talking about Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Awolowo while I would always squat beside them to listen to stories that made little meaning to me.

There were so many activities to arouse political awareness in the life of anybody that existed in this period no matter how young or old the person might have been. The radio jingles could touch the heart. Unlike what we have in the state level where the opposition is denied of the opportunity of using state owned radio for campaign (for instance, Abia state in 2003), the major political parties were able to air their programmes to the general public unrestricted. Even till today, I still remember the words used used by both NPN and NPP. Their jingles were always coming successively. For example, NPN would always say:
Anyi ganu anyi ganu
Anyi ga
Any ganu anyi ganu
Anyi ga.
Ebe e ka anyi na-aga?
Anyi na-aga NPN
Ebe esere ulo n'oka abuo
Onye obula wete vote ya anyi tunye ebe o ga-adiri anyi mma
Anyi ga.
This song would be sung as if they meant it. Before you relax a little, you would hear that of NPP. They would always say:
Ebe e k'anyi ga-abinye aka?
Ebe esere mmadu....

It was an interesting period. Then, the two States in Igboland were Anambra and Imo States. The States were controlled by the NPP and the governors were performing governors. Jim Nwobodo and Sam Onunaka Mbakwe were great sons to be proud of. I was always hearing their names but I did not know they were governors.

These things kept happening until I started noticing wooden boots constructed all over the Enyimba City. I did not really have business with these boots but I was just seeing them. One day, I noticed that my father did not move out as usual for his business. He went out and returned with his finger painted in a colour I later understood to be blue. That day, I saw many elders standing on a queue in front of one of the wooden boots by Port Harcourt Road Aba. I still remember the particular location but it is a pity that the spot has a gigantic building today. In my inquisitiveness, I started wondering what these adults were doing in this small boot one after the other. As I grew up, I learnt in Government that it was a secret ballot system of election in practice. However, a child I wanted to understand everything about the process.

One great day, precisely on a Sunday, I pulled my younger brother to this boot. The election had been over and there was no restriction at all. To my amazement, I went into this boot with my younger and I found nothing. No seat, no desk, no pen. All I could see was a torn piece of paper. This disappointment got registered on my mind for a very long time. How could adults be queuing up to enter a boot with no plan? The same way I found nothing in this boot, the election eventually became a waste of time.

Furthermore, it did not take time when I started hearing of Dogonyaro. In the Igbo Society, 'dogonyaro' is a name given to a particular medicinal leave that is also known as 'akum shut up'. This leave is used to cure malaria. Due to my phobia for tablets, I preferred this leave to taking injections and tablets whenever I had malaria. The leave when well squeezed is very bitter. However, I would always eat dry garri to remove the bitterness in my mouth. As a child in the second republic, it was very funny when I listened to my father's conversation with other elders about Dogonyaro taking over power. For those who existed in this period, the name of Dogonyaro was more popular than Idiagbon and Buhari immediately the Soldiers struck in the second republic. Eventually, I realized that Joshua Dogonyaro was the man that announced the death of the second republic. Exactly the way I found nothing in the booth, the republic ended as nothing.

As a result of following Nigerian politics from 1983, though as a child, I felt disappointed when the term 'nascent democracy' was made popular under the Obasanjo regime. My reason was based on the fact that I saw campaigns and politics with my innocent eyes in the second republic. I knew we could do better than we were rated. I also feel disappointed to read and see Nigerians warming up to destroy what other men fought to achieve. I hereby call for peace among the people of Nigeria. Let the efforts of our heroes not be in vain. Let us not allow our collective efforts to go same way I found nothing in the booth.

Finally, a man that lives with you, understands your language, eats your food, marries your daughter is your brother. In the traditional Igbo Society, such a man in accorded full citizenship. Such a man is allocated a piece of land for proper settlement. Those that met Nigeria on the Facebook should take note.
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