Mbakwe Remains the Best

Have you seen one of the reasons I have refused to return from Brazil even after the injustice ridden world cup that was staged to rob Africa by the world football governing body called FEVER.

How can a Nigerian be comparing the current Emperor of Imo State with Sam Onunaka Mbakwe who governed the State in the second republic?

Sam Mbakwe did not have the recording of jumping from one party to another. Mbakwe maintained his ideology even when he became the only surviving governor of the NPP after Jim Nwobodo was robbed the ruling party in the 1983 general election. Sam Mbakwe, even he was referred to as the weeping governor, did not seek any unholy merger to remain in power. As a child, I knew when the Aba roads were constructed by the Mbakwe-led State government in the former Imo State. When we say former Imo State, we are talking about the present Imo, Abia and a good part of Ebonyi State. Mbakwe's influence covered all these places. How can one compare Mbakwe with anybody in the State house today?

The factors that worked for Mbakwe, among other things include:
-Sam Mbakwe was a Colonel of the Biafran Army. As a result, he understood the plight of the common Igboman in the Nigerian Society.

-Sam Mbakwe was a trained lawyer that defended the Igbos when their properties were declared abandoned by the government. Some these properties were taken over by fellow Nigerians in Port Harcourt and Lagos.

-Sam Mbakwe maintained his loyalty to the Nigerian People's Party led by the Zik of Africa. In the second republic, NPP was believed to be an Igbo party. Lest I forget, even Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was rejected by Ndi Igbo as a result of contesting under the platform of the NPN which was the ruling party.

-Sam Mbakwe was fair to all. He maintained his closeness to the people till he died. As a result, any candidate supported by Mbakwe made it in the whole of the former Imo State.

This has reminded me of a popular song the women used to sing for him:

Onwa e onwa di mma agbawala n'Imo
Mbakwe e okoro dimma achiwakwala Imo.

Recently, I traveled to the Eastern Nigeria and was invited to a function where this song was sung for one political leader, I shook my head. Though I did not say anything but I knew deep down in my mind that the women were wrong. Hence, anybody committing this blunder should make a correction.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 26/08/2014 - DISCIPLESHIP BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DISCIPLESHIP

MEMORISE
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23

READ
Mark 8:34-37

34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

MESSAGE
At the beginning of the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, discipleship was a term used to describe the process of building followers who were committed to the cause, teaching and beliefs of our Lord Jesus Christ. It later became a common term used to describe the followers of Jesus. Discipleship is the crux of the Lord’s final address on earth. In this address known as the Great Commission, He charged us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). Discipleship is not something that happens immediately after salvation, neither is it an optional experience for any Christian. Discipleship, which essentially means following Jesus, is the essence of Christianity.

Discipleship as a Christian experience is a way of life that requires paying a cost (self-denial), and commitment to the cause (taking up one’s cross).These two attributes required of a disciple are clearly stated in many passages of the Bible, specifically Luke 9:23, says:

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

This if further enunciated in Matthew 10:38:

“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

Luke 14:27 stretched the idea even further by saying:

”And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

The Bible always speaks of following Jesus in relation to self-denial and the cross. Discipleship is therefore the way of sacrifice.

Paying the cost of discipleship through self-denial and commitment to the cause of Jesus by taking up one’s cross daily are two important requirements of discipleship. By denial of self, Jesus does not mean to deny one's self of something. He means to renounce self; to cease to make self the object of one’s life and actions. This involves a fundamental reorientation of the principle of life. It is to place the divine will before self-will. God, not self, must be at the centre of life. This is something that is especially difficult for the average human being. I pray that as you read this, the Lord will visit you and turn your focus from self and earthly things to God and heavenly things in the Name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please help me to focus on you alone. Help me to pay the price of discipleship and to be committed to the cause of Jesus all the days of my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Luke 23:6-24:53
Job 29:7-20


               

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 24/08/2014 - THE MATERIALIST’S MISTAKE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE MATERIALIST’S MISTAKE

MEMORISE
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luke 12:15

READ
Psalm 49:6-10

6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

10 For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

MESSAGE
The materialist is somebody with great regard for material possessions, a person who considers material possessions and physical comfort more important than spiritual values. To a materialist, the end justifies whatever means is employed in acquiring wealth or possessions. Materialists would cheat, steal, hurt fellow human beings and even kick against God’s commandments in order to amass wealth and get great possessions.

One irrational and foolish confidence that is often displayed concerning earthly wealth and possessions is exposed in Psalm 49:9. This scripture reveals that those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches always hope to live forever and expect to be secure from sickness, sorrow, pain, oppression, accidents and disaster. The Bible teaches that this wrong attitude to wealth and prosperity robs a person of his or her dignity and degrades such persons to the level of beasts. The Bible also teaches that there are limits to the purchasing power of wealth, especially when it comes to the deeper demands of the soul, where financial wealth has no relevance.

Another irrational and foolish miscalculation of human philosophy is that a person’s worth is summed up in his or her earthly wealth and possessions. Based on this wrong assumption, materialists seek to acquire wealth and possessions at all costs and by all means. Meanwhile, the Bible in Luke 12:15 tells us that the worth of a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. The idea that wealth has value for a person beyond the grave is a mistake. This is why the Lord asked these questions in Mark 8:36-37:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

We must give truthful answers to these questions in order to avoid committing the mistakes of the materialist. If you acquire a world full of wealth and possessions and lose your soul, what will you offer in exchange for your soul? Be wise! The truth is already revealed in the word of God; poverty is bad, wealth is good, but you must not pursue wealth and possessions in a way that will make you lose your soul.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please help me to set my priorities in line with the word of God. Let my precious soul make it to heaven.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Luke 19:28-21:24
Job 28:7-19

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 23/08/2014 - FAILURE IS EXPENSIVE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

FAILURE IS EXPENSIVE

MEMORISE
For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Hebrew 12:17

READ
Hebrew 12:9-12

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

MESSAGE
Failure is defined as lack of success in a set objective or a loss of ability to function normally. Failure occurs when an event doesn’t accomplish its intended purpose. Failure usually ends up as a double tragedy because when a project fails, you lose your investment on the project and afterwards you must pay for the future repercussions of that failure. In most cases, the repercussions of failure are far-reaching and irreversible. With this perspective, it is clear that failure is something of inestimable loss. However, failure always disguises itself as a normal everyday event. If you carelessly give your consent without discernment, such a seemingly normal event may develop into a serious tragedy. So it was when Sarah innocently offered her maid to Abraham to conceive a child in Genesis 16:3, and when Jacob suggested to his brother Esau to trade his birthright for pottage in Genesis 25:31. These are examples of ordinary events that resulted into terrible tragedies. I pray that you will not commit any blunder that will lead to terrible tragedies in your life in Jesus’ Name.

What started as a generous gift of love later developed into something that brought grief to Abraham in Genesis 21:11. Having to separate from his son was painful and as the father of Isaac (Jews) and Ishmael (Arabs), we can see that the outcome of Abraham’s failure is far-reaching and irreversible as evident in the Arab-Israeli relationship today. When you consider Esau’s reaction to Jacob’s proposal, you will immediately see that he trivialised the matter. He later paid dearly for his miscalculation in his lifetime and his descendants are still paying for his careless mistake till date. Father Lord, please have mercy, and let your mercy prevail over every evil judgment and repercussion of sin and failure in our lives in the Name of Jesus!

We can see from the above cases that the immediate cost of failure is expensive and the future repercussions inestimable. You cannot afford to suffer the loss of failure, therefore you must do everything in your power to prevent and avoid it. First, you must view everything in life according to the Bible and submit totally to its authority. You must also ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all things. The fear of God and complete obedience to His commandments is the sure antidote to failure. May you never experience failure again in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT
Father, let every past mistake that could lead to terrible tragedies in my life be cancelled today by divine intervention, in the Name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Luke 17:11-19:27

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 20/08/2014 - GOING IN CIRCLES? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOING IN CIRCLES?

Memorise
And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.
Numbers 32:13

Read
Numbers 14:33-36

33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

Message
Going in circles is a term that denotes making considerable efforts without commensurate progress. It could also mean wasted efforts, to wander about and to waste time doing things without achieving results. The Bible gives us many examples of this, but the story of the Israelites in the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land gives a very good illustration of this. The children of Israel started their journey to the Promised Land with full assurance by the Almighty God that He would be with them all the way. True to His word, He stayed with them day and night. They lacked and suffered nothing throughout the journey. To these Israelites, God was good, gracious, kind and loving; showering them with His mercies which endure forever. But it got to a point where God noticed that they persisted in sin and would not heed His warnings. Then He became angry with them. Numbers 32:13 says:

“And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.”

We need to remember that this whole scenario started with Abraham receiving an unsolicited promise of a land flowing with milk and honey from God. Many years had passed and the descendants of Abraham had lost both hope and interest in the promise, but God revisited them out of love and compassion. He delivered them from oppression and slavery with a strong hand. He did many wonders in the wilderness to prove He is a mighty God. He fought their battles and defeated all their enemies. Above all, He blessed them and made His tabernacle with them. God had done so much for them to justify His expectation of simple appreciation, trust and obedience. The least that God expects from His children is this, and He is disappointed when we fail in this regard. Consequently, God made them wander about in circles in the wilderness for forty years.

1. I challenge you to take a critical look at your life. Are you making progress or going about in circles? Are you in good standing before God? Is everything alright with your spiritual, family and business life? Are you doing well physically, financially, and emotionally? Are you suffering from stagnancy in any area of your life? If anything is amiss, turn to God in prayer now.

Prayer Point
Father, put an end to going in circles in my life and empower me to make progress.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 20/08/2014 - GOING IN CIRCLES? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOING IN CIRCLES?

Memorise
And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.
Numbers 32:13

Read
Numbers 14:33-36

33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

Message
Going in circles is a term that denotes making considerable efforts without commensurate progress. It could also mean wasted efforts, to wander about and to waste time doing things without achieving results. The Bible gives us many examples of this, but the story of the Israelites in the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land gives a very good illustration of this. The children of Israel started their journey to the Promised Land with full assurance by the Almighty God that He would be with them all the way. True to His word, He stayed with them day and night. They lacked and suffered nothing throughout the journey. To these Israelites, God was good, gracious, kind and loving; showering them with His mercies which endure forever. But it got to a point where God noticed that they persisted in sin and would not heed His warnings. Then He became angry with them. Numbers 32:13 says:

“And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.”

We need to remember that this whole scenario started with Abraham receiving an unsolicited promise of a land flowing with milk and honey from God. Many years had passed and the descendants of Abraham had lost both hope and interest in the promise, but God revisited them out of love and compassion. He delivered them from oppression and slavery with a strong hand. He did many wonders in the wilderness to prove He is a mighty God. He fought their battles and defeated all their enemies. Above all, He blessed them and made His tabernacle with them. God had done so much for them to justify His expectation of simple appreciation, trust and obedience. The least that God expects from His children is this, and He is disappointed when we fail in this regard. Consequently, God made them wander about in circles in the wilderness for forty years.

I challenge you to take a critical look at your life. Are you making progress or going about in circles? Are you in good standing before God? Is everything alright with your spiritual, family and business life? Are you doing well physically, financially, and emotionally? Are you suffering from stagnancy in any area of your life? If anything is amiss, turn to God in prayer now.

Prayer Point
Father, put an end to going in circles in my life and empower me to make progress.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 19/08/2014 - DIVINE ENCOUNTER BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DIVINE ENCOUNTER

Memorise
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:12

Read
John 1:11-13

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Message
God in His infinite wisdom created every human being with the potentials and abilities that they need to fulfil His purpose for their lives. Unfortunately, some pass through life without realising this potential; some others who do, fail to fully exploit it. Only a negligible few are able to exhaust their God-given potentials on earth. Recognising your potential starts from knowing the Lord Jesus and discovering your purpose in life. Knowing your purpose in life is tied to a relationship with the Creator of the heavens and earth. From today’s Bible reading, we understand that a very vital part of God’s plan for everyone created in the image of God is to become a “son of God”. Being born-again is not the same as becoming a son. The journey begins at the point of being born-again and then continues far into the spirit realm. This is where divine encounter comes in. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to undertake this journey except the person has a divine encounter with God. Even Jesus had to go through a process before He could go to the Cross. It took encountering the power of the Holy Spirit to prepare Him to fulfil destiny (Acts 10:38). I pray that you will not leave this world without fully realising your potential, in Jesus’ Name.

Divine encounter is a special visitation of heaven on earth; a meeting divinely arranged to accomplish an unusual spiritual agenda in the life of a chosen beneficiary for the ultimate fulfilment of God’s purpose. Without an encounter with the power of the Spirit, you would remain trapped and live far below your potential. To fulfil your destiny, you must partner with the Holy Spirit. This partnership must be kick-started by a divine encounter. Apart from Jesus Christ, another character who realised his potential was Peter. If you compare Peter before the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost with the Peter after Pentecost, you will notice some sharp differences. Before Pentecost, Peter was full of fear. He found it difficult to stand on his convictions. Even a maid could make him deny the Lord. But after Pentecost, he became so bold that not even the Council's threats could stop him. Before Pentecost, Peter realised his leadership potential but lacked the fire, zeal, direction and divine backing of the Holy Spirit to fulfil it. As a result of this, after the death of Christ, he dumped his main purpose of existence - fishing for souls, and went back to his old business - fishing at sea (John 21:1-3). After Pentecost however, he was able to perform according to Heaven's expectations. Are you feeling weak, fearful and discouraged from taking the necessary steps to fulfilling your purpose on earth? Like Peter, you need to encounter the power of the Holy Spirit, and what you lack will suddenly be provided. You shall fulfil your destiny in Jesus' Name. Ask God for the power to become who you were meant to be.

Prayer Point
Father, please I need a divine encounter; Lord fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can fulfil my destiny, in Jesus’ name.

Bible in one year
Luke 9:21-10:42

Job 24:9-20
              

OPEN HEAVENS DEV