Moving Upward or Downward ? - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

Today's message is about CHANGE. Are you ready for a change in your life? Enjoy the reading and please make your comments and you can also forward to your friends and loved ones. GOD BLESS YOU. BIBLE IN A YEAR: Esth 1-3
MOVING UPWARD OR DOWNWARD? Sunday, September 05, 2010
MEMORIZE: “For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matt. 25:29) READ: 1 Samuel 3:19-21 Just as a change can be for better or for worse, so also can it bring about an increase or decrease. In the parable of the talents recorded in Matthew 25:24-30, a man started trading with five talents and ended with 10 talents. That is a change in increase. On the other hand, another man started his business with one talent but at the end, it was taken away from him. He was reduced to nothing: that was a change of decrease. The Lord made a shocking statement on this in verse 29: “For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath”. In other words, if you do not have and do not intend to change that situation, you will continue to decline - to lose even the little you think you have. Here, God is saying the rich can grow richer and the poor poorer. If you lack the anointing and you are non-challant to it, before you would realize it, you could even lose the salvation you thought was safely in your custody.What the Lord is saying is that you must always position yourself for an increasing change. Not doing anything at all automatically positions you for a decrease. What are you doing to change your life for good? In any way you have contributed to the present decline you are facing, terminate it by doing something about it. Similarly, you can have an upward or downward change. In 1 Samuel 3:19-21, we are told of how young Samuel kept growing in the things of God to the extent of becoming an established prophet in Israel. He benefited from an upward change. On the other hand, the sons of Eli who could have succeeded their father continued to go from bad to worse until they were completely replaced in God’s plan. That was a downward change. By your deeds, you determine whether you will experience an upward or downward change. Any time you violate God’s Word or go out of God’s will, your change moves downwards and towards a negative outcome. If you want to experience an upward movement on a progressive basis, abide in Christ. Let Him be your residence. Dwell in Him and let Him dwell in you. Shut up every loophole in your life. You will move forward from today. ACTION POINT: Make Jesus your ally and your change will be upward.