PREFERRING FOOLISH SONGS? -Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Deut 7-9

PREFERRING FOOLISH SONGS?
Saturday, April 3, 2010

MEMORIZE: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning” (Prov. 9:9)

READ: Proverbs 9:8-9

Divine messages are not properly or accurately delivered to its recipients because of fear, sensitive nature of the message or status of message recipient.  Sometimes, it could also be because of forgetfulness. This is why we must be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit, always attend to His voice and cultivate the habit of documenting divine communications from the Written, Spoken or Living Word.  Revelation 22:18-19 warns that nothing should be added to or subtracted from divine messages.

Any part that is lost as at the time of receipt should be retrieved through prayers - worshipping and offering thanksgiving in God’s presence.  It is a mark of unfaithfulness to color a divine message. It may defeat the purpose for which it was sent and as a result, the channel God used will not be able to receive any reward. Whenever God gives a message, your personal interpretation is not what is needed. Ask for boldness, wisdom and grace to deliver it the way it came.

Don’t say God said what He did not say or else, instead of a blessing, you will earn a rebuke. When not clear, ask and confirm from the Holy Spirit before it is delivered.

In Daniel 4:19, when Daniel was asked to come and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he was baffled. For the next hour he stood speechless. He realized that according to Hebrews 12:29, the king had fallen into the hands of the living God who is the Consuming Fire. May you never fall into God’s hands in Jesus’ Name. When the king insisted on being told the interpretation of the dream, Daniel finally told him.

Why was he reluctant initially? It is because it takes a wise man to receive a rebuke or warning in good faith (Prov. 9:8-9).  Hence, Ecclesiastes 7:5 says, “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools”. Some people react to unpleasant messages so violently that it becomes difficult for their leaders or fellow brethren to deliver messages to them.

They prefer the song of fools - lies, deceit and made-up stories of a better condition when Heaven is saying something to the contrary.  Do you repel God’s bonafide vessels from delivering the right messages to you by your attitude? Remember, it is God’s Word that prevails - that can help out and bring about a desired end, not the vessel’s written song for fools. That will only give you false hope. Change your attitude to divine messages today!

ACTION POINT: Never change a message because of the stern face or patronizing hand of its recipient! Ask for a fresh encounter with the Holy Ghost at the Easter Lets-Go-A-Fishing leading to a harvest of souls. 

PASTOR'S WEEK- A daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Deut 4-6
MAXIMIZE GOOD GROUNDS Friday, April 2, 2010
MEMORIZE: “And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty,  and some an hundred” (Mark 4:20) READ: Mark 4:7-8 Depending on the ground you invest in, you could reap thirtyfold, sixtyfold or even hundredfold returns (Mark 4:8). Matthew 13:44 talks of a wise investor who found a field with hidden treasures. From the moment he discovered this potentially viable soil, he never gave sleep to his eyes until he disposed all he had to buy it. He would have lived in affluence thereafter. Are you a wise investor? Do you follow Biblical principles on sowing and reaping? Are you sure you are getting the maximum yield for your seeds? Do you invest in potentially viable soils like this wise investor? It is my prayer for you that this year will deliver its maximum yield to you as you invest wisely. I made some trips to a town in the Western part of Nigeria.  During my stay, a particular sister ministered to my needs. On one of such trips, I met the sister standing beside her parked car in a moody state. I thought the car had developed some problems so I asked what was wrong but she said she was the one something was wrong with not the car.  She had just suffered a miscarriage. Her eight -month old baby had died in her womb and the doctors were preparing to evacuate it. She was sorrowful and depressed. I simply laid hands on her stomach and invited the One who specializes in turning round impossible situations to step in. Within minutes, the dead child came back to life. Have you been having problems of miscarriage? In the Name of Jesus Christ, that trend of miscarriage is terminated now. That yoke is broken this minute. Every force fighting fruitfulness in any area of your life is destroyed in Jesus’ Name. Sowing into the life of a genuine servant of God is like finding a gold-mine. Are you sowing into the life of your pastor? To what extent have you been of assistance to his family? If you have neglected him and his family, you are losing a  good ground you could sow and receive a great yield. Thank God for the good grounds the Lord has given to you and adequately invest in them to obtain your desired yield. You shall not lose your reward.Sowing and Reaping ACTION POINT: Declare the next seven days as pastor’s week.  Sow spiritually, financially and materially into the lives of pastors the Lord has blessed you through.

POWER WITHOUT CONTROL?- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Deut 1-3
POWER WITHOUT CONTROL? Thursday, April 1, 2010
MEMORIZE: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Pro. 16:32) READ: 1 Cor. 14:29-33 For God to use you, every element of laziness, shoddiness, procrastination must be purged out of your life. God selects those He uses. He has no place for lazy bones. Is God already using you? Praise God! But if you still frolic with laziness, you could peg the extent to which He can use you. May the Lord fulfill His total plan for your life in Jesus’ Name.  Hebrews 12:29 says our God is a Consuming Fire. In Exodus 3:1-4, we see the Consuming Fire in a bush while the bush remains unburnt. Literally, it is impossible for a bush to be covered in flames of fire without a single leaf being burnt; but with God it is possible. This tells us that God is fully in control of His power.  God’s fire does not consume until God decides it should. If you carry the anointing and it is causing havoc to your loved ones, you are not able to control the power you carry. Some highly anointed brethren are yet very careless with words. They speak like any average man but unlike average people whose words lack power, their words are powerful and so when they make pronouncements even in normal discussions, some terrible things happen. The more empowered or anointed you are, the more control you should exercise. What is the use of power without control? “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). When God fills you with His Spirit, you will still be the one to stir up, or release the Spirit. In other words, you should be in-charge. The spirit that comes upon you and completely erodes your will, throwing you into the gutter and rubbishes you, is most likely not of God. God’s Spirit is controllable because God is a God of order (1 Cor. 14:33). If you cannot control the power in you, you may be telling God not to give you more. If you ‘mistakenly’ burn your loved ones or spiritual children due to inability to tame your tongue, you are allowing the anointing to work against you. Or whenever you curse your biological or spiritual children out of annoyance, you are using the anointing meant for building them up to pull them down. Proverbs 16:32 says self control is a priceless virtue - greater than conquering a city.  To what extent do you control your tongue and actions? ACTION POINT: It is far better not to have power than to have it without control. Ask God to give you the strength to control the power you have.

Wealth-induced insomnia- Daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Phil 1-4
WEALTH-INDUCED INSOMNIA Wednesday, March 31, 2010
MEMORIZE: “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep” (Eccl. 5:12) READ: Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 Wealth without satisfaction is a trap. Those who continue to pursue wealth and desire more and more without becoming contented have entangled themselves in a trap that only God can bring them out. 1 Timothy 6:6 says there is great gain in combining godliness with contentment. To be contented does not mean that you cannot aspire to something higher or desire something better but that at any point in time, you are satisfied with what God has given you. You do not become jittery when your neighbor has more than you. You are not compelled to join the rat race for more just because others are in it. You do things out of conviction and need. You are never covetous or greedy. The Lord will give you satisfaction in Jesus’ Name. “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep” (Ecc. 5:12). Another problem of the rich is insomnia. Sleeplessness is a common sickness among the rich. I don’t recall any laborer coming to ask me to pray for him so that he can sleep. He is so tired after work that he is half asleep on his way. By the time he gets home he falls on the chair and sleeps. He has to be woken up to take his dinner. On the other hand, the rich man does not do any rigorous work. He leaves his comfortable house for his air-conditioned office. If he is going to the 2nd or 3rd floor, he takes a lift. When he gets home at night, he begins to strategize and make plans concerning his various businesses. He thinks of how to prevent his workers from cheating him. He thinks of steps to take before his staff take advantage of him. He continues his plans propelled by lots of worry and anxiety until 5 am. He would have to take several sleeping pills to enable him catch sleep for one hour. What bondage! Are you in this mess? Come to Jesus with your load of care and He will give you rest. Rich believers know better than to put their trust in riches. They have defined their relationship with money. Money cannot rule a true believer. Money is just one of the tools or resources available to you. Money is your servant. If you say you are a believer and money has become your lord or gotten you into restlessness, it is because Christ is not fully occupying the throne of your heart. Let Him take His place and everything else will fall into place. ACTION POINT:Father, let the wealth you give to me not rob me of my joy, peace, and sleep in Jesus name

NOTHING ACCURSED- Daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Eph 4-6
NOTHING ACCURSED Tuesday, March 30, 2010
MEMORIZE: “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17) READ: Joshua 7:10-13 Individuals, families, communities, states and even nations go through famines. Famine could take a financial, material, spiritual or intellectual form. Famines are triggered: They can also be prevented. If you acquaint yourself with God, hear and obey His instructions and return to Him, you can prevent or come out of a famine. Another way out of famine is through restituting your ways. Keep a great distance from sin. This is why I emphasize holiness as if it is a song. That is the secret of securing and sustaining breakthroughs. In Genesis 17:1, God asked Abraham to walk uprightly before Him after several years of living below standards. As long as you remain holy, your ascent is guaranteed. Terminate every wrong thing you have been doing now. In Joshua 7:10-13, God refused to go with Israel as they faced Ai in battle because of the accursed thing in their midst. They could not access the strategy to defeat their enemies because of an accursed object in their midst. Just one sin is enough to rob you of sweet victory. Some believers cannot access the secret to breaking through in a particular area because of the presence of sin. Is there any accursed thing in your life? Give it up today! In any case, whenever God tells you He is not going with you, stay where you are: You have no business moving any where else! True progress is the one that God leads you into. Check your heart for any accursed thing. Is there bitterness, resentment, hatred, unforgiveness in your heart? Flush out that accursed thing! Keep your heart pure. Besides, in Deuteronomy 7:26, the Lord asked the Israelites to remove every accursed thing in their camp. Not only should your heart and thought life be pure, your environment must be God-glorifying. Ransack your apartment and fish out the presence of any accursed thing pornography, charms, occultic rings and amulets; magical books like six and seven books of Moses, etc. Each of such accursed object attracts demons and as a result repels the presence of God. You cannot keep them and expect God’s presence to linger on. All those evil things you had kept in your home before you became born again must find their way out of your apartment. Keep the camp clean. ACTION POINT: Examine your heart and home and deliberately fish out and destroy anything that can attract God’s judgment upon you.

Demonstrating your love- Daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Eph 1-3
DEMONSTRATING YOUR LOVE Monday, March 29, 2010
MEMORIZE: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience” (Rom 5:3 ) READ: Romans 15:1-3 When Jesus went to see Mary and Martha after the death of their brother Lazarus, He was disappointed. Before doing anything for anyone, He sought for faith in that individual. By the time He met Martha, He told her plainly: “Your brother will rise again”. But Martha deferred that miracle to the day of resurrection. Again the Lord told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. I can choose to bring him back to life anytime I please’, yet, she could not believe Him. The next thing was that she dodged the issue. Later, when He met her sister, Mary, He saw the same unbelief.  He looked round and saw all of them weeping in unbelief. So He wept. One reason He wept was because He could not find the faith He sought for in them. He wept because all His investments in them for the period He had been with them had not yielded a commensurate result. He wept because they had turned faith to hope. Whenever you approach God without faith, you cause Jesus to weep. Whenever your Christian life does not reflect God’s immense investments in you, the Lord is disappointed and weeps. Whenever you are turning faith into hope, for instance by saying, ‘If I cannot be so blessed to afford a car in my lifetime, at least one of my children will during their time’, you make Jesus weep. Hebrews 11:6 says it is impossible to please God in anything you do except you add a measure of faith in it. Are you making Jesus to weep? On the other hand, He wept because He loved them. Love is more than getting from the other person. It entails transferring another person’s burden to yourself (Rom. 15:1). Genuine love can be demonstrated by bearing the sorrow of the one you love. Anyone Jesus loves is loved to the end except the fellow terminates the love link - severing one’s relationship with the Lord (John 13:1).  He will not leave you nor forsake you. He is ever by your side inspite of the trouble. Troubles don’t scare Him: they tickle Him, preparing Him to demonstrate His Omnipotence and preeminence over all things. Jesus loves you so much. Do you love others? Do you love to the point of being burdened for that backslidden brother? Or, to the extent of praying, fasting and crying for their restoration? How are you demonstrating your love today? ACTION POINT: Look around your church and neighborhood and prayerfully identify three backsliders. Use prayers, visits, encouraging words and other means of support to have them restored.

WE KNOW IN PART- Daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Eccles 10-12
WE KNOW IN PART Sunday, March 28, 2010
MEMORIZE: “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing (1 Cor. 13:2)    READ: 1 Corinthians 13:9-12 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” (Rev. 1.1).The Book of Revelation is a most interesting and dramatic book. Some people have argued that it should not be part of the Bible; thank God it is because it is loaded with lessons for us. From the introduction of this Book, we see that it contains the revelation of Jesus Christ which was given to Him by His Father.  While on earth, Jesus did not know when He was to return. This was only known to His Father. Similarly, Jesus  had to completely depend on His Father for direction, instruction and guidance. Even though God the Father and God the Son are equal, the Father is still greater than the Son. One lesson from the Book of Revelation is that like Jesus accessed hidden information from His Father after His resurrection and glorification, we too would have access to information we could not have on earth by the time we get to the Heavenly planet. This is one reason we should not be quick to pass verdict on certain issues that take place on earth because we are not privy to the interacting forces at play. Paul says on earth we can only know in part (1 Cor. 13:9-10).  It is difficult to pass an objective judgment on an issue when you do not have all the facts. This is what happens when some believers tend to blame God for certain misfortunes, or events they cannot explain. Believers must not fall into this trap; Rather, they must trust God to judge rightly.  For instance, when inspite of intercession and fasting, a believer’s child still dies,  some people hold God responsible and may find it difficult to forgive Him. That is because they know in part but God knows all things. Do you know the heartache, sorrow, tears and shame such a child could have caused you in future? God acts in your best interest by calling home the child and you continue to sulk, blame and blaspheme His Name. Some blessings for certain reasons have been polluted. If you have such a blessing, you will surely suffer.  Is that the kind of blessing you want - one that will bring you regret? Trust God to take the best decisions for your life. Thank Him in every situation, afterall, He seeks your good always. And pray that He will take away any blessing that is loaded with sorrow. ACTION POINT: Father, thank you for taking the best decisions for me and my family.  Have your way in our lives.

HOARDING MESSAGES- Daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Eccles 7-9
HOARDING MESSAGES Saturday, March 27, 2010
MEMORIZE: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom 10:14) READ: Jonah 1:1-5 As a servant of God, you would be asked to deliver messages to people at certain times. When the message to be delivered contains elements of good news, you would be happy to do it. But there are messages that are difficult to communicate. When God is bringing judgment on someone, the recipient of such a message may not find it easy to communicate. Sometimes, you may have to pray hard or trust God for wisdom before delivering God’s message to prominent or influential people. Some believers are still hoarding messages meant for people. One characteristic of a bonafide servant of God is the ability to deliver God’s message whether good or bad, at the right time. A preacher was invited to preach at a revival meeting in Arkansas USA, when he was transported to Heaven. There, he met with patriarchs of old and in particular Paul, who told him never to change the message because of the hearers but to deliver it exactly as God has given it. Some messages are colored, disfigured or manipulated in such a way that by the time they get to the receiver, they would have changed their original form. As a servant of God, you are the channel. Your business is not to tamper with the message but to allow it to pass through you like a radio transmitter. How do you disseminate Heavenly messages today? When God sent Jonah to deliver a message on the impending judgment of God on the people of Nineveh, he refused. He chose to flee to another direction because he had turned himself into a judge - believing he could decide whether to deliver the message or not. Although he preferred seeing God’s judgment on Nineveh, he however had no right to hoard that information. Hoarding it brought untold hardship to him and those with him on the ship. Are you hoarding the salvation message from those that are about to perish? It will cause you lots of trouble. Has God sent you to deliver a message to your enemies? He has a purpose for it. Obey Him today. Refusal to deliver Heavenly messages to those we are sent has robbed many Christians of their blessings. God has sent you with the salvation message to every sinner around you; how many of them has heard that message from you? Do you distort the message when delivering it? ACTION POINT:The ability to deliver a Heavenly message to the earthly recipient without any form of distortion is a mark of faithfulness. How faithful are you?