Continue sowing- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 29 -51
CONTINUE SOWING Saturday, May 15, 2010
MEMORIZE: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9) READ: 1 Kings 8:62-64 Galatians 6:9 enjoins us not to be weary in doing well. One good thing we must not be tired of is sowing. To access your greatest financial harvest, continuous, consistent quality sowing is required. Your first seed may open the door to blessings, but keeping that door open requires persistent sowing. Are you already calling it quits with sowing just because you cannot quantify the returns of previous seeds? Don’t! You may be closing the door it took you much effort to open! In the case of the widow of Zarephath, it took the sacrificial cake she gave on meeting Elijah the first day to open her door to abundance. If she had stopped at that, her miracle would have expired long before the end of the famine, but she did not. She kept the door permanently open by making cakes for Elijah daily for the entire period. Your first seed must have the backing of other seeds if you will experience your ultimate financial breakthrough. Some people have pegged their blessings or limited the space through which their blessings come by rationalizing their need to give. Another relevant example is king Solomon. His first notable seed was when he sacrificed 1000 cows (1 Kings 3:4-15). This opened the doors of wealth, wisdom, and honor to him. But he did not stop there. In fact, immediately he got up from his revelational dream, he responded to God’s answer by offering more. And he continued and increased his seed. In 1 Kings 8:63, he gave God an offering of 22,000 oxen. Solomon continued to increase in wealth because he sustained his giving. He became so prosperous that they lost count of his wealth. In fact, 1 Kings 10:24-27 says the whole world sought after the wisdom of Solomon and choice things as silver and cedar became common place. Do you know that like king Solomon, God can so bless you to the point that the business idea He gives you could be sought after by the whole world? It is possible for what people consider as priceless treasures to become common place to you. But there is a price you must continue to pay. You must not stop sowing. The door the Lord has opened to you which you were already closing by refusing to sustain your seeds will be kept wide open from today. However, play your part. Like Solomon continue to increase your seeds. ACTION POINT: Draw up a personal or family sowing policy whereby a specific percentage of whatever comes to you will be sown into the Kingdom. Sowing in Tears, Reaping in Joy;: A memorial of the life and work of Mrs. P. Matson,

ROLE OF GRACE- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 21- 24
ROLE OF GRACE Friday, May 14, 2010
MEMORIZE: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Gal. 2:21) READ: Ephesians 2:4-9 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (Habakkuk 2:3). Several years after prophet Samuel anointed David as king, he became a state governor and later the president of Israel. He went through the process. Has the Lord given you a promise or promises that appear far-fetched? Are you becoming discouraged and thinking of giving up on your dreams? Don’t! The delay is not because God cannot fulfil His promise but simply because you must follow Heaven’s due process. Hold on to your dream like Joseph. He too went through the same process. He was sold into slavery after God had given him the vision of greatness. He was locked up in prison. He was forgotten. But when His day came, Heaven remembered him and fulfilled his life-long dream. When your day comes, Heaven will remember you and fulfil your God-given dream. Don’t lose hope or drop out of the faith before then! How did David realize the promised kingship? He had an overflowing anointing (Ps. 23:5). To have this, you must love righteousness and hate iniquity (Heb. 1:9). Holiness is an overflowing anointing. But how come Joseph -last but one child and David - the last born were chosen from their families? This shows the role of grace in fulfilling destiny.  Bible scholars even believe that David was not welcome in the Jesse family because his mother was not married to his father, yet God preferred him to his brothers. God does as He pleases and nobody can query Him. We are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8). God has chosen you not because you are most qualified for that position but because of grace. I once asked God, “How can you write in Your Word that You love Solomon - a product of  two mischievous adulterer and adulteress? His father was even a murderer.  How can you love the product of such illicit relationship?” Then the Lord asked me, “Son, was your mother the first wife of your father?” I knew where that question was leading to, so I immediately replied, “No more questions, Lord”. In 1 Corinthians 16:10, Paul said he was what he was by grace. You are not pastor, minister or leader because you merited it but because God decided to extend His grace to you. If you do not handle grace delicately, it can be abused (Rom. 6:1-2) or frustrated (Gal. 2:21). There is a last assignment for everyone. Don’t take God’s grace for granted. Justify that high calling of God upon your life. Let Heaven rejoice for choosing you, and not somebody else. ACTION POINT:Lord, let me not frustrate the grace of God upon my life.

Wielding Real Powers?- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 21 -23
WIELDING REAL POWERS? Thursday, May 13, 2010 Let Somebody Shout Hallelujah! The Life and Ministry of Pastor E. A. Adeboye Have you read this book? It will change your life.
MEMORIZE: “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauty of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth” (Ps. 110:3) READ: Psalm 110:1-3 Whether a subject will subject himself or herself to the authority of the controlling kingdom or not would be determined by the level of authority borne by the king of that kingdom. Today’s passage tells us one or two things about this. Psalm 110:3 says, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauty of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth”. Revelation 1:6 says we have been made kings and priests unto God. The truth is, our sphere of influence or dominion of our kingdom varies from one person to another.  Kingship and kingdoms are of various sizes. The governor of a state is a king with power of influence spanning a particular state. On the other hand, the president of a country is a far greater king with his dominion spanning all the federating states of that country. When a governor of a state attempts to go beyond his sphere of influence and make laws that should regulate citizens of another state, he would be ignored and seen as a joker.  In the world, kings are wise enough to operate within the jurisdiction of their authority but it appears it is not so in the Christian faith. In Acts 19:11-17, certain exorcists tried to exercise dominion over demons when they lacked the authority and they were put in their proper place. If you attempt to cast out devils as promised in Mark 16:17 without actively engaging in soul winning after you became born again, they will not submit to you because you lack the authority.  In the same vein, if you desire to prosper, achieve success and become financially successful without applying relevant keys such as sowing, giving, tithing, studying, meditating and applying God’s Word, etc., the spirits of failure and poverty may not bow to you. It is important to activate your authority through total obedience and submission to the will and Word of God.  The helpers of many individuals, families and churches have not been identified or released because they have not tarried in God’s presence enough. Your authority is renewed and activated in God’s presence.  How often do you do this? When power is released as you tarry in God’s presence, you will have a wider sphere of influence in determining situations and circumstances. Do you take the pains to daily activate your authority? Is there power in the authority you are wielding? ACTION POINT: The only authority that is useful to its owner is the one that has been activated. Let Somebody Shout Hallelujah! The Life and Ministry of Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Power of the new anointing- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 17 -20
POWER OF THE NEW ANOINTING Wednesday, May 12, 2010 Let Somebody Shout Hallelujah! The Life and Ministry of Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zech 4:6) READ: Judges 16:1-3 Just as you have the old, so also you have the new anointing. Drunkenness, lust, anger and the use of mind-bending substances are trade marks of the old anointing. But the new anointing has to do with the Word of God and the Spirit of God. One reason new wine breaks old bottles is because it wants to express itself. While the new wine is bubbling and wants out of its container, the old bottle says it is going nowhere; hence, it rebels and breaks the bottle and finds its way. Every limitation standing in your way to the next level will give way this season in Jesus’ Name. The elders say, The rope that says the elephant should not climb the mountain will have to go with the elephant. In Judges 16:1-3, when the gates of Gaza were shut to prevent Samson - an anointed of the Lord from entering, he lifted and took them with him to the mountain. Every gate of Gazathat has been shut to hinder your entry into that next level shall be lifted. Watch it! The enemies are about losing their gates. Moreover, the anointing makes the anointed a pacesetter. It empowers you to do what nobody else has ever done. In Acts 8:5-8, Philip - an anointed evangelist went to Samaria to preach Christ to them. Until then, there was a wall of partition existing between the Samaritans and the Jews. They had nothing in common: but when this anointed man got there, he had an overwhelming success. Have you been failing in any vital area of life? As you stir up the anointing in you today and step out in faith, you will obtain a record-breaking success. The new anointing changes your confession. Where people are saying ‘Never’, you will be saying ‘Ever’; when people are saying ‘Impossible’, your cry and experience would be ‘Possible’. When we were starting the model parish experiment, many people could not be convinced. They were asking: ‘How can you plant a church in a hotel where people drink and smoke? It is never done!’. But the new anointing in us said it could be done. Today, that experiment has blossomed into success. What is that impossibility in your life? It is giving way right now. Provoke the anointing by being filled with God’s Word, worshipping and praising God effusively and pleasing the Lord in all you do. Then make a demand on the anointing and it will make way for you. ACTION POINT: Lord, by your new anointing on me, help me to uproot the gates of my enemies today.

Heavenly cloud- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 14 - 16
HEAVENLY CLOUD Tuesday, May 11, 2010
MEMORIZE: “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:40) READ: Daniel 7:13-14  The One who ascended into Heaven will soon descend to take those who are precious to Him unannounced. May you be counted worthy! Revelation 1:7 says He is coming with clouds, and not in the clouds. In other words, the clouds that would accompany Him in His second advent are not the literal clouds adorning the skyline, but a special cloud. One person who got this revelation many years before Christ was born was Daniel. This patriarch was an exceptionally gifted prophet. In today’s reading, Daniel saw Jesus coming with the clouds of Heaven.  There is a cloud in Heaven. This is not a water-configured, vapor-like cloud, but blood-washed, holy and spiritually living saints of God. Hebrews 12:1 calls them a cloud of witnesses: “Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. In the same vein, while cataloging part of this Heavenly cloud also called the Heroes of Faith, Hebrews 11:1-40 said there was no time to present the complete list. In other words, there is a crowd of holy people in Heaven. Do not let anyone deceive you that those who will make it to Heaven are very few or that they are only 144,000. Heaven has millions of blood-washed saints. There are billions of angels and saints in that blessed planet. The issue is, will you be part of this cloud? According to Hebrews 11:39-40, the Heavenly crowd were waiting to come with Jesus as He receives the Kingdom from the Ancient of Days to enable Him rule forever, but had to wait longer because God wanted you and I to be part of them.  If God would delay the fulfillment of the promise made to the Heavenly cloud of witnesses because of you, have you done all you should to be part of this cloud? If you are not born again, you are not yet a part of this cloud. Are you living in secret sin? You are not yet a part of this cloud.  At Christ’s second advent, the saints with their glorious bodies, clothed in white linen and riding on white horses beside Jesus Christ, will be seen as moving clouds if viewed from the earth. While the captain will be in front, I will be right behind Him. Where will you be on that day? ACTION POINT: Father, make me a part of the Heavenly cloud of witnesses at the end of my Christian race.

Kingdom relationships- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 11 -13
KINGDOM RELATIONSHIPS Monday, May 10, 2010
MEMORIZE: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:17) READ: Romans 8:16-17 Revelation 22:15 says dogs are outside. No matter how lovable a dog is, it will end up outside. All who engage in sexual immorality are spiritually secluded from God’s inheritance. The next level to dogs or creatures is the level of servants. It is great to be a servant of the Most High God but ordinarily, that level has its limitations. In Job 1:8-12, the Lord asked Satan if he has considered Job His servant. At the end of that discussion, Job became a target of Satan’s attacks. If there is serious security challenge in a village, they will gather the servants to form vigilante groups while the master’s children are safely kept in the inner chamber.Hence, Isaiah 54:17 talks of servants’ need for protection. Also, John 8:35 says servants do not remain in their master’s house forever. John 15:15 says it is possible to move higher to the level of friends. That means servants need promotion. Are you a servant? The Lord will promote you to the next level. Some years ago, a man met me claiming to have a message from God for me. He said the Lord said to him, “Tell my servant so and so”. But I interrupted and said that message was for somebody else since I know I am a son of God. So there are creatures, servants and sons. Which one are you? A divine son has tremendous privileges. According to Galatians 4:6, he can call God Daddy. It says having been adopted, we have the right to call God Abba, Father. I once had problems with some people on this. When I began to call God Daddy, they differed and felt I should call Him ‘Father’. I told them there was no contention on the issue. That He is their Father but He is my Daddy. A son has the rare privilege as heir or inheritor. Galatians 4:7 says children inherit their father’s possessions but servants do not. Romans 8:16-17 calls us joint heirs with Christ, which means that all that God makes available to Jesus can be equally accessible to us. The son has unrestricted access to the Father. Your level of placement as creature, servant or son determines the extent of your Kingdom rights and privileges. It also determines how God relates with you. When a servant asks for a personal thing and when a son asks for the same thing, both of them will receive different responses. How God relates with you is determined by your relationship placement. It will determine also how He speaks to you. Never be satisfied with your present level of relationship with God. There is something higher and better. Strive towards this. ACTION POINT:  What relationship level are you operating with God? Move higher today!

WHEN SMALL IS BETTER- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 8 -10
WHEN SMALL IS BETTER Sunday, May 09, 2010
MEMORIZE: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;” (Eph. 5:3) READ: Ephesians 5:1-4 A virgin is pure and undefiled.  According to 2 Peter 1:4, corruption is a major cause of spiritual defilement. Whenever you seek, pursue or crave to be what God has not designed you to be, you cannot avoid being defiled. If you want to get rich overnight, there is no way you will not dabble into something that can destroy your Christian testimony.  When you want promotion before its time, you might be made to sell your birthright. Any ‘blessing’ Satan gives always comes at the cost of your salvation. This is one way of knowing whether an opportunity or open door is of God or not. If you would have to sin against God or break your relationship with Him in order to enjoy that benefit, it is not from God; It is from the pit of hell! In addition, engaging in things of the flesh will defile your garment of righteousness. Galatians 6:8 says, if you sow to the flesh it cannot deliver a spirit-filled yield to you. If you want to keep off defilement, watch your tongue and keep your heart from evil thoughts (Matt. 15:18, James 3:6). The problem of defilement is that the defiled calls for divine hammer. Also, whatever the fellow touches automatically becomes defiled. How undefiled are you? Another trait of a virgin is that such a fellow operates very high principles like Daniel who shunned the dainties of the king for the worst of meals. Can you turn down a well-paying job because it will take Christ from you, but, rather accept one which is not attractive in remunerations but helps you to keep your relationship with Christ? This tells us that sometimes few is better than much and small is better than large. Hence, Psalm 37:16 says, “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked”. Verse 17 says the wicked will eventually lose their hands. Out of greed many people are choosing jobs, contracts, and spouses that will take them to hell. To make Heaven, you must be highly principled.  You must have a list of dos and dont’s.  Some things must become taboos to you. For instance, fornication and any form of sexual sin must not be once named of you after you claim to have received Christ (Eph. 5:3). But can this be said of you? What principles do you live by? Are you living for your mouth or for God? Are you a virgin? ACTION POINT: The size of a provision or opening is nothing compared with its state of holiness.

Is your harvest right?- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 4 -7
IS YOUR HARVEST RIGHT? Saturday, May 08, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: ” (Prov. 3:9) READ: Haggai 1:4-11 The correct knowledge of how a harvest works is important for the one who wants to maximize his or her harvest. It is one thing to take in a harvest and another thing to benefit maximally from it. When your harvest begins to come, remember to put God first? Proverbs 3:9 says God must be honored with your substance and firstfruits. The first salary or profit in the year is your firstfruits. Honor God with it. The first salary on a new job is your firstfruits. The first profit of a new line of business is your firstfruits. The difference between your old salary and the new salary after an increase has taken place is your firstfruits. What do you do with your firstfruits? It is simply meant for honoring God. If you refuse to honor God with your firstfruits, you may have a harvest but waste the proceeds. Without honoring God with your firstfruits, you may not be able to obtain maximum benefit from your harvest. According to today’s reading, when your output is not commensurate with your inputs, it’s time to look a little closer.  Refusing to honor God with your harvest can determine a whole lot: Whether your harvest will be commensurate with your efforts; whether what you put out will deliver the expected service, and whether your investment and savings schemes will perform as predetermined or be lost. Have you heard of some believers becoming victims of fraudsters? That could be as a result of refusing to honor God with their substance and firstfruits. If you fail to honor God with your firstfruits, you deny yourself the privilege of being honored by things created by God or those designed by man. Do you know that some believers cannot understand why electrical appliances fail to deliver the service or comfort they were meant to? The truth is, even such appliances could rebel against their owners and become tools in the hands of the devourers when they fail to honor God. Anytime your receipts are not commensurate with your inputs, look a bit closer.  Consider your ways. See if you are owing God in the area of honor.  Like the daughters of Zion, what has been worn to bring about beauty and glamour can become ugliness and stink (Isaiah 3:24). Are you experiencing leaking bags? Find out if God is first in your life. ACTION POINT: One major way of honoring God is by bringing Him your firstfruits yearly and as and when due. How faithful are you in doing this?

What Report?- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Sam 1 -3
WHAT REPORT? Friday, May 07, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:7) READ: 1 Timothy 3:1-7  There is an approved attire in which believers should be clad: This is Heaven’s dress. God expects you to be clothed with salvation, honor, righteousness and humility. According to David’s request, it is possible to be clothed with shame and dishonor (Psalm 35:26). Every garment of shame and dishonor the enemy has dressed you with shall be burnt in Jesus’ Name. In Matthew 17:1-2, when Jesus was transfigured, His robe was as white as light. White represents several things. First, it represents purity.  This is one reason wedding gowns in the olden days were white, as the ladies were expected to be virgins.  According to His personal testimony documented in John 14:30, our Lord Jesus Christ wore purity as a dress. White is also a symbol of perfection. Scientists say white is a combination of seven colors. The number seven is the number for perfection. When Jesus asked us to be perfect like our Heavenly Father in Matthew 5:48, He meant that we should wear perfection as a dress. Are you clad in purity and perfection? The store house of a brother was burgled and a number of things were carted away. To the police, the chief suspect was the brother in charge of the key, but the company’s chairman insisted it could not be him as he was clad in holiness. He compelled the Police to release the brother.  On his release, the brother thanked his chairman and requested for three days off to enable him settle the matter with the One he served. And that if after that period the real culprits were not apprehended, he would take personal responsibility for all the stolen items. He gave the chairman the key and left. Two days later, the robbers repeated their visit and were caught.  If there is a fraud where you are, would you be exonerated? Can your boss, leader or superior vouch for you? How clean are your hands? If people around you cannot vouch for your character, you are miles away from purity.  1 Timothy 3:7 says one of the cardinal virtues a minister must have is good report especially among unbelievers. If questionnaires on your character, relations with others and attitude to money, position and women are circulated among those around you, what would be their testimony? Would their report be good or unprintable?  The Way of Life; Holiness Unto the Lord; The Indwelling Spirit ACTION POINT: Christianity is not just a way of life, but God’s only way of expressing righteousness.

Want God dead?- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 2 Pet. 1-3
WANT GOD DEAD? Thursday, May 06, 2010Let Somebody Shout Hallelujah! The Life and Ministry of Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12)     READ: Revelation 5:11-13 “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another” (Isaiah 48:11). God is prepared to share His love and power but not His glory.  No glory thief canescape God’s judgment.  The way some ministers of God are running their ministries leaves much to be desired. You would think they were the ones who employed God and not the other way round. If a miracle takes place through their ministry, the whole world would know that it was their intense prayer, not God, that was responsible. When some people come to testify of what they claim God did for them, at the end of the day, it will be glaring that they - their prayer, fasting, zeal or faith, but not God that brought about the miracle. Are you a glory thief? You are playing with fire and will definitely be burnt unless you repent. One of the fastest ways of eroding your blessing is by attributing a divine deed to yourself. That was the pit of error king Nebuchadnezzar fell into. “The kingspake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). He caused trouble for himself. Whenever God helps you to become something and you begin to take His glory,  you would set God against you. You would be compelling God to prove that you were nothing afterall. And for Him to prove that ,He may be compelled to reduce you to nothing. Matthew 6:13 says you should always give God all the glory.  You should do things specifically to glorify His Name. While on earth, Jesus worked relentlessly to glorify the Father.  Eventually, the Father glorified the Son. If you seek God’s glory in all you do, that glory will rub off on you. Besides, on your day of divine appointment, the Father will glorify you like Jesus. Proverbs 3:35 says it is possible to inherit glory.  The category of those w ho will inherit glory are termed wise because they have been giving God all His glory until that point. Like any other inheritance, there is an appointed time to inherit glory. Asking for your inheritance while your Father is alive is synonymous with wishing your father dead. God’s glory is your glory.  If you lift Him up, you are lifting yourself up. Give God all the glory due to His Name. Today’s reading says God earned every measure of glory He receives: do not take it from Him! ACTION POINT: After God uses you over an assignment, remember to give Him every credit.

Expressing the Anointing- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Pet 3 - 5
EXPRESSING THE ANOINTING Wednesday, May 05, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” (Matt. 9:17) READ: Acts 13:6-12 “Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” (Matthew. 9:17). The vessel that will carry the anointing is of paramount importance to God. Right from the beginning, everything was done after an order - grasses, fruit-bearing trees, animals and even men reproduced after their kind (Gen. 1:11-12). There was no criss-crossing of kinds or breaking the order of kinds. Similarly, in Ephesians 4:22-24, we are commanded to put off the old man and put on the new man. This is necessary because it is impossible to receive the new anointing in an old body. If you ask the Spirit of God or the anointing to come upon the body of a sinner, you are asking God to violate the law of kinds. You have the old wine and the new wine. When you are drunk with the old wine, you will be motivated to exhibit the works of the flesh. You will be intoxicated and not only misbehave, but also sin against God. But according to Colossians 3:16, when you are drunk with the new wine, it will manifest in the fruit of the Spirit and in all spiritual graces. But if you seek to receive the Holy Spirit and His anointing in your defiled vessel, He will work against you and you could lose your health, peace, joy or even life. It is a very dangerous thing to ask for divine graces while the recipient lives in secret or open sin. This is responsible for some incurable or unexplainable sicknesses in the lives of some so-called Christians. The new anointing is as strong as new wine. It is not only strong but also aggressive. Any hindrance brought before it will be resisted aggressively. We find an example in Acts 13:6-12. While preaching to a governor, a sorcerer tried to stand in the way of Paul and the anointing in him began to boil. He simply decreed that that agent of darkness will be blind for a period and it was so. Fresh anointing can clear any obstruction out of its way. Are you born again, Spirit-filled and sanctified? Nothing can resist the Holy Spirit that is at work in you. Arise and reel out decrees against every opposition on your way and they shall be established. Put a demand on the Anointing in you or He will remain dormant. The power to rule your world was deposited inside you the day you received Jesus Christ into your heart. Is that new wine finding expression?  Let Somebody Shout Hallelujah! The Life and Ministry of Pastor E. A. Adeboye ACTION POINT: Expressing the anointing is an act of faith. Bottling it up is an act of unbelief. Provoke the Spirit into action today.

Good enough for the thief?- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Pet 1-2
GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE THIEF? Tuesday, May 04, 2010
MEMORIZE: “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2) READ: Revelation: 1:7-11 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Rev. 1:7).The King is coming. The Creator of the Heavens and the earth who once came as a baby, will return as the King of kings.  However, His return will be in two stages. At the first stage, He will come unannounced - like a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2). He will be coming to ‘steal’ the precious ones of the earth whom He has redeemed by His blood. “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garment, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame” (Rev. 16:15). In that advent, only the prepared ones like the five wise, holy and watching virgins will go with Him. Many who are rising and falling in their Christian faith will be so engrossed with whatever they deem more important that they would not know when Jesus would come as a thief. For such people, shame, sorrow and disgrace are inevitable. One lesson from this is that God does not want His children put to shame. God is not happy when you are disgraced so He does what He can to prevent shame. But inspite of all the warnings, many will still face shame for paying deaf ears to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You shall not be taken unawares at His coming. The second stage of His second advent will be a public coming unlike the first. He will return with the believers He earlier ‘stole’ from the earth because He wanted to hide them from the seven most horrible years the earth would ever know, also called the Great Tribulation (Isa 26:20-21).  As He returns with His saints after this period, the Antichrist will gather the world’s  army to resist His earthly takeover at the battle of Armageddon. That would be the mother of battles yet, it would not exceed one day.  Jesus and His saints will defeat the resisting forces in a physical combat and would take over the earth and reign for 1000 years. Although nobody would want to be ‘stolen’ or missing presently, the second advent is a good time to be ‘stolen’. Are you among the precious ones the Lord will ‘steal’ at His coming? Ask God to make you part of those to go with Him to Heaven at His second advent. You shall not be left behind! ACTION POINT: If your name is not missing from earth’s register, you will not be present to answer  your name during Heaven’s roll call. May you be missing from earth on that day!

The vision will speak- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ruth 1-4
THE VISION WILL SPEAK Monday, May 03, 2010
MEMORIZE: “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (Hab. 2:3) READ: Habakkuk 2:1-3 Holiness is a key to realizing our life’s goal.  In Genesis 39:7-9, when Portiphar’s wife tried to lure Joseph to sleep with her, he asked: “How can I do this evil and sin against God?” He knew how paramount holiness was in achieving his life-longdream. Many people have traded their glorious destiny for momentary pleasures. Anyone who tries to lure you into sin is sporting for your failure. No matter how close, the fellow wants you doomed. Always look beyond that attractive, promising sinful offer as underneath lies the worst form of destruction.  Usually, even after God makes a promise, you will need to wait in righteousness until it comes to pass. Most life-long promises may almost take a third, quarter or half of a lifetime to fulfill. They may not be immediate! Let us take the example of David. In 1 Samuel 16:11-13, he was anointed as king in the midst of his brethren. The seed of greatness had been sown in him, yet, for many years, he was nowhere close to the throne. Why? It takes a process for a male child to become a man. He must develop in various areas. He would learn to crawl, walk and start kindergarten.  Sooner or later, somebody would have to give him a beating on his way to school. He would cry back home. Sometimes, he would have to go to school under rain or shine and be weather-beaten.  And finally, he grows up into a man. Anyone who skips the stages in growing up could still attain the age of 40 yet he is not considered mature for lack of experience. Due process must be observed or else, such a fellow would be strange and would find it difficult to cope with daily challenges of life or to become relevant to himself and others. There is a process of growth you must follow spiritually. This was why the Israelites were deliberately made by God to take the longer route into their promised land. A journey of 40 days became one of 40 years just for them to mature in the process. Without this, they would lack what it takes to sustain their victory and remain on top. Several years after being anointed king, David became the king of Judea and finally the king of the whole of Israel. That means he was first what we call a state governor before he became the president of the nation of Israel. On the day he was made king of Israel, he must have looked back to the day he was secretly anointed king. Does God’s promise to you appear delayed? You are only undergoing your preparatory process! As long as you keep away sin, but continue in faith, obedience and humility, the vision  will speak at its appointed time. ACTION POINT: Thank God for all God’s Generals all over the world and what the Lord is using them to do through their ministries. Ask that the Lord will sustain them in holiness.