God's Right Hand- Daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 46 -48
GOD’S RIGHT HAND Friday, October 15, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD hath dashed in pieces the enemy” (Exodus 15:6) READ: Exodus 15:3-6 “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Rev. 1:16).  After describing the Lord’s looks and dressing, John said he saw Jesus holding seven stars in His right hand. These seven stars symbolized the seven pastors of the churches He was writing to. One thing we learn here is that every bonafide, Heaven - ordained pastor is in the right hand of our Lord Jesus Christ. The implication of this should bring both joy and fear. Joy because He can never forget us. He specifically holds His servants in His right hand because that is the place of power. Exodus 15:6 says, “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy”. This is why servants of God must not fear. You are in a place of power - in His right hand! Hence, no weapon formed against you will prosper. Yes, beloved, you are safe in His hands. The second implication of this should cause us to fear. Being in His hand of power means if we misbehave, it costs Him nothing to destroy us. If you are a servant of God, shun every act that stirs up the anger of the Almighty God! This shows the foolishness of those who compare themselves with God because of a few things God is doing through their ministry. If you provoke Him, He could crush you as easily as He built you. Another lesson here is that God is the Controller of all the stars. They are His creation and He knows every detail about them. In fact, Psalm 147:4 says apart from knowing the exact number of stars in the cosmos, God has a name for each of them. He simply addresses them by their names and they are bound to obey His voice. Because of His controlling power over stars, He can make diviners and astrologers who study the alignment of stars to go mad. (N.B. Have you supported the www.10millionexercisebooks.com project? Visit the site and be a blessing to somebody) Those who predict the future based on their understanding of the stars can be confused because Jesus Christ can rearrange the stars to favor the disfavored. Have the stars been arranged against you? The Lord will reverse that arrangement today to favor you in Jesus’ Name. In any case, never put your hope on the stars because Satan can use it to deceive and manipulate you. ACTION POINT: Jesus, Controller of the stars, rearrange every star in my favor this season.

FLLOW PEACE- Daily devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 43 -45
FOLLOW PEACE Thursday, October 14, 2010
MEMORIZE: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you,  live peaceably with all men” (Roms. 12:18) READ: Romans 12:17-21 As a child of God, you are not supposed to engage in fleshly fights, strife and struggles with fellow human beings. Each time you take somebody up on a fight, you indirectly ask God to fold His hands and see how strong you are in fighting your cause. When confronted by foes who are ready to fight you with any available means, it is advisable to hand over that battle to the One who never loses any battle - the Lord of Hosts. He can even turn around a battle you had already lost. Are you cringing in defeat and counting your losses in sorrow? Do not despair. The Lord will come in and reverse that situation to deliver victory and joy to you this season. Just invite Him into that situation now. “Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?” (Ecc. 8:4). The fact that I recognize my status as a child of the Prince of Peace, is one reason I refuse to hit back at those who use the media to launch attacks at me. I am constrained to live out the mould of peace that the Prince of Peace has already carved out for me. According to the above scripture, our mouth is capable of causing much harm because of the tremendous power it carries. And if you must live in peace, you must tame your big mouth. “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). You are called a peace maker so that you can make peace between God and men (Matt. 5:9). It is not easy to walk in peace with neighbors who are looking for every opportunity to hit you. Sometimes, they may want to ill - treat your children or wards in order to get at you. This is rife in houses which accommodate several families. How do you cope? To follow peace therefore means to avoid every avenue of trouble. It means majoring on your similarities and minoring on your differences: It also means never using any wrong done by your neighbor against the fellow. You would be very careful in your words, thoughts, actions and conduct so as to keep open a line of communication with them through which you can preach the Gospel. Following peace means accepting blame even when you are right. It means patience, long suffering, and loving the unlovable. It is praying for those who hate you - not to fall down and die but to live, get well, be blessed and succeed. It is to be ready to forgive offenders. Ask God for grace to follow peace. ACTION POINT: Examine your relationships with neighbors, co-workers and church members. List out the problem-ridden ones and prayerfully initiate reconciliatory moves.  N.B QUESTION? What should be our reaction to people who just want to disturb our peace? Should we just fold our hands, what practical step can we take? (Support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project. Lend a helping hand to this non-profit initiative to eradicate illiteracy). Ayo.

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 40 -42
LOST ANYTHING? Wednesday, October 13, 2010
MEMORIZE: “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25) READ: Joel 2:25-27 In Mark 2:1-12, a man who was paralyzed from neck downwards was brought through the roof top to Jesus. He had lost hope for health, destiny and life in general. The first thing the Lord did was to forgive him his sins and restore his spiritual life, before healing him of his paralysis. Caging a strong and talented person can be most frustrating. All he could do was to watch helplessly as his natural endowments were wasting away. Although, looking physically fit, many people are still struggling with the spiritual captivity of their potentials. If you are in that situation, the Lord will set you free today. “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25). Quite a number of us have lost something precious at some point in time. While some have lost their health in pursuit of wealth, others have lost their wealth in pursuit of health. Some have lost their spouses, children or home in general. There are some who were so full of joy that on rising up in the morning, they would sing as if they had just won a lottery. But today, when they see somebody laughing, they wonder if there is anything worth laughing about. Such people have not only lost their joy but have surrounded themselves with sorrow. Some have lost their spiritual gifts such as the ability to hear from God but pretend as if things are still the way they used to be. However, many who have lost something of value did not appreciate what they had until they suffered a loss. The prodigal son did not value the food that flowed at his father’s table until he faced severe hunger in a strange land (Lk. 15:11-17). Some believers do not value what they have until they lose it. Some who claim to be saved do not appreciate the power in the blood of Jesus or the Name of Jesus. Some people think it is by their power they live above sin until they fall into a backslidden state. Some losses are caused by carelessness, pride, disobedience, etc. David was a victim of this. According to 2 Samuel 11:1-27, after success, prosperity and comfort had come, instead of being at the war front, David was sleeping at home. Before long, he lost his invaluable link with the Almighty God. What have you lost? The good news is that you can enter into the joy of restoration. Cry to the Lord to restore every good thing you have lost. ACTION POINT: Being in a wrong place at a wrong time will definitely trigger a loss of some sort. Ask God to order your steps in line with His locational timing. N.B Visit and support www.10millionexercisebooks.com today. A christian non-profit initiative towards eradication of illiteracy.

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 37 -39
IT TAKES TWO TO WIN? Tuesday, October 12, 2010
MEMORIZE: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13) READ: Philippians 4:11-13 Someone once challenged me sometime ago. I told him if he wanted to engage me in a duel, then he had won before the fight: but if he was engaging my God in a duel, then he had lost before the fight. If God is on your side, you are assured of victory. One secret of winning is for both God and man to play their part. You have a part to play in every battle that confronts you. To leave everything to God is courting defeat because God will not do your part. To pass an examination as a student, you must play your part. You must be a bonafide student, attend lectures regularly and pay maximum attention during lectures. You must take notes and revise them.  You must find time to study your textbooks, handouts and note books. You must ask those who know better to teach you in areas you find difficult.  Thereafter, as you pray, God will play His part and the result will be glorious. God has strength to back up only those who do their part. In 1 Samuel 17:34-35, when David attacked a lion and a bear, in defense of his father’s sheep, God released strength for victory.  Do you know that the strength you require to effectively protect your family, loved ones and church members from the lions and bears of the world is available? It will only be released to you when you have played your part. Unfortunately, many people fail to play their part, hence they suffer defeat while victory had been reserved for them. When young David was hitting the lion, with his tiny, feeble hands, God was also hitting it with His Almighty hands.  Isaiah 40:28-29 says God empowers the weak. True, but not every weak fellow.  If you are a lazy, weak person, you cannot access divine strength. It is exclusively reserved for hard working folks. When David faced Goliath and shot a stone at his opponent, common sense would have taught him to dodge. Goliath saw the stone heading towards him and wanted to dodge but God positioned his head to receive the hit. Everyone who has vowed that you will not reach your God-given goal shall meet their waterloo this season. What is your input into that earnestly sought victory? If nothing, then immediately do something; without your input, there can be no victory. ACTION POINT: Laziness has eaten so deep into people that many, including believers do not see anything wrong with exam malpractices. Are you also deceived? You will reach your goal in Jesus name. Support us today, visit www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today.

There's joy in Freedom- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 34 -36
THERE’S JOY IN FREEDOM Monday, October 11, 2010
MEMORIZE: “The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad” (Psalm 126:3) READ: Psalm 126:1-3 Freedom is a wonderful experience. The day a prisoner is set free, is a day of great joy. This is so whether the prisoner in question was in a physical or spiritual prison. In John 5:2-14, we read of a man who was held in the prison of sickness for 38 years. But one day, Jesus walked up to him and healed him and boy, he knew the joy of the free! In 1995, while still in the first auditorium, a renowned missionary and elder who has since gone to glory preached a sermon during our Convention and made an altar call. As at that time, I was already the General Overseer of the RCCG for some years but had been battling with my flesh. I knew if I lost that battle and fell, many people will go down with me so I wanted to be free. When this elder made the altar call, for those who wanted to be free, I was the first to come to the altar. Many pastors were surprised that I answered that altar call but I thank God I did. The victory the Lord gave me that day is so overwhelming that the Sun of righteousness has been shinning brighter through me ever since. Some people out of shyness lose great opportunities to be free. If you know the joy of being free, you will not lose it for any reason including shyness. I visited Kirikiri Prisons (Lagos) for the first time as a young pastor in 1975. I went in the company of a senior pastor. We had a great service there and I was asked to pray a prayer of thanksgiving. I wondered how I could possibly pray such a prayer in the prison. I must have prayed a very short prayer: “Almighty God, thank you for life because when there is life, there is hope. Thank you Father because you are still on your throne in Jesus’ Name I pray”. That trip to the prison changed my life dramatically. The organist was about 25 years old and quite good on the keyboard. He was dancing while playing the organ to the extent that I whispered to the pastor who took me there that it appeared the man was about to be released. I was told he had bagged a life sentence. In my assessment, he is one of the most talented organists we have yet, because he is in prison, the world may never benefit from his tremendous skills and potentials. At the end of the service, the keyboardist took the closing prayer thus: “We thank God for those of us who came from outside: Lord take them back home safely. Oh Lord, for those of us going back to our jails, please do not forget us here”. Tears filled my eyes. I realized the worst thing that can happen to a strong, talented and intelligent individual is to be locked up in a prison. Are you in one? The Lord will set you free. ACTION POINT: Ask God to intervene in the lives of the innocents who are in prisons across the country and release them. Have you supported education for all? Support and visit www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today

WITHIN LIMITS- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 31-34
WITHIN LIMITS Sunday, October 10, 2010 (Visit and Support www.10millionexerciebooks.com project today. A christian non-profit initiative towards eradicating illiteracy)
MEMORIZE: “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;” (1 Tim. 1:8) READ:  1 Tim. 1:5-10 When the prodigal son came to himself, he compared his present state of hunger, loneliness and shame with what prevailed in his father’s house and saw that there was simply no basis for comparison. He admitted that even his father’s servants had more than enough. Some of us do not appreciate what God is doing for us. Because God is embarrassing us with blessings, we have become too used to them that we do not remember to thank God. This is a dangerous trend that must stop. The attitude of some to God’s harvest of souls, miracles of healing and deliverance is so nauseating that it can be compared to asking if we begged God for them. The prodigal son did not want to be under the law of his father. If you accept to become a child of God, you must accept the fact that you can no more live like you own yourself. You can no more live like you are your own boss. You are not! You must abide by the divine code in all you do because God is keenly interested in every aspect of your conduct. He will set limitations for you in every area. He wants to give you a dress code. You can no more wear minis, micro-minis, perforated dresses, transparent dresses, and dresses that reveal your breasts or skirts with slits capable of revealing your undies. As a man, you can no more wear crazy hair dos, plait your hair or wear earring on a particular ear to show you are fashionable. You must dress to ‘heal’ and glorify Jesus and not to ‘kill’. Similarly, He wants to regulate your speech. You can no longer gossip about people or sit with backbiters; No more swear words or bad words such as ‘shit’, hell no (because there is a hell); fuck you. No more lies, deceit, cursing. No more flattery. No use of lustful phrases towards the opposite sex. Remember, old things have passed away. As a minister of God, the Bible has rules and regulations that govern ministry. Do you abide by these? Or are you like the prodigal son who rebelled against the authority of his father? If you are not prepared to stay within God’s limits, you cannot be God’s favorite. ACTION POINT: Ask God to uproot every seed of rebellion in you and help you conform to His Word.

Leaders need wisdom- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 28-30
LEADERS NEED WISDOM Saturday, October 09, 2010
MEMORIZE: “For wisdom is a defense, and money is  a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that  wisdom giveth life to them that have it” (Eccl. 7:12) READ: Proverbs 4:7-9 “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Prov. 4:7). One virtue you must daily desire and ask God for because it is an asset that manufactures other assets, is wisdom. Like the ten virgins, you can either be wise or foolish. A fool is one who denies the existence of God.  It is wisdom to acknowledge that God exists (Heb. 11:6). It takes wisdom to fear God and obey His Word.  This same virtue operated in Joseph and lifted him from prison to the throne of Egypt. Wisdom elevates.  If you are full of wisdom, it will definitely promote you. The lack of it is also responsible for demotion in people. It manifested as the Spirit of Excellence in Daniel. One mark of wisdom is that it causes its host to strive for excellence. If you find it difficult to be the best in your field of endeavor, it could just be because you are deficient in wisdom. The more of wisdom you have, the more excellent you are. You cannot be perfect without this great virtue. “For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it” (Eccl. 7:12). Here, wisdom is said to possess the ability to defend its owner.  People are searching for arms, military hardware, guard dogs and other security gadgets today.  This is increasing so because of wide spread insecurity.  What you need is wisdom. For instance, to combat the growing level of social crimes and juvenile delinquencies, it is not necessarily by multiplying police personnel and armored tanks to parade the streets, painting a picture of a policed state, but to drastically reduce corruption, create more jobs and give the poor a reason to live. Do you know that if what we invest into security vote is devoted to make life more bearable for the masses, we will have less crime? If wisdom is not applied and we continue to invest in security vote at the expense of the welfare of the poor, crime will not only increase, but it will become more and more sophisticated. Our leaders need wisdom. Everyone in any position of authority needs it. The presence of wisdom will lead to efficient management of resources.  Ask God for wisdom today! ACTION POINT: Pray that God would give wisdom to all our leaders in this land to lead people in peace, progress and prosperity. Another exciting topic on leadership. Once again, we pray. Lord give us GOOD Leaders in our countries that will lead in the fear of God. AMEN Don't forget to support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today. A christian non-profit initiative towards eradicating illiteracy.

Tone of God's Voice- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 25-27
TONE OF GOD’S VOICE Friday, October 08, 2010
MEMORIZE: “The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters” (Psalm 29:3) READ: Psalm 29:3-9 While describing the voice of the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:15, John said it sounded like the sound of many waters. This reminds us of the multidimensional ways God speaks. Sometimes, He speaks as a still small voice, just sufficient for only you to hear. Sometimes, He uses the audible voice which would be loud enough but may only be heard by the one God is speaking to, like Samuel. At other times, God could speak and all people would hear is thunder and lightning and every one will be afraid. This happened at mount Sinai. Different scenarios determine which way God will speak. Sometimes God could speak inaudibly using situations and circumstances. May you hear Him when He speaks. On Christ’s second advent, when He speaks the whole world will hear and listen to Him. On that day, the inhabitants of the earth will not hear the still small voice of a gentle God but the stern verdict of a Judge. At this gathering, all who have argued that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God or that He is not the only way to Heaven will be confronted by the foolishness of their earlier postulations as they await just one verdict from Him: Guilty! You can prevent that stern voice by becoming His friend today. It is your relationship with Him and response to His Word that determines how He will speak to you. There are people God once communicated frequently with through dreams and visions, but because they did not effectively follow it up, God stopped. If God is silent - persistently silent to you, it could be that you have done something wrong. If God’s voice is harsh and impatient, do know that you have done or you are doing something amiss. Immediately search yourself and correct it. It is only a wise child that would note the pitch, tone and texture of his father’s voice to determine the direction of his expectation. Do you know the texture and tone of God’s voice? There are those God speaks to by dropping relevant Bible passages in their spirits. For some, God makes impressions on their spirit man. Do you care to know how God speaks to you in person? If you do not, you may lose it. From the tone, you can know if God is happy with you or not. The last time God spoke to you, was He pleased or angry with you? If you have lost a particular way God used to speak with you, cry to God for restoration today! ACTION POINT: As the greatest Communicator, God considers several factors before choosing the best way to speak on any issue. (Support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today. A christian non-profit initiative towards eradicating illiteracy)

UNDER AUTHORITY?- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezek 22 -24
UNDER AUTHORITY? Thursday, October 07, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you ” (James 4:7) READ: Matthew 8:8-9 One important tool a shepherd has is the rod. Spiritually, this refers to the authority a pastor wields over his flock. Every genuine shepherd has a measure of this authority in his kitty. Usually, this authority is delegated as the shepherd boys may not necessarily be the owners of the flock they are leading. The sheep owner could be far away doing something else. The chain of this delegated authority is supported by Scriptures. For instance, in Matthew 8:8-9, the Roman centurion recognized that since Jesus was operating under God’s authority, sicknesses would have to bow to Him. Jesus further corroborated this fact when He drew a link between God, Himself and His disciples (Matt. 10:40). Receiving the disciples automatically entailed receiving Jesus and the Father. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Another person who understands the way authority chain flows is Satan. He knows that as long as you remain under authority of God by being under your superiors, he cannot attack you. So he tries to bring that believer out of the authority chain and thereafter strikes the fellow. Satan recognizes those under authority and those outside authority and relates with them accordingly. Anyone who steps outside the authority chain could end up as a prey in the teeth of the enemy. Any time you rebel against your spiritual head who is in right standing with God, you become naked, and exposed to the enemy’s fire. Whenever a pastor sins and especially when he delays in reconciling with God, he exposes his congregation to Satan’s attacks. When your congregation observe that you are under authority, they will comply with your requests. But when they observe that you have drifted from authority, they will report you to higher authority. Do you respect the authority above you? As a parish pastor, do you respect your senior pastors? As a wife, do you respect the authority of your husband? Or do you look down on him because he lost his job? As a youth, do you despise your parents at old age? If you despise your superiors, you are voiding your own authority. If you rebel against your superiors, your subordinates may follow suit and do worse to you. Sustain your power base by remaining under authority. ACTION POINT: Before your orders to demons and unpleasant circumstances can be obeyed, you must be under the authority of Jesus Christ. (Support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today and be a blessing to somebody. A Christian non-profit initiative towards eradication of illiteracy)