THE TWO-EDGED SWORD- Daily devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ps 64 -66
THE TWO-EDGED SWORD Friday, October 22, 2010
MEMORIZE: “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) READ: Hebrews 4:11-12 When John encountered the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:16, He saw the true nature of His Word as it is: a double edged sword.  Every Word of God that proceeds from His mouth is no ordinary word but an invincible weapon. God never lacks the weapons with which to defeat His enemies; the issue is that we do not have a revelation of the Word.  While many see and take God’s Word as ordinary, only a few see it as a divine weapon. One reason the Word fails to deliver to us what it was meant to is because of how we see and receive it. If you take God’s Word as ordinary, you will automatically strip it of its power and divine purpose. Ephesians 6:17 says God’s Word is a spiritual sword.  Many found it difficult to accept it as such until John the Beloved saw it. Ask God to give you a revelation of God’s Word. “And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thess. 2:8). Why does the two-edged sword proceed from the mouth of the Lord? It is for battle against the enemy. The Word is the weapon you can use to win every battle and silence every foe. In the mother of all battles, - the battle of Armageddon, one thing that will shock everyone is how such a large scale mobilization of the world’s army by the Antichrist against Jesus Christ and His saints on their return to earth, will end so soon. All the Lord will do is to speak and His enemies will be extinct! This shows that the biggest of problems could be terminated at the least time by the power of God’s Word.  If you recognize the potency of God’s Word, you will never trivialize it. That big battle in your life will be terminated this season. That long-standing problem that has defied all effort shall suddenly be nowhere to be found in Jesus’ Name. Support education for all today.  Expose every situation to the Word of God.  Just as Jesus releases His two-edged sword against His enemies, so must you. While God’s  Word is dealing with the enemy, however, for the children of God, it is bringing forth healing and deliverance.  The Word will profit  and bring you healing and deliverance. The Word will profit you and your family this season. ACTION POINT: You are to determine the extent God’s Word will work in your situation.

What Peer Influence?- Daily devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ps 61 -63
WHAT PEER INFLUENCE? Thursday, October 23, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22) READ: 1 Kings 12:4-16 Besides information and diet, another factor that can influence the decision pattern of an individual are those in the same age group or social set. Peer influence can be very strong at certain age brackets, depending on the level of relationship with one’s peers. Many youths have missed the mark out of sheer pressure. Some who were brought up to avoid premarital sex found themselves yielding just because some of their friends think chastity has become old fashioned. Youths and teens are more susceptible to peer influence than adults. Peer pressure could be negative or positive depending on who you choose as friends. If you have unbeliever friends, they will lure you away from God’s path, but if you have godly friends, the peer pressure they will assert on you will be positive. One casualty of negative peer pressure was king Rehoboam. On ascending the throne, he had the opportunity of reducing the yoke his father had put on Israel yet, because of peer pressure, he decided to worsen it and that cost him his throne. For everyone who has faced peer pressure, there was always a choice. Nobody forces you to take the step; inspite of the pressure, you could still keep a cool head and weigh the options before finally making your choice. Whenever you feel so pressed to take a wrong step, pause and ask yourself these questions: Is this action good, God-glorifying and Kingdom building? Will it feed my flesh or spirit? Can it take me to hell or Heaven? Was there anyone who was ever in the same situation in Bible times? How did the fellow handle the situation? What are the likely seen and unseen costs or repercussions of taking this step? If Jesus was in my shoes today, what would He do? Moreover, if you avoid bad company, you will be free from negative peer presence. What kind of friends are you keeping? Daniel experienced positive peer pressure from his godly friends - Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego and hence, their faith was mutually stimulated to overcome their impossible circumstances. Do you have friends like Daniel who can always influence you for good and cause you to remain on the path of righteousness? What peer influence do you dance to? ACTION POINT: Ask that God will break every negative peer pressure on our teens and youths and direct them in the fear of God. N.B Let us get our youths back to school, support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today.

VICTIM OF COMFORT?- Daily devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ps 58 - 60
VICTIM OF COMFORT? Wednesday, October 20, 2010
MEMORIZE: “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22) READ: Matthew 13:18-23 One major challenge we must face is to recover every good thing we have lost. Nothing is completely lost until God says so. That means, it is possible for you to recover everything of value that has eluded you. The Lord will restore every good thing you have lost in Jesus’ Name. David lost his link with God to comfort (2 Sam. 11:1-27). Like David, some Christians were mighty prayer champions: they could tarry in God’s presence in fasting and prayer for several hours while supplicating. But after success, prosperity or comfort came, they began to ask themselves, Why pray so much? Do you know that some believers who live in smaller and less comfortable apartments such as a room and parlor live more spiritually vibrant and God-glorifying lives than those who live in luxurious mansions? Comfort is not anti-Christian. It is only unfortunate that we let it take more valuable things from us. When we had an ordinary fan, we could still pray at night but when we started living in large apartments with each room air-conditioned, it took away our night prayers from us. Every mark of quality Christianity that success, comfort and wealth have stolen from you must be recovered! When David was running from one cave to another, he remained in good spiritual form. Before success and fame came, he was at the vanguard of pleasing God. So he conquered the lion, bear, Goliath, etc. But when comfort set in and he had become king as promised, he became a victim of his success. The giant killer who was applauded by all and sundry became comfort’s prey. Temptation came and he fell like a pack of cards. Comfort brought the sword of God’s judgment into his house. Is the fulfillment of God’s promises in your life causing a down turn in your spiritual life? Examine your life and list out areas comfort, success and prosperity are fast eroding God’s graces on you and take immediate steps to contain them. Devise a practical plan that can restore you to the place you fell from. You don’t have to be a victim of comfort. ACTION POINT: Don’t tempt God! When God’s blessings make you to drop in your fellowship, commitment or service in God’s house, you tempt Him to take them away, and to return you to status quo. N.B Visit and support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today. Eradication of illiteracy initiative.

INSPIRATION- Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ps 55-57
INSPIRATION Tuesday, October 19, 2010
MEMORIZE: “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding” (Job 32:8) READ: Job 32:7-9 For a creative and sensitive person, you could derive inspiration from things around you and places you visit. This was the experience of an Episcopal Reverend. Phillips Brooks visited Bethlehem during Christmas in 1865 and a seed was sown in his heart which had to be expressed three years later.  One day, while preparing a sermon during Christmas time, the impressions he received from his trip came alive again and he abandoned his sermon and penned down, ‘ O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie’. Do you know that many seeds of inspiration have been sown in the hearts of many which never found expression? How long will you keep bottling divine inspirations? Another lesson from this bulky preacher who stood at six foot six and had a weight to match was that he invested in singing several hymns and the Word.  According to Clint Bonner, he sang 200 hymns from memory and preached sermons at a rate of 250 words per minute. The problem with many of us is that we expect God to give us ideas or inspirations when we have not even cared to benefit from what He has already given to others. Do you know that you could receive an inspiration to write a book by reading one or several books written by others? Anointing can be transferred to you as you come under the apprenticeship of an anointed man of God. The wisdom some people desire cannot reach them because they have failed to tap from the wisdom God has given others to document in tapes, books, CDs, or VCDs. After Reverend Brooks was through with the lyrics of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’, he asked Lewis Redner their organist to write a tune for it but Redner did not have any idea for the music. Then one night before Christmas, Redner suddenly awoke from sleep as the music seemed to come down from heaven. He jotted it down and went back to sleep but finished the harmonies in the morning. Later that day, he taught his Sunday School children the song and that Christmas of 1868, the hymn was first sung. That same hymn has ministered to millions of people across the globe and is still relevant today.  Many believers are yet to attract from Heaven what will bless men on earth. Are you one of them? ACTION POINT: Heaven is ready to back up those who follow its leads. If you get engrossed in the hymns written by others, you may give birth to yours in the process. N. B Affect somebody's life today, support, www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today.

Any Sign of Imprisonment?- Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ps 52 - 54
ANY SIGN OF IMPRISONMENT? Monday, October 18, 2010
MEMORIZE: “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32) READ:  Acts 3:1-8  (N.B Release somebody from the yoke of poverty today, support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project towards eradicating illiteracy.) It is a wonderful experience for the imprisoned to breathe the air of freedom. That shall be your portion this season in Jesus’ Name. Some years ago, I repeated my visit to the Kirikiri Prisons (Lagos). In that visit, I discovered over 1000 people were awaiting trial for so long. The offence of some had a maximum sentence of three years yet, they were awaiting trial for 11 years! There was a man on death row for 27 years. He went to bed every night uncertain of seeing the following morning for 27 years! I was disturbed so I spoke with the President, the Lagos State Governor and Chief Judge of Lagos State and by God’s grace over 1000 of them got their freedom. Not every prisoner lives within the walls of a physical prison. The worst type of imprisonment is being within invisible prison walls while appearing to be free. Nobody would offer to help you out because there would be nothing to suggest your type of imprisonment. The lame man in Acts 3:1-18, was physically born into the prison of sickness and was there for over 40 years. Some people are not in physical prisons but in invisible prisons. One of my uncles who studied in Britain returned and in an attempt to protect himself against forces of darkness, went to meet a herbalist and obeyed the man’s instructions to the letter. He got seven leaves of a particular plant, spread them on the floor and defecated on it. Thereafter, he gave him a particular powder to spray on his faeces and ate it. After this, he returned home boasting that since nobody will touch faeces, therefore nobody can touch him. He almost died of cholera! He had eyes but could not see. The professors who with all their Western education still go and bow to trees and worship various objects do so because they are in a spiritual prison. A medical doctor who knows and teaches people about the dangers of smoking but is still smoking is imprisoned to a deadly habit. He needs deliverance. It is not enough to point accusing fingers at some person somewhere. Consider your life and trace any presence of any form of imprisonment. And where you can locate one, prayerfully take steps to break loose from it. If you are free from physical and invisible prisons then you are truly free. ACTION POINT: Whether physical or spiritual, visible or invisible prison, Jesus Christ can set you free.

Worthlessness can End- Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Col 3-4
WORTHLESSNESS CAN END Sunday, October 17, 2010
MEMORIZE: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16) READ: Mark 10:46-52 After the prodigal son met with disappointment, hunger and loneliness, he resolved to arise and return to his father (Lk 15:18). That was a refusal to be worthless. He was simply tired of a life of wretchedness. You don’t have to die in that worthless state. You don’t have to die in penury. You must arise and quit where you are. Bartimaeus was blind and begging for many years. One day he decided things must change. Do you know that it was because of him the Lord travelled all the way to Jericho? All because He saw faith in a blind man to relocate from despondency. When the prodigal son resolved to return to his father, strength and courage came to him. There are people who say they are unable to break off bad habits. It is because you are not yet tired of it. The day you reach that bus stop, divine strength will locate you and that movement you could not make for years will be finally made. The question is: Are you tired of your situation? If you are, help is coming your way today. Are you useful or worthless? There are some people whose presence or absence makes no difference to those around them. They do not add value to others and they do not subtract from others. If your presence in your extended family or church is so described, you must cry to God to make you valuable. The prodigal son also refused to be unproductive. Rachel was so concerned about her barrenness that she thought it was better not to live (Gen. 30:1-2). In spiritual parlance, this is true. How could you say you are born again and not lead others to Christ? How could a pastor be worth his salt when he cannot boast of a minimum of 20 personal converts in his church within a year? How can a minister beat his chest and call himself a minister when he does not have 100 personal converts in a year? An end must come to spiritual barrenness in your life! If 3 John 2 is anything to go by, it is that spiritual prosperity is what determines prosperity in all other areas. So, if you want to be fruitful in every other area, ensure you are spiritually fruitful first. Ask God to put an end to spiritual barrenness. Go out and happily win souls to Christ. ACTION POINT: A soul winner is someone with great value in Heaven. Launch out for 10 souls within the next two weeks backing your moves with prayer. N.B Let your life begin to make a new impact, visit and support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today. Freely distributing 10 miilion exercise books towards eradicating illiteracy.

Maximising your Allies- Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Col 1-2
MAXIMIZING YOUR ALLIES Saturday, October 16, 2010
MEMORIZE: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Ps. 91:11) READ: Psalm 91:10-13 One thing you must strive to have this year is for God to be your ally. That is wisdom. If you are weak but you have a strong ally, you become automatically strong as the strength of your ally covers your weaknesses. As a result, the strength of an individual is not limited to his personal strength, but the sum of his ally. It takes wisdom not to fight alone. The wise not only surrounds himself with allies but effectively utilizes them for his benefit. There are people who have people but operate as long rangers. There are leaders who are overstretching themselves concerning their assignments when they like Moses have 70 elders that could help reduce the burden. It takes wisdom to delegate. It takes wisdom to identify the strengths of your subordinates and derive maximum support from them for the collective good of the organization. Some husbands fight alone. They hardly ever pray with their spouses. As a result, their success level remains limited. If you continue to defeat 1000 enemies by praying alone when you can take on 10,000 by enlisting the support of your ally your spouse, it is obvious that you are seriously limiting yourself. If you are wise, you will deliberately avoid frictions, quarrels and disagreements with your spouse so as to optimize benefits from your ally. Talking of allies, there is one incomparable ally. He has never lost any battle. He is called the Most High. Psalm 91:1 says if you have Him as your ally, your security is guaranteed. He will back you up with all His Heavenly host - billions of angels, the elders, and the cloud of witnesses. He could instruct His angels to carry you in their hands so that you do not hit your feet against satanic stumbling blocks (Psalm 91:11-12). He has promised to meet the needs of His children out of His riches in glory. While studying Psalm 23, when I got to the fifth verse which says, “...Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over”, I asked God: “Why did you not stop at that point?” He replied, “Because there is much more from where the blessing is coming from”. If you have God as your ally, you can never lack anything good. Your joy will be full (Ps. 16:11). Do you have God as your ally today? Are you getting the best from your allies? ACTION POINT: Invite Jesus into your heart and ask Him to be your ally from today. N.B Visit and support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today. o distribute 10 million exercise books towards eradicating illiteracy.