IT'S NOT AN EASY RIDE- Daily devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Rom. 9-11
IT'S NOT AN EASY RIDE Monday, April 11, 2011
MEMORIZE: “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise” (Heb. 6:15). READ: 1 Samuel 16:11-13 When God makes you a promise, expect contrary winds and conditions from the adversary geared towards making you give up on that promise. Many believers erroneously expect a smooth ride from a promise to its fulfilment. There is no such thing as an easy ride as long as your adversary the devil, his demons, your flesh and the world are still very much around. Any promise you fail to fight for may never be realized. After God promised to liberate the Israelites from a 430-year-long slavery, they met with resistance. Pharaoh was the most formidable. He questioned God's authority and finally refused to let the Israelites out of his hold. It took several plagues, climaxing in the death of Pharaoh's firstborn and all the firstborns of the Egyptians and their animals to let them go. Finally, in Exodus 19:17-19, the Israelites were beside the mountain where God wanted them to worship Him. It may take some time, hold on to God's promise. Difficulties may come, still hold on. Eventually, that promise of God will come to pass. Another Bible character God made a mighty promise to was David. One day, while busy enjoying himself at the backside of the desert, a messenger came to this shepherd boy telling him he was urgently needed at home to be anointed as king (1 Sam. 16:11-13). But instead of being enthroned after the anointing, he found himself dodging the king's javelin at the palace. He would have asked himself: 'Was I anointed to die by the hand of the king I was supposed to replace?' Thereafter, in 1 Samuel 22:1-2, he relocated to a cave living with a group of vagabonds who made him their captain. At this time, Satan would have been having a good laugh and saying to the demons: 'We shall see how he can ever become king, maybe king of vagabonds and animals'. Do you know that Satan laughs when he appears to be making headway in frustrating God's promise for your life? In spite of Satan's laugh, in 2 Samuel 2:1-4, a day came when David was appointed king over Judah. David celebrated that appointment because, after all, it was better than being the king of hooligans. Then in 2 Samuel 5:1 - 5, he was anointed king over all Israel. Yet, God said He was not yet through with him. Note in Mark 10:46 - 52, when Bartimeaus heard that Jesus was passing by, he called him the son of David. God took a shepherd boy and made him the father of the King of kings. Is God's promise for you, your family, or church looking farfetched? Hold on! It will surely come to pass. Wait as long as it takes. KEY POINT:  God's pathway is the sure way to your destiny

TIME OF FREEDOM- Daily devotional with Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Mark 1-3
TIME OF FREEDOM Monday, March 28, 2011
MEMORIZE: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Cor. 11:28). READ: Exodus 12:21-23 The Holy Communion is an uncommon meal that every believer in Christ should take periodically. The inherent blessings channeled to communicants are immense, and the effects can last a lifetime. When God was instructing the Israelites concerning the Passover, He asked them to apply the blood of the Lamb on the lintel and the two side posts of their front doors. Whenever God sees the blood of His Son Jesus Christ on the door post of your heart, He will instruct the destroyer to pass over you. This means that the blood of Jesus keeps the destroyer at bay. It also keeps destruction away. It brings about a separation. As you partake of the Holy Communion, apply the blood on your door, yourself, your family, and everything you have. The destroyer and destruction will stay far away from you. “And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded” (Gen. 47:11). When Joseph's family arrived in Egypt, Joseph, with the permission of Pharaoh, gave them the best of the land of Egypt—Goshen. They had a good time until his death. In that land, their increase moved from the level of addition to that of multiplication. Exodus 1:9 says that many years later, because they were fast evolving as a nation of strong and mighty men, a new Pharaoh who was not acquainted with the history of Joseph in Egypt declared war on the Israelites. Suddenly, the Pharaoh enacted decrees to kill their baby boys at birth and to turn them into slaves. Their prosperity and rapid growth got them into trouble. Has God's blessings on your life made you a target of enemy attacks, manipulation and oppression? Fear not! The Holy Communion is a way out! One night, the poverty-stricken slaves of Egypt took the Passover meal and everything changed. As you take the next communion, everything in your life will change for good in Jesus name. That single meal delivered freedom, prosperity, healing, and blessings to them on the same night. A slavery of four hundred and thirty years was terminated. It does not matter how long your envious enemies have hated, oppressed or tormented you. As you partake of this meal, release your faith and claim your deliverance and you shall be totally free. You shall see the marks of the oppressor no more. It is your time of freedom. ACTION POINT: It takes a bad king to afflict someone for life. It takes the uncommon meal to reverse that trend permanently. If you have a bad king, concentrate on your uncommon meal!

Complete the faith process- Daily devotional with Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Job 38-42
COMPLETE THE FAITH PROCESS Sunday, March 27, 2011
MEMORIZE: “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” (John 2:5). READ: 2 Kings 5:9-14 Apart from believing in God, another appropriate thing to do during your time of favor is to obey God's Word. For many years, Naaman, the captain of the Syrian army, nursed a secret problem—leprosy. Although to many, he was a perfect gentleman who had won several laurels for his nation, most people were ignorant of his private battles. But during the time of his favor, his Israeli housemaid repeatedly spoke of the possibility of being healed. He heard enough to stir up hope in him to the extent of embarking on a trip to Israel. But right at the threshold of his miracle, he almost bungled it. The prophet asked him to go and wash in the River Jordan seven times but he took offence. For your miracle to be delivered, faith must perform its perfect work. It took faith to listen to a hapless, young Israelite captive serving in his house. It took faith for him to prepare for the trip to Israel. It took faith to travel to Israel. It took faith to go to the house of the man of God. Despite all these acts of faith, his efforts were all about to be rubbished because he initially resisted the Word of God coming through God's servant. Thankfully, he obeyed at long last. Obeying God's servant or the Word of God in a particular situation is a necessary act of faith that can help you connect to your miracle during your time of favor. Do you know that unlike Naaman who later obeyed, completed the faith process and finally received his healing, there are a number of people who are still at the first bus stop? They have started the faith process but to get to the point of receiving a specific instruction on what to do, it is taking them so long to obey. Yet, until they complete the faith process, the promise will not be delivered even though it is their time of favor. And if they fail to obey and their time passes, only God can tell when they can have another opportunity. Are you delaying at the point of God's command? For Naaman, he was ordered to go and wash in River Jordan but for you, it may be to forgive and release that person who has hurt you so much. Or, it may be that you sacrifice your 'Isaac' -that thing you value extremely. It may even be to give a financial or material seed. Whatever God is asking you to do, obey or else, your time of favor may not be useful to you. KEY POINT: Until faith goes through all its stages, it cannot deliver the expectation.