Showing posts with label RELIGION. Show all posts

02 September 2017

The enmity between God and man

Bro Mike 3:17 PM 0

BIBLE PASSAGE:

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that he cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins had hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).KJV.

ost times, when you go to God in prayers, you pray to God and give Him the lists of those things you want from Him. You even intercede for people, such as friends, family, boss, the church, your neighbors etc. You pray and normally, you are expecting the result of your prayers, forgetting to search yourself inwardly. The most important thing to do first when going before the Lord in prayer is to repent of your sins. Even when you think in yourself you’re clean and no not a sin, forgetting your righteousness is like filthy rag before the Lord (Isaiah 64:6). First thing is to repent of your sins.

We have different kinds of sins people commit without and they don’t even admit them as sin. Rather admitting them as sin, they call them principle. For instance, it can be the sin of pride, arrogance, hatred, even selfishness and other forms of sin. If you don’t repent from all these, your prayer is as if you are exercising yourself, because sin has made a demarcation between you and God. You can’t prevail with God in prayer when you are in sin.

David understood this when he said, “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).KJV.

Isaiah said, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that he cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins had hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).KJV. Our God is righteous and holy, so you should walk in righteousness. You can’t fellowship with God when you live and dwell inside sin.

CONCLUSION:

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).KJV. You are not expected to sin or be confortable in sin, but if you do, repent immediately, receive forgiveness and live right. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).KJV.

ACTION POINT:

The word of the Lord is a cleanser; it purifies our heart of sin and unrighteousness. Study the word of God, His word is the light to guide you all day in the path of righteousness.

Tags # RELIGION Continue Reading

Types of people you should avoid and how you should choose your partner

Bro Mike 2:54 PM 0

BIBLE VERSE:

Make no friendship with an angry man: and with a furious man thou shall not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul (Proverbs 22:24-25) KJV.

veryone needs the assistance or support of another person. The Bible made us understand our Lord Jesus himself depended on the Holy Spirit throughout His ministry. According to the book of Act 10:38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him” KJV. Even His disciples, after the Lord’s resurrection, Jesus largely depended on His disciples to continue the work he has started from where he stopped.

During his ministry, He had some people that supported Him with their substances when He shared the good news of the Kingdom (Luke 8:1-3). As a result of those that supported Him, Jesus never lacked money or what He needed during his ministry, to the point that He had a treasurer. Even until today, when God sends His servant on a mission, He would give him or her helpers who would assist in sustaining the ministry till the task is achieved.

As a matter of fact, God has given you as a helper to some people, a ministry or even your church. The question is. How effectively have you played this role assigned to you?

You have to remember and accept the fact that God is blessing you so that you can be a blessing to others, your leaders, and the work. God’s blessing is not limited to you and not yours alone. There is an appropriate portion that is meant to be released into ministries, helping those around you, those in need in order to receive the level of blessing God has in store for you. You should have it at the back of your mind that anyone you know you are better than should be considered as people in need. It’s not limited to that, where you know your contribution matters to them whether they ask you or not should also be considered. For example, prison, hospital, orphanage home, churches, pastors or a ministry. I pray the Lord will give you the ability to key into this commission and the grace to do so and you will not fail God in Jesus Name.

Now that you’ve seen you need one or more partners, let’s talk about how to choose a partner. How do you choose one? As read in the bible verse above, you must watch the temperament of the partner you want to choose before choosing. You should never choose an angry person as a friend or else you could be forced to learn his ways and enter into a trap. If you choose someone that is highly emotional and temperamental as a friend, he would have done you evil that cannot be redeemed before he comes to his senses.

So therefore, avoid such people. Avoid those with violent tempers. Avoid anyone that his character is questionable. Anyone that will introduce you to his gods and tells you, God is not against it. Avoid an unbeliever. Don’t make friends with someone that will lure you into immorality. No matter how close you are with the person, such person is a tool in the hand of the devil to keep you in bondage. Don’t make friends with thieves, miscreants, lazy, or idle people. Check the lists of your friends and anyone that does not meet these criteria must be dropped as soon as possible.

CONCLUSION:

Some helpers have become helpless because those they were meant to help have allowed them to take God’s place in their lives and ministries. The person you choose as a partner also determines how far you can go in life. People first access you by the person(s) you move with before other things. As they say, “show me your friend and I will tell you whom you are.” If you choose a wrong partner, he or she can make you turn against God and leads you to hell.

ACTION POINT:

Be watchful, be careful, be conscious of the type of people you move with and pray to God to choose the right partner for you.

Tags # RELIGION Continue Reading

24 September 2016

RCCG Open Heavens_Saturday 24 September 2016_By Pastor E.A Adeboye

Bro Mike 1:16 AM 0

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24 2016 OPEN HEAVENS:

TOPIC: THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE

Knowl

Memorise: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6

Scipture to Read: Proverbs 1:20-29, (KJV)

20. Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice

in the streets:concourse, in the openings of the

gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?

and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools

hate knowledge?

23. Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my

spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have

stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25.But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and

would none of my reproof:

26. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock

when your fear cometh;

27. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your

destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress

and anguish cometh upon you.

28. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not

answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not

find me: ²⁹For that they hated knowledge, and did

not choose the fear of the Lord:

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 10-12, Psalms 67:1-68:6

MESSAGE

Knowledge can be defined in two major ways; first, as an acquaintance with the body of truths, facts, or principles accumulated in the course of time from study or investigation. On the other hand, knowledge can also be defined as the illumination of the mind, especially by the Word of God, leading to delight and increased pleasure in God. It should be noted that whenever the Bible talks about knowledge and knowing, it is usually in the sense of knowledge as an illumination of the mind by the Word of God. Biblical knowledge is a combination of scientific, philosophical, psychological, and spiritual knowledge; and this kind of knowledge is superior to any other.

In reference to the knowledge of the Word of God Hosea 4:6 says:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

As I have always said, knowledge is power because it is a major factor that controls the process of decision making and therefore ultimately determines the course of life. It is the level of your knowledge about any particular subject that determines your ability to make the right decisions about the subject. It is in this light that Proverbs 1:29 says those who despise or detest knowledge do so at their risk. Every Christian needs to know that dependence on worldly knowledge may lead to failure, but godly knowledge guarantees success.

Do you know that if you know more about God and His Word, it will affect you in making error-proof choices and decisions? That is why Proverbs 1:23 says,

“Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

The elements you need in taking those crucial decisions are contained in the Bible, prophetic utterances of genuine men of God and what He would like to say directly to you. How much time have you given to studying at His feet? Some think it is a waste of time to undertake personal Bible study while others are sleeping at midnight. No. You are gaining time. At the end, you will realize you spent far less time and effort in reaching your goal than the one who never cared to give priority to God’s Word.

Prayer Point

Father, please give me enlightenment and understanding by your word in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional,

written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Tags # RELIGION Continue Reading

22 September 2016

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional_Friday September 23 2016 By Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Bro Mike 2:54 AM 0

FRIDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2016 OPEN HEAVENS:

TOPIC: THE SURE SOLUTION

Memorise: Pray without ceasing. 1^st Thessalonians 5:17

Read: James 5:13-16, (KJV)

13. Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any

merry? let him sing plams.

14. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders

of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing

him with oil in the name of the Lord.

15. And the prayer of faith shall safe the sick, and the

Lord shall raise him up; and if he hath committed

sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one

for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual

fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 7-9, Psalms 66:10-20

MESSAGE

Prayer is a means of communicating with God, it is primarily offered by addressing God directly in the name of Jesus. Prayer may include petition, entreaty, supplication, thanksgiving, praise, hymns, and lament. The Bible stresses the importance of prayer and commends a life of prayer that is characterized by simplicity of expression, sincerity of heart and trust in God’s ability. It is important to note that prayer plays a vital role in our quest to access more of God’s glory. It is a ladder we can climb to enter into God’s presence. The more you pray, the more of His presence you will encounter, leading you into more of His glory. At the mount of Transfiguration, when the Lord moved His prayer gear to a higher level, He saw Himself in the presence of His Father and His clothes shone with God’s glory (Luke 9:29). Open Heavens 23 September 2016:- The Sure Solution

After this experience, Jesus returned to the domains of men, empowered to gain victory over men, demons and challenges that came His way. Prayer is the sure answer and the ultimate solution to all problems and challenges of life. God commanded us to pray in Jeremiah 33:3 by saying:

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Through the instrumentality of prayer, there is no problem too big that cannot be solved; the issue is: many people are too lazy to pray their way into God’s presence to enable them access the level of glory they require to reign over Satan, situations, circumstances and their fears. Wake up! Rise up in prayer and begin to pray your way into His presence today! Bear in mind the evil judgment and all manners of calamities always befall those that do not pray. God wants His children to develop the habit of praying always, 1^stThessalonians 5:17 says: “Pray without ceasing”; Romans 12:12 talks about “…Continuing instant in prayer”; and Luke 18:1 says, “….men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Children of God have no excuse for operating a prayer-less life. James 4:2 says:

“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”

The Word of God makes it very clear that the failure of many among the people of God is not due to laziness, lack of ambition, or poor preparation, but to a lack of prayer. According to 2^ndChronicles 7:14

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray…”

Many personal problems of individual Christians and some corporate challenges in the Body of Christ will turn to testimonies if any God’s people will pray.

Prayer Point

Father, please rekindle the fire of prayer in my life in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional,

written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Tags # RELIGION Continue Reading

RCCG Open Heavens Daily Devotional_Thursday September 22 2016 By Pastor E.A Adeboye

Bro Mike 1:51 AM 0

THURSDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2016 OPEN HEAVENS:

TOPIC: DEMON POSSESSED?

Memorise: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38.

Scipture to Read: 1^st Samuel 16:14-23, (KJV)

14. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and

an evil spirit from the Lord troubled

him.

15. And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now,

an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

16. Let our lord now command thy servants, which

are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning

player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when

the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall

play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

17. And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now

a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18. Then answered one of the servants, and said,

Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite,

that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man,

and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a

comely person, and the Lordis with him.

19. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and

said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

20. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a

bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his

son unto Saul.

21. And David came to Saul, and stood before him:

and he loved him greatly; and he became his

armourbearer.

22. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray

thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my

sight.

23. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from

God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and

played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was

well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 4-6, Psalms 66:1-9

MESSAGE

The use of the term “demon possessed” in the Bible is always in reference to a person operating under the influence of a demon or evil spirit. The Bible describes demons as evil, spiritual beings or malevolent forces that are opposed to God, and are in the habit of influencing human beings to disobey God. However, demons always bow in the presence of our God. If you study how demons related with Jesus Christ and His disciples in the Bible, you will observe that they recognized God’s presence in Jesus Christ and His disciples and they surrendered without much argument. I have always told my children that if we have enough of His presence in us, demons will flee when they sight us, how much more when we command them to go. In Mark 5:1-6,when Jesus stepped on the shores of the Gadarenes, a very notorious; heavily demon-possessed mad man immediately reported to Him even before He said a word. Open Heavens 22 September 2016:- Demon Possessed?

As a matter of fact, until you carry a higher level of His presence in your life, you may not realize the activities of demons in your environment. Believe it or not, they are everywhere, performing their negative assignments. But as God increases His presence in your life, there will be commotion because demons recognise the presence of God and they can’t be at rest in His presence. Even in church, while God’s anointed Word is being taught powerfully, demons will not be able to withstand the power in the Word, this happened when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Mark 1:12-26. One day, Paul and his co-labourers in God’s vineyard were on their way to a prayer meeting when the spirit of divination in a young lady became restless because of God’s presence in them. If only you carry a higher level of His presence, the demons around you will manifest from wherever they are hiding. Ask God for more of His presence upon you.

Furthermore, every encounter with the Word releases a measure of Truth that sets free, and just as the level of bondage varies in the lives of the captive, so also, the does of Truth needed to bring total liberation varies. If you can expose yourself to more and more of the Word and allow the light of God’s Word to shine on you, captivity will give way and you will be free. God desires your absolute freedom (John 8:36). Yet, beyond this, Jesus wants to empower you to set other captives free (Mark 16:17). What level of freedom are you experiencing? Everything that has taken you captive shall release you now in Jesus’ name. Your deliverance shall be permanent and you shall become a means of liberation to others in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point

Father, please let your presence and the power of your Word fill my life completely in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional,

written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Tags # RELIGION Continue Reading

02 September 2017

The enmity between God and man

CONCLUSION:

ACTION POINT:

Types of people you should avoid and how you should choose your partner

CONCLUSION:

ACTION POINT:

24 September 2016

RCCG Open Heavens_Saturday 24 September 2016_By Pastor E.A Adeboye