RCCG Updates

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:” (Prov. 6:6) READ: Proverbs 6:6-8 A wise person is identified by what he fears and what he hears. If you fail to fear God because of men, you are not wise. Also, if you listen to what dampens your spirit, you are not wise. Ask the Lord for the Spirit of wisdom today! Moreover, a wise person is identified by his or her ability to learn. Being teachable is an attribute that you find only among the wise. Anyone who is “unteachable” is unusable to the Kingdom of God. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:” (Proverb 6:6). Besides having a teachable spirit, the wise is distinguished by what or who he or she can learn from. Some people peg their level of knowledge by being too selective of what they can learn from. Your ability to learn from good or bad events from nature (1 Cor. 11:14), from people of authority such as men of God, and thos

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” (Jude 20). READ: Hebrews 12:12-13 E veryone has strengths and weaknesses. However, our strengths are not meant to elicit pride in us, just as we should not celebrate our weaknesses. When you chat with some believers, you may hear them say, ‘You know when I blow off my roof, nobody can stop me’. Or ‘For fear of encountering me in a rage, people tread very softly with me’. If people refuse to bare their mind concerning you because they are afraid of facing your anger storm, it simply shows that your flesh is yet to die. Some senior pastors cannot stand criticism. Any comment that runs contrary to their views is seen as an attack on their person, and that will elicit their worst reaction. Such people are simply spiritual babes who have refused to die to their flesh. Are you celebrating your weakness instead of weeping over them? B

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” (1 Tim. 2:2). READ: 1 Timothy 2:1-3 I n John 17, our Lord Jesus Christ prayed passionately to God on behalf of His disciples shortly before He went to the Cross. The Gospel was a very important matter that could not be left in the hands of unfaithful men and women. For three and a half years, these disciples were exposed to first-hand information on the life and ministry of the Lord. Whether that message of salvation would reach the rest of the world or not depended on them. Thank God they did not fail God. In the Name of Jesus, you will not fail God. Everyone God has planned to use you to reach shall be reached in Jesus name. If you take a close look at this unique prayer of Jesus, you will observe that He practically “begged” His Father to support these disciples. Why? He knew how frail men are and

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was goodly child, she hid him three months.” (Exodus 2:2) READ: Numbers 13:26-33 I f you do not know the purpose of your existence, you will look down on yourself and envy those who should be envying you. May the Lord open your eyes to know your purpose on earth, and may you fulfil that purpose. “And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was goodly child, she hid him three months” (Exodus 2:2). Another vital lesson here is that perception is key to discovery, possession and recovery. How you see a thing affects its response to you, your response to it and the response of others to it. It is very crucial you see things from the right perspective or else you may become a victim of poor perception. “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Sam. 15:22). READ: 1 Samuel 15:4-11 A part from oppressing the poor and indulging in idolatry, another cause of spiritual famine is incomplete obedience to God’s instructions. This was the case against King Saul. He had a problem with submitting to divine authority. In 1 Samuel 13:1-14, King Saul was instructed to wait seven days for the arrival of Prophet Samuel. A crucial sacrifice which would establish his kingdom was to be made. But when Samuel delayed, Saul became impatient and intruded on the office and duties of the priest by carrying out the sacrifice himself. As a result what was meant to establish his kingdom ousted him. When God asks you to make sacrifices to Him, you may never tell that which would establish y

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.” (Jer. 1:8). READ: 1 Samuel 17:34-37 T he phrase Christ ‘with’ you bespeaks divine partnership. When God sent Moses to liberate the children of Israel, he wondered how he could do that. So, the Lord assured him that He was going to be with him (Exodus 3:11-12). If God is with you, there will be no limitation to your achievements. Some people work ‘for’ God but not ‘with’ God. When you work for God, there may be some sense of detachment from the work, maybe with just profit and reward in mind. That is the situation of the hireling. If you are in the ministry because of what you can make out of it for yourself, you are simply working ‘for’ God. According to John 10:12-13, the hireling cannot afford to stake his life for the sheep. Working with God on the other hand talks of mutual commitment between you and God. In such a case, the Kingdom as

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is the daughter.” (Ezekiel 16:44) READ: Ezekiel 16:44-46 C hildren that are well brought up in God’s way are great blessing to their parents. They can be God’s vessel of reaching their very busy parents. Children love to copy others, particularly their parents. This explains why raising children should not be limited to instructions, but also by the example of parents. As young as they are, your children are watching you closely. You would be shocked to know how much your pre-teens know about you. If your instructions are at variance with your actions, you can get them confused. This can even convince them never to take your faith seriously. Your action, behavior and beliefs must complement the instructions you give to them. Many years ago, while I was still the pastor of one of our parishes and lecturing at the univ

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” (Prov. 1:5) READ: Romans 10:16-18 “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” (Prov. 1:5). Another way to identify the wise is by what he hears. God has given everyone the right to determine what to hear and what not to hear. What you hear does not stop at your ear gate but goes into your heart, affects your actions and reactions and can determine your destiny. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). One effective way of keeping your heart under control is by filtering what goes in there. If your ears are open to unwholesome words such as gossips, backbiting, erotic talks, then you are not wise. If you listen to and enjoy worldly songs, you are not acting wisely. “So then faith cometh by hearin

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.” (Dan. 4:36). READ: Daniel 4:28-36 G od has tremendous, unlimited strength. He is stronger than the strongest of men because His weakness is stronger than the peak of man’s strength. Also, according to Isaiah 40:29, God gives strength to the weak. He is the almighty (Gen. 17:1). Being the true source of wisdom and strength, He can withdraw wisdom whenever He likes. For instance, in Daniel 4:28-36, He withdrew wisdom from king Nebuchadnezzar. Immediately the king became like an animal. Nebuchadnezzar’s confession, his restoration and the fact that his understanding had returned to him, is the confirmation that his wisdom was withdrawn by God. In the same way, He can withdraw st

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;” (1 Tim. 2:1). READ: John 17:1,6-8 T he desire to occupy leadership positions in the church is good, but you must have Heaven’s backing. You must have call from the Owner of the work. The litmus test of any ministry is whether it is commissioned from Heaven or earth. Who gave you the go ahead for that assignment—God or man? It is important to note that Kingdom leaders are called by God. God is interested in who leads His people. Sometimes, He searches the whole earth to pick just one suitable person for a particular assignment. May the Lord pick you for great divine assignments in Jesus name. Shortly before He went to the Garden of Gethsemane, and subsequently the Cross, the Lord prayed for the believers and especially for the leaders he trained for three and a half years. This was very important to

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Ps. 139:14). READ: Psalm 139:13-18 I n Exodus 2:1-2, after Jochebed conceived, Moses was born. That great, God-glorifying vision you have conceived for your life shall be born in Jesus name. Another lesson from this story is that nothing happens by chance. There is a stroke of divine touch in every seeming random event. The birth of Moses was not an accident (Ex 6:20). There was a void – the need to salvage the Israelites from Egyptian slavery of 430years. God had a purpose for Moses. In fact, he was born out of necessity. He was born to fill a gap. He was born to solve a problem. In the same vein, your birth is no accident. You were not just born to add to the number of earth’s men and women. You are wonderfully and fearfully made (Ps. 139:14). Do you know that there is something unique about you?

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8:12) READ: Amos 8:4-14 “A s the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come” (Prov. 26:2). Famines do not just come: they are the product of some infringement, neglect of necessary duty, or some act of disobedience. Like curses, most people going through a famine have done something to attract it. Let us consider some factors that could trigger spiritual famine in the life of a believer. In Amos 8:1-14, two things stand out as likely causes of spiritual drought. First is oppression (verses 4 and 6). God has a soft spot for poor. God hates poverty and shows compassion towards the poor. Anyone who oppresses or defrauds the poor is courting spiritual famine. The rich who cheats the poor in order to amass wealth is only blocki

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19) READ: 2 Samuel 24:1-12 O ne lesson from God’s dealings with Pharaoh and the Egyptians is the consequence of the disobedience of one man. Sin has widespread consequence. God told Pharaoh to release the children of Israel whom he had enslaved for 430 years but he refused. When the judgement on his defiance would come, it affected all of Egypt – men, beast, vegetation, even the sun. One man sinned but a whole nation suffered for it. That was in a nation that did not know God. What about in a godly nation? In 2 Samuel 24: 1-17, after David regained his throne and was established, he forgot that he got there by God’s power and so requested a census of his people. Joab saw his request as an act in self-will and reliance on the arm of flesh and warned him against that exercise. The king paid deaf ears

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “But Jesus said, suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). READ: Matthew 19:13-15 I n God’s kingdom, those the world classify as rejects and unusable are very useful. In fact, God delights in bringing disadvantaged persons into their most glorious moments. The Lord will not leave you until His glory radiates all over you this season. God uses those of low status—housemaids, houseboys, cleaners, drivers, etc. Furthermore, God has no age limits regarding those He uses. He uses youngsters; you are not too young to be used by God. Samuel was still a child when God began to speak with him and use him as a prophet “But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod” (1 Sam. 2:18). He was more or less a baby priest. God is glorified with sacrifices and offerings of little children. No wonder, when the chief priests and scribes tr

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccl. 12:13). READ: Luke 12:4-5 “B ut I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:5). Apart from being identified by the company he keeps and the source of his counsel, a wise person is identified by what he fears. After commanding you to ‘Fear not’ in so many passages of Scripture, the Lord commanded you to fear only one being – the Almighty God. According to Hebrews 5:7, the only person Jesus Christ feared was the Father. Isaiah 8:13 says, “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread”. People fear different things today. People fear their past. They know if their past catches up with them, they are finished. Some fear fellow human beings, especially tho

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.” (Job 5:26). READ: Acts 12:1-11 People’s destinies differ. Even the destinies of identical twins are different. There may be several pastors under the same spiritual cover, yet, all of them have different destinies. For instance, in Acts 12:1-11, James and Peter were arrested by the same king over the same issue. James, the biological brother of John, was killed while Peter was rescued. If God could send an angel to rescue Peter, could He not have sent the same angel or another angel to rescue James? Yes, He could have, but they had different destinies. One lesson from this is that you cannot go until you have finished your heavenly assignment on earth. Anyone working to terminate your life prematurely shall be disappointed. In addition, the death of someone around you does not necessarily mean that you are next in line. There a

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:24). READ: 1 Corinthians 1:24-29 W hile every believer in Christ is meant to lead as a co-heir with Christ and as a king and priest of God, not everyone, however, is expected to occupy ecclesiastical positions in the church. Church leadership is very sacred to God, hence standards must not be compromised. According to 1 Corinthians 12:17-21, every believer is a part of the body and has a unique function which blends with that of fellow believers. So, as the body has its head, so also must there be leaders to oversee the body of Christ in all local assemblies. To qualify for ecclesiastical leadership positions, you must meet with certain laid down conditions. It is good to desire such positions. “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work” (1 Tim. 3:1). Do you want

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15) READ: Luke 6:43-45 I t is a natural law that follows conception. What you can conceive you can bring forth. However, according to Luke 6:45, the state of the heart is very crucial to what it conceived. It takes a good heart to conceive good things; an evil heart can only conceive evil. If you find it difficult to conceive and implement good plans for yourself, your family or congregation, you may have an evil heart. It is against nature for an evil heart to conceive something good. When someone with an evil heart attempts to conceive something good, his or her motives are of course wrong. For instance, such a person will like to dole out millions of naira to motherless babies home, or to needy ones mainly because of the applause of men. If you cannot help the poor without blowing your trumpet, you have

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “And when Saul Enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.” (1 Sam. 28:6). READ: 1Samuel 28:3-7 T here are three major types of famine: economic famine; spiritual famine; a combination of both. A victim of economic famine is easily identified. Such a fellow usually lacks food and drink or other means of physical survival. But one suffering from spiritual famine may not be easily identified until he or she takes a wrong step and ends up at wrong destination destruction. It is a very serious thing when word meant for your spiritual sustenance becomes very scarce. If you used to hear God’s voice but He no longer speaks to you today, you are suffering from spiritual famine. A victim of spiritual famine cannot access divine direction. He or she gropes about as one in darkness. The soul of such a fellow is starved while his spirit man becomes lean. Such a fellow is separated

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:” (Rom.9 :22) READ: Romans 9:17-24 R omans 9:11-14 says God is not unrighteous in His dealings with man. Being the All-knowing God, He knows how every individual, family, society or nation will respond to Him even before they were created. Based on His foreknowledge, He makes His decisions. Nevertheless, He gives everyone the opportunity to decide and determine his or her destiny. Now, whether such a destiny tallies with God’s original plan or not is totally different matter. “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth ” (Romans 9:17). How can God create Pharaoh just to drown him? Romans 9:20-21 calls God the Great potter. Psalm 115:3 says

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” (1 Cor. 1:27). READ: 1 Samuel 22:1-2 T he content of the heart has a way of determining whether an individual will be used by God, and the extent to which he will be used. David’s heart sought after God to a point that God sought and found him (Ps. 42:1). Is your heart panting after God today? He will discover you in Jesus name. Moreover, God takes pleasure in using unpopular and insignificant people. Are you treated with disdain as if you were the remnant of planet earth? Rejoice! You are the type of person God likes to use. “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” (1 Cor. 1:27). It is not by mistake God chose you. It was deliberate. Y

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not whither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3). READ: Psalm 1:1-3 A ccording to Proverbs 13:20, a wise person is identified by the company he keeps. Similarly, the one who keeps bad company will become a victim of their folly. Who do you associate with? By your association, can you be termed wise? May the Lord make you wise in Jesus name. According to today’s reading, a wise person is also indentified by his choice of counsellors. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14). It is a big risk to embark on something you have little or no knowledge about. It is even a greater risk to seek advice from those who have no knowledge or experience about the issue at hand. One lesson here is that the strength or quality of your

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Thus saith the LORD, what iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?” (Jer. 2:5). READ: Jeremiah 2:2-5 “N evertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Rev. 2:4). What was wrong the church at Ephesus may appear mild to many today, but to the Lord, it is most grievous. The church continued with their works and activities but left behind the only thing capable of giving meaning to their works –love. According to 1 Corinthians 13:13, any good deed that is done outside of love erodes the goodness of it and renders the deed as unprofitable. Is love the basis of your works? Why are you serving God? Is it because you want Him to deliver, save, heal or reward you? Any service you render to God’s Kingdom outside genuine love for the Master, is unprofitable. If there is love in your heart, you will be motivated to

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:6). READ: Revelation 1:4-6 O ne commodity the world is in short supply of is good leaders. Even in families, they are needed. A family can be the smallest organization—compromising the husband and his wife. Yet, if the man lacks leadership skills to provide the required direction, guidance, coordination and control, it may be difficult for the family to realize its collective goal. Every organization is only as good as its leaders. Therefore, it becomes mandatory for future leaders to acquire leadership training, education and skills. To succeed, you will need to learn from those who succeed or failed and why they had such outcomes. “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). Position of leadership is not meant for all but for chosen few. In the world, there is a large space for follow

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? Saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? Saith thy God.” (Isaiah. 66:9). W hen children of God break the law of kinds and marry unbelievers, the product of such union will bring God’s judgement on that family. Are you in this situation? Repent wholeheartedly and ask God for forgiveness. Go to the pastor of a Bible-believing church, expose what you have done and receive counselling. The Lord will show you mercy. Besides having the right foundation, another lesson we can learn from Exodus 2:1-10 is that what you conceive will be born. To receive a thing, first conceive it. If you can conceive a great picture of yourself and your family this year, it shall be born. Delivery follows conception. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? Saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? Saith thy God.” (Is 66:9). Ha

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirsty for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:” (Amos 8:11). READ: Amos 8:11-14 “A nd there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land” (Gen. 12:10). In Genesis 12:10-13, we are told that Abraham went through a famine. This tells us that famines are not new. In the Bible, there are several famines of varying scope affecting different generations. Lately, the world has been going through widespread famine. Famine can be defined as a prolonged shortage of food in a particular location. When there is famine, it affects both believers and unbelievers in different ways. There is need for us to have a balanced understanding of the term in order to know how to prepare and overcome it. There are different types of famines. The most commo

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” (Rom. 9:20). READ: Romans 9:17-21 Y our purpose on earth is very crucial to your existence. If you want to fulfill your destiny, you will need to first go to God to ask why you are here. For instance, Paul had all the education he got just to enable him bear God’s name before kings and Gentiles (Acts 9:10-16). Similarly, according to Romans 9:17, God created Pharaoh, kept and raised him to become king of the world, so that when he is drowned all other kings would pay attention and acknowledge God as the true King of kings. In the same vein, God allowed a young maid to be taken captive and brought into Naaman’s house so that through her testimony, Naaman could be healed, and God’s Name glorified in Samaria (2 Kings 5:1-14). Do you know your purpose on earth? John the Baptist knew his. He

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God” (Psalm 42:1) READ: 1 Samuel 16:16-13 “I f a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim 2:21). One outstanding thing about God’s choice of leaders is that He does not usually pick the best or most qualified, but the least endowed. In the house of Jesse, with able-bodied men standing before him, God picked a youngster from the backside of the desert. God searches the heart. He saw something in David’s heart which was not in the heart of his elder brothers. If God can use David, God can use you. May he find you relevant in His end-time plan in Jesus name. I have always yearned to be different. After my conversion to Christ, I told God I did not want to be an ordinary Christian. I wanted to be someone special He could use in an

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE : “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18) READ : Mark 16: 17-18 T estimonies are powerful tools that can motivate the hearers to overcome their present challenges. No wonder Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death”. Any testimony worth its salt must be able to stir up the faith of the hearers to say: ‘If the testifier could arrive at that point of victory, then it is equally possible for me the hearer ’. The day an 86-year-old man testified how he was miraculously healed, I decided Jesus Christ would be my personal doctor from that day on. By god’s grace, it is over 35 years now that the Lord has been my faithful physician. If there is one thing you should testify to about God, it is that He is

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: “for the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him” (Psalm 12:5). READ: Psalm 12:4-5 I f you do not heed the early warnings from God, you may not survive the handwriting of His judgement when it comes. No minister of God should be turned into a slave of the rich. Let God remain your source and be content with what He has given you. It is then you can look at that influential or wealthy fellow in the eye, and tell him the truth like Daniel did to king Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1-31). In addition; since God is the one who determines promotion, you do not have to sell your body to your boss in order to move to next level. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will”. While several people attempt to influence the king, the real influence over kings

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye: PLANNING TO RETIRE? Sunday, January 2nd, 2011 : "Memorise: 'Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet..."

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye: IDEAL FOUNDATION Saturday, January 1st, 2011 : "Memorise: 'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure..."

Memorise: "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed" (Joshua 13:1). Read: Joshua 13:1-2 According to Galatians 3:2-3, you need to ask yourself how close you are to your goal, for it is possible to start in the Spirit and end in the flesh. Did you start your marriage, church project, career, or business by divine direction but today you are the one in-charge, not God? If so, you are farther from your goal than when you started. If you do not make a u-turn, you may end up in a totally different location from what you expect. Many people have lots of credits to their names, yet they are far flung from God's ultimate goal for their lives. Let us take Joshua as a case in point. In Joshua 13:1, God told Joshua-Moses' successor-that although he had succeeded in bringing the Israelites into the Promised Land, he still had so much undone vis-à-vis his age

A. General (for those who have made up their mind to live for God. No lips service this year, but a life of obedience, a life holiness) 1. This year is a year of mighty testimonies 2. There will be big celebrations in many homes, families 3. There will be massive restorations of loses of previous years 4. There is an assignment to take seriously to pray against killer diseases particularly among the children B. Nigeria 1. Pray for long life for prominent Nigerians 2. There is no need to panic: all will be well C. Internationa l 1. Pray seriously this year against massive storms and extreme temperatures 2. Pray against major disasters especially by fire (earth convulsion) Pray that God will speak peace to a convulsing earth 3. Pray against civil wars or civil unrests 4. There will be major discoveries in automotive and aviation industries D. RCCG Get info in local church

Memorise : "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste" (Isa 28:16). Read: Exodus 2:1-10 “A nd the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months" (Exodus 2:2). Welcome to year 2011. Today's reading has some beautiful truths that can help us achieve laudable goals set for the year. This passage and Exodus 6:20 talk about the marriage between Amram and Jochebed-both of the tribe of Levi. The first lesson here is that a home on the right foundation opens a door through which God can reach the world. If you can get it right from the beginning, everything else will fall in place over a period of time. Moses was a product of a good foundation. Do you know that if Amram had taken an ungodly wife, he may never have had Moses? Singles of marriageable age who try to play smar