Happy Birthday @65: Pastor Mrs Folu Adeboye

Pastor Mrs Folu Adeboye, the wife to Pastor E.A Adeboye; the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, adds a year. She was born on the 13th July 1948.

Born and christened Foluke Adenike Adeyokunu, in Ilesa, Osun State, Mummy G.O. as she is fondly called turns 64.

She is a preacher, a prophetess, an educationist, author, artiste, counsellor, philanthropist, the loving wife of Pastor Adeboye and affectionate mother to all.

She is involved in rehabilitating those hawking on the street which she calls Pet Project and wholistic Outreach.

She rose through the ‘little New Testament Bible’ she presented to Daddy G.O. as a token of gift on his birthday to become a leading light and, of course, a testament in every respect in God’s vineyard.

How she met Pastor Adeboye

She met Adeboye in 1965 and they got married on September 8, 1967. Said Adeboye on their courtship, “the only challenge I would say we had during our courtship was probably the strictness of her dad who was a minister in the Methodist Church. I could only visit her daughter when someone was present. If we went for a stroll, it had to be for a very limited time. Looking back now, I am very grateful to God for this because the old man was following the examples laid down by the scriptures.”

Her interview with RTM Crew

It is heart warming to know few things about her. In the interview she said:

“I wake up at 3.am to start praying. I pray till 6.am when we have family devotion and do not go back to sleep afterward”. May I ask, sincerely, how many people do this? She continued on her prayer life. “I love prayer so much, whenever my husband go to minister, I would be praying for him and God often told me something about the ministration, for example when my husband went to Ibadan to minister, the Holy Spirit told me that a dumb woman received her miracle. So when he came home I asked him about the dumb woman who got her miracle. He was surprised and asked who told me. I told him that the Holy Spirit had told me about it.”

When she was asked about how working mothers could cope with such a rigours prayer life? She said that when her family was in Ilorin, she was a then a teacher, she would prepare meal for every members of her family very early as every member of her family would be out by 7:15pm and they would come home by 10pm. She is so committed to her family that till now she does not allow any other person to cook for her husband. What an exemplary mother and wife

Open Heaven of Saturday 13th July 2013:Time-Bound Assignments

. Memorise: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven  
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Read: Esther 4:13-14
Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. Esther 4:13

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 9-12


Message
Before a decree to kill all male children born to Israelites was passed in Egypt, God had ensured that two God-fearing midwives had been planted in their midst. They were at the right place at the right time for the right reasons. The Lord had known what the devil was about to do, so He had gone a step ahead. Beloved, that place God led you to is not by accident but for a purpose. Another person that was planted to avert the evil plan of the enemy against God’s people was Esther. Just before the execution of the plot of the enemy against the Israelites, Esther rose to the occasion and it was averted. In that negative situation, God has moved a step ahead of the enemy. Before you enemies carry out their evil plot against you, the Lord would have executed His plan of deliverance for you. In the name of Jesus, you shall not be a victim in the teeth of your enemies.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”  Jeremiah 29:11

The purpose of God for the midwives was a good one. He had planned that they would be His instruments of deliverance in the midst of midwives who were loyal to Pharaoh so that Moses would be saved at the time of birth. Their assignment started and ended with making sure that Moses was safely delivered and handed over to his mother. For being faithful, God rewarded them for that assignment. This tells us that certain assignment may be very brief but time-bound. If Shiphrah and Puah were not on duty at the time Moses was born, or if they had been distracted by other business affairs outside the hospital, Moses could have died. God may want you to perform a specific but time-bound assignment: it could be to be a blessing to a needy fellow or His servant. A need could suddenly arise that you would be required to meet, if you are too slow, you will lose the opportunity. Do you know that some of such opportunities may never come again? Be proactive and sensitive to the Holy Ghost. Be ready to speedily to take up opportunities that God brings your way. Pray that you will be in the right place at the right time, to glorify God.

PRAYER POINT
Each time you leave where God has placed you, or fail to do what you were supposed to do, the Kingdom of God suffers. Father, thank you for adding another year to Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye. Lord, begin a new thing of joy in her life and make her mother of more nations.

GOD AT THE APPOINTED TIME

In life, we’re always waiting for something; waiting for a dream to come to pass, waiting to meet the right person, waiting for a problem to turn around. when it’s not happening as fast as we would like, it’s easy to get frustrated, but you have to realize that the moment you prayed, God established a set time to bring the promise to pass.

THE HOPE OF THE FUTURE

As parents, we believe that children are priceless treasures and gifts from God to us, and as such, it is our conviction that the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of children should be apply and competently met. We consider the care of the little ones God entrusts into our care to be a very important responsibility.

NOW I AM HEALED OF HIV: A TREMENDOUS BOOST TO MY FAITH

  I tested positive for HIV in 1999, which at the time meant the end of life to me. Though I knew the Lord, I felt overwhelmed by the news.

WHY DO YOU QUESTION ME ABOUT WHAT’S GOOD? BE WISE WITH THIS STORY OF LIFE

1 John 3:1-3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

John says the truth of Christ’s 2nd coming and our resulting change into His glorious body is the Hope That Purifies Us.

1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

So this truth of our FUTURE transformation when we are face to face with Jesus Christ is to motivate us in the PRESENT to obey His truth and in so doing become PURIFIED or CONSECRATED (1 John 3:3) to God, which is what living in His Will and walking in His truth is all about.

I have read that in certain countries, hunters capture monkeys using a very simple but effective trap. They make a hole in a hollow tree and put a banana in it. The hole is big enough for the monkey’s hand to go in but not for its fist to come out. A monkey would then reach in and grab the banana. It then tries to pull its hand out while grabbing on to the banana to no avail. Its closed fist would be too big for the hole. For the monkey to be able to pull its hand out it has to drop the banana. But hunters are well aware that monkeys will not let go of the banana and that the monkeys will kick and squeal when the hunter approaches but they refuse to let go of the banana. They refuse to let go of the bait and so become captured.

Today I want to challenge each of us to “let go”. If we are to Live in the Will of God, we must “LET GO”
Jesus was approached by a young man …


Matthew 19:16-22 Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.” The man asked, “What in particular?” Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.” The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?” “If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.” That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.”

The disciples were blown away. They thought “if a rich man doesn’t deserve heaven, who does? Then they reminded Jesus that they had left everything. And Jesus commended them saying:

(continuing in verses 28-29) “In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life.

WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGED?

"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us" -Psalm 2:1-3

Open Heaven of Friday 12th July 2013: Securing Future Greatness

Memorise: And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses. Genesis 30:43

Read: Genesis 12:1-3
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: Genesis 12:1

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: Genesis 12:2

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:3


Bible in one year: Jeremiah 6-8


Message
In everyone’s life, there are three stages – the past, the present and the future. Before looking at the future, it is only wise to consider the past and the present. Why? In most cases, the past is what brought forth the present; and a combination of the past and the present will deliver the future. Behind every success recorded today and tomorrow, there is a solid covenant somewhere in the past. Take for instance the life of Jacob: He had a past, a present and a future. His past was rooted in the covenant God made with Abraham, when He promised to bless him and to make him a blessing (Genesis 12:1-3). His present was in his limited state as Jacob – supplanter, trying to make it by his own strength and effort, while his next level was as Israel – a prince of God, where he would become God’s favourite, and partake of the covenant blessings father Abraham had with God.

The covenant you make with God today will not only affect your tomorrow, but also the destinies of unborn generations. God is a covenant keeping God and He looks for those who can pay the price of cutting an enduring covenant with Him. At the beginning of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, God had a covenant with our father – the founder. God asked him to do certain things and the He will begin a church through him which will go all over the world, and a church He will meet on His return to the earth. The old man kept his own side and God is still keeping His. This covenant keeping God made Abraham great and then moved into the Isaac generation which is the now (Genesis 24:34-35). The future is the level of Jacob – who God made exceedingly great. From today, prophesy to yourself daily by saying: in the name of Jesus, I am going to be exceedingly great. That is my next level, and nothing can stop me because my father is a covenant keeper. Are you operating on a covenant with God?

KEY POINT
A covenant is the foundation of relationship and blessing. Those under a divine covenant are not easily moved.

Open Heaven of Thursday 11th July 2013: Change Your Level

Memorise: And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: Genesis 26:13

Read: 2 Kings 2:9-15
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 2 Kings 2:9

And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 2 Kings 2:10

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 2 Kings 2:11

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. 2 Kings 2:12

He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
2 Kings 2:13

And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
2 Kings 2:14

And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
2 Kings 2:15

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 3-5


Message
It is possible to wine and dine with the King of Glory and not have a life transforming encounter with Him. Several crowds that followed Jesus remained onlookers: just seeing the signs He performed without having personal testimony. May you not allow complacency to rob you of your full potential in Christ. If you look at the life of those who become champions, there was a time when they were just potential champions – a time when they were yet to fully develop their potential. But later on, they moved on from that point. Take for instance David: by the time he was anointed to be king in the presence of his brethren in 1 Samuel 16:11-13, he was a potential champion. In fact, Saul was still on the throne. Also, in Judges 13:24-25 when the Spirit was moving Samson from time to time, he was just a potential champion. Similarly, in 1 Samuel 3:2-18, Samuel was a baby prophet who did not even know how to identify God’s voice. So was Elisha in 1 King 19:19-21 when the mantle was first put on him.

In every potential champion, there is a seed of greatness. Yes, whether you believe it or not. There is a seed of greatness inside of you. If you are born-again, God has planted a divine seed in you. It is not every potential champion that will eventually become a champion. If you allow the seed of greatness to lie fallow in you, you will never go beyond being a potential champion. It is okay to begin as a potential champion but a terrible offence to die as one. Every potential champion would need to face several situations, circumstances and experiences before becoming a champion. For instance, after his first anointing, Davis was anointed again before becoming king over Judea (2 Samuel 2:4). In 2 Samuel 5:3, he finally became king over all Israel. This was when is potential was fully realised. Similarly, it was in 1 Samuel 3:19-21 that Samuel became an established prophet over the whole of Israel, while in 2 Kings 2:8-15, Elisha became an established prophet. There is a price to pay to move from being a potential champion to being a champion. If David could pay the price and move, you too by God’s grace will pay the and move to your place of destiny.

PRAYER POINT
Every champion started as a potential champion. If they could change their level, so can you. Father, move me to my next level.

HOW TO PRAY: MUST READ

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…”— Matthew 6:9

Are you looking for a way to improve your prayer life? What is a good model for prayer? How do you use the Lord’s Prayer as a guide?

LET HIM THAT THINKETH HE STANDETH TAKE HEED

“Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” - 1Cor_10:12

It is a curious fact, that there is such a thing as being proud of grace. A man says, “I have great faith, I shall not fall; poor little faith may, but I never shall.” “I have fervent love,” says another, “I can stand, there is no danger of my going astray.” He who boasts of grace has little grace to boast of. Some who do this imagine that their graces can keep them, knowing not that the stream must flow constantly from the fountain head, or else the brook will soon be dry. If a continuous stream of oil comes not to the lamp, though it burn brightly to-day, it will smoke to-morrow, and noxious will be its scent. Take heed that thou gloriest not in thy graces, but let all thy glorying and confidence be in Christ and his strength, for only so canst thou be kept from falling. Be much more in prayer. Spend longer time in holy adoration.

LIVING IN MALICE?

Briefly look at what the bible says about malice.This is a state of bitterness that leads to unanswered prayer. Be followers of chist.

Open Heaven of Wednesday 10th July 2013: Do Something About That Weakness

Memorise: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans 6:12

Read: Judges 16:6-10
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. Judges 16:6

And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Judges 16:7

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Judges 16:8

Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known. Judges 16:9

And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. Judges 16:10

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 1-2


Message
While fighting with the enemy, God sometimes helps us by causing the enemy to verbalise their evil intent like it happened to Samson in Judges 16:6. If your enemy tells you his plan towards you, what are you supposed to do? Sometimes, the enemy will be so full of the evil plot that he will spill it out unawares; for the mouth releases what the heart is full of (Matthew 12:34). If you share your secret with a particular friend, and you observe that your plans are repeatedly frustrated, you don’t need a soothsayer to tell you to either cut off from that enemy disguised as a friend or keep your secret to yourself afterwards. The enemy will do just about anything to know the best way to get you. One area he will concentrate on is your weak point. He will carefully study you to know your weak point and usually, it does not take him too long to discover this.

Wisdom demands that you first identify your area of weakness before your enemy does. There is no human being without one, yet if you can prayerfully present your weakness to the Lord and follow the instruction of the Holy Spirit, over a period of time, your point of weakness can become your point of strength. If you are easily seduced into lust by looking at naked pictures of opposite sex, do something fast about it. Avoid being exposed to any form of indecent exposure of the opposite sex – be it in live or in pictures. Watch the gate of your eyes carefully. A particular brother once discovered his weakness in this area and as part of checkmating his flesh, he made sure that whenever he was addressing a lady, he did not look at her eyes. Some people felt he was too weak but he did not mind their comments. All he was concerned about was how to ensure he did not become taken in temptation. Many Christians know their weak points yet they dare their flesh and even the devil, at the end, they become casualty of the power of darkness. Do you know your weaknesses? What are you doing about them? Prayerfully minimize any exposure to a source of temptation. Use the word of God to renew your mind and to strengthen yourself and ask God to uphold you. You will not fall.

ACTION POINT
If your worship is devoid of humility, it will not be acceptable.

SEE THE WORKS OF THE FLESH:MUST READ

What if I told you that in spite of your commitment to Biblical Entrepreneurship you may not inherit the kingdom of God? You may ask, “What does it mean to inherit the kingdom of God”? It means to receive all the promises of God, according to Scriptures, in your life and business in this lifetime and to rule eternally with Jesus Christ. You may ask, “Why; I have committed my business to the Lord and I seek Him in every

BE STRONG IN THE LORD

Being “strong” is a trait that is desired by most people. It is really important in the Christian realm. We must, as Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

GOD DESIRES TO SEE US LIVE A LONG GOOD LIFE

 Did you know that God desires to see us live a long good life? Many today believe that when a person dies, it was God's timing for them to die and that the fullness of their days have been lived out according to God's will. However, according to the Bible, God's will isn't always manifested here on earth as God desires it, and there is no guarantee that we will live out the fullness of our days.

DID THE DEVIL MAKE YOU DO IT?

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

I know God never 'makes' us sin. That leaves two things that do the sinning: the flesh (us and our sinful nature), a demon(s) hanging out in that person, or a combination of both. Let me explain...

Open Heaven of Tuesday 9th July 2013: You Can Overtake

 Memorise:  for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. Isaiah 54:1b

Read: 1 Samuel 2:20-21
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. 1 Samuel 2:20

And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD. 1 Samuel 2:21


Bible in one year: 2 Timothy 1-4


Message:
A single contact with God can make the difference in the life of an individual. For some years, some people have laboured in ministry, business, academics and career with nothing to show for it. If you are in such situation, a contact that will usher a season of positive change is coming your way. When the hand of God was laid on Elijah in 1 Kings 18:41-46, he outran king Ahab who had earlier taken off with speed on his chariot of horses. How can ordinary legs overtake horses? When God lays His hands on you, your progress will be so rapid that none of your enemies will be able to catch up with you. From the above scripture, we learn that when God’s hand is upon you, the time you lost that worked against you will be recovered, and will work in your favour. Ahab ran ahead of Elijah, yet the later still overtook him. Also, when God’s hand is upon you, every limitation or deficiency that should have stalled your progress will rather advance you. Imagine a man on his two feet beating a chariot of horses! This tells us that even when you lack the latest technology, you can still emerge the best if God’s hand is upon you. This season, God’s hand will rest upon you for good.

David a young shepherd boy had contact with God and he became a king (1 Samuel16:11-13). Many people had already written off Hannah as permanently barren until she had contact with God and the result was six children including Samuel (1 Samuel 2:21). At the end, God permanently shut her mockers up as she had more children than Peninnah. Isaiah 54:1 was fulfilled in her life. The time you started having children does not necessarily determine how many you will have. You can start early and have few children or start late and have many children. Hannah started late yet she had more children. Are you trusting God for the fruit of the womb? Have you been waiting for a long time? Are you asking when will it ever be my turn to have a baby? Your turn has just arrived. Get ready, you are about to overtake those who are years ahead of you. It is allowed.

PRAYER POINT
Father, lay your hand upon me and cause me to overtake all those who took advantage of me and those who have gone ahead of me.

THE POWERS OF DARKNESS WERE DEFEATED: MUST READ

Satan and his evil spirits were stripped of all their authority. The Lord Jesus ascended back into Heaven as Victor over all the powers of darkness. He made a show of them openly. The Bible says,
"And having spoiled (defeated) principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them...'' Colossians 2:15

HOW SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY WORKS: MUST READ

A solid understanding of spiritual authority is vital to build your faith when casting out demons, healing the sick, and exercising your authority over the powers of darkness.

When we have been given authority to cast out demons, but instead we pray that God brings the demon out instead, we are basically asking God to do something that He gave US the tools to do ourselves! Jesus told US to cast out demons! Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to ask God to cast out demons!

THOU SHALL NOT STEAL: MUST READ

Many modes of stealing

There are numerous ways of stealing, especially in modern times when cheating in various forms is considered by many a sign of cleverness. The whole world in the past looked to the United States as a magical place because it was possible to get whatever you wanted if you just worked hard enough at it. Immigrants that got off the boat with only a few dollars and no knowledge of English became

Open Heaven of Monday 8th July 2013: Attitude Of Worship - 2

Memorise: The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:10-11

Read: Revelation 4:2-11
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Revelation 4:2

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. Revelation 4:3

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. Revelation 4:4

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Revelation 4:5

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. Revelation 4:6

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. Revelation 4:7

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Revelation 4:8

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, Revelation 4:9

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Revelation 4:10

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11

Bible in one year: Titus 1-3, Philemon


Message:
You can take a different positions in worship, but a great position in which to worship God is to go flat on your face on the ground. Do you know that this is still the practice in Heaven? Revelations 4:10 says
“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,”
When you go on your face before God, you are telling God that you are not in any way competing with Him. You are making yourself of no reputation in His presence. It means everything you have amounts to nothing. This is why the 24 elders in their highly exalted position in Heaven push their crowns aside, lie flat on their faces before God, and worship God. Some of us are still very proud when we say we have come to worship God. The clothes we wear are far more important to us than the worship we need to offer to God. How much is that cloth? When your life is not even enough to worship God, is it a cloth of a few thousands of Naira, Pounds, Dollars, or Euro that will be of greater worth to you?

When you lie on the ground before Him, you are saying, ‘Not I but thou be seen, heard and feared oh Lord’. If you can, this is a great position to take whenever you truly want to worship the Lord. It is a position of complete and absolute surrender. It is a position of showing your depth of weakness so that His strength can take over. It is a position that shows you count yourself as nothing so that He can take you up. It is a position that will definitely get something out of God. How do you worship God? If you go to Him telling Him that you are strong, He may either let you go just the way you came or even take away the strength you think you have. But a broken or a contrite heart God cannot despise.

KEY POINT:
If your worship is devoid of humility, it will not be acceptable.

Open Heaven of Sunday 7th July 2013: Mind Your Confession

Memorise:
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Proverbs 6:2

Read: Numbers 14:26-31
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Numbers 14:26

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Numbers 14:27

Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Numbers 14:28

Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Numbers 14:29

Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. Numbers 14:30

But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. Numbers 14:31

Bible in one year: 1 Timothy 4-6


Message
Every seed sown has its time to speak. There are situation you may find yourself that only your seed will speak for you. At such a time may your account in heaven be found in credit. Some years ago, I had a friend who was a great support to my ministry. While praying one day, the Lord said, ‘Son, your friend is about to die within the next one week in London: go to him now’ I immediately bought a ticket and went to London to see and pray with my friend. It has been over 14 years since that incident and he is still alive because he had some credit with God. This is why irrespective of what anybody says, you cannot afford to be a bench warmer in God’s house. Similarly, I had another friend who was also very supportive. Sometime in 1995, he heard in his ear that he should go and put his house in order because he was about to die. When he told me, I laughed it off because I knew I could talk it over with my Daddy that I still needed my friend’s support, being so useful to me. More than 16 years after, he still lives. Do you have a solid deposit with the bank of Heaven that you can draw from today? If not, take steps to build one.

A great lesson to be learnt from the Shunammite woman recorded in 2 Kings 4:18-26 is the need to be careful of what you say especially when going through a trying period. When this woman’s only son died, she was saying ‘All will be well’ and from there graduated to ‘All is well’. And all became well. She did not start to lament over her problem. Be careful with your tongue because it contains the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). Even when good may be coming your way, you can use your tongue to turn it off; your tongue can also become a snare (Proverbs 6:2). No wonder God asked Moses to tell the Israelites that it is what they said into His ears that He will do to them (Numbers 14:28). In those days, when it was difficult for us to make ends meet, I used to tell my wife that things will not continue to be tough for us, and that our tomorrow will be alright. What are you confessing about your tomorrow and today?

ACTION POINT:
Most of the things that come our way are products of our confession. Stop calling negative things to yourself!