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WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE – Thursday April 14th 2016

MIRACLE 
Memorise: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt



glorify me. Psalms 50:15

Read: 1st Samuel 1:9-13, 9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

 

Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 3:1-5:16, Proverbs 10:8-21
MESSAGE
There is one thing that a child of God needs to know and do when he or she needs a miracle. This is to call upon the Lord in prayer. What is a miracle and why do we need it? Simply explained, a miracle is the supernatural intervention of God in the affairs of men. This intervention basically alters the established laws of nature. At times, the devil manipulates some natural phenomena to deny human beings some basic things that make life pleasant. For example, when Jesus Christ was travelling in a ship with His disciples, the devil manipulated the wind against them so that they may suffer a shipwreck. The disciples went to Jesus Christ in the ship and cried for help. Matthew 8:26says:
“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great clam.”
Some so-called children of God are so hypocritical that, even in the presence of the Lord, they still pretend as if all is well, whereas they have unimaginable issues with their spiritual, physical, material and financial needs. In the case of the disciples, they cried to Him for help; they told Him exactly how they felt about the tempest. The danger of death was imminent and the disciples did not pretend as if nothing was wrong. So, Jesus Christ responded to their cry and stilled the storm. I pray that as you cry to the Lord today, He will not just hear but also respond to your cry in Jesus’ name. The storms in your life will miraculous cease today in Jesus’ name.
In our Bible reading for today, we see what one must do when he or she needs a miracle. Hannah needed a miracle, but from year to year she had been going casually to Shiloh until that wonderful year when she realised she needed to do what she had not been doing before; she offered fervent and heart-rending prayers. She prayed so hard that she lost her voice and Eli thought she was drunk. At times when I see how some of my children pray at our periodic meetings at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria, I rejoice because the tempo of their prayers signifies that they are people who need urgent miracles.
“And she was in bitterness of soul, and 

prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore… now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.”
1st Samuel 1:10, 13
The amazing thing about the above story is that Hannah was not even offended, when she was misunderstood by the high priest who was supposed to know when an individual was in serious communion with God. With joy also I always pray with my children when I see them praying desperately in need of miracles. My prayer is that as you pray to God today, your miracle will reach you sooner than you expect in Jesus’ name. 
Action Point

 

  1. Tender your deepest heart desires to God today in faith.

THE SOVEREIGN GOD – Wednesday April 13th 2016

 

THE SOVEREIGN GOD 
Memorise: I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Isaiah 43:21




Read: Daniel 5:20-21, 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

 

Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 1-2, Proverbs 9:13-10:7
MESSAGE
After king Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his kingly throne, his glory was taken away from him and he was disgraced to the point of eating grass like oxen, he came back to his senses to realise that the Most High God is the ultimate ruler in the kingdom of men. The problem with the king was that he got carried away with his achievements, thinking that they were the bye-products of his wisdom and physical power. This is the problem with many people like him through the ages. Any achievement that will not lead us back to the original Achiever could be very deadly. Jesus Christ spoke of a rich farmer who was boasting of his achievements in agriculture, only for his life to be taken away from him that same night.
“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”
Luke 12:19-20
Apostle James warned against being boastful without giving consideration to the sovereignty of God in James 4:13-15
“Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city. and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
It is presumptuous for someone who does not know whether he will survive the next day to commence planning a programme that will take place in six months time. It is only the Almighty God that has the power to will and to do. One can see the cause of the calamity that befell kings Pharaoh and Herod.

In the case of King Herod, he took not only the glory that belonged to God but God’s sovereignty. The consequence was fatal because he was stricken by angel of the Lord and he was eaten up by worms immediately.

“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
Acts 12:21-23
May the sovereignty of God be made positively manifest in our lives so that we can live in the supernatural from now on in Jesus’ name.  
Action Point
Always acknowledge the sovereignty of God in all you do so that you may be guided aright.

UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER – Tuesday April 12th 2016

THE UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER 
Memorise: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8




Read: Genesis 32:24-32, 24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

 

Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 29-31, Proverbs 9:1-12
MESSAGE
One thing every man, especially a child of God must always remember is that our God is the unchangeable changer. In the Genesis account of the beginning we see how the Unchangeable Changer effected miraculous changes without Himself being changed.
“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Genesis 1:2-3
In Genesis 21, the Unchangeable Changer changed the unfruitful situation of Sarah to fruitfulness. He did the same in the case of Hannah in 1st Samuel 2, proving that what He did in the life of the father of faith, He could do in the life of his descendants also. This is why I know that someone using this devotional will encounter this Great Changer that cannot change. As He did for those who sought and called Him in the past, so will He do for you as you call upon Him today in Jesus’ name.
The Almighty God has changed numerous unpleasant situations for the better in the past. For example, He changed the slavery of the children of Israel to freedom (Exodus 13). Also, Jabez prayed that the Lord should change his situation for the better and the Unchangeable Changer heard him.
“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
1st Chronicles 4:9-10

One of my daughters in Church heard the story of how my wife miraculously gave birth to our last two children naturally and decided to believe God for a natural child delivery. Like my wife did after three cesarean sections. The God who never changes did the same for that daughter of mine. I have good news for someone reading this devotional today, as Jesus performed miracles in those days, so He still does today.

I encourage you, beloved, to put your trust in Him and He will not let you down because He is the Unchangeable Changer. He will change your situation for the better and you will glorify Him in Jesus’ name.  

Prayer Point

 

Father, please change my situation for the better from today in Jesus’ name.

THE NEW MAN II – Monday April 11th 2016

THE NEW MAN II 

Memorise: And that ye put on the new man, which after God created in

righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24
Read: Ephesians 4:22-25, 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

 

Bible in one year, 1st Samuel 26-28, Proverbs 8:22-36

The Bible says;

“… they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”

(Romans 8:5)

This us why there is a need to put on the new man. As our memory verse states, we must put on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness. This is made possible through our reliance on the grace made available by Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.

“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such they also that are heavenly.”

1st Corinthians 15:47-48

To put on a new man, we must accept the Lord from heaven. The reason is that He is the One that can quicken our mortal bodies and transform them to the original image of God in us which has been altered by sin. When one encounters Jesus Christ, his or her testimony will be like that of the apostles when he wrote:

 

TRRADIO.

“I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

There is danger in living a life void of faith in the Son of God, because without faith no man can please the Lord. It is by faith that we know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It is by faith that we can run away from all appearances of evil. It was lack of faith in God that made Adam and Eve doubt the warning that God gave them concerning the forbidding fruit. Ever since then, this act of disobedience has remained a contagion within the human race. Are you among those who think the law of God has become outdated and so you break it with impunity? Repent today because tomorrow may be too late. Paul, an apostle, further wrote that we should walk in the Spirit so that we may not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Beloved, let us consider today’s memory verse as an express command from God, and let us put on, Jesus Christ, the perfect image of the Almighty Father.

Prayer Point

 

Father, let my life reflect the image of Your Son Jesus.

THE NEW MAN I – Sunday April 10th 2016

  1. THE NEW MAN I 
Memorise: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are


passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2ndCorinthians 5:17

Read: Romans 12:1-2, 12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

Bible in one year; 1st Samuel 24-25, Proverbs 8:1-21
One of the basic signs of redemption in the life of a man is the newness of the life that he lives. This change of his spiritual living standard is never covert; rather, it is always obvious. When Zacchaeus, the publican, encountered Jesus in Jericho, his life never remained the same. A notoriously corrupt tax collector said:
“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”
Luke 19:8
The memory verse for today corroborates the story in the above quoted scripture. Indeed, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things must pass away. Today, it is a different ball-game; people seem to maintain the status quo of their past lives even after their claims of a born-again experience. The thief still steals yet he claims to be born-again. The adulterous woman who succeeded in snatching another woman’s legally and scripturally wedded husband, lives comfortably with the man, speaking in “tongues”
John the Baptist, when addressing those who decided to follow godliness by coming for his baptism, encouraged them to bear fruits that met with genuine repentance, and take a total turn-around from past sinful living.
The Bible says 
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.”
Matthew 3:7-8

The above scripture is a food for thought: the religious leaders of John the Baptist’s time humbled themselves to come for baptism in order to usher in a new more of spiritual revival. This is a lesson for those who are claiming to have risen through the ranks and files of established Churches to seek spiritual reawakening.

This may also account for many older generations embracing the Pentecostal experience. This is very good provided they also “bring forth fruits meet for repentance”, not maintaining the status-quo of their highly esteemed positions in their (former) Churches without transformation. The cry of the regenerative Spirit is change!

You may need to change your friends, eating and dressing habits to be able to conform to the image of the Son of the Living God.   
Action Point
Look at your past life in comparison with your newly found faith in Christ and effect necessary changes. 

Open Heaven by Pastor E.A Adeboye…. 9th, April 2016

THE WISE & THE FOOLISH 
Memorise: But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6

Read: Isaiah 14:12-15, 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

 

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

 

Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 21:23, Proverbs 7:10-27
According to Proverbs 16:18, destruction is the major ‘dividend’ of pride. It is interesting to note that pride was the root cause of the first rebellion both in heaven and on earth. It started with Lucifer, the son of the morning who later became the devil (Isaiah 14:12-15). He was a beautiful Archangel until pride brought him down.
When the devil discovered the easy way of falling into destruction (pride), he started using it to bring people down to his fallen state. This he successfully did with the first man and the first woman. The devil deceived them, telling them that when they ate the forbidden fruit, they would be as wise as God and they believed him.
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with herm and he did eat.”
Genesis 3:6
Unfortunately, because of their quest for wisdom that will equate them with their Maker, they fell, and the glory of the Lord which covered them departed leaving them naked and empty. Pride disgraces its owner beyond measure. The story of Pharaoh is a case study. It was pride that drowned his hosts in the Red Sea. One would expect that after the ten terrible plaques that God used to warn him, he would humble himself before the Most High. Rather, he maintained what he initially said: “Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2). Before he knew it, it was too late for him to repent. To escape the spirit of pride, you need to be genuinely born again so that the Spirit of Jesus many dwell in you. If you are deadly a child of God, you need to be sanctified and allow the mind of Jesus Christ dwell in you richly:

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ: Who bring in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…”
Philippians 2:5-7
My prayer for someone using this devotional is that pride will not destroy you, your destiny and your loved ones in Jesus’ name.
Action Point

 

Don’t pray for God to humble you; this is dangerous. Rather, pray that the gentle Holy Spirit should help you to voluntarily humble yourself before the Lord, so that He can exalt you.

SPIRITUAL PACESETTERS – Friday April 8th 2016

SPIRITUAL PACESETTERS 

Memorise: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1stCorinthians 11:1

 

Read: Hebrews 6:9-15, 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

 

Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 18:17-20:42, Proverbs 6:28-7:9

There are certain spiritual pacesetters in the Church who when a conscientious Christian takes time to emulate, heaven would be his limit. It is unfortunate, however, that these spiritual pace setters are very few nowadays unlike in the days of old when an apostle wrote:

“And ye become followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.”

1st Thessalonians 1:6-7

When were the outstanding Christian living standards that the early disciples lived by? Some could be deduced in the above quoted scripture: Firstly, they received the Word with joy despite the fact that it was hard. Today, Christianity has become a ‘bread and butter’ affair. Any New Testament injunction that brings about a slight affliction is thrown away as it comes from the pulpit. This has made many post-modern preachers not to bother about preaching the hard truth any more. They see it as an exercise in futility, so you hear them say, “don’t preach such things; they won’t accept that from you!” At the beginning of this apostasy, it was the modern day Christians who picked and chose what they would accept, while they threw the rest back at the preacher. These days, it is the preachers who ‘carefully’ select the message that will be ‘offensive’ to their congregation. These are no spiritual pace setters. I will like to warn a preacher using this devotional with the Words of the Lord in Ezekiel 33:7-8

“So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I required at thine hand.”

Apart from warning the evil-doers and sinners against wickedness by word of mouth, a spiritual pace setter must practice what he preaches. A Christian, and particularly a preacher, must live as a light in this world. The Bible says:” … of all that Jesus began both to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). This exactly was the pattern of life of the early apostles; the reason they were able to admonish brethren to be followers of them as they were of Christ. In transparent faithfulness, Christians should set the pace for the unbelievers. In godliness, believers in Christ must be spiritual pacesetters and perfect examples of their generation. Jesus Christ said:

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

Prayer Point

 

Father, please make me a spiritual pacesetter so that millions may come to Your Kingdom through me.

Open Heavens by Pastor E.A Adeboye… VICTORY IN HOLINESS – Thursday April 7th 2016

VICTORY IN HOLINESS 
Memorise: Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.



Proverbs 14:34

Read: Daniel 6:19-23, 19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.



 

Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 17:1-18:16, Proverbs 6:16-27
There is victory in holiness. This is a fact that many do not know of and their ignorance makes them continue to live as fake Christians. When the eyes of a child of God are opened to this revelation, he will not wait for any Pastor to preach so much before he begins to live righteously and faithfully to honour his Lord and Saviour. Our memory verse for today presents a two-edged sword of the truth: while righteousness exalts a nation, sin or unrighteousness brings reproach that comes in form of defeat (Proverbs 14:34).
The story of Daniel in the text for today is highly revealing. The first thing one should notice is that righteousness or holy living is not a hidden thing. It is something that the one who is living such a life can and must exhibit with every sense of humility. Daniel said: “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion’s mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” There is victory in holy living and Daniel confirmed this in Daniel 6:22
To some people, the testimony of Daniel may sound arrogant, but the question is, was Daniel saying the truth when he said that he did no evil against the earthly kingdom and the kingdom of heaven? The outcome of the persecution gives the accurate answer. The Bible says:
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Hebrew 12:14
At times, some Christians who do not believe in holiness feign humility by saying it is impossible for mere humans, to live holy. Like I always tell my children in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the fact that you are not living by the Bible does not mean others are not. The Bible says:
“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
1st John 3:7-8
As a matter of fact, you either holy or sinful and no sinner will make it to heaven. For this reason, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil in our lives. You are righteous by grace. This grace is why we must never boast because it is not you but Christ that lives in you. I encourage someone using this devotional to pray earnestly for the grace to live holy. Daniel triumphed over all his administrative and political enemies. They perished in his stead because of holiness! I pray for a reader of this devotional, the grace to live holy will come upon you today and you will henceforth live a daily victorious life in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point

 

Father, please help me live a life of obedience to Your Word so that I may be holy unto You.

Open Heavens By Pastor E.A Adeboye

 

DEMON-INVITING HABIT

 

Memorise: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with

 

the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18

 

Read: Proverbs 23:29-35, King James Version (KJV)

 

29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

 

 

 

30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

 

31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

 

32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

 

 

 

33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

 

34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

 

35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

 



 

 

Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 14:47-16:23, Proverbs 6:1-15

 

There are many avenues through which demons can possess an individual. One of them is alcoholism. Alcoholism is a subtle habit that introduces a man to demonic possession and/or introduces demons to the alcoholic. It is a volatile avenue, a broad avenue open to many categories of demons, violence, sexual immorality, pride, folly, to mention but a few. It is unfortunate that some believers are beginning to consider ‘moderation’ in the consumption of alcohol. It is this liberal approach to the handling of the issue of alcohol consumption that is increasing demonic operations in lives that are supposed to be Holy Spirit-filled. This is why Ephesians 5:18 says:

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”
How does alcoholism invite demons? Our Bible text for today answers that in part: One of the symptoms of demonic possession is sorrow, and the text asks: “who hath sorrow?” and answers straightaway: “…they that go to seek mixed wine.” The scripture goes ahead to warn; “look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.” The demon of sorrow is put in motion to possess alcoholic; and this is confirmed by the infallible Word of God. In addition, our text says: “Thine eyes shall behold strange women….” Here the demon of sexual immorality is set in motion by alcoholism. A married man does not remember his marriage vows when put under the influence of alcohol. An alcoholic can sleep with the worst psychiatric patient. Alcohol promotes the sexual immorality of incest.
“And the firstborn said unto the young, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner f all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.”
Genesis 19:31-32
The products of these incestuous acts were the hateful Moabites and the children of Ammon who later became sworn enemies of the children of Israel (2nd Chronicles 20:1).
“….and thine heart shall utter perverse things.” Alcohol can turn you to a talkative or a blasphemer. Those who ordinarily may not speak perverse things momentarily become outspoken under the influence of the demon of alcohol. Beloved, if you have not considered alcohol as a medium of demon-possession till date, I advise you to give it a second thought, be faithful to yourself and abstain forthwith. Most of the woes that many people face can be traced to the demon of alcohol. The Word of God is forever settled; the earlier we live by its precepts, the better for us. 
Action Point
Break yourself loose from the demon of alcohol and pray that all that the demon of alcohol has destroyed in your life be restored in Jesus’ name.

OPEN HEAVENS BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE… 5th, APRIL 2016

THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Memorise: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon

you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

Read: John 7:37-39, 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

 

Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 13:8-14:46, Proverbs 5:7-23

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is very important to every heaven-bound Christian for many reasons. The first thing that comes to mind is the personality of the Baptiser, that is, the Holy Spirit Himself. He is the third person in the Trinity. From the beginning, God has been in charge of everything that goes on in the universe including the redemption of man. The Holy Spirit, being the third person in the Trinity plays a major role, not only in the redemption process but also plays the role of preserving the believer after the salvation experience.

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Ephesians 4:30

There are lots of spiritual virtues the Holy Spirit imparts on believers when they receive His baptism. These virtues are very fundamental to the Christian experience. For example, in our text for today, we read of the flow of rivers of living water, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Just as water is very important to the physical survival of man, so also is the Living water very important to the spiritual survival of man. A Christian gets spiritually dehydrated and consequently spiritually dead as a result of the lack of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why one wonders when some schools of thought say that the Holy Spirit baptism is an outdated Christian experience. It is not. Another fundamental blessing which accrues from the baptism of the Holy Spirit is what we find in the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s memory verse. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, there can be no power for Christians to evangelise or witness about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. It would have been a different ball-game if the disciples of old were not empowered and emboldened by the coming of the Holy Spirit when they were apprehended by the Jewish leader:

“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”

Acts 4:31-33

Beloved, do you think you are a weak Christian; afraid of coming out to exhibit your conviction that Jesus is Lord? Or, you are rising and falling because you cannot stand the wiles of the devil which are inevitable in this perverted generation? Are you being played with like a toy in the hands of demons? All you need is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To be baptised, however, requires your determination to please the Lord and live above sin. Pray earnestly for it and you will be baptised for power, refreshing and for a victorious Christian living.

Prayer Point

Lord Jesus, please send your Holy Spirit to me afresh, and get me refreshed and empowered today.