Amb. Onyango-Osore

WILL YOU BE READY? 4 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: - (Ephesians 4:26) READ: Romans 13:11-14, Colossians 3:5-8 Jesus can return at any time. This is why my wife and I ensure that we settle any misunderstandings between us before we go to sleep, because we don't want to be left behind. I don't want anything to keep me from going with the Lord when He returns. In today's memory verse, Paul urges us not to allow the sun to go down upon our wrath. Never go to sleep angry or with grudges in your heart. Do not let anger fester, for it can create a barrier between you and God. Ephesians 4:31 says that you should put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, and malice. Cast them off because they will keep you from going with the Lord when He returns. Child of God, settle any issues you have with others quickly so they do not hinder you from being a partaker of God's Kingdom when He returns. If you find it very easy to keep a grudge, run to God for help today. Ask Him for the grace to forgive those who offend you, even if they have not asked for your forgiveness. Do not allow offence or anything at all to separate you from the Lord for eternity. For believers, death is merely like falling asleep because a glorious eternity awaits us (1 Thessalonians 4:13). For those living in sin, however, eternal damnation awaits them after death (Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 21:8). This is why you must live your life prepared to meet the Lord at any time. Settle every matter as quickly as possible because you do not know the moment when your eternal sleep will begin. One man of God said that the Sunday after the rapture, some churches will still be full. The pastors will still be there to preach, but this time around, their preaching will not be casual. They will stand on their pulpits and say, "I knew this event was going to happen, but I didn't prepare myself and this congregation for it." They might apologise to the congregation who will be left behind, but their apologies will be useless at that point. Beloved, if you miss the rapture, all the time you have spent in church will be in vain. Forgive those who have hurt you; let it go! I pray that God will give you the strength and courage to deal with anything in your life that can cause you to miss the rapture, in Jesus' name. REFLECTION: Are you holding on to any grudges? BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 14-17 Open Heaven Devotional by Pastor E Adeboye

THE ULTIMATE PROMOTER But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. - (Psalm 3:3) READ: 1 Samuel 2:7-9 When I was studying for my Master's degree, there was a young man who was working in a professor's office as a messenger. In those days, there were no mobile phones, so whenever someone called the office phone to speak with the professor, the boy would answer the phone first before taking it to the professor. Most times, however, whenever he answered the phone, the people on the other end of the call would say, "Prof," thinking it was the professor who had answered. After some time, the boy began to call himself 'Prof,' and people joined in, jokingly calling him the same. One day, he said to himself, "Hey, I know that people jokingly call me 'Prof, but I can really become a professor." By the time I left the University of Lagos as a lecturer, he was already studying for his PhD. Today's Bible reading says that God can lift beggars from the dunghill and sit them among princes. I can relate to this because I had no shoes for the first 18 years of my life, yet by God's special grace, I have met many heads of state and engaged in lengthy conversations with them. The same God who promoted me can also promote you, if you surrender all to Him. Some people experience what can be called 'normal' promotions in life. A good example of this is when people make steady progress in their careers. They might get salary increases once every year, and as they work hard, they get promoted once every five years. While this is good, I know that God has greater plans for His children. In John 10:10, Jesus said that He came to the earth that we might have life and have it more abundantly. God wants you to enjoy promotion that is beyond normal; He wants you to enjoy supernatural promotion. David was someone who experienced supernatural promotion. One day, he was on the field tending his father's sheep, and the next day, the Ultimate Promoter arranged for him to be anointed as a king (1 Samuel 16:11-13). Beloved, the key to experiencing supernatural promotion is to humble yourself before God and live in total obedience to Him. When you do this, He will exalt you in due time and crown your life with His glory (1 Peter 5:6). I pray that the Ultimate Promoter will give you a supernatural promotion before the end of this year, in Jesus' name. PRAYER POINT: Father, I ask for supernatural promotion in every area of my life, in Jesus' name. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 41-43 Open Heaven Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye

INPUT DETERMINES OUTPUT 2 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. - (Luke 12:48) READ: Matthew 25:14-30 Referencing the example I gave in the first paragraph of yesterday's teaching, if God gives you an assignment, He will provide you with the resources you need to execute it. Some of those resources will be around you, and others will be within you. As we see in today's memory verse, to whom much is given, much is expected, so the more resources God gives you, the more results He expects from you. People who feel that God has not given them enough resources must be careful that they do not become like the servant who despised the talent his master gave him, as we read in today's Bible reading. Some people feel that the resources they have are insufficient and try to wait for God to give them something better or more before they can start being faithful with the little they have. Beloved, this is a wrong mindset. A person who cannot be faithful with what he or she has received should not expect to receive more. God only gives more to those who have proven themselves faithful in little things. I hail from a village that was not on the map. My father was so poor that people who were also poor called him poor. Even though my parents were poor and I did not have many resources growing up, God gave me one talent, and that is my brain. I used the talent God gave me very effectively by studying diligently, and gradually, I acquired many more resources with it. The Lord gave me salvation in 1973, and from that point onward, I became a very useful vessel in His hands. When I reflect on the great things God has enabled me to achieve despite the limited resources I started out with, I always praise the Lord for His faithfulness. Indeed, when a fellow is faithful with little, more will be committed to him or her. Child of God, look around and within you, and you will see all the great gifts that God has given to you. Don't fail Him; please, use those gifts to win more souls to the Kingdom of God. Use them to gain so much influence that when you speak, people will be willing to listen and serve the same God that you serve. I pray that the Almighty God will use you to accomplish mighty things in His Kingdom as you serve Him faithfully with the gifts He has given you, in Jesus' name. REFLECTION: Are you serving God faithfully with the gifts He has given you? BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 28-30 Open Heaven Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye

YOUR SALVATION IS NOT FOR SALE For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? - (Mark 8:36) READ: Matthew 26:15, 27:3-5 In today's world, many people are selling their salvation for all kinds of mundane things. Some have sold their salvation for money, while others have sold it for fame or positions. There is, however, nothing in this world that is worth trading your salvation for. Anything that a person wants to acquire that will require the person to commit a sin is a trap of the enemy to get the fellow to sell his or her salvation and end up in hell. In Matthew 16:26, Jesus asked His disciples, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" These questions still apply to us today. There is no gain in trading the salvation of your soul for anything because nothing in this world is as precious as your soul. Esau is an example of someone who traded something precious for something mundane and temporary. In Genesis 25:29-34, he chose to despise his privileged position in his father's house for just a bowl of pottage. He sold his birthright so cheaply just because he was hungry, and in Hebrews 12:17, the Bible says that he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. In like manner, Judas sold his salvation for money in today's Bible reading. He threw everything he had learnt from Jesus down the drain for 30 pieces of silver. Whatever lures a person to trade his or her salvation only wants to destroy the fellow. It might offer immediate pleasure and instant gratification, but the devil ultimately aims to use it to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). One way the devil tries to lure believers into trading their salvation is by making them believe that some sins are not as important as others and telling them that such sins do not matter. However, there is no act of sin that is not significant; every sinful act matters in God's sight. Every little compromise is a step out of His protective and merciful covering. Ecclesiastes 10:8 says that a serpent will bite whoever breaks a hedge. In other words, sin exposes a fellow to the attack of the enemy. Beloved, do not toy with sin because it only offers a one-way ticket to hell. I pray that you will not trade the salvation of your soul for anything in the world, in Jesus' name. KEY POINT: Nothing is worth losing the salvation of your soul over. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 15-17 Open Heaven Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye

NOT BY MIGHT Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. - (Zechariah 4:6) READ: Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 What a person will become during his or her sojourn on earth will not depend solely on the fellow's efforts. African elders have an adage that says, 'Hustling and bustling does not translate to wealth.' This is true because, for instance, dockworkers who offload cargo from a ship from sunrise to sunset typically would earn only a fraction of what the Chief Executive Officer of a wharf, who sits in an air-conditioned office, sipping tea and merely signing documents, would earn. At the end of a month, the fellow's salary might even be more than what a hefty, hardworking dockworker will earn in a whole year! Today's Bible reading makes it clear that the fact that a fellow can run swiftly does not mean that he or she will win a race, and the fact that a fellow is strong does not mean that he or she will defeat an enemy. The passage goes on to say that bread is not to the wise, neither are riches to men of understanding. This means that a fellow's advanced level of education alone will not determine how wealthy he or she will become. I recall that I was in Redemption Camp (now Redemption City) sometime between 1983 and 1984, spending time alone with God, and crying to Him. I said, "God, I'm not asking for clothes, a car, or a house. I was minding my business as a lecturer at the university when You asked me to come and serve You. I agreed, and I really want to serve You; however, I need power to do Your work. I don't want to be an ordinary pastor; I want to excel." In desperation, I added, "God, it is either You empower me, or You take me home." My prayer touched Him, and that night, the entire campground shook due to an earthquake that sent tremors as far as ljebu Ode, a town several kilometres away. The Lord visited me and empowered me with His anointing to excel. Beloved, you need God's anointing to excel. It is God who gives power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), it is only His anointing that can teach you everything you need to know (1 John 2:27), and it is only through Him that you can do all things (Philippians 4:13). This is why you must cry out to God to anoint you just as I did several years ago. I pray that my Daddy will empower you to excel, in Jesus' name. PRAYER POINT: Dear Lord, please visit me and empower me to excel, in Jesus' name. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 9-11 Open Heaven Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye

THE KEYS TO FREEDOM 2 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; - (Deuteronomy 30:15) READ: Exodus 21:1-6 Yesterday, I mentioned that admitting there is a burden and recognising the need for God's help to remove it is the first step that people who are under the yoke of satan must take to become free from his bondage. Today, I will discuss the next step that such people must take to gain their freedom. While admitting the need for help is the first step to gaining freedom from satan's bondage, the second step is to be willing to be helped. In John 5:2-9, Jesus asked a man who had been sick for 38 years, "Do you want to be made whole?" Ordinarily, one would think that there is no need to ask a man who had suffered for so long if he wanted to be made whole. However, Jesus asked him the question because He knew that not everyone wants to be helped; some people love their burdens and do not want to be set free from them. Today's Bible reading tells us that when slaves love their chains, their owners should pierce their ears and brand them as slaves for life. No matter how long a slave has been in slavery, the day such a fellow decides that he or she wants to be free marks the beginning of his or her journey to freedom. For example, the day the woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9:20-22 sought Jesus for her deliverance was the day her bondage of 12 years disappeared. The Almighty God can deliver anyone who is under the devil's yoke, even a lawful captive (Isaiah 49:24-26); however, he or she must be willing to be delivered. Beloved, any Christian who is still indulging in the pleasures of sin is under the devil's bondage and is clearly not willing to be free. Anyone who claims to be a believer but keeps company with people who lure him or her to sin is under satan's yoke and cannot be free until he or she decides to cut off such relationships. It is not enough for a person to just declare that he or she wants to be free; the person's actions must show a willingness to be free. Such a person must live a holy life and must be committed to praying, studying the Bible regularly, and fellowshipping with other believers. God will fight for such a person and give him or her total freedom. REFLECTION: Are you submitting to the devil in any area of your life? BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 25-28 Open Heaven Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye

THE KEYS TO FREEDOM 1 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. - (Psalm 72:12) READ: Mark 10:46-52 God does not want anyone to be under satan's yoke. This is why Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). God is more than able to break the enemy's yoke over anyone (Isaiah 10:27), but such a person must first admit that he or she needs to be delivered. Years ago, a man brought his wife to me and said, "Daddy, help me. My wife is a witch." I asked the woman if it was true, and she denied it. I then told her that if she was indeed a witch, as her husband claimed, we could pray with her, and she would be delivered. However, she insisted that she wasn't a witch because she wasn't willing to be delivered. I then prayed, "If you're not a witch, you will continue to prosper; however, if you are, I bind whatever demon is operating in you." Three months later, she was brought back to me with her body so swollen, as she had doubled in size! Apparently, the demon that I bound inside her and had been feeding on her and defecating in her. The first step for someone who is under the devil's yoke to become free is for the fellow to admit that there is a burden that he or she needs to be freed from. Until the fellow makes such an admission, he or she cannot be free. Likewise, if the person is okay with where he or she is and is satisfied with sickness, loneliness, barrenness, sorrow, or pain, he or she will remain under the burden of satan. Sometime ago, a man was coughing badly, and he was brought to me for prayers. In the past, I would have gone ahead and prayed for him without asking questions, but from experience, I had learnt to ask questions. Therefore, I asked him, "Sir, how can I help you?" Even though it was clear that he was sick, I knew that I needed to ask him what he really wanted, just as Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted in today's Bible reading. To my surprise, the man said, "I want you to pray that the cough leaves slowly." Beloved, are you under satan's yoke in any area of your life? Admit that you need God's help and cry to Him to break it off immediately and completely. He will come to your aid speedily and deliver you, in the mighty name of Jesus. KEY POINT: The first step to gaining freedom from the devil's yoke is to admit the need for help. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 20-24 Open Heaven Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye