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Saturday 6 August 2016

Open Heavens 6 August 2016: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Power of Testimony

Topic: The Power of Testimony [Saturday 6, August 2016]
Memorise: 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. – Revelation 12:11
Read: 1 Samuel 17:32-37 (KJV)
 32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
Bible in One Year: 1 Peter 5 – 2 Peter 1-3, Psalms 29
MESSAGE:
 Testimonies are assets in prayers that authenticate the reality of what God will do in your life. The power of testimonies put you above your problems and destroys all lies and deceits of the devil concerning all that the Almighty God has promised you.
“Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” - Psalms 119:111
 Those who give testimonies of what God does in their lives are committing God into sustaining what He has done. It is through the power of your testimony that your miracle becomes permanent. I decree that the Almighty God will do something great in your life that can never be hidden in Jesus’ name.
 You need faith to receive all that God has promised, and one of the ways to bring those promises to fulfilment is by testifying of the goodness of the Lord. It is by faith that you receive boldness to come before the presence of the Almighty God to access your rightful blessings. All those who have done great things are people who are given to testifying of the deeds of God in their lives so that others can also ‘key’ into their encounters. David defeated Goliath before the physical battle by the word of testimony. He knew that by his experience and age, he was not fit enough to confront Goliath in a physical battle. Goliath cursed him, and he also cursed Goliath by the name of his God and that same God gave him the victory he testified about. When you come face to face with situations and circumstances that are beyond you, remember that there is a God that will never leave you nor forsake you. All you need to do is believe His plans for you and live it while waiting for it to come to pass. When battles rise against you, remind God of all His acts in your life and in the lives of others before now. You can be sure that He can repeat in your life whatever He has done for someone. If your medical report is not favourable, remember there is a God who has over turned the medical report of more critical situations and believe that yours will not be impossible for Him to do. When you remind God of all that He has done in the past, you are invoking His faithfulness and compelling Him to reproduce the act.
 The people that know their God shall be strong and they shall do exploits. With the power of testimony, it becomes very easy to do great exploits. All you have to do is to know the God you serve. David knew the God he was serving. Daniel knew the God he was serving. Elijah knew the God he was serving. Esther knew the God she was serving. Joshua knew the God he was serving and he declared boldly that he was not among those who saw themselves as grasshoppers. He knew through the acts of His God that they were more than able to possess the land and enter into their promised destiny. You must not be afraid to dominate. You must see yourself as a champion who is triumphant. Your faith in His promises must never be shaken. You carry divinity and there is nothing in life that can conquer you. I decree that your testimonies shall overflow in Jesus’ name.
Key Point: Every closed mouth is equal to a closed destiny.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
 iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Friday 5 August 2016

Popular Comedian Basketmouth shares his thought on CBN's new money transfer policy

CBN has stopped all privately owned money transfer companies from wiring money, leaving only three foreign owned companies to do it. Comedian Basketmouth thinks this is a wrong move as it will make life more difficult for Nigerians. See the rest of what he posted after the cut...

Alert on Superbugs: A bigger threat than cancer by 2050?

Studies warn superbugs will kill 10 million people a year by 2050, making them a bigger killer than cancer.
 In The Rise of India’s Superbugs, 101 East reporter Yaara Bou Melhem travels to India – ground zero for one of the most serious threats to global health in our time.
“Antibiotics have saved millions of young lives here but now a new threat has emerged,” says Melhem. “These drugs are no longer proving effective and instead are creating lethal superbugs that no antibiotics can treat.”
A recent study of newborns by one of the world’s leading microbiology researchers, professor Ramanan Laxminarayan, estimates 58,000 babies die in India, each year, from superbugs.
 "India is absolutely in the front line for the problem of antibiotic resistance globally,” says professor Laxminarayan. “India has the highest number of newborns that die of drug resistance infections, which means an infection which could not be treated by the typical first line antibiotics.”
Professor Laxminarayan says it’s not just India’s overcrowding, poverty and poor sanitation that are creating superbugs here. “The biggest contributors are the misuse and overuse of antibiotics,” he says. “The country’s use of them is spiraling out of control.”
Using a hidden camera, Melhem documents how easy it is to buy antibiotics over the counter in India, without a prescription.
“I’m actually a little bit shocked at how easy that was,” she says afterwards. “Even though I was deliberately vague and didn’t really know what dosage I wanted or said that I only wanted a strip of the antibiotics, which is obviously not the full course.”
70 000 babies are born every day in India, more than any other country in the world. With their weak immune systems, newborns are most at risk from superbugs.
 Dr. Vinod Paul, a leading paediatrician from All India Institute of Medical Science, has just completed a study on antibiotic resistance in 15,000 high-risk newborns in India, which will be published in the leading medical journal The Lancet later this year.
“We found that 60-80% of organisms that cause infections in newborns in our country are resistant to the kind of antibiotics that we normally use,” says Dr. Paul. “We are dealing with pathogens which are unusually tough and a fair proportion of them are now smarter than the antibiotics that we use on them.”
This isn’t just an Indian problem: NDM1 – an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to a broad range of antibiotics – was discovered seven years ago in a Swede who’d been travelling in India but has now spread to more than 70 countries.  “In this age of international travel, superbugs can spread with alarming ease, threatening lives across the world,” says Melhem.
 The Rise of India’s Superbugs premieres on Al Jazeera English at 2230 GMT on 11 August 2016 on 101 East, Al Jazeera’s award-winning weekly current affairs programme focusing on a diverse range of stories across Asia and the Pacific. It repeats on 12 August at 0930 GMT, 13 August at 0330 GMT, 14 August at 1630 GMT, and 15 August at 0530 GMT.


Flatimes

Open Heavens 5 August 2016: Friday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Stolen Bread?

Topic: Stolen Bread? [Friday 5, August 2016]
Memorise: Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. – Proverbs 20:17
Read: Ephesians 4:28 (KJV)
 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Bible in One Year: 1 Peter 1-4, Psalms 28
MESSAGE:
 We live in a time when the nature of man is so selfish that all he does is think about himself continually. How much can I get? What will I gain? What do I have at stake? Of what interest will this be to me? This is why you see people transferring the resources meant for an entire nation into their private coffers. They are happy to collect the contract amount given for the construction of public roads only to complete such roads on paper alone. The better ones among them do a bad job and pocket the rest despite inflating the cost of completion. After all, they will not drive on such roads. When the Judgement of God comes upon those who do this, their ends are always terrible. Some of them use such monies to train their children in the best schools available and such children end up killing them. Some of them use such money to build estates and such estates become desolate in the future.
 Lazy people look for any excuse not to work. They want cheap money. They want to live in luxury without paying the price. This is why you see a lot of value being eroded in the social system today. People are no longer ready to task their minds. Some people sit with their computers the whole day, looking for people to defraud. How do you think you can have an enduring blessing through such means? There are some market women who use unequal weights in the scale to measure what they sell to unsuspecting customers. If you do this, it is to your own peril. Such people will never be blessed by God. Some are involved in fraudulent business practices, exploiting others for their own gain. They think they are making it at the moment, but the truth is that such gains bring much sorrow. Lazy people who do not work will end in poverty because they lack understanding. Those who are sleeping when they should be working will end up serving those who are industrious.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” - Galatians 6:7
 As long as you choose to remain lazy, you will never encounter a divine touch, because God himself is hard working. One of the great virtues that fathers can leave for their children is a heritage of integrity. There is only one path to true increase and that is gathering wealth by honest means. It may take a longer time than you expected, but you can be sure that at the end, you will have peace of mind. There are things money cannot buy. Money cannot buy happiness and joy and this is why you need to understand that there is no need to play smart. The little you earn from what you do legitimately will attract the blessing of God, as opposed to those who earn millions by fraudulent means. The scripture says;
“Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.” - Proverbs 28:6
 Don’t envy sinners who are prosperous. It is foolishness to do so because you can easily tell what their end will be.
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” - Proverbs 13:11
 Those who gather wealth unjustly are doing so in readiness for devourers. They will never be able to explain how they spend such money.
Key Point: Whatever you get non-legitimately cannot last.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
 iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Thursday 4 August 2016

firefighter who died saving lives during Emirates emergency accident laid to rest: Photo

A firefighter from the airport civil defence died saving lives during the firefighting operations after an Emirates aircraft caught fire while landing at Dubai International airport on Wednesday.

Jassim Eissa Mohammed Hassan Al Balochi was buried today in Al Salehiya cemetery, Ras Al Khaimah. Shaikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah attended the funeral.

Just Top 5 ways the current economic crisis is affecting the everyday life of Nigerians

It is no secret that the Nigerian economy is in crisis. In the last six months, the official Nigerian currency, Naira, has fallen by almost 50% and there has been an increasing change in the price of goods and services. With pay increases lagging behind and the inflation soaring, the wallet of most Nigerians continue to take a beating as the cost of living increases in just about every aspect of daily life.
 Jumia Travel, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking portal, lists the top 5 ways the crisis is affecting  the everyday life of Nigerians.
Decreased job opportunities
 From prospective civil servants to bricklayers just looking for an hour’s pay, citizens in the country are now faced with extreme difficulty in securing job opportunities as most employers can no longer afford to pay as much as they used and are instead laying off staff to ensure they maintain operations. Even marketers and sellers can no longer make as much sales as they used to and most have closed shop, as consumers now tend to buy less, switch to less-expensive substitutes or drive farther to find bargains.
Increase in cost of living
 The recent times have witnessed significant increase in food, fuel and utility costs. This means that less money remains once these necessities are paid for, leaving little for savings or discretionary spending. While the effect of this hike in cost of living has affected almost all citizens in their daily life, the rising prices have hit the lower and middle classes especially hard. It is quite difficult to keep up with the rising cost of living when your paycheck is not growing at a similar rate.
Higher security risks
 There are increased incidents of theft and kidnapping for ransom around the nation. It is getting hard to earn an honest living and some who feel like they have no other choice give in to different vices and extort money from others either by conning them, or forcefully taking it from them. The people, both rich and poor, are therefore more prone to security risks; and the culprits when caught, face the prospect of jail term.
Reduced access to credit and trade financing
 The economic crisis in Nigeria is friendly to debtor’s but of huge disadvantage to creditors as thanks to the continued inflation,  amount borrowed will eventually deteriorate in value so that the debtor pays back less money and the creditor receives less money. This has been harder for financial institutions, including banks to give out loans in recent times to prospective entrepreneurs and traders and as such, most are finding it hard to keep their businesses afloat or grow them any further than it already is.
 Depression
 The economic crisis has ensured the life of the average Nigerian is becoming more difficult by the day. A majority of Nigerians are suffering from depression and as such, are now finding it hard to go on with their daily lives. In a bid to make ends meet many stay on the hustle and are forced to manage all kinds of stress, from physical to emotional. This has led to an increase in death rate and a decrease in fertility rate in the country.
By Nkem Ndem, PR Associate at Jumia Travel

Open Heavens 4 August 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Believing Lies?

Topic: Believing Lies? [Thursday 4, August 2016]
Memorise: Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. – Psalms 120:2
Read: 1 Timothy 4:1-6 (KJV)
 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
 6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
Bible in One Year: James 1-5, Psalms 27
MESSAGE:
 There are many heresies spreading around us today, unfortunately, there are lots of people believing them. This is why true ministers of the gospel cannot just fold their hands. They have to make efforts to counter the bad philosophies around with the absolute truth of God’s Word. There is no better time for us to be aware and guard ourselves from being led astray by these erroneous teachings. The Bible warns us that if not careful even the very elect will deviate from the truth and follow after the deceptions of devious men, who, by the way, are skillful in leading men astray. Some of these teachers are popular and some of them are widely sought after; but be not deceived, the Word and Truth of God is greater than the personal profile of any minister. There are wolves in sheep’s clothing in the church today (Matthew 7:15-20). They teach one thing and practice another. They appear to be speaking the truth but they are living in error. When they talk, their words are very smooth and there is no error in their presentations. They make a lot of noise but they lack depth. If you watch closely, you will see that their conduct is contrary to the principles of godly living. They come with all sorts of theologies that have no bearing with the Word of God. They justify unholy living with the illusion that it is impossible for anyone to live holy. They explain away the truth of God’s Word just to make sinners comfortable in their sins. There is no rebuke, no reprove and no correction in their theology. They preach so much about the place of grace and give so much motivation about people’s freewill and liberty, forgetting that the Christian calling is not a call to lawlessness. They preach against the validity of the 10 commandments in the era of grace. Some teach that once saved you are forever saved and there is no need to work out your salvation with fear and trembling as the Bible says in Philippians 2:12. Some ask why you need to fast at all, since Jesus said it is finished.
 As a genuine minister and disciple of Jesus, there is the need for you to teach your members to be aware of these wrong teachings. The fact that many people listen to them do not mean they are approved of God. They are liars. You need to caution those in your church concerning heretic teachings that deny the fundamental principles of Christianity. Don’t allow your members to stray away from the truth. Expose them to the truth of God’s Word very often so that they can stand against the lies of the devil. Some churches have become mere social and entertainment centres where members only gather of fantasies and entertainment purposes. You cannot see them leading salvation prayers or asking lost souls to come to the altar to forsake their sins. Many people do not want to hear the truth of God’s Word and that is why the church is saturated today with many false and fake ministers. How can you be comfortable in a church where the pastor has two wives? What will you expect such pastors to tell their members? Some members prefer to run from one prophet to another who will ‘see things’ for them and deceive them that God has spoken when God has said nothing. They are looking for prophetic declarations from ‘great men of God’ even when they don’t know the spirit behind such declarations.
Action Point: Beware of wolves in sheep clothing.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
 iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Wednesday 3 August 2016

Notorious armed robbery kingpin in Calabar found with multiple matchete cuts and stab wounds: Photos

They say one day for the thief and one day for the owner! The body of a notorious kingpin identified as one Papa Morino Monday, was found along Parliamentary Extension Calabar, Cross River State.

'You'll probably go down as the worst president in the history of our country' Trump tells Obama

President Barack Obama on Tuesday blasted Donald Trump, saying he was unfit to be president and even criticized the Republican party for supporting Trump. Trump has now fired back at Obama saying he and Clinton are responsible for destabilizing the Middle East and helping ISIS grow.

Pres. Buhari recieves former President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock: Photos

As culled from LIB,President Buhari this afternoon received former President Goodluck Jonathan at the state house Abuja. Speaking with state house correspondents after their closed door meeting which lasted for 20 minutes, Jonathan said he was in Aso Rock to brief President Buhari of his recent international engagements. More photos after the cut.

Open Heavens 3 August 2016: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Are you growing in Grace?

Topic: Are you growing in Grace? [Wednesday 3, August 2016]
Memorise: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. – 2 Peter 3:18
Read: Luke 2:39-40 (KJV)
 39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Bible in One Year: Hebrews 11-13, Psalms 26
 MESSAGE:
 Show me a man that is doing great exploits in life and in ministry and I will show you a man that is growing in the grace and knowledge of the Almighty God. It is the grace of the Almighty God that makes us vessels of honour and beneficiaries of this grace; we need to continue to grow in it so that we will not run out of it. By virtue of our past, none of us will be qualified to be amongst the chosen of God, but the grace and mercy of God qualifies us. It was His grace that brought us salvation and not our works. It was the grace of God that blotted out the handwriting of the devil against all the sins we had committed. The devil stood to accuse us before the Almighty God, but His mercy stood in for us. Long ago when I was a lecturer in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, a woman brought her sick child to me for prayers as she had been told to come see me; a man of God. When she arrived and discovered that I was the man of God she was asked to see, she couldn’t hide her shock because she knew how bad I was in the past. Only the grace of God could have taken me from being a ‘great sinner’ to being a ‘man of God’. The moment we come to the truth of the gospel, there is an expectation from us. There is an expectation to live a life of holiness. A personal knowledge of God is necessary to enable us obtain His best for our lives. As God reveals Himself to us daily, we in turn, must reveal Him to others.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” - Ephesians 2:8
 The grace of God is available in abundance, but must not be taken for granted. We must use the grace that we have received to be a blessing to others. The grace of God makes the forgiveness of sin possible. This is why every child of God must have a big heart to ‘let go’. You must not hold anything against anyone. Others may, but you cannot; because you are expected to be growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. The grace of God helps us to stand in the gap in the place of prayer. This makes it necessary for us to seek the face of God on behalf of those that God has committed to our trust. We must always remember that it is Jesus that has chosen us out of His own divine grace (John 15:16).
 Despite the antecedents of Saul, God chose Him. Jeremiah was chosen and ordained even before his birth. With all these examples and stories of our time, it is wisdom to make the best choice of allowing God to have His way in our lives. We must glorify God in all we do. We must continue to grow in Him and never allow His investment to go to waste. We must justify His being interested in us by living holy and being a blessing to the Body of Christ with all the talents, abilities, endowments and gifts He has given us. Don’t allow yourself to be led astray by the immoral conduct of those who have given themselves to the lust of the flesh. It is the responsibility of every one to grow in the things of the Spirit and the motivation required for this has been given through the revelation of His grace through the cross.
Prayer Point: Father, cause me to grow daily in your grace and knowledge in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
 iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Tuesday 2 August 2016

Don't marry a man who doesn't have a job- Pastor Adeboye advises women: Video

Pastor Adeboye also advised women not to marry a man who has no job.
"Don't marry a man who has no job. Before God gave Adam Eve, he gave him a job. He said this is the garden, keep it. So those who come to you and say sister, thus saith the lord, you are going to be the star in my firmament, ask him what is his job.

Donald Trump camp says Clinton is 'linked to ISIS' organisation

Trump campaign seizes on five-week old report that French manufacturer Lafarge made deals with ISIS to keep its cement plant running
•Trump campaign blasted out  release from advisor Stephen Miller saying Clinton 'refuses to tell the truth about radical Islam's war against people of different beliefs, lifestyles and values'
•Clinton Foundation accepted contribution from Lafarge valued at between $50,000 and $100,000
•Trump campaign says Clinton 'has accepted money from a company linked to ISIS'
•Claims she is tied to 'brutal' regimes 'more than any major presidential nominee in modern history'
Donald Trump's campaign, which has already blasted Hillary for failing to contain ISIS, is now charging she is 'linked' to the group because of a French company's contribution to the Clinton foundation.
“More than any major presidential nominee in modern history, Hillary Clinton is tied to brutal theocratic and Islamist regimes,' according to a statement by Trump campaign senior advisor Stephen Miller.
'Now we learn she has accepted money from a company linked to ISIS. All the while, she refuses to tell the truth about radical Islam's war against people of different beliefs, lifestyles and values.”
The campaign cited as evidence for its charge a June 21 report in France's Le Monde, which catalogues efforts by cement company Lafarge's efforts to maintain operation and protect workers at its Jalabiya cement works, near Aleppo.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3718928/Now-Trump-camp-says-Clinton-linked-ISIS-charges-Hillary-tied-brutal-theocratic-Islamist-regimes.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

Open Heavens 2 August 2016: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Come back Home

Topic: Come back Home [Tuesday 2, August 2016]
Memorise: There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked. – Isaiah 48:22
Read: Isaiah 48:18-22 (KJV)
 18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
 19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
 20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
 21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
 22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
Bible in One Year: Hebrews 9-10, Psalms 25
 MESSAGE:
 There was a point in the life of the children of Israel when God had to bring to their remembrance what He had done for them. He had to draw their attention to their rebellion over the years starting from the point when He used Moses to deliver them from captivity. The children of Israel soon forgot the faithfulness of God and began to attribute their freedom and victory to idols. How easy it is for us to forget the investments of God in our lives. He delivered them from their afflictions. He made them partakers of His glorious presence. He guided them and led them through the wilderness. He never left them alone for a moment. He enlightened them and guided them to their destinations. Yet, they began to praise the idols they had made with their hands. God tried different methods to get their attention but they ignored Him. He sent them prophets and raised judges for them. He sent His servants to them to forewarn them of the consequences of their actions and occasionally appeared to them but they never listened until they met their destruction. They forgot the reason for which they were called ‘the people of God. They refused to retain God in their knowledge; they trusted in their idols and intellects, and as a result began to engage in what was not convenient until they lost the peace and joy of the living God.
 This is also true of the time and days we live in. God wants us to come back to His love, despite our state of wickedness. God is still interested in having us to Himself for our good. There is great joy and happiness for those who repent and come back to God. The opportunity is here and I want you to take advantage of the grace of God that is available now. Choose good and not evil. Choose life and not death. Choose blessing and not curse. There can never be peace for a wicked man because he is a stranger and an enemy of God. There is no peace for those who stand in opposition to the Almighty God. They do so to their own peril. Unspeakable happiness and joy comes to those who align themselves with God but uneasiness, fear, sorrow, trouble and destruction comes to those who forget where He is bringing them from. When you are on the Lord’s side, there will be quietness, peace, calm and comfort because you are a friend to God and not an enemy.
 Like the prodigal son, you may have wasted all that has been committed into your hands. You may have gone beyond where help can reach you but the grace of God is longer than the stretch of your iniquities, therefore return home. Remove rebellion from your heart. Let there be light and a change of heart. Make a fresh resolution that you won’t backslide again.
“Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!” - Psalms 81:13
 As you make this strong decision, you will begin to see the peace you desire in your heart. All the good your heart has desired and all the comfort you have ever longed for becomes a reality. Your peace is a function of His presence in your life. Begin to relate with Him daily, praise and worship Him. See His Word as what you must feed on and obey Him even when you don’t seem to understand. As you do this, you will enjoy the prosperity and protection of the Almighty God. His blessings in your life will never be interrupted and you will continue to enjoy all that God has to give.
Prayer Point: Father, please help me to return to you fully
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
 iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

64th Annual Convention: RCCG announces measures for hitch-free programme

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has announced strict measures for a hitch-free 64th annual convention of the church, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 1, and run till Sunday,  August 7. The convention, with the theme  AMEN’ which literally means so shall it be, will be preceded by a four-day ministers’ conference which starts on Thursday.
 In his welcome address, the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, said: “Amen as we all know is one of the names of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are, therefore, coming into this convention to encounter the AMEN.”
A statement signed by Head, RCCG Media & Public Relations Department, Pastor Segun Adegbiji, said members, delegates and non-members were expected from about 190 countries  where RCCG had presence. According to him, the word from Pastor Adeboye and other ministers would be robust, while music would be rich, as children, youth and adults would have roles to play. He then urged participants to take advantage of the numerous arrangements put in place to help them have a wonderful camp experience and a memorable time in the Lord’s presence.
 Adegbiji said RCCG buses in the church’s colours would be at the headquarters of all RCCG Provinces in Lagos and South West Regions of Nigeria from yesterday to convey interested persons to the Redemption camp.
 He added that Team Nehemiah had arranged LAG buses for shuttle services from the current Arena to the New 3×3 kilometer auditorium at Shimawa. On parking arrangements within the camp ground, Pastor Adegbiji explained that Car park G is strictly for Lagos worshippers while Odofin/Shimawa has been reserved for Ikorodu and members from Shagamu/Ibadan routes. Oloparun is for participants coming from Ogijo and exit to Lagos through Ikorodu; Shimawa  is for vehicles coming from Shimawa and Ikorodu, while commercial buses are to park at a section of Shimawa Car Park
Source:  www.vanguardngr.com

Monday 1 August 2016

Open Heavens 1 August 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Blessings from Above

Topic: Blessings from Above [Monday 1, August 2016]
Memorise: Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. – Deuteronomy 33:28
 Read: Deuteronomy 33:27-29 (KJV)
 27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
 28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
 29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
Bible in One Year: Hebrews 5:10-8:13, Psalms 24
MESSAGE:
 There are different kinds of blessings, but there is a kind of blessing that comes from God alone. This is the blessing that has no boundary. It is from above where God sits to coordinate the affairs of His people. Today, the blessing of God will locate you wherever you are in Jesus’ name. If you must prosper the way God desires, you cannot afford to ignore the presence of God. Those who have succeeded exceedingly in life are those whose source of blessing is God. When the presence of God is with you, He causes whatever you lay your hands upon to prosper. With little effort, you enjoy great favour and you become a channel of blessings to others around you.
 If you study the biblical men of faith; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you will notice that God was not only interested in giving  them blessings that will be sufficient for them alone, He was interested in blessing them to a point that they become channels of blessings to others. Do you know God can bless you so much that your driver becomes a millionaire just from driving you? He told Abraham.
“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
 The blessing that came from above into the life of Abraham made a great nation out of him. That blessing gave him such a great name that there was no nation where his name was not known.  The name attracted so many blessings to his life that he became a great possessor of vast expanses of land and today, his seed are all over the world. God can make you a man or woman of great wealth and power. No matter how dry your ground may be at the moment; He can raise greatness out of it and make your little one become a thousand. The outpouring of God’s blessing upon your life can move you beyond the point of daily provision and mere survival, to the point in which you become the talk of nations because of how frightening your blessings have become. Peter who toiled all night and caught nothing became the talk of the town when he experienced a net-breaking blessing. I have always said that a day is coming and that season is here for a reader of this devotional, that when you take your money to the bank, the bank manager will order that the branch be shut down for three days to other customers just because they are attending to you.
 For you to achieve this level of blessing, you need to understand that it will not come easy, but you need not be discouraged because God is ever faithful and He knows the path to take you through to get there. God is the fountain of all honour and it is from Him that promotion comes. What you are going through at the moment may not show that you are a candidate for this kind of blessing but you need to know that the plan and purpose of God for your life cannot be denied. Your faith and obedience will be tried. You need to be separated and set aside for God alone. Those who forsake their sins and turn to God will get blessings that they never bargained for. You have to take your mind off the mundane things of this world and step up into the higher ground of what God is prepared to do with your life.
Key Point: Until there is a departure from the little things, there will be no discovery of greater things.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
 iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Happy new month to all my esteemed readers

Happy new month to all my readers all over the world. I wish you all more joy and unlimited happinesss. This month will bring out good seeds in us.
Thanks to you for the support.

Sunday 31 July 2016

Open Heavens 31 July 2016: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Divine Backing

Topic: Divine Backing [Sunday 31, July 2016]
Memorise: There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. – Joshua 1:5
 Read: Joshua 1:1-7 (KJV)
 1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Bible in One Year: Hebrews 1:1-5:9, Psalms 23
MESSAGE:
 Divine backing is the support you receive supernaturally from the Almighty God. Without divine backing, hardly can any man succeed in life. This is because demonic activities in the world are out to frustrate mankind. The Bible says:
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” - Revelation 12:12
 In the memory verse for today, God encouraged Joshua to take up the spiritual mandate of leading His people to the Promised Land. Joshua was assured of divine backing when the Lord said:
“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” - Joshua 1:5
 God repeatedly encouraged Joshua to be courageous. No wonder he did great exploits in the Name of the Lord. When David faced Goliath, it was divine backing that saw him through the fight against the experienced giant. In response to the giant’s curses, David said:
“This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” – 1 Samuel 17:46
 David, prior to this time had been enjoying divine backing. It was this divine backing that enabled him to kill a lion and a bear that wanted to steal his father’s livestock. Beloved, you too will enjoy divine backing if you surrender your life to Jesus Christ today. Even as a believer, for you to enjoy divine backing, particularly in the ministry, you need to be broken and live in obedience to the Word of God. Jesus said:
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” - John 15:16
 Jesus chose you to win souls to His Kingdom and He promised to back you up by providing everything you request for. May the Lord give you supernatural support and the backing you need to succeed in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point: Father, please support me in all I do in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
 iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

#SaveMayowa Ahmed: The generosity and the good will of Nigerians and the rot in the system

Within three days, kind Nigerians had come together and donated 85 million Naira to a stage 4 cancer patient, Mayowa Ahmed.
 I have never seen such benevolence before. This noble gesture exonerates Nigerians mostly portrayed negatively in the media abroad. It also shows that Nigerians both home and abroad, can set positive examples in all spheres of our society.
 Unfortunately, most times, anything to do with huge amount of money ends up in a mess. I am not particularly going to express my opinion about the alleged scam involving the Ahmed family, but what concerns me is the rottenness exposed by this mess.
 The campaign led by the "Alakada" actress Toyin Aimakhu with the trending hashtag #SaveMayowa exposed the level of decay in our country, which can be traced to poor governance in the past. Government of any country must ensure they put in place necessary infrastructures for its citizens; such as good hospitals, roads and transportation. The saga highlights the need for transparency not just for those in government but every citizen of our great nation. The APC led government is working tirelessly to achieve this.

 Why are we unable to get definite answers from our doctors within the country and there is always the need to get second opinion abroad. In western countries like the United Kingdom, statistics shows that up to 5,000 doctors are Nigerians. These countries including the United States have many Nigerians occupying positions as  top doctors, matrons, lawyers, teachers, politicians and are leading in their various fields.
 Fighting corruption certainly does not end with the government alone, but citizens ought to be honest in their dealings. I pray for Mayowa Ahmed. God certainly still is in the business of healing people and will heal Mayowa totally. I just hope the funds are used for its sole purpose.
 By Adenike Lucas