Topic: The Blessing of Solitude I [Saturday 1, October 2016]
Memorise: And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. – Matthew 14:23
Read: Genesis 32:23-30 (KJV)
23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
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.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 25-27, Psalms 71:14-24
MESSAGE:
One of the characteristics of the eagle that we learn from the School of Disciples of the Redeemed Christian Church of God is its lonely lifestyle. We learn the virtues of a solitary lifestyle because more often than not, the crowd could be distracting. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in our memory verse for today, demonstrated the need to withdraw and be alone with God periodically. The Bible says in Matthew 14:23:
“And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”
What was Jesus doing alone? He was having fellowship with His Father and probably the angels were ministering to Him as we read in Matthew 4:11
In our text for today, Jacob was facing a frightening situation and he needed to sort some things out with his Maker. So, he decided to be alone after discharging his family to go before him. What he was doing could be assumed in the light of verse 9 to verse 26. There are many lessons we can learn from this story: Firstly, to be alone with God we must separate ourselves from the crowd. Secondly, to be alone with God requires denying ourselves the luxury of family fellowship and affection. Jacob parted with is family including the wife he laboured to have for fourteen years. The only time the Bible allows a temporary separation between the husband and the wife is when it comes to being alone with God. The Bible says:
“Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.” - 1 Corinthians 7:5
The third lesson we can learn from this story is that solitary living is of no use if you cannot get the best out of it. Jacob did not just isolate himself from the crowd, he had a nice and meaningful time with his Maker, and he did not miss out the essence when he said: “.., I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” (Genesis 32:26). I always pity people when they come for big meetings like the Holy Ghost service, Festival of life, Holy Ghost Congress, etc. and they sleep all through the programme, even while prayers are going on. These people left the luxury of their beds and comfortable houses, only to come here and waste their time in the presence of the Lord. Jacob did not do this; he went for the best from his God. Another lesson we can learn here is that as a result of this separation unto God, Jacob’s terrible past was erased and he was mightily blessed. Finally in this story, we learn that we don’t need the details of how God will perform our desperately needed miracles. All we need is faith to believe whatever the Lord says concerning us, either in His Word or through prophetic utterances from His genuine prophets. Jacob asked for the name of the man with whom he was wrestling and the man said that knowing his name was not necessary; all he needed was miracles and blessings, so he blessed him. This is a mighty reward of solitary living; being alone with God pays a lot. As you choose to separate yourself unto the Lord and away from the world, I pray that the blessings of the Lord shall characterise your separated life in Jesus’ name.
Action Point: Decide to dedicate some solitary time for prayer and have meaningful fellowship with your Maker.
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.
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Saturday, 1 October 2016
Friday, 30 September 2016
Open Heavens 30 September 2016: Friday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Grace, Not Disgrace
Topic: Grace, Not Disgrace [Friday 30, September 2016]
Memorise: As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. – Romans 9:33
Read: Psalms 23:1-6 (KJV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 23-24, Psalms 71:1-13
MESSAGE:
Grace is the favour of God to human beings. It is the demonstration of God’s goodwill towards humankind in the person of Jesus Christ, and the effects of that goodwill in human lives. The word is rarely found in the Old Testament but employed frequently in the New Testament, leading some to declare the New Testament period as the dispensation of grace. The Christian life is completely dependent upon the grace of God. God’s grace compensates for human weaknesses in that God shows Himself gracious in His dealings with human beings.
John 1:16-17 says:
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
God’s grace is abundant (Romans 5:17). This grace is not only abundant but can be exceeding in one’s life (2 Corinthians 9:14). Grace is one way God makes up for our short comings. Grace covers our human frailties. Through grace, God uses our very limited strength and resources to do the impossible. This He does by adding His own strength and resources to ours. With grace, you lack, limitations, and defects are fully covered. When you have exceeding grace, it means God’s provision far exceeds your need. Grace is in action at those times that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray in accordance with God’s will when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). When you have prayed, fasted and tried without measuring up to standard, then it is time to fall back on His grace. Grace can be accessed at varying measures. To some people, grace may be unavailable, to some, only a little, while some will have it in abundance, and for some others, grace will outnumber their needs. What level of grace do you have access to? If you want to access extreme levels of grace, do not frustrate God’s grace that is currently available upon you, do not waste it and do not become a storage tower of grace, but rather, be a channel of grace. Always use grace for the purpose it is given to you. Be gracious to others. Be generous. Live a holy life. 2 Corinthians 6:1 says:
“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”
God does not wish that we receive His grace in vain; He wants us to be progressive by growing in grace. God wants us to share His grace with others for them to taste and see that the Lord is good. May His glory fill the earth, that His name may be praised forever more.
Prayer Point: Father, let Your grace be sufficient for me. Please Lord; make me a distributor of Your grace.
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.
Memorise: As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. – Romans 9:33
Read: Psalms 23:1-6 (KJV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 23-24, Psalms 71:1-13
MESSAGE:
Grace is the favour of God to human beings. It is the demonstration of God’s goodwill towards humankind in the person of Jesus Christ, and the effects of that goodwill in human lives. The word is rarely found in the Old Testament but employed frequently in the New Testament, leading some to declare the New Testament period as the dispensation of grace. The Christian life is completely dependent upon the grace of God. God’s grace compensates for human weaknesses in that God shows Himself gracious in His dealings with human beings.
John 1:16-17 says:
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
God’s grace is abundant (Romans 5:17). This grace is not only abundant but can be exceeding in one’s life (2 Corinthians 9:14). Grace is one way God makes up for our short comings. Grace covers our human frailties. Through grace, God uses our very limited strength and resources to do the impossible. This He does by adding His own strength and resources to ours. With grace, you lack, limitations, and defects are fully covered. When you have exceeding grace, it means God’s provision far exceeds your need. Grace is in action at those times that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray in accordance with God’s will when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). When you have prayed, fasted and tried without measuring up to standard, then it is time to fall back on His grace. Grace can be accessed at varying measures. To some people, grace may be unavailable, to some, only a little, while some will have it in abundance, and for some others, grace will outnumber their needs. What level of grace do you have access to? If you want to access extreme levels of grace, do not frustrate God’s grace that is currently available upon you, do not waste it and do not become a storage tower of grace, but rather, be a channel of grace. Always use grace for the purpose it is given to you. Be gracious to others. Be generous. Live a holy life. 2 Corinthians 6:1 says:
“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”
God does not wish that we receive His grace in vain; He wants us to be progressive by growing in grace. God wants us to share His grace with others for them to taste and see that the Lord is good. May His glory fill the earth, that His name may be praised forever more.
Prayer Point: Father, let Your grace be sufficient for me. Please Lord; make me a distributor of Your grace.
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, 29 September 2016
Concept of spiritual intelligence
Definitions of spiritual intelligence rely on the concept of spirituality as being distinct from religiosity.
Danah Zohar defined 12 principles underlying spiritual intelligence:
◾Self-awareness: Knowing what I believe in and value, and what deeply motivates me.
◾Spontaneity: Living in and being responsive to the moment.
◾Being vision- and value-led: Acting from principles and deep beliefs, and living accordingly.
◾Holism: Seeing larger patterns, relationships, and connections; having a sense of belonging.
◾Compassion: Having the quality of "feeling-with" and deep empathy.
◾Celebration of diversity: Valuing other people for their differences, not despite them.
◾Field independence: Standing against the crowd and having one's own convictions.
◾Humility: Having the sense of being a player in a larger drama, of one's true place in the world.
◾Tendency to ask fundamental "Why?" questions: Needing to understand things and get to the bottom of them.
◾Ability to reframe: Standing back from a situation or problem and seeing the bigger picture or wider context.
◾Positive use of adversity: Learning and growing from mistakes, setbacks, and suffering.
◾Sense of vocation: Feeling called upon to serve, to give something back.
Robert Emmons defines spiritual intelligence as "the adaptive use of spiritual information to facilitate everyday problem solving and goal attainment. He originally proposed 5 components of spiritual intelligence:
1.The capacity to transcend the physical and material.
2.The ability to experience heightened states of consciousness.
3.The ability to sanctify everyday experience.
4.The ability to utilize spiritual resources to solve problems.
5.The capacity to be virtuous.
The fifth capacity was later removed due to its focus on human behavior rather than ability, thereby not meeting previously established scientific criteria for intelligence.
Frances Vaughan offers the following description: "Spiritual intelligence is concerned with the inner life of mind and spirit and its relationship to being in the world."
Wikipedia
Danah Zohar defined 12 principles underlying spiritual intelligence:
◾Self-awareness: Knowing what I believe in and value, and what deeply motivates me.
◾Spontaneity: Living in and being responsive to the moment.
◾Being vision- and value-led: Acting from principles and deep beliefs, and living accordingly.
◾Holism: Seeing larger patterns, relationships, and connections; having a sense of belonging.
◾Compassion: Having the quality of "feeling-with" and deep empathy.
◾Celebration of diversity: Valuing other people for their differences, not despite them.
◾Field independence: Standing against the crowd and having one's own convictions.
◾Humility: Having the sense of being a player in a larger drama, of one's true place in the world.
◾Tendency to ask fundamental "Why?" questions: Needing to understand things and get to the bottom of them.
◾Ability to reframe: Standing back from a situation or problem and seeing the bigger picture or wider context.
◾Positive use of adversity: Learning and growing from mistakes, setbacks, and suffering.
◾Sense of vocation: Feeling called upon to serve, to give something back.
Robert Emmons defines spiritual intelligence as "the adaptive use of spiritual information to facilitate everyday problem solving and goal attainment. He originally proposed 5 components of spiritual intelligence:
1.The capacity to transcend the physical and material.
2.The ability to experience heightened states of consciousness.
3.The ability to sanctify everyday experience.
4.The ability to utilize spiritual resources to solve problems.
5.The capacity to be virtuous.
The fifth capacity was later removed due to its focus on human behavior rather than ability, thereby not meeting previously established scientific criteria for intelligence.
Frances Vaughan offers the following description: "Spiritual intelligence is concerned with the inner life of mind and spirit and its relationship to being in the world."
Wikipedia
Open Heavens 29 September 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Sure Refuge
Topic: The Sure Refuge [Thursday 29, September 2016]
Memorise: The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. – Proverbs 18:10
Read: Philippians 2:9-11 (KJV)
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 21-22, Psalms 70
MESSAGE:
Refuge is used in the Bible as a reference to a secure shelter or a place of protection from danger or distress. A refuge is a stronghold that is commonly used for retreat, healing and renewal. Ultimately, refuge is a common metaphor for God in the Bible. 2 Samuel 22:3 says:
“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.”
In effect, God is our fortress, a strong tower, a rock of defence, our shield, a shade of protection, and a shelter in the time of storm. He is Mighty to deliver, Mighty to save, the Mighty man in battle and the Lord of hosts. What a father does, goes a long way in affecting the life of a child. Our Heavenly Father does not only neutralize weapons designed against His children, He also protects them from harm. Here is a story I have shared severally: In the 50’s while I was still very young, we had mining activities going on in my village and the roads were very narrow. Nigeria was still under colonial rule then. Normally, white men came in a jeep to collect the gold that the miners got. They were so powerful in those days that the villagers believed that if they killed your child, you have to tell them “thank you” so that you will not be sent to prison; they were dreaded. One day, my sister and I were returning from the farm when we suddenly heard the sound of a jeep coming at top speed. My sister immediately grabbed my hand and we both jumped out of its way, landing in an empty mine pit. We barely escaped the jeep but before we could heave a sigh of relief, we found ourselves before a snake. Because our Father can preserve lives, I lived to tell the story. In Luke 10:19, God empowered all believers in Christ over snakes, scorpions, power of the enemy, and over demonic agents and all their activities. I prophecy in the Name that is above all other names, God will protect you and defend everything that is yours this season in Jesus’ name. Psalms 20:7-8 says;
“7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”
The Word of God is trustworthy, reliable and dependable. Whatever you may be passing through, trust in God and call upon His name today, He will give you peace all round.
Prayer Point: Father, thank you for being my hiding place and my refuge, please keep me secure for the rest of my life 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.
Memorise: The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. – Proverbs 18:10
Read: Philippians 2:9-11 (KJV)
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 21-22, Psalms 70
MESSAGE:
Refuge is used in the Bible as a reference to a secure shelter or a place of protection from danger or distress. A refuge is a stronghold that is commonly used for retreat, healing and renewal. Ultimately, refuge is a common metaphor for God in the Bible. 2 Samuel 22:3 says:
“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.”
In effect, God is our fortress, a strong tower, a rock of defence, our shield, a shade of protection, and a shelter in the time of storm. He is Mighty to deliver, Mighty to save, the Mighty man in battle and the Lord of hosts. What a father does, goes a long way in affecting the life of a child. Our Heavenly Father does not only neutralize weapons designed against His children, He also protects them from harm. Here is a story I have shared severally: In the 50’s while I was still very young, we had mining activities going on in my village and the roads were very narrow. Nigeria was still under colonial rule then. Normally, white men came in a jeep to collect the gold that the miners got. They were so powerful in those days that the villagers believed that if they killed your child, you have to tell them “thank you” so that you will not be sent to prison; they were dreaded. One day, my sister and I were returning from the farm when we suddenly heard the sound of a jeep coming at top speed. My sister immediately grabbed my hand and we both jumped out of its way, landing in an empty mine pit. We barely escaped the jeep but before we could heave a sigh of relief, we found ourselves before a snake. Because our Father can preserve lives, I lived to tell the story. In Luke 10:19, God empowered all believers in Christ over snakes, scorpions, power of the enemy, and over demonic agents and all their activities. I prophecy in the Name that is above all other names, God will protect you and defend everything that is yours this season in Jesus’ name. Psalms 20:7-8 says;
“7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”
The Word of God is trustworthy, reliable and dependable. Whatever you may be passing through, trust in God and call upon His name today, He will give you peace all round.
Prayer Point: Father, thank you for being my hiding place and my refuge, please keep me secure for the rest of my life 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.
Germany blocks WhatsApp data transfers to Facebook
German data protection authorities on Tuesday said they had blocked Facebook from collecting subscriber data from its subsidiary WhatsApp, citing privacy concerns.
Facebook and WhatsApp promised in the wake of the Silicon Valley giant’s 2014 acquisition of the messaging app that they would not share data, Hamburg’s Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Johannes Caspar recalled in a statement.
He added that Facebook would be required to delete any data already received from WhatsApp in Germany.
“It has to be (the users’) decision whether they want to connect their account with Facebook,” Caspar said. “Facebook has to ask for their permission in advance.”
WhatsApp announced in August that it would begin sharing data with Facebook, in a bid to allow better targeted advertising and fight spam on the platform.
Currently, users of the instant messenger must opt out of sending information to Facebook through WhatsApp’s settings on their smartphone.
Caspar said that he had acted to protect the privacy of 35 million WhatsApp users in Germany — a fraction of some one billion worldwide — and that of people saved in their address books, whose details might also be forwarded under the data-sharing arrangement.
Facebook’s activities in German-speaking regions are managed through its subsidiary in Hamburg, placing the firm under the jurisdiction of the regulator in the northern port city.
Spokespeople for Facebook could not immediately be reached for comment on the ruling.
WhatsApp’s announcement that it would share information with Facebook came just four months after the service introduced end-to-end encryption by default, saying that the content of messages would become unreadable for anyone except the sender and receiver.
In mid-September, the European Commission recommended tighter privacy and security requirements for services including WhatsApp and Microsoft-owned video calling service Skype, saying they should be regulated more like traditional telecoms.
Subjecting the internet firms to such rules could force them to offer emergency calling services and to obey stricter privacy rules.
AFP
Facebook and WhatsApp promised in the wake of the Silicon Valley giant’s 2014 acquisition of the messaging app that they would not share data, Hamburg’s Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Johannes Caspar recalled in a statement.
He added that Facebook would be required to delete any data already received from WhatsApp in Germany.
“It has to be (the users’) decision whether they want to connect their account with Facebook,” Caspar said. “Facebook has to ask for their permission in advance.”
WhatsApp announced in August that it would begin sharing data with Facebook, in a bid to allow better targeted advertising and fight spam on the platform.
Currently, users of the instant messenger must opt out of sending information to Facebook through WhatsApp’s settings on their smartphone.
Caspar said that he had acted to protect the privacy of 35 million WhatsApp users in Germany — a fraction of some one billion worldwide — and that of people saved in their address books, whose details might also be forwarded under the data-sharing arrangement.
Facebook’s activities in German-speaking regions are managed through its subsidiary in Hamburg, placing the firm under the jurisdiction of the regulator in the northern port city.
Spokespeople for Facebook could not immediately be reached for comment on the ruling.
WhatsApp’s announcement that it would share information with Facebook came just four months after the service introduced end-to-end encryption by default, saying that the content of messages would become unreadable for anyone except the sender and receiver.
In mid-September, the European Commission recommended tighter privacy and security requirements for services including WhatsApp and Microsoft-owned video calling service Skype, saying they should be regulated more like traditional telecoms.
Subjecting the internet firms to such rules could force them to offer emergency calling services and to obey stricter privacy rules.
AFP
Nigerian man killed in Boxwood Jacksonville
This so sad! A 46-year-old man found shot to death Sunday night in the doorway of his Baymeadows Road home has been identified as Adekunle Peter Falowo, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Falowo was shot multiple times about 6:45 p.m. after he responded to someone banging on his front door at The Boxwood at Baymeadows condominiums at 4915 Baymeadows Road, police said.
Sgt. Jay Farhat said witnesses reported some kind of fight occurred after someone banged on Falowo’s door, then that person got into the condominium and shot him before fleeing in a dark two-door vehicle. Farhat said the shooting did not appear to have been random as the homicide investigation continues.
http://jacksonville.com/news/2016-09-28/victim-sunday-shooting-baymeadows-road-condominium-identified
Falowo was shot multiple times about 6:45 p.m. after he responded to someone banging on his front door at The Boxwood at Baymeadows condominiums at 4915 Baymeadows Road, police said.
Sgt. Jay Farhat said witnesses reported some kind of fight occurred after someone banged on Falowo’s door, then that person got into the condominium and shot him before fleeing in a dark two-door vehicle. Farhat said the shooting did not appear to have been random as the homicide investigation continues.
http://jacksonville.com/news/2016-09-28/victim-sunday-shooting-baymeadows-road-condominium-identified
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Open Heavens 28 September 2016: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – No Stopping, No Waiting
Topic: No Stopping, No Waiting [Wednesday 28, September 2016]
Memorise: And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. – Galatians 6:9
Read: Philippians 3:13-17 (KJV)
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 19-20, Psalms 69:22-36
MESSAGE:
Patience and long-suffering are indispensable virtues for all believers in Christ. In the first place, the race we are called into can only be run through patience because it is a marathon. Also, there is hardly any promise of God that can be fulfilled in the life of believers without the combination of faith and patience (Hebrews 6:12). As indispensable as faith is to a Christian, so also is patience. No wonder it is listed as part of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. Do you know that when your faith is being tried, God uses that trial to generate patience in you? This implies that the longer the period of trial, the greater your level of patience. But, when you fail to handle a particular trial of faith the way you should, it will not generate the level of patience that it should. For this reason, many who have gone through trials complaining saw God as an opposition, and therefore grumbled against Him. In the process, some even abandon the faith. This attitude is contrary to the Word of God as recorded in Hebrews 6:12:
“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Children of God must learn not to be weary in well doing because God has promised us a bountiful harvest if we faint not. We must completely trust in His superior wisdom to decide the timing of our blessings. For instance, He knows the end of every line of action even at the beginning of that action. This is why you must trust His sense of judgement at all times, because His decisions are not limited to what your eyes can see today but also what may happen tomorrow. Many years ago, while we lived in a part of Lagos that harboured several drug addicts and reckless drivers, my children asked me to buy them a bicycle. When I declined, they failed to understand. But after we relocated from that part of Lagos some years later, without a repeat of that request, I bought them the bicycle. If I had obliged their request the first time, they might not be alive today. God still deals with us based on what He knows about us today and tomorrow. Be sure that the Lord will not give you the blessing you are not prepared for, lest it destroys you.
Whenever an expected blessing is delayed or when faced with difficulties, long-suffering is required to remain composed. Even when the situation appears hopeless, just take time to read and study the Bible, asking God to give you a word for that situation. Grab whatever God says, obey and follow-up with action, then wait for the result, and you will never be disappointed.
Prayer Point: Father, please help me to patiently wait for your perfect timing in all things 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.
Memorise: And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. – Galatians 6:9
Read: Philippians 3:13-17 (KJV)
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 19-20, Psalms 69:22-36
MESSAGE:
Patience and long-suffering are indispensable virtues for all believers in Christ. In the first place, the race we are called into can only be run through patience because it is a marathon. Also, there is hardly any promise of God that can be fulfilled in the life of believers without the combination of faith and patience (Hebrews 6:12). As indispensable as faith is to a Christian, so also is patience. No wonder it is listed as part of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. Do you know that when your faith is being tried, God uses that trial to generate patience in you? This implies that the longer the period of trial, the greater your level of patience. But, when you fail to handle a particular trial of faith the way you should, it will not generate the level of patience that it should. For this reason, many who have gone through trials complaining saw God as an opposition, and therefore grumbled against Him. In the process, some even abandon the faith. This attitude is contrary to the Word of God as recorded in Hebrews 6:12:
“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Children of God must learn not to be weary in well doing because God has promised us a bountiful harvest if we faint not. We must completely trust in His superior wisdom to decide the timing of our blessings. For instance, He knows the end of every line of action even at the beginning of that action. This is why you must trust His sense of judgement at all times, because His decisions are not limited to what your eyes can see today but also what may happen tomorrow. Many years ago, while we lived in a part of Lagos that harboured several drug addicts and reckless drivers, my children asked me to buy them a bicycle. When I declined, they failed to understand. But after we relocated from that part of Lagos some years later, without a repeat of that request, I bought them the bicycle. If I had obliged their request the first time, they might not be alive today. God still deals with us based on what He knows about us today and tomorrow. Be sure that the Lord will not give you the blessing you are not prepared for, lest it destroys you.
Whenever an expected blessing is delayed or when faced with difficulties, long-suffering is required to remain composed. Even when the situation appears hopeless, just take time to read and study the Bible, asking God to give you a word for that situation. Grab whatever God says, obey and follow-up with action, then wait for the result, and you will never be disappointed.
Prayer Point: Father, please help me to patiently wait for your perfect timing in all things 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.
Sam Allardyce Sacked As England Manager
After one match and 67 days in charge, Sam Allardyce has been sacked as manager of the English football team for having behaved "inappropriately".
The 61-year-old's departure follows a Daily Telegraph investigation claiming he offered advice to a bogus group of Far East businessmen on how to get around rules on player transfers.
Allardyce was reported to have used his role to negotiate a deal worth £400,000 (NZ$713,000) to represent a Far East firm seeking advice on the transfer market.
The money would be paid for a series of visits and speeches, and though Allardyce made it clear to the meeting that any arrangement would have to be cleared with the FA and later apologised for what he described as an error of judgement, he was forced out of his dream job.
The FA said in a statement on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ Time): "Allardyce's conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error of judgement and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, The FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect."
"This is not a decision that was taken lightly but The FA's priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football.
"The manager of the England men's senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times."
Allardyce was appointed in July following the departure of Roy Hodgson after this year's European Championship and has overseen only the 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia.
One of the highest-paid managers in the game with a salary of about £3 million (NZ$5.35m) a year, Allardyce was secretly filmed by the Telegraph discussing England's failings with a group he had been told were businessmen with interests in Singapore and Hong Kong.
During his meetings with the newspaper's undercover reporters, Allardyce also criticised his predecessor Hodgson, referring to him as "Woy" and saying he "hasn't got the personality" for public speaking.
He leaves having become the shortest-serving England manager – albeit with a 100 per cent winning record.
Gareth Southgate will take charge of the England team for the next four matches against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain while the FA searches for a new manager, with Bournemouth's Eddie Howe the early bookmaker's favourite.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/84729587/England-manager-Sam-Allardyce-sacked-following-newspaper-sting
The 61-year-old's departure follows a Daily Telegraph investigation claiming he offered advice to a bogus group of Far East businessmen on how to get around rules on player transfers.
Allardyce was reported to have used his role to negotiate a deal worth £400,000 (NZ$713,000) to represent a Far East firm seeking advice on the transfer market.
The money would be paid for a series of visits and speeches, and though Allardyce made it clear to the meeting that any arrangement would have to be cleared with the FA and later apologised for what he described as an error of judgement, he was forced out of his dream job.
The FA said in a statement on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ Time): "Allardyce's conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error of judgement and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, The FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect."
"This is not a decision that was taken lightly but The FA's priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football.
"The manager of the England men's senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times."
Allardyce was appointed in July following the departure of Roy Hodgson after this year's European Championship and has overseen only the 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia.
One of the highest-paid managers in the game with a salary of about £3 million (NZ$5.35m) a year, Allardyce was secretly filmed by the Telegraph discussing England's failings with a group he had been told were businessmen with interests in Singapore and Hong Kong.
During his meetings with the newspaper's undercover reporters, Allardyce also criticised his predecessor Hodgson, referring to him as "Woy" and saying he "hasn't got the personality" for public speaking.
He leaves having become the shortest-serving England manager – albeit with a 100 per cent winning record.
Gareth Southgate will take charge of the England team for the next four matches against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain while the FA searches for a new manager, with Bournemouth's Eddie Howe the early bookmaker's favourite.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/84729587/England-manager-Sam-Allardyce-sacked-following-newspaper-sting
Oyegun is a man of integrity - APC United Front
Support for the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun gathered momentum on Tuesday as prominent leaders of the party lauded his leadership qualities, describing him as “a man of honour, integrity and dignity”.
In a statement in Abuja by the Chairman of APC United Front, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa, the leaders described as laughable the calls on Oyegun to resign as chairman of the APC by Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his co-travellers, saying the world has seen a more progressive party under his dynamic leadership
“Chief Odigie Oyegun is not under the influence of a powerful and sinister arm of government. He will never thwart the will of the people” the leaders said.
They praised the national chairman for his strategic roles in internal party governance and in the development and promulgation of party policy.
Listing intellectual depth, credible track record, futuristic vision and personal integrity as key requirements for a progressive leader, the leaders eulogized Oyegun for giving equal rights and opportunities to members of the APC regardless of status, class and affiliation.
“Leadership goes with creativity, sensitivity, compassion, innovation, courage, vision, character, competence, focus, passion, responsibility, self-discipline, service delivery and a very high dosage of patriotism. Oyegun is an embodiment of transparency and accountability” the statement said.
The leaders commended Oyegun for bringing about a more dynamic way of administering the affairs of the party, sacrificing his comfort to work tirelessly for the party and for allowing the wheel of democracy to run constitutionally.
“As a man with impeccable record in governance and party politics, Chief Odigie Oyegun will never derail from the path of honour”
The leaders, who also thanked Nigerians at home and abroad for the confidence reposed on Oyegun, applauded him for the pragmatic steps taken to address the problems in the party in Ondo State.
“Oyegun is an honest and highly effective leader. He has built a reputation anchored on integrity over the years. He is a fountain of quality advice, inspiration, encouragement and hope. He deserves the biggest thanks for being a team player and using his undivided and thorough leadership style in growing the party” the leaders said.
Identifying his commitment to principle in the practice of politics, the rule of law and the best democratic tradition of fairness as some of the attributes that brought him into collusion with Tinubu and others, the leaders commended him for enriching the development journey of the party and the country.
The leaders described the decision of the Appeal Panel as selfish.
“Oyegun is honest, dedicated, committed, and God fearing. He is a consummate politician, proven administrator and a bridge builder. He is a man of honour, integrity and dignity” the statement said.
The leaders while describing Oyegun as a true democrat, a hard-working, progressive person and leader with credibility, character and calm advised him to continue with his good work.
They also advised Tinubu not to destroy the party with his selfish and anti-democratic agenda.
The leaders, who also recalled the sterling performance of Oyegun during his days as governor of Edo State, said the current national chairman of APC performed excellently in all the sectors.
Sent in by Njamanze Fidel
In a statement in Abuja by the Chairman of APC United Front, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa, the leaders described as laughable the calls on Oyegun to resign as chairman of the APC by Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his co-travellers, saying the world has seen a more progressive party under his dynamic leadership
“Chief Odigie Oyegun is not under the influence of a powerful and sinister arm of government. He will never thwart the will of the people” the leaders said.
They praised the national chairman for his strategic roles in internal party governance and in the development and promulgation of party policy.
Listing intellectual depth, credible track record, futuristic vision and personal integrity as key requirements for a progressive leader, the leaders eulogized Oyegun for giving equal rights and opportunities to members of the APC regardless of status, class and affiliation.
“Leadership goes with creativity, sensitivity, compassion, innovation, courage, vision, character, competence, focus, passion, responsibility, self-discipline, service delivery and a very high dosage of patriotism. Oyegun is an embodiment of transparency and accountability” the statement said.
The leaders commended Oyegun for bringing about a more dynamic way of administering the affairs of the party, sacrificing his comfort to work tirelessly for the party and for allowing the wheel of democracy to run constitutionally.
“As a man with impeccable record in governance and party politics, Chief Odigie Oyegun will never derail from the path of honour”
The leaders, who also thanked Nigerians at home and abroad for the confidence reposed on Oyegun, applauded him for the pragmatic steps taken to address the problems in the party in Ondo State.
“Oyegun is an honest and highly effective leader. He has built a reputation anchored on integrity over the years. He is a fountain of quality advice, inspiration, encouragement and hope. He deserves the biggest thanks for being a team player and using his undivided and thorough leadership style in growing the party” the leaders said.
Identifying his commitment to principle in the practice of politics, the rule of law and the best democratic tradition of fairness as some of the attributes that brought him into collusion with Tinubu and others, the leaders commended him for enriching the development journey of the party and the country.
The leaders described the decision of the Appeal Panel as selfish.
“Oyegun is honest, dedicated, committed, and God fearing. He is a consummate politician, proven administrator and a bridge builder. He is a man of honour, integrity and dignity” the statement said.
The leaders while describing Oyegun as a true democrat, a hard-working, progressive person and leader with credibility, character and calm advised him to continue with his good work.
They also advised Tinubu not to destroy the party with his selfish and anti-democratic agenda.
The leaders, who also recalled the sterling performance of Oyegun during his days as governor of Edo State, said the current national chairman of APC performed excellently in all the sectors.
Sent in by Njamanze Fidel
Trump vows to hit Clinton harder
from the Clinton-Trump debate
US Republican candidate Donald Trump has said he may hit his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton harder in the next presidential debate, following their first encounter on Monday.
Mr Trump said he held back "because he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings".
In a Fox News interview, he also accused moderator Lester Holt of being tougher on him than on Mrs Clinton.
Overnight polls with small samples were split on who won, but more rigorous surveys are due in the coming days.
Research firm Nielsen said 84 million Americans watched Monday's debate at home.
http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37486320
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Open Heavens 27 September 2016: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Great Provider
Topic: The Great Provider [Tuesday 27, September 2016]
Memorise: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19
Read: Mark 6:35-42 (KJV)
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 17-18, Psalms 69:1-21
MESSAGE:
The Almighty God is well known as ‘The Lord who provides.’ God is the provider and supplier of the needs of all creation, but He gives special attention to His own people. Psalms 145:16 says:
“Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.”
He provides for all people.
Our God is a gracious Father, He does not only provide the needs of His children, He also protects their interest. He crowns His children with glory, and as a Consuming Fire, burns anyone that messes around with their royalty and honour. Three of God’s children, crowned by God with glory, found themselves in such a situation one day. A king, who virtually ruled the world of their day, thought too highly of himself and wanted to rubbish their glory. He dispatched some hefty men to tie them and hurl them into a burning fiery furnace. At the end, the men he sent were roasted by the fire he set up, while the Consuming Fire was with His children inside the furnace to protect them and His glory upon them. They eventually walked majestically out of the furnace into promotion and increased glory (Daniel 3:1-30). This season, any plan to touch God’s glory on your life shall be destroyed. Every fire the enemy kindles against you and your family shall devour that enemy in Jesus’ name.
You need to know the worth of your Heavenly Father so that you can tap into His resources. The lifestyle of a child is determined by the status of the father and the resources controlled by the father. Philippians 4:19 says:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
If your father has a bicycle and you need to get to school, he will let your ride on it. If he has no means of transportation, you will trek. If he has a rickety car, you will ride in it, with passers-by looking with pity at its occupants. But if your father has an exotic car, you will ride in it and be admired by onlookers. Psalms 24:1 says the earth and everything in it belongs to our Father. Haggai 2:8 says He owns all the gold and slivers. Psalms 50:10 says He owns all the cattle upon a thousand hills. John 14:3 says in His Heavenly estate there are many mansions. No wonder Philippians 4:19 say my Daddy will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory. Needs are met by available resources. Since He has all things, then all your needs shall be met. Call upon the Great Provider and start tapping into the unlimited resources of your Heavenly Father by faith today.
Prayer Point: Father, You are the Great Provider, please meet all my needs 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.
Memorise: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19
Read: Mark 6:35-42 (KJV)
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 17-18, Psalms 69:1-21
MESSAGE:
The Almighty God is well known as ‘The Lord who provides.’ God is the provider and supplier of the needs of all creation, but He gives special attention to His own people. Psalms 145:16 says:
“Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.”
He provides for all people.
Our God is a gracious Father, He does not only provide the needs of His children, He also protects their interest. He crowns His children with glory, and as a Consuming Fire, burns anyone that messes around with their royalty and honour. Three of God’s children, crowned by God with glory, found themselves in such a situation one day. A king, who virtually ruled the world of their day, thought too highly of himself and wanted to rubbish their glory. He dispatched some hefty men to tie them and hurl them into a burning fiery furnace. At the end, the men he sent were roasted by the fire he set up, while the Consuming Fire was with His children inside the furnace to protect them and His glory upon them. They eventually walked majestically out of the furnace into promotion and increased glory (Daniel 3:1-30). This season, any plan to touch God’s glory on your life shall be destroyed. Every fire the enemy kindles against you and your family shall devour that enemy in Jesus’ name.
You need to know the worth of your Heavenly Father so that you can tap into His resources. The lifestyle of a child is determined by the status of the father and the resources controlled by the father. Philippians 4:19 says:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
If your father has a bicycle and you need to get to school, he will let your ride on it. If he has no means of transportation, you will trek. If he has a rickety car, you will ride in it, with passers-by looking with pity at its occupants. But if your father has an exotic car, you will ride in it and be admired by onlookers. Psalms 24:1 says the earth and everything in it belongs to our Father. Haggai 2:8 says He owns all the gold and slivers. Psalms 50:10 says He owns all the cattle upon a thousand hills. John 14:3 says in His Heavenly estate there are many mansions. No wonder Philippians 4:19 say my Daddy will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory. Needs are met by available resources. Since He has all things, then all your needs shall be met. Call upon the Great Provider and start tapping into the unlimited resources of your Heavenly Father by faith today.
Prayer Point: Father, You are the Great Provider, please meet all my needs 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.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu and those who want him dead - By FFK
I do not like to delve into matters touching and concerning the APC because I am not a member. However what is happening in the ruling party today transcends partisan politics and should be a concern to us all. At the very least we can learn some very hard lessons from it.
The truth is that the behaviour of Chief John Odige-Oyegun towards the man that single-handedly made him the National Chairman of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is reprehensible.
And neither does this matter begin or end with the way and manner in which the Ondo state governorship primaries were conducted or its final outcome.
It goes much deeper than that and the Ondo affair is only symptomatic of a much deeper malaise and wider conspiracy to humiliate the National Leader of the APC by forces within his party that are even greater than him.
Those forces represent the hidden hand. They are a small cabal of power-brokers who constitute the leadership of the Buhari-led CPC. These people believe that they were born to rule and that they own Nigeria.
They simply used Tinubu's old ACN as a compliant and ready piggy-back to catapult their way back to power and once they achieved that they never looked back.
Some of us warned Tinubu at the time about the dangers of riding the tiger and allowing himself to be used by these very dark and sinister forces but he would not listen.
No true student of history could have made such a cataclysmic and monumental error given the terrible experiences of others from the south-west, and indeed the entire south, who collaborated with such ultra-conservative, sectarian and arcane forces with a clear and distinct ethnic and religious agenda in the past.
Such forces can never be comfortable with a well-connected, highly sophisticated, independent-minded, strong, unpredictable, uncontrollable and experienced Yoruba leader and southern gladiator with a June 12th pedigree, a NADECO background, a massive war-chest and a widespread and formidable political base.
They may use him to achieve their objective but they can never trust him or allow him to have control of the party machinery or to wield any real power when it comes to running the affairs of the nation.
Most importantly once they have finished using him it becomes their duty and cardinal objective not just to cut him down to size but also to castrate and render him impotent and eventually destroy him.
That is their way. It is also a classic and vintage Nicollo Machiavelli move. This great writer that has had more influence on political thinking and strategies than perhaps any other author in human history taught us a critical and crucial lesson in his famous 14th century literary masterpiece and treatise on the power game titled "The Prince". He tells us that the first thing that a Prince must do once he has achieved power is to destroy those that put him there.
And that is precisely what those that seek to do Tinubu in are doing. Worst still they are using his own erstwhile discipiles as a first line of attack against him.
It is not just Odige-Oyegun that has turned his back on him but also his former political protegees and former ACN associates like Tunde Fashola, Ibikunle Amosu, Kayode Fayemi, Biodun Ajimobi, Olorunimbe Mamora, Niyi Adebayo, Rotimi Akeredolu and numerous others.
Pulling the strings from behind the scenes and encouraging and funding the rebellion are hardline Buhari-supporters like my good friend Governor Nasir El Rufai and a number of others.
Their objective is to establish a new political order in the south west which is beholden to them alone, to replace Tinubu as the National Leader of the party and to utterly demystify and crush him in order to prepare the ground for the emergence of a new and more compliant Yoruba running mate for either Buhari himself or El Rufai in 2019.
As a graphic illustration of this interesting and unfolding agenda, the powers that be in the APC, led by Buhari himself, fired six shots at Tinubu inmediately after they formed government.
The first was the Senate Presidency affair and the Bukola Saraki matter which saw the defeat and humiliation of Tinubu's prefered candidate for Senate President.
The second shot was the Speaker of the House of Representatives affair and the Yakubu Dogara matter which, again, saw the defeat and humiliation of Tinibu's prefered candidate for the position of Speaker of the House.
The third was the vital issue of Ministerial appointments in which not one single Ministerial nominee of Tinubu's was accepted and appointed as a Minister by Buhari.
Every single person that he nominated from the south west and elsewhere as Minister was rejected and instead the slots were filled by his political adversaries and/or their nominees.
Many erroneously believe that Mr. Lai Mohammed, who is from Kwara state, was Tinubu's choice and nominee for Minister of Information but this was not the case.
The person that he nominated for Minister of Information was not Lai Mohammed but Mr. Dele Alake, his former Commissioner of Information in Lagos state.
Again he nominated Mr. Wale Edun, his former Commissioner of Finance in Lagos state, for the position of Minister of Finance but this was rejected and Governor Ibikunle Amosu's candidate, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, got the job instead.
This went on across the board for every single person that Tinubu nominated and presented for the position of Minister last year and it was a terrible humiliation for him. It was a dirty slap in his face.
The fourth shot was the James Faleke matter in Kogi state where it was agreed by the real landlords of the APC in the core north that Tinubu must not be allowed to gain a foothold in the north central zone by getting his own Yoruba kinsman and candidate to be elected as governor of that state.
Hence Faleke was ruthlessly dropped and shabbily treated and another person was selected to be the gubernatorial candidate of that state. It worked, Faleke went to court and sadly he lost. That was the end of the story.
The fifth shot is the thorough and systematic, though subtle and covert, humiliation and relegation of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a close associate and political protegee of Tinubu and a spiritual son of the reverred Pastor Enoch Adeboye of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), to not just a spare tyre as Vice President but also to a very flat one.
Rather than being allowed to participate in the crucial decision-making processes on vital and critical issues of state and governance as any Vice President should, Osinbajo has been kept in the dark about virtually everything and he has little or no power to effect anything.
When such decions are to be debated, discussed and made the Vice President is never invited into the room and neither is he even aware that there is such a meeting going on.
Worse still he is constantly being directed to represent the President at official functions all over the country as if he were more his Personal Assistant, Special Advisor or Minister rather than the Vice President of the country. Osinbajo's crime is simply that he is loyal to Tinubu and he has refused to dump or betray him.
The sixth and perhaps most devastating shot is the fact that the party machinery has not only been taken away from Tinubu with the effective highjacking of Odige-Oyegun but that it has also opted to do the bidding of his mortal enemies and to fight him.
An eloquent testimony to this disturbing fact is the outcome of the Ondo state gubernatorial primaries where Tinubu's candidate was edged out and cheated of the nomination by the party leadership.
This was the last straw that broke the camels back and predictably Tinubu has reacted in a very loud, aggressive and profound manner by publicly calling for the removal of the National Chairman of the party.
Yet calling for the removal of Odigie-Oyegun is not enough. The whole situation calls for critical thiking, sober reflection and deep retrospection.
The point that needs to be clearly understood when considering these six shots and the unfolding anti-Tinubu agenda within the APC is the fact that, contrary to all pretensions, President Muhammadu Buhari is part and parcel of it and he is in fact the moving spirit behind the whole conspiracy.
Nasir El Rufai and a number of others are simply the strategists and enforcers. Buhari, Mamman Daura and Abba Kyari are the masterminds.
Given all this one thing is clear: these people want Tinubu dead. If he does not realign quickly and fight hard to save his dwindling political fortunes and empire his APC friends and allies will destroy him in a slow, clinical, sadistic and systematic manner. And they will do it with a big, beautiful and friendly smile on their faces.
The fact of the matter is that, right from the outset, Tinubu failed to accept the fact that he was in bed with demons.
He refused to appreciate the fact that he was sleeping with beasts that are hell bent on eating his flesh, driniking his blood and ruthlessly implementing an ancient ethnic and religious agenda.
He gave them his all, caused them to win an election and trusted them to honor their word and treat him with respect and decorum.
He failed to appreciate the fact that you cannot make a deal with snakes and expect them to honor their word.
He forgot that you cannot wine and dine with cancerous lepers and hungry tigers without ending up being served as the final dish in a long, blood-curdling and Byzantian satanic feast.
Yet if the truth is to be told, no matter what mistakes he may have made, Tinubu does not deserve to be treated in this way.
Up until the Presidential elections were conducted last year he led and held together the south-western wing of the APC with an iron fist and he was the undisputed leader of the APC in that zone.
All four APC governors from the south west and virtually every single party leader waited on his every word and he called all the shots.
Sadly today, just over one year later, he is a caricature of his former self. Today Tinubu can only boast of having the ear and the full support of only two of those govermors, namely Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state, who will NEVER betray him no matter what, and Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos state who will also stand firmly behind him until the very end.
The truth is that Tinubu has lost much ground and political mileage in recent times and, as more daggers are pulled out over the next few months and years it is bound to get worse for him.
Yet that does not mean that he is finished. I say this because he is a tried and tested fighter and a formidable adversary who is quite capable of pulling the whole APC house down.
It would be a fatal error for any of his adversaries, including President Buhari, Vice President Atiku Abubakar or Senate President Bukola Saraki, to underestimate him or dismiss his ability to fight back.
In July 2016, just after my release from detention and during the course of an interview with Channels Television (which can still be viewed on Youtube) Mr. Seun Okinbaloye asked me whether I could ever contemplate going back to the APC and how I thought the ruling party would fare into the future.
I told him that I would NEVER go back to the APC under ANY circumstances. I also told him that in any case by 2019 there would not be an APC, as it is presently constituted, left because the party would have spilt up into three separate and distinct political entities.
I told him that the Tinubu group comprising of men like Baba Bisi Akande, Rauf Aregbesola, Akinwummi Ambode and others would establish one party, the Atiku Abubakar group comprising of men like Bukola Saraki, Rabiu Kwakwanso and many of the former PDP leaders and governors that had left for the APC when President Goodluck Jonathan was in power would establish another and that the Buhari group comprising of men like Nasir El Rufai, Bello Masari, Aminu Tambuwal, Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha, Chris Ngige, Ogbonaya Onu, Adams Oshiomole and virtually the entire structure of the old CPC leadership in the core north would constitute yet another. I stand by this prediction.
These three strong and equally forceful factions can be likened to the proverbial three blind yet ravenous wolves.
They cannot stay in the same cage or remain on the same platform for long without tearing each other to pieces.
Eventually they will all go their separate ways and, hopefully, contend with a newly-branded and reinvigotated PDP in the field of battle in 2019.
What we are witnessing today in the ranks of the APC is the beginning of that bitter separation and messy divorce and it is going to get far worse.
It will be loud, bitter, acrimonious and rancorous and many political empires, careers and aspirations will be destroyed as a consequence of it.
My hope and prayer is that the PDP, which is also going through its own rigorous process of redefinition and reinvigoration, can get its act together before then, take advantage of the situation, pick up the pieces and win the presidential election in 2019. I am sure that we will.
Meanwhile my advise to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is to watch his back, consolidate his base, fight his enemies, reach out to new friends, accept the fact that he is at war and sleep with one eye wide open. The truth is that it will get far worse before it gets any better.
The truth is that the behaviour of Chief John Odige-Oyegun towards the man that single-handedly made him the National Chairman of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is reprehensible.
And neither does this matter begin or end with the way and manner in which the Ondo state governorship primaries were conducted or its final outcome.
It goes much deeper than that and the Ondo affair is only symptomatic of a much deeper malaise and wider conspiracy to humiliate the National Leader of the APC by forces within his party that are even greater than him.
Those forces represent the hidden hand. They are a small cabal of power-brokers who constitute the leadership of the Buhari-led CPC. These people believe that they were born to rule and that they own Nigeria.
They simply used Tinubu's old ACN as a compliant and ready piggy-back to catapult their way back to power and once they achieved that they never looked back.
Some of us warned Tinubu at the time about the dangers of riding the tiger and allowing himself to be used by these very dark and sinister forces but he would not listen.
No true student of history could have made such a cataclysmic and monumental error given the terrible experiences of others from the south-west, and indeed the entire south, who collaborated with such ultra-conservative, sectarian and arcane forces with a clear and distinct ethnic and religious agenda in the past.
Such forces can never be comfortable with a well-connected, highly sophisticated, independent-minded, strong, unpredictable, uncontrollable and experienced Yoruba leader and southern gladiator with a June 12th pedigree, a NADECO background, a massive war-chest and a widespread and formidable political base.
They may use him to achieve their objective but they can never trust him or allow him to have control of the party machinery or to wield any real power when it comes to running the affairs of the nation.
Most importantly once they have finished using him it becomes their duty and cardinal objective not just to cut him down to size but also to castrate and render him impotent and eventually destroy him.
That is their way. It is also a classic and vintage Nicollo Machiavelli move. This great writer that has had more influence on political thinking and strategies than perhaps any other author in human history taught us a critical and crucial lesson in his famous 14th century literary masterpiece and treatise on the power game titled "The Prince". He tells us that the first thing that a Prince must do once he has achieved power is to destroy those that put him there.
And that is precisely what those that seek to do Tinubu in are doing. Worst still they are using his own erstwhile discipiles as a first line of attack against him.
It is not just Odige-Oyegun that has turned his back on him but also his former political protegees and former ACN associates like Tunde Fashola, Ibikunle Amosu, Kayode Fayemi, Biodun Ajimobi, Olorunimbe Mamora, Niyi Adebayo, Rotimi Akeredolu and numerous others.
Pulling the strings from behind the scenes and encouraging and funding the rebellion are hardline Buhari-supporters like my good friend Governor Nasir El Rufai and a number of others.
Their objective is to establish a new political order in the south west which is beholden to them alone, to replace Tinubu as the National Leader of the party and to utterly demystify and crush him in order to prepare the ground for the emergence of a new and more compliant Yoruba running mate for either Buhari himself or El Rufai in 2019.
As a graphic illustration of this interesting and unfolding agenda, the powers that be in the APC, led by Buhari himself, fired six shots at Tinubu inmediately after they formed government.
The first was the Senate Presidency affair and the Bukola Saraki matter which saw the defeat and humiliation of Tinubu's prefered candidate for Senate President.
The second shot was the Speaker of the House of Representatives affair and the Yakubu Dogara matter which, again, saw the defeat and humiliation of Tinibu's prefered candidate for the position of Speaker of the House.
The third was the vital issue of Ministerial appointments in which not one single Ministerial nominee of Tinubu's was accepted and appointed as a Minister by Buhari.
Every single person that he nominated from the south west and elsewhere as Minister was rejected and instead the slots were filled by his political adversaries and/or their nominees.
Many erroneously believe that Mr. Lai Mohammed, who is from Kwara state, was Tinubu's choice and nominee for Minister of Information but this was not the case.
The person that he nominated for Minister of Information was not Lai Mohammed but Mr. Dele Alake, his former Commissioner of Information in Lagos state.
Again he nominated Mr. Wale Edun, his former Commissioner of Finance in Lagos state, for the position of Minister of Finance but this was rejected and Governor Ibikunle Amosu's candidate, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, got the job instead.
This went on across the board for every single person that Tinubu nominated and presented for the position of Minister last year and it was a terrible humiliation for him. It was a dirty slap in his face.
The fourth shot was the James Faleke matter in Kogi state where it was agreed by the real landlords of the APC in the core north that Tinubu must not be allowed to gain a foothold in the north central zone by getting his own Yoruba kinsman and candidate to be elected as governor of that state.
Hence Faleke was ruthlessly dropped and shabbily treated and another person was selected to be the gubernatorial candidate of that state. It worked, Faleke went to court and sadly he lost. That was the end of the story.
The fifth shot is the thorough and systematic, though subtle and covert, humiliation and relegation of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a close associate and political protegee of Tinubu and a spiritual son of the reverred Pastor Enoch Adeboye of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), to not just a spare tyre as Vice President but also to a very flat one.
Rather than being allowed to participate in the crucial decision-making processes on vital and critical issues of state and governance as any Vice President should, Osinbajo has been kept in the dark about virtually everything and he has little or no power to effect anything.
When such decions are to be debated, discussed and made the Vice President is never invited into the room and neither is he even aware that there is such a meeting going on.
Worse still he is constantly being directed to represent the President at official functions all over the country as if he were more his Personal Assistant, Special Advisor or Minister rather than the Vice President of the country. Osinbajo's crime is simply that he is loyal to Tinubu and he has refused to dump or betray him.
The sixth and perhaps most devastating shot is the fact that the party machinery has not only been taken away from Tinubu with the effective highjacking of Odige-Oyegun but that it has also opted to do the bidding of his mortal enemies and to fight him.
An eloquent testimony to this disturbing fact is the outcome of the Ondo state gubernatorial primaries where Tinubu's candidate was edged out and cheated of the nomination by the party leadership.
This was the last straw that broke the camels back and predictably Tinubu has reacted in a very loud, aggressive and profound manner by publicly calling for the removal of the National Chairman of the party.
Yet calling for the removal of Odigie-Oyegun is not enough. The whole situation calls for critical thiking, sober reflection and deep retrospection.
The point that needs to be clearly understood when considering these six shots and the unfolding anti-Tinubu agenda within the APC is the fact that, contrary to all pretensions, President Muhammadu Buhari is part and parcel of it and he is in fact the moving spirit behind the whole conspiracy.
Nasir El Rufai and a number of others are simply the strategists and enforcers. Buhari, Mamman Daura and Abba Kyari are the masterminds.
Given all this one thing is clear: these people want Tinubu dead. If he does not realign quickly and fight hard to save his dwindling political fortunes and empire his APC friends and allies will destroy him in a slow, clinical, sadistic and systematic manner. And they will do it with a big, beautiful and friendly smile on their faces.
The fact of the matter is that, right from the outset, Tinubu failed to accept the fact that he was in bed with demons.
He refused to appreciate the fact that he was sleeping with beasts that are hell bent on eating his flesh, driniking his blood and ruthlessly implementing an ancient ethnic and religious agenda.
He gave them his all, caused them to win an election and trusted them to honor their word and treat him with respect and decorum.
He failed to appreciate the fact that you cannot make a deal with snakes and expect them to honor their word.
He forgot that you cannot wine and dine with cancerous lepers and hungry tigers without ending up being served as the final dish in a long, blood-curdling and Byzantian satanic feast.
Yet if the truth is to be told, no matter what mistakes he may have made, Tinubu does not deserve to be treated in this way.
Up until the Presidential elections were conducted last year he led and held together the south-western wing of the APC with an iron fist and he was the undisputed leader of the APC in that zone.
All four APC governors from the south west and virtually every single party leader waited on his every word and he called all the shots.
Sadly today, just over one year later, he is a caricature of his former self. Today Tinubu can only boast of having the ear and the full support of only two of those govermors, namely Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state, who will NEVER betray him no matter what, and Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos state who will also stand firmly behind him until the very end.
The truth is that Tinubu has lost much ground and political mileage in recent times and, as more daggers are pulled out over the next few months and years it is bound to get worse for him.
Yet that does not mean that he is finished. I say this because he is a tried and tested fighter and a formidable adversary who is quite capable of pulling the whole APC house down.
It would be a fatal error for any of his adversaries, including President Buhari, Vice President Atiku Abubakar or Senate President Bukola Saraki, to underestimate him or dismiss his ability to fight back.
In July 2016, just after my release from detention and during the course of an interview with Channels Television (which can still be viewed on Youtube) Mr. Seun Okinbaloye asked me whether I could ever contemplate going back to the APC and how I thought the ruling party would fare into the future.
I told him that I would NEVER go back to the APC under ANY circumstances. I also told him that in any case by 2019 there would not be an APC, as it is presently constituted, left because the party would have spilt up into three separate and distinct political entities.
I told him that the Tinubu group comprising of men like Baba Bisi Akande, Rauf Aregbesola, Akinwummi Ambode and others would establish one party, the Atiku Abubakar group comprising of men like Bukola Saraki, Rabiu Kwakwanso and many of the former PDP leaders and governors that had left for the APC when President Goodluck Jonathan was in power would establish another and that the Buhari group comprising of men like Nasir El Rufai, Bello Masari, Aminu Tambuwal, Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha, Chris Ngige, Ogbonaya Onu, Adams Oshiomole and virtually the entire structure of the old CPC leadership in the core north would constitute yet another. I stand by this prediction.
These three strong and equally forceful factions can be likened to the proverbial three blind yet ravenous wolves.
They cannot stay in the same cage or remain on the same platform for long without tearing each other to pieces.
Eventually they will all go their separate ways and, hopefully, contend with a newly-branded and reinvigotated PDP in the field of battle in 2019.
What we are witnessing today in the ranks of the APC is the beginning of that bitter separation and messy divorce and it is going to get far worse.
It will be loud, bitter, acrimonious and rancorous and many political empires, careers and aspirations will be destroyed as a consequence of it.
My hope and prayer is that the PDP, which is also going through its own rigorous process of redefinition and reinvigoration, can get its act together before then, take advantage of the situation, pick up the pieces and win the presidential election in 2019. I am sure that we will.
Meanwhile my advise to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is to watch his back, consolidate his base, fight his enemies, reach out to new friends, accept the fact that he is at war and sleep with one eye wide open. The truth is that it will get far worse before it gets any better.
We will overcome our economic recession Pres Buhari assures African Development Bank
Receiving President of the African Development Bank (ADB), Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, at State House, Abuja, on Monday, President Buhari said:
"God has given us people and resources. It will take hard work on our part, but we will make it. We will get out of our problems. We are determined to produce what we eat, and stop importation. We will also chase those who stole, and get them to refund."
He said the country appreciates helping hands being lent by the ADB, assuring Nigerian-born Adesina, who was the immediate past Minister of Agriculture, that "we will not let you down. Your country won't disappoint you."
Adesina appreciated President Buhari for the support the country gave when he ran for ADB presidency, thus making him the first Nigerian to occupy such position since the bank was established in 1964. He also lauded the Nigerian President for successes recorded in securing the country, particularly in the North East, noting that "there can be no development without adequate security."
The ADB boss described recent economic decisions taken in the country as "bold, tough, uncomfortable, but right," adding that Nigeria would reap the dividends in the short and long run.
"You can count on the ADB as a true friend of Nigeria. You should support massive investment in infrastructure, and we are here to also support. Closing the infrastructure deficit will enable growth, and create employment. Nigeria is too big to fail," Adesina said.
The ADB President unfolded the packages his institution has for Nigeria, which include; $1 billion of budget support, $300 million to create jobs for 185,000 youths, $250 million towards North East infrastructure development, $1 million grant to deal with challenges of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), $300 million for infrastructure development around Abuja, $200 million for Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to deepen facilities, among others.
Dr Adesina expressed delight with what he called "President Buhari's push on anti-corruption, and stance on governance," adding that building institutions was critical. To that end, he said ADB would give a total of $4.8 million as grant for institutional support, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) getting $2 million, and $1million to Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). "You can always count on my support, and that of the ADB," he concluded.
"God has given us people and resources. It will take hard work on our part, but we will make it. We will get out of our problems. We are determined to produce what we eat, and stop importation. We will also chase those who stole, and get them to refund."
He said the country appreciates helping hands being lent by the ADB, assuring Nigerian-born Adesina, who was the immediate past Minister of Agriculture, that "we will not let you down. Your country won't disappoint you."
Adesina appreciated President Buhari for the support the country gave when he ran for ADB presidency, thus making him the first Nigerian to occupy such position since the bank was established in 1964. He also lauded the Nigerian President for successes recorded in securing the country, particularly in the North East, noting that "there can be no development without adequate security."
The ADB boss described recent economic decisions taken in the country as "bold, tough, uncomfortable, but right," adding that Nigeria would reap the dividends in the short and long run.
"You can count on the ADB as a true friend of Nigeria. You should support massive investment in infrastructure, and we are here to also support. Closing the infrastructure deficit will enable growth, and create employment. Nigeria is too big to fail," Adesina said.
The ADB President unfolded the packages his institution has for Nigeria, which include; $1 billion of budget support, $300 million to create jobs for 185,000 youths, $250 million towards North East infrastructure development, $1 million grant to deal with challenges of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), $300 million for infrastructure development around Abuja, $200 million for Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to deepen facilities, among others.
Dr Adesina expressed delight with what he called "President Buhari's push on anti-corruption, and stance on governance," adding that building institutions was critical. To that end, he said ADB would give a total of $4.8 million as grant for institutional support, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) getting $2 million, and $1million to Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). "You can always count on my support, and that of the ADB," he concluded.
Monday, 26 September 2016
Open Heavens 26 September 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Heritage of The Lord
Topic: The Heritage of The Lord [Monday 26, September 2016]
Memorise: And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. – Exodus 2:9
Read: Psalms 127:3-5 (KJV)
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 16, Psalms 68:22-35
MESSAGE:
The Bible presents the nation of Israel and the Church of God as the chief objects of God’s fatherly love. All of humanity have the privilege of becoming God’s children through faith and are then encouraged by the Scripture to imitate their heavenly Father in their daily living. However, as I have always maintained, you can choose to be anything you want before the Almighty God. You can be just a creature, a dog or a cow. You can go beyond being a mere creature to becoming a servant. Being a servant gives you more personal access to God. But you could go yet another step to becoming a son of God. Sons have tremendous opportunities that servants do not have. As a son of God, you become a co-heir with Christ. That means all that God has jointly belongs to Jesus and you. Besides, John 8:35 says sons abide in the house forever. No wonder David in Psalms 23:6 says:
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
He could say so because he had a Father-son relationship with the Lord. For such sons, even after leaving planet earth, Jesus promised to prepare His Father’s house for them to stay throughout eternity (John 14:1-3). Sons have eternal right to God’s house. Are you a son of God?
If you abide in God’s house, you would automatically flourish. Psalms 92:13 says;
“Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.”
Beyond being rich or wealthy, you can flourish. Age will not erode your opportunities or harvests. In fact, the older you are, the more flourishing you become. This is not for those who merely visit God’s house. It is not for servants but for sons. Some people endure going into God’s house or presence. If they were asked to come for a big contract at 9 am, they will be there by 7 am. But if invited to meet with the King of kings for 8 am, they will stroll into church by 10 am. This attitude hinders people from attaining the heights they were created to achieve. If you find it difficult to stay in God’s presence, you can be sure you cannot have access into His Heavenly home. Those who will enter Heaven must desire to enter that city not made with hands (Hebrew 11:10, 16). It far excels the best of planet earth to the extent that it is simply incomparable. Do you qualify for Heaven? To what extent do you long for Heaven? How much do you crave to be in God’s presence? How much do you enjoy worshipping the Lord?
Prayer Point: Father, please help me to make it to Heaven and to abide in You forever 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.
Memorise: And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. – Exodus 2:9
Read: Psalms 127:3-5 (KJV)
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 16, Psalms 68:22-35
MESSAGE:
The Bible presents the nation of Israel and the Church of God as the chief objects of God’s fatherly love. All of humanity have the privilege of becoming God’s children through faith and are then encouraged by the Scripture to imitate their heavenly Father in their daily living. However, as I have always maintained, you can choose to be anything you want before the Almighty God. You can be just a creature, a dog or a cow. You can go beyond being a mere creature to becoming a servant. Being a servant gives you more personal access to God. But you could go yet another step to becoming a son of God. Sons have tremendous opportunities that servants do not have. As a son of God, you become a co-heir with Christ. That means all that God has jointly belongs to Jesus and you. Besides, John 8:35 says sons abide in the house forever. No wonder David in Psalms 23:6 says:
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
He could say so because he had a Father-son relationship with the Lord. For such sons, even after leaving planet earth, Jesus promised to prepare His Father’s house for them to stay throughout eternity (John 14:1-3). Sons have eternal right to God’s house. Are you a son of God?
If you abide in God’s house, you would automatically flourish. Psalms 92:13 says;
“Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.”
Beyond being rich or wealthy, you can flourish. Age will not erode your opportunities or harvests. In fact, the older you are, the more flourishing you become. This is not for those who merely visit God’s house. It is not for servants but for sons. Some people endure going into God’s house or presence. If they were asked to come for a big contract at 9 am, they will be there by 7 am. But if invited to meet with the King of kings for 8 am, they will stroll into church by 10 am. This attitude hinders people from attaining the heights they were created to achieve. If you find it difficult to stay in God’s presence, you can be sure you cannot have access into His Heavenly home. Those who will enter Heaven must desire to enter that city not made with hands (Hebrew 11:10, 16). It far excels the best of planet earth to the extent that it is simply incomparable. Do you qualify for Heaven? To what extent do you long for Heaven? How much do you crave to be in God’s presence? How much do you enjoy worshipping the Lord?
Prayer Point: Father, please help me to make it to Heaven and to abide in You forever 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.
Bola Tinubu demands John Odigie-Oyegun resignation
This is not a good time for APC as National Leader of APC, Bola Tinubu, has reportedly asked for the immediate resignation of the party's National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun. According to Vanguard, Tinubu made the demand in a stinking communiqué sent to Oyegun and other party chieftains.
The former Lagos state governor in the letter accused Oyegun of interfering and sabotaging the will of democracy in Ondo State by overriding the decision of the party's appeal panel that asked for a fresh governorship primary following investigations that showed that the delegates’ list used had been tampered with.
He alleged that APC was now under threat of being suffocated by anti-democratic forces pretending to be progressives, His communique reads
“The APC, a party born of the quest for democratic good governance, is under critical threat by those who managed to be in the party but never of it. From the party’s inception, the principles of democratic fairness and justice were to guide APC internal deliberations. Party founders realized that only by intramural fair dealing could the party remain faithful to the progressive ideals that we presented to the Nigerian electorate as our governing creed. If the party could not justly govern itself, it would find it difficult to establish and maintain just government throughout the nation. In essence, the party was the embodiment of a democratic promise made between its members as well as a democratic vow made to the public. Evidently, some errant members believe promises and vows are mere words to be easily spoken and more easily broken.
Chairman John Oyegun has breached these good pledges in a most overt and brazen display. In doing so, Oyegun has dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead. It is an awful parent who suffocates his own child for the sake of a few naira. The party was supposed to buttress APC members elected to government at all levels. Because of Oyegun’s conduct of our affairs, the party is rapidly becoming an albatross to those it was meant to help. Oyegun’s comportment regarding the Ondo State primary will become the textbook definition of political treachery and malfeasance of the basest order. In early September, the state primary was held. A purported winner was named. Having faith in the ways of the party, Tinubu publicly accepted what he assumed to be a verdict honestly derived. As a democrat, one must face the possibility of defeat and accept such as outcome with as much grace as one would embrace victory. One of the few bright spots during the conduct of the primaries was Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar. He chaired the primary convention with decorum and impartiality. He was unaware that a tampered list had been slipped into the process. Indeed within hours of the announcement, news began to filter in that gravely disturbed me. Credible allegations of fraud troubled the waters. The delegate list had been materially altered by someone in a strategic position to so do. The names of over 150 valid delegates were excised to make room for an equal number of impostors. This was not a clerical error. The alteration was wilfully executed that the primary would be directed toward a chosen end that bore nothing in common with the will of most state party members. A cunning few had tried to deceive the many into believing they were outnumbered. A conspiracy to steal the Ondo primary had been uncovered. Fortunately, the grand deception afoot had been unable to cover its tracks fast enough. Truth began to cry for justice. “Several candidates filed petitions contesting the result. The party established an investigative board to review the evidence.
In a two to one decision, the panel found the delegate roster had suffered tampering. The panel recommended that a new primary should be held using the valid delegate list. This recommendation was tabled before the National Working Committee (NWC). After many hours of deliberations spanning several days, a final vote was held by the NWC. Before hand, NWC members agreed that the decision of the majority would become the stance of the party. Such is the way of democracy. The NWC voted six against five to cancel the fraudulent results and hold an honest primary. For a moment, it seemed the party would restore its integrity by giving democracy a chance.
However, those who sought to scam an entire state would not let the vote of 11 people spoil their enterprise. After the NWC vote, a noticeably agitated Chairman Oyegun proposed the NWC engage in prayer before concluding the meeting. Adhering to this chairman’s request, NWC members began to pray. Seeing that the others had taken his bait, Oyegun used the prayerful interlude to secretly excuse himself from the meeting. Contravening the NWC decision and in violation of all rules of fundamental decency, Oyegun decided to safeguard the fraud done in Ondo by perpetrating a greater fraud. Oyegun arrogated to himself the right to submit the name of Rotimi Akeredolu to INEC as the candidate of the party. Truth has finally come to light. There exists a regressive element in the party that cares nothing for the progressive ideas upon which this party was founded. They joined the APC because it was the best ride available at the time. Now they want to guide the party into the ditch. They want to turn the party into a soulless entity incapable of doing good, just like they are. When such a person tastes power, they shed all good restraint. They come to abuse the trust given them as if they are the owners of that trust and not its mere custodians. These people did little to build the party but now will do much to wreck it. Our party was to stand for change. Oyegun and his fellows seem to be on a different wave length. They are the cohort of Unchange.
The APC wants to guide Nigeria into a better tomorrow. Oyegun and the cohort of unchange want to pull Nigeria back into the past where rigging and vote stealing were the old and new testaments of politics. They want the people to think that there is no alternative to their reactionary system of skewed politics and imperious government. Thus, they seek to turn the APC into a factory of the very political malpractices the people soundly rejected in the past election. To choke the APC in this manner is to kill the chance for progressive reform for the foreseeable future. Much more than the Ondo primary is at stake. Oyegun has revealed his team’s game plan: It is the destruction of progressive politics and governance on behalf of the people. As party chairman, Oyegun was supposed to protect our internal processes and be an impartial arbiter, a person in whom all had confidence. Instead, he donned the garment of a confident man, duping the NWC, the party, and INEC in one fell blow. He has robbed APC members in Ondo State of the chance to pick in a fair manner who they believe is the best candidate. As such, he has broken faith with the party and probably has broken a few laws. The consequences of what he has done are more expansive than a man of his scope can fathom,” Tinubu said as he said that Oyegun must have been under some major sinister influence as to allow what happened. “With strong expectation, we await a response to Oyegun’s wrongdoing from those who clamored so long and loudly about Tinubu’s alleged role in the Ondo primary. Leading into the primary, a prominent lawyer from Ondo published lengthy missives alleging that Tinubu was a malicious hand intent on rigging the primary. His letters spoke of his great love for democracy and justice. Though Oyegun has assaulted democracy in a most public and vulgar way, this lawyer’s prolific pen will remain stilled. He dare not publish a word about this travesty. His silence will be sign for all who care to decipher its meaning. The plan was to point the accusing finger at Tinubu. With everyone focused on Tinubu, they would have distracted all attention from the heist they had set in motion. As fate would have it, the trickery they hoped to conduct in the shadows has come to light. Those who so actively attributed imaginary wrong to Tinubu now stand dumb and mute in the face of confirmed impropriety. They remain silent for reasons they cannot divulge.
Oyegun and his ilk turn out to be gangsters adorned in the tunic of party authority. Oyegun has engaged in the strange math where five is greater than six. This smacks of how the PDP conducted its affairs and orchestrated its own downfall. Tinubu disparaged such malpractice when it was not in his party. Tinubu surely disowns it now that it has invaded the party he helped bring to fruition. Tinubu has consciously refused to hold any official position with the party to avoid the perception that he was trying to control all and sundry. Tinubu has even kept his peace for some time despite many things that happened within the party that were not quite right. He exercised this forbearance because the party is young. A collective endeavor cannot avoid the mistakes and errors of organizational newness and evolution. Yet, the wrongs Oyegun committed had nothing to do with newness or the mistakes occasioned by the path of reform. His actions are in the nature of the old wrongs that have afflicted our national politics much too long. If Oyegun wants to walk backward into the past, he has every right to it. However, he has no right to drag the party or any of us with him. Against our choosing. The informal title of national leader of the party was given to Tinubu at the onset which he accepted it as a sign from those who wished to recognize my contributions to the party’s formation. It is an honorific title which he has been proud to wear until today. I would rather not have any title yet reside in a party that honors democracy than hold a title in a party that says it honors me but that treats justice with indecency. I find greater honour and comfort where democracy and fairness are found and respected. Oyegun has done the irredeemable. His coup is an insult to party and to patriot, to reason and to the reform agenda of this government. To remain silent would be to admit the defeat of the reform and progressive change many have labored to bring forth.
While the forces resistant to change and reform are strong, Tinubu dare not submit to them. Tinubu encourages all party members not to submit to them. If we acquiesce in this wrong, the one greater than this shall cascade upon us. “Oyegun’s transgressions are a warning. He is but the mercenary of forces that seek to return the nation to the old ways. If they get away with this infraction, no telling what or whom they will undermine tomorrow. Much is at stake. On the chopping block, lies the future of the political party in which the majority of voters had placed their confidence. To rescue the party, Oyegun must go. He has shown that he and democratic fair play cannot exist in the same party at the same time. If Tinubu is to choose between John Oyegun and progress toward a better Nigeria, the choice has already been made. For those who care about the party, who care about Nigeria and its chance for a better tomorrow, now is the time to stand against this brewing evil before it grows to encompass all we have built and all we hold dear.”
The former Lagos state governor in the letter accused Oyegun of interfering and sabotaging the will of democracy in Ondo State by overriding the decision of the party's appeal panel that asked for a fresh governorship primary following investigations that showed that the delegates’ list used had been tampered with.
He alleged that APC was now under threat of being suffocated by anti-democratic forces pretending to be progressives, His communique reads
“The APC, a party born of the quest for democratic good governance, is under critical threat by those who managed to be in the party but never of it. From the party’s inception, the principles of democratic fairness and justice were to guide APC internal deliberations. Party founders realized that only by intramural fair dealing could the party remain faithful to the progressive ideals that we presented to the Nigerian electorate as our governing creed. If the party could not justly govern itself, it would find it difficult to establish and maintain just government throughout the nation. In essence, the party was the embodiment of a democratic promise made between its members as well as a democratic vow made to the public. Evidently, some errant members believe promises and vows are mere words to be easily spoken and more easily broken.
Chairman John Oyegun has breached these good pledges in a most overt and brazen display. In doing so, Oyegun has dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead. It is an awful parent who suffocates his own child for the sake of a few naira. The party was supposed to buttress APC members elected to government at all levels. Because of Oyegun’s conduct of our affairs, the party is rapidly becoming an albatross to those it was meant to help. Oyegun’s comportment regarding the Ondo State primary will become the textbook definition of political treachery and malfeasance of the basest order. In early September, the state primary was held. A purported winner was named. Having faith in the ways of the party, Tinubu publicly accepted what he assumed to be a verdict honestly derived. As a democrat, one must face the possibility of defeat and accept such as outcome with as much grace as one would embrace victory. One of the few bright spots during the conduct of the primaries was Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar. He chaired the primary convention with decorum and impartiality. He was unaware that a tampered list had been slipped into the process. Indeed within hours of the announcement, news began to filter in that gravely disturbed me. Credible allegations of fraud troubled the waters. The delegate list had been materially altered by someone in a strategic position to so do. The names of over 150 valid delegates were excised to make room for an equal number of impostors. This was not a clerical error. The alteration was wilfully executed that the primary would be directed toward a chosen end that bore nothing in common with the will of most state party members. A cunning few had tried to deceive the many into believing they were outnumbered. A conspiracy to steal the Ondo primary had been uncovered. Fortunately, the grand deception afoot had been unable to cover its tracks fast enough. Truth began to cry for justice. “Several candidates filed petitions contesting the result. The party established an investigative board to review the evidence.
In a two to one decision, the panel found the delegate roster had suffered tampering. The panel recommended that a new primary should be held using the valid delegate list. This recommendation was tabled before the National Working Committee (NWC). After many hours of deliberations spanning several days, a final vote was held by the NWC. Before hand, NWC members agreed that the decision of the majority would become the stance of the party. Such is the way of democracy. The NWC voted six against five to cancel the fraudulent results and hold an honest primary. For a moment, it seemed the party would restore its integrity by giving democracy a chance.
However, those who sought to scam an entire state would not let the vote of 11 people spoil their enterprise. After the NWC vote, a noticeably agitated Chairman Oyegun proposed the NWC engage in prayer before concluding the meeting. Adhering to this chairman’s request, NWC members began to pray. Seeing that the others had taken his bait, Oyegun used the prayerful interlude to secretly excuse himself from the meeting. Contravening the NWC decision and in violation of all rules of fundamental decency, Oyegun decided to safeguard the fraud done in Ondo by perpetrating a greater fraud. Oyegun arrogated to himself the right to submit the name of Rotimi Akeredolu to INEC as the candidate of the party. Truth has finally come to light. There exists a regressive element in the party that cares nothing for the progressive ideas upon which this party was founded. They joined the APC because it was the best ride available at the time. Now they want to guide the party into the ditch. They want to turn the party into a soulless entity incapable of doing good, just like they are. When such a person tastes power, they shed all good restraint. They come to abuse the trust given them as if they are the owners of that trust and not its mere custodians. These people did little to build the party but now will do much to wreck it. Our party was to stand for change. Oyegun and his fellows seem to be on a different wave length. They are the cohort of Unchange.
The APC wants to guide Nigeria into a better tomorrow. Oyegun and the cohort of unchange want to pull Nigeria back into the past where rigging and vote stealing were the old and new testaments of politics. They want the people to think that there is no alternative to their reactionary system of skewed politics and imperious government. Thus, they seek to turn the APC into a factory of the very political malpractices the people soundly rejected in the past election. To choke the APC in this manner is to kill the chance for progressive reform for the foreseeable future. Much more than the Ondo primary is at stake. Oyegun has revealed his team’s game plan: It is the destruction of progressive politics and governance on behalf of the people. As party chairman, Oyegun was supposed to protect our internal processes and be an impartial arbiter, a person in whom all had confidence. Instead, he donned the garment of a confident man, duping the NWC, the party, and INEC in one fell blow. He has robbed APC members in Ondo State of the chance to pick in a fair manner who they believe is the best candidate. As such, he has broken faith with the party and probably has broken a few laws. The consequences of what he has done are more expansive than a man of his scope can fathom,” Tinubu said as he said that Oyegun must have been under some major sinister influence as to allow what happened. “With strong expectation, we await a response to Oyegun’s wrongdoing from those who clamored so long and loudly about Tinubu’s alleged role in the Ondo primary. Leading into the primary, a prominent lawyer from Ondo published lengthy missives alleging that Tinubu was a malicious hand intent on rigging the primary. His letters spoke of his great love for democracy and justice. Though Oyegun has assaulted democracy in a most public and vulgar way, this lawyer’s prolific pen will remain stilled. He dare not publish a word about this travesty. His silence will be sign for all who care to decipher its meaning. The plan was to point the accusing finger at Tinubu. With everyone focused on Tinubu, they would have distracted all attention from the heist they had set in motion. As fate would have it, the trickery they hoped to conduct in the shadows has come to light. Those who so actively attributed imaginary wrong to Tinubu now stand dumb and mute in the face of confirmed impropriety. They remain silent for reasons they cannot divulge.
Oyegun and his ilk turn out to be gangsters adorned in the tunic of party authority. Oyegun has engaged in the strange math where five is greater than six. This smacks of how the PDP conducted its affairs and orchestrated its own downfall. Tinubu disparaged such malpractice when it was not in his party. Tinubu surely disowns it now that it has invaded the party he helped bring to fruition. Tinubu has consciously refused to hold any official position with the party to avoid the perception that he was trying to control all and sundry. Tinubu has even kept his peace for some time despite many things that happened within the party that were not quite right. He exercised this forbearance because the party is young. A collective endeavor cannot avoid the mistakes and errors of organizational newness and evolution. Yet, the wrongs Oyegun committed had nothing to do with newness or the mistakes occasioned by the path of reform. His actions are in the nature of the old wrongs that have afflicted our national politics much too long. If Oyegun wants to walk backward into the past, he has every right to it. However, he has no right to drag the party or any of us with him. Against our choosing. The informal title of national leader of the party was given to Tinubu at the onset which he accepted it as a sign from those who wished to recognize my contributions to the party’s formation. It is an honorific title which he has been proud to wear until today. I would rather not have any title yet reside in a party that honors democracy than hold a title in a party that says it honors me but that treats justice with indecency. I find greater honour and comfort where democracy and fairness are found and respected. Oyegun has done the irredeemable. His coup is an insult to party and to patriot, to reason and to the reform agenda of this government. To remain silent would be to admit the defeat of the reform and progressive change many have labored to bring forth.
While the forces resistant to change and reform are strong, Tinubu dare not submit to them. Tinubu encourages all party members not to submit to them. If we acquiesce in this wrong, the one greater than this shall cascade upon us. “Oyegun’s transgressions are a warning. He is but the mercenary of forces that seek to return the nation to the old ways. If they get away with this infraction, no telling what or whom they will undermine tomorrow. Much is at stake. On the chopping block, lies the future of the political party in which the majority of voters had placed their confidence. To rescue the party, Oyegun must go. He has shown that he and democratic fair play cannot exist in the same party at the same time. If Tinubu is to choose between John Oyegun and progress toward a better Nigeria, the choice has already been made. For those who care about the party, who care about Nigeria and its chance for a better tomorrow, now is the time to stand against this brewing evil before it grows to encompass all we have built and all we hold dear.”
Sunday, 25 September 2016
Open Heavens 25 September 2016: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Are You a Fraudster?
Topic: Are You a Fraudster? [Sunday 25, September 2016]
Memorise: Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. – Proverbs 12:22
Read: Revelation 21:8 (KJV)
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 13-15, Psalms 68:7-21
MESSAGE:
A fraudster is a dishonest person. Someone with a disposition to tell lies, cheat or steal. Dishonesty is contrary to the will and nature of God, and so should not be found among the people of God. The Bible teaches that any prosperity obtained from deceit, fraud and lies will be short lived. Initially, it will appear as an increase but later it will leave you plundered. Some believers exploit fellow believers. This is a great evil because any wrong you do to your brother or sister in Christ is done to the Lord. Today, many people find it difficult to tell the truth. For instance, when asked to go and buy something for the church, they will not rest until they make profit for themselves. Some of those who ‘maintain’ church equipment will present certain equipment as write offs, receive money for another one only to refurbish that which was condemned. They then go on to use it either for themselves or put it out for sale. Who owns the equipment? Who owns the church? Who do you think you are deceiving; the pastor, administrator or Christ? Bread of deceit loads your system with gravel! Each time you deceive the church authority to make money for yourself, you give yourself wounds that may never heal. Jeremiah 17:11 puts it this way:
“As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.”
A particular brother received a contract for electrical works in the building of a church. While bidding for it, he presented certain standard of cables and materials but after he was awarded the contract, he bought sub-standard materials in order to make more profit. Nobody knew. About two years after, the building was on fire as a result of the poor materials used. Meanwhile, the contractor had died before his secret deal came to light. A number of people believed that his deception killed him. Don’t kill yourself; don’t die before your time! God cannot bless you if you deceive Him or His servants. Some people deliberately supply inferior goods to the church so that when they get spoilt, they will be recalled to re-supply such items. This is fraud! Remember Ananias and Sapphira lied about the offering they gave but never survived it! Neither will any who follows their evil path. Are you fraudulent, dishonest, or crafty? Be warned, the end result could be highly disappointing. Proverbs 23:5 describes this as an exercise in futility.
“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”
Prayer Point: Father, please destroy every seed of dishonesty and fraud in my life 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.
Memorise: Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. – Proverbs 12:22
Read: Revelation 21:8 (KJV)
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 13-15, Psalms 68:7-21
MESSAGE:
A fraudster is a dishonest person. Someone with a disposition to tell lies, cheat or steal. Dishonesty is contrary to the will and nature of God, and so should not be found among the people of God. The Bible teaches that any prosperity obtained from deceit, fraud and lies will be short lived. Initially, it will appear as an increase but later it will leave you plundered. Some believers exploit fellow believers. This is a great evil because any wrong you do to your brother or sister in Christ is done to the Lord. Today, many people find it difficult to tell the truth. For instance, when asked to go and buy something for the church, they will not rest until they make profit for themselves. Some of those who ‘maintain’ church equipment will present certain equipment as write offs, receive money for another one only to refurbish that which was condemned. They then go on to use it either for themselves or put it out for sale. Who owns the equipment? Who owns the church? Who do you think you are deceiving; the pastor, administrator or Christ? Bread of deceit loads your system with gravel! Each time you deceive the church authority to make money for yourself, you give yourself wounds that may never heal. Jeremiah 17:11 puts it this way:
“As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.”
A particular brother received a contract for electrical works in the building of a church. While bidding for it, he presented certain standard of cables and materials but after he was awarded the contract, he bought sub-standard materials in order to make more profit. Nobody knew. About two years after, the building was on fire as a result of the poor materials used. Meanwhile, the contractor had died before his secret deal came to light. A number of people believed that his deception killed him. Don’t kill yourself; don’t die before your time! God cannot bless you if you deceive Him or His servants. Some people deliberately supply inferior goods to the church so that when they get spoilt, they will be recalled to re-supply such items. This is fraud! Remember Ananias and Sapphira lied about the offering they gave but never survived it! Neither will any who follows their evil path. Are you fraudulent, dishonest, or crafty? Be warned, the end result could be highly disappointing. Proverbs 23:5 describes this as an exercise in futility.
“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”
Prayer Point: Father, please destroy every seed of dishonesty and fraud in my life 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.
Believe Me, This Buhari Cabinet Isn’t Flying - By Dele Momodu
Fellow Nigerians, let me start by thanking all the blogs, WhatsApp groups, Facebook and Twitter wizards who make the incredible efforts and sacrifice to mass-circulate my Pendulum column every week. I’m sincerely grateful for your abiding faith in the written word. Let me assure you that you push me to write this piece regularly no matter how tough. I must also salute all those who reach out to me via emails, SMS and telephone calls offering their appreciation of my humble contribution to nation-building. I’ve just received one such call from a businessman who believes so much in Buhari but feels the man has been encircled by desperate political jobbers who are not bothered whether he fails or succeeds. They are only interested in the allure and lucre of power, he says and he may not be far from the truth.
I truly appreciate the men and women of power who see my weekly sermon from the perspective that I mean no harm but that I am determined to prop up a government I helped bring to fruition in my own little way. It is impossible to forget and ignore my own critics who can never agree with my position on any national or international issue. Unknown to them, they keep me on my toes and force me to hone the elementary logic I learned as an undergraduate student at the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
I wish to say categorically and with all emphasis at my command that the Buhari government is flailing. And only the ubiquitous hypocrites and cheer leaders would fail to say it as it is, that the grunts of the people are fast turning into deafening lamentations. No amount of approbation by a President Obama can detract from the plaintive suffering and cries of the Nigerian people. Indeed, much as I love Obama, we must remember that his primary interest is America and the fight against corruption which is a sub-plot in America’s fight against terrorism.
In case our dear President is unaware, and he feels only the wailing wailers are grumbling, I wish to assure him that this is not the case. Some of the President’s friends and supporters are deeply worried at the sad turn of events. They are wondering what went wrong and what can be done to turn the dangerous slide around. In fact, everything looks to them like a bad dream, a nightmare in reality. But on a personal note, I don’t think the situation is as irredeemable as it seems. The solution lies squarely on the President’s table. Only he can salvage his government from this stupendous slump from grace to grass.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s biggest equity is in his legendary incorruptibility. He must have assumed that this equity is rock solid and unassailable. But while the people truly want a reduction in the level of corruption and general indiscipline, you must replace something with something. Buhari’s team believes the problem they have is as a result of waging a relentless war on corrupt people and the freebies that have suddenly frozen up for their friends and acolytes. Not so simple folks. Where are the jobs to occupy and engage the innocent beneficiaries of corruption? A lot of those who had jobs have lost their means of livelihood. Companies are sacking their workers, as if with a vengeance. Foreign investors are running helter-skelter and many have closed shop already running back to wherever they came from. Everyone wants stability and not sermons. And there is no stability, either in the polity, in the economy, in our currency or indeed in our social life.
Unfortunately, this government has been very high on proselytising and low on performance. Their swansong has become abysmally boring. The people are now less interested in the results of President Jonathan’s recklessness in office but more in President Buhari’s remedial panacea. It is shocking that 16 months after our friends took over power they are not yet tired of moaning and groaning about Jonathan. But we sacked Jonathan because we knew and felt his case was very bad. We supported Buhari because of the mystic that he had the magic wand. We didn’t want to be accused in the future of wasting yet another best President Nigeria should have had, after Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. That is why we worked assiduously for a man we had rejected serially in the past. We must beg this government to wake up from its deep slumber. It would be a huge embarrassment and an unmitigated disaster if it fails. So many Nigerians risked everything to midwife this change. I’m willing to support this government to the very end but they should please listen to our pleas and humble suggestions.
The President needs to re-energise his team. Nigeria is too big and too bold to be controlled by a timid cabinet. We need eagles who can fly high. We should be able to find them in a country of nearly 200 million people. There is no doubt that President Buhari has some good hands in his team but most of them have refused to fly, because they are scared. Many have melted into oblivion and irrelevance. We do not need to mention names. Some jobs are so visible that we do not require masquerades to handle. Some jobs require common-sense and not loquacious rabblerousing. Some members of the team have attracted public odium to this government. They make Buhari look so pitiably bad and that should not be so.
The human rights records should also have been better handled and managed during this second coming after the massive damage he suffered in the past. Fighting wars on all fronts from day one distracted and occupied the government. That game-plan was clearly faulty. They should have known that the temperament and tone of a democratic government is ostensibly different from that of a military junta. I once read that too much anger sometimes beclouds reasoning. The government failed to take certain steps to mitigate against the expected backlash of its many wars. It did not reason that hungry people are not always reasonably tolerant of the cause of their social conditions.
No one is sure if President Buhari was ever inclined or advised by his team to plan its offensive well or if he thought he had the same omnipotent power he had from 1983-85. He would have waited a bit and stabilised his government before unleashing mayhem against the enemies of state. I’m told surprise is one of the deadliest strategies in warfare. Most of the looted resources would have remained in our banks if government had not shown its fangs too early. As a lay man in Economics, I will never understand and appreciate the decision to ban people from paying dollars into their own accounts. What did it matter if dollar was paid in cash or by transfer? That was the beginning of the free-fall of our currency down the economic ladder. A large chunk of the money looted has invariably vamoosed into foreign vaults or under some beds or dug-up holes. Shame!
I strongly recommend that the President rejigs his cabinet, especially his economic team and even replace some of the members. This is what a bank would do if some of its managers were not meeting their targets. No manager is too big to be fired by football clubs. There is nothing new under the sun about this approach to governance. There are so many global examples. In 2014, when Saudi Arabia experienced a surge after the outbreak of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS) disease, Saudi King Abdullah fired his Health Minister Abdullah al Rabeeah. In July this year, President Raul Castro of Cuba removed his Minister of Economy Marino Murillo from his portfolio amid the economic hardship that was plaguing the country. Just two weeks ago, Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos fired the country’s Finance Minister Armando Manuel. Manuel had presided over an economic recession caused by a sharp dip in oil prices that weakened dollar inflows, hammered the Angolan Kwanza, leading to heavy government borrowing.
The President should borrow from such examples and do the needful without further delay. I’m happy that even the National Assembly is thinking along the same lines. The government does not have time on its hands and at its disposal. Two years would soon evaporate and the third year will come knocking. It has to start working for those Nigerians who put their fate and faith in the hands of Buhari. We have had enough of the blatant excuses that sound more like expressions of hopelessness and helplessness, thus leading to deja vu.
A few priorities must be tackled speedily. None is greater than the issue of power generation which is already witnessing appreciable progress. I believe the Minister of Power, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, should be allowed to concentrate strictly on power and give his other portfolios to equally competent people. I would love to see a former Governor Donald Duke take over works. I do not care WHICH PARTY HE BELONGS. I have deliberately mentioned this great Nigerian who could easily have been our own Obama if we were a country where merit and achievement catapulted people into the highest office. This government would do well to consider a government of National Unity. Since the suffering we are enduring does not discriminate along Party lines, the solution should not ostracise any capable Nigerian.
On the economy, President Buhari should invite and involve the best brains at home and abroad including non-Nigerians. The Bank of England brought in an expert from Canada as its Governor. Dubai invited a Briton to run one of the most ambitious airports on planet Earth. The London Gatwick Airport was sold to a consortium led by a Nigerian. Ghana has just built a world-class Cargo section by Swissport. Before our very eyes, Ghana is attracting the biggest aviation businesses in West Africa. The world has moved beyond our jejune and archaic style of doing things. Our parastatals have become too unwieldy and totally wasteful. We have so many agencies all over the places managing nothing but eating everything. That does not mean a wholesale sale of our national assets but recourse to effective and efficient lean management wherever that may come from. I say emphatically, nothing would change unless we change our retrogressive ways.
Instructively, the National Assembly and the Executive arms of government must cut down on government expenditure drastically. The National Assembly is making sense with some of its recommendations but it is has to go beyond that by actually implementing those recommendations and putting pressure on the Executive to do the same. All the legislative aides, executive aides, delegations to foreign assignments and government’s fleet of aircrafts and motorcades are atrociously over-bloated and unnecessary. I stumbled on a video footage of President Vladimir Putin of Russia’s motorcade. It had nothing more than four (4) vehicles accompanied with escort motorbikes. In 2012, President Putin even went as far as announcing that he and his prime minister will work more from home to cut the disruption caused by their motorcades in the city of Moscow. That is Russia, a global super-power making an effort to run a leaner and more effective governance structure.
In Ghana where I have lived for over a decade, I have seen the simplicity of the Presidential system of governance from Rawlings to Kufuor to the late Atta Mills and now John Dramani Mahama. Her Majesty, the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II in all the glory of her monarchy goes around in a simple motorcade of usually two or three vehicles. The accompanying vehicles are oftentimes unmarked. But the case of Nigeria is a stark contrast. It sometimes looks as if we are war with some imaginary alien foe. Every security outfit competes to feature in the entourage of our respective leaders. Then there are the support vehicles, including ambulances, bomb disposal vehicles and anti-tank machines
Everything is collapsing except the business of politics. Every government that comes to power seems to be in competition with previous governments in the craze to practice capitalism without capital. Clearly, this is not sustainable and we cannot continue like this. Something has to give. President Buhari must restore confidence again by allowing the change millions of Nigerians voted him for in March 2015 to begin from his desk. It is commonly said that, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” Our time is now.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/09/24/believe-me-this-buhari-cabinet-isnt-flying/
I truly appreciate the men and women of power who see my weekly sermon from the perspective that I mean no harm but that I am determined to prop up a government I helped bring to fruition in my own little way. It is impossible to forget and ignore my own critics who can never agree with my position on any national or international issue. Unknown to them, they keep me on my toes and force me to hone the elementary logic I learned as an undergraduate student at the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
I wish to say categorically and with all emphasis at my command that the Buhari government is flailing. And only the ubiquitous hypocrites and cheer leaders would fail to say it as it is, that the grunts of the people are fast turning into deafening lamentations. No amount of approbation by a President Obama can detract from the plaintive suffering and cries of the Nigerian people. Indeed, much as I love Obama, we must remember that his primary interest is America and the fight against corruption which is a sub-plot in America’s fight against terrorism.
In case our dear President is unaware, and he feels only the wailing wailers are grumbling, I wish to assure him that this is not the case. Some of the President’s friends and supporters are deeply worried at the sad turn of events. They are wondering what went wrong and what can be done to turn the dangerous slide around. In fact, everything looks to them like a bad dream, a nightmare in reality. But on a personal note, I don’t think the situation is as irredeemable as it seems. The solution lies squarely on the President’s table. Only he can salvage his government from this stupendous slump from grace to grass.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s biggest equity is in his legendary incorruptibility. He must have assumed that this equity is rock solid and unassailable. But while the people truly want a reduction in the level of corruption and general indiscipline, you must replace something with something. Buhari’s team believes the problem they have is as a result of waging a relentless war on corrupt people and the freebies that have suddenly frozen up for their friends and acolytes. Not so simple folks. Where are the jobs to occupy and engage the innocent beneficiaries of corruption? A lot of those who had jobs have lost their means of livelihood. Companies are sacking their workers, as if with a vengeance. Foreign investors are running helter-skelter and many have closed shop already running back to wherever they came from. Everyone wants stability and not sermons. And there is no stability, either in the polity, in the economy, in our currency or indeed in our social life.
Unfortunately, this government has been very high on proselytising and low on performance. Their swansong has become abysmally boring. The people are now less interested in the results of President Jonathan’s recklessness in office but more in President Buhari’s remedial panacea. It is shocking that 16 months after our friends took over power they are not yet tired of moaning and groaning about Jonathan. But we sacked Jonathan because we knew and felt his case was very bad. We supported Buhari because of the mystic that he had the magic wand. We didn’t want to be accused in the future of wasting yet another best President Nigeria should have had, after Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. That is why we worked assiduously for a man we had rejected serially in the past. We must beg this government to wake up from its deep slumber. It would be a huge embarrassment and an unmitigated disaster if it fails. So many Nigerians risked everything to midwife this change. I’m willing to support this government to the very end but they should please listen to our pleas and humble suggestions.
The President needs to re-energise his team. Nigeria is too big and too bold to be controlled by a timid cabinet. We need eagles who can fly high. We should be able to find them in a country of nearly 200 million people. There is no doubt that President Buhari has some good hands in his team but most of them have refused to fly, because they are scared. Many have melted into oblivion and irrelevance. We do not need to mention names. Some jobs are so visible that we do not require masquerades to handle. Some jobs require common-sense and not loquacious rabblerousing. Some members of the team have attracted public odium to this government. They make Buhari look so pitiably bad and that should not be so.
The human rights records should also have been better handled and managed during this second coming after the massive damage he suffered in the past. Fighting wars on all fronts from day one distracted and occupied the government. That game-plan was clearly faulty. They should have known that the temperament and tone of a democratic government is ostensibly different from that of a military junta. I once read that too much anger sometimes beclouds reasoning. The government failed to take certain steps to mitigate against the expected backlash of its many wars. It did not reason that hungry people are not always reasonably tolerant of the cause of their social conditions.
No one is sure if President Buhari was ever inclined or advised by his team to plan its offensive well or if he thought he had the same omnipotent power he had from 1983-85. He would have waited a bit and stabilised his government before unleashing mayhem against the enemies of state. I’m told surprise is one of the deadliest strategies in warfare. Most of the looted resources would have remained in our banks if government had not shown its fangs too early. As a lay man in Economics, I will never understand and appreciate the decision to ban people from paying dollars into their own accounts. What did it matter if dollar was paid in cash or by transfer? That was the beginning of the free-fall of our currency down the economic ladder. A large chunk of the money looted has invariably vamoosed into foreign vaults or under some beds or dug-up holes. Shame!
I strongly recommend that the President rejigs his cabinet, especially his economic team and even replace some of the members. This is what a bank would do if some of its managers were not meeting their targets. No manager is too big to be fired by football clubs. There is nothing new under the sun about this approach to governance. There are so many global examples. In 2014, when Saudi Arabia experienced a surge after the outbreak of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS) disease, Saudi King Abdullah fired his Health Minister Abdullah al Rabeeah. In July this year, President Raul Castro of Cuba removed his Minister of Economy Marino Murillo from his portfolio amid the economic hardship that was plaguing the country. Just two weeks ago, Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos fired the country’s Finance Minister Armando Manuel. Manuel had presided over an economic recession caused by a sharp dip in oil prices that weakened dollar inflows, hammered the Angolan Kwanza, leading to heavy government borrowing.
The President should borrow from such examples and do the needful without further delay. I’m happy that even the National Assembly is thinking along the same lines. The government does not have time on its hands and at its disposal. Two years would soon evaporate and the third year will come knocking. It has to start working for those Nigerians who put their fate and faith in the hands of Buhari. We have had enough of the blatant excuses that sound more like expressions of hopelessness and helplessness, thus leading to deja vu.
A few priorities must be tackled speedily. None is greater than the issue of power generation which is already witnessing appreciable progress. I believe the Minister of Power, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, should be allowed to concentrate strictly on power and give his other portfolios to equally competent people. I would love to see a former Governor Donald Duke take over works. I do not care WHICH PARTY HE BELONGS. I have deliberately mentioned this great Nigerian who could easily have been our own Obama if we were a country where merit and achievement catapulted people into the highest office. This government would do well to consider a government of National Unity. Since the suffering we are enduring does not discriminate along Party lines, the solution should not ostracise any capable Nigerian.
On the economy, President Buhari should invite and involve the best brains at home and abroad including non-Nigerians. The Bank of England brought in an expert from Canada as its Governor. Dubai invited a Briton to run one of the most ambitious airports on planet Earth. The London Gatwick Airport was sold to a consortium led by a Nigerian. Ghana has just built a world-class Cargo section by Swissport. Before our very eyes, Ghana is attracting the biggest aviation businesses in West Africa. The world has moved beyond our jejune and archaic style of doing things. Our parastatals have become too unwieldy and totally wasteful. We have so many agencies all over the places managing nothing but eating everything. That does not mean a wholesale sale of our national assets but recourse to effective and efficient lean management wherever that may come from. I say emphatically, nothing would change unless we change our retrogressive ways.
Instructively, the National Assembly and the Executive arms of government must cut down on government expenditure drastically. The National Assembly is making sense with some of its recommendations but it is has to go beyond that by actually implementing those recommendations and putting pressure on the Executive to do the same. All the legislative aides, executive aides, delegations to foreign assignments and government’s fleet of aircrafts and motorcades are atrociously over-bloated and unnecessary. I stumbled on a video footage of President Vladimir Putin of Russia’s motorcade. It had nothing more than four (4) vehicles accompanied with escort motorbikes. In 2012, President Putin even went as far as announcing that he and his prime minister will work more from home to cut the disruption caused by their motorcades in the city of Moscow. That is Russia, a global super-power making an effort to run a leaner and more effective governance structure.
In Ghana where I have lived for over a decade, I have seen the simplicity of the Presidential system of governance from Rawlings to Kufuor to the late Atta Mills and now John Dramani Mahama. Her Majesty, the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II in all the glory of her monarchy goes around in a simple motorcade of usually two or three vehicles. The accompanying vehicles are oftentimes unmarked. But the case of Nigeria is a stark contrast. It sometimes looks as if we are war with some imaginary alien foe. Every security outfit competes to feature in the entourage of our respective leaders. Then there are the support vehicles, including ambulances, bomb disposal vehicles and anti-tank machines
Everything is collapsing except the business of politics. Every government that comes to power seems to be in competition with previous governments in the craze to practice capitalism without capital. Clearly, this is not sustainable and we cannot continue like this. Something has to give. President Buhari must restore confidence again by allowing the change millions of Nigerians voted him for in March 2015 to begin from his desk. It is commonly said that, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” Our time is now.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/09/24/believe-me-this-buhari-cabinet-isnt-flying/
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