Open Heavens 13 May 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Forbid Extension!

Topic: Forbid Extension! [Saturday 13, May 2017]

Memorise: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. – 1 Peter 5:10

Read: Genesis 15:10-15 (KJV)

10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 18-20, Jeremiah 30:10-24, Hymn: Sing hymn 4

MESSAGE:

One assurance you have as a believer is that the boat of your life and endeavours cannot sink. Be assured that every storm, contrary wind and wave that is working against you is only for an appointed time. The Holy Spirit made this clear in 1 Peter 5:10 when He said,

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

Beloved, don’t believe the lie of the devil that things will continue to get worse. They will not! Don’t believe that the unpleasant situation you find yourself in will persist. It will not! Every pain, sorrow or distress is for a set time and it will definitely expire. After its expiration, the imperfect shall be perfected, the unstable shall be established, the weak shall be strengthened and there shall be divine settlement. These shall be your portion from now in Jesus’ Name!

However, sometimes, the devil attempts to extend the period of a trial of faith beyond what was originally sanctioned by God. This is why we need to know God’s will concerning a situation and thereafter stand on it. You need to know your kingdom rights and insist on receiving them. The devil is rightly called a thief in John 10:10. He steals what does not belong to him. Any ground you fail to conquer in the Kingdom will be lost to the enemy’s camp. Any promise of God you do not know and lay claim to shall be lost to the enemy. How much of God’s promises and prophecies do you know? How many of them have you laid claim to? Do you know that God can allow you go through a trial of faith situation for three years, but if you fail to know the exact duration or are not sensitive enough, the devil can take advantage of that situation and prolong the hardship? This was the case in today’s reading. God spoke of Abraham’s descendants going into slavery in a strange land for a period of 400 years and thereafter they would come out with great wealth; but do you know that by the time the Israelites were delivered, they had spent an extra 30 years in slavery (Exodus 12:40)! Even today, many believers have allowed the devil to enjoy extra time afflicting them. They have moved from the preset trial period to a period of satanic affliction, thinking they are still going through the God-ordained trial of faith. How can you check this? Ask God. Seek His face over it. Use all the weapons you have as a Christian: the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, the promises of God and a life of holiness to combat that unpleasant situation. If the situation stops, it means your trial is over.

Prayer Point: Every Satanic extension to my “trial of faith” period is terminated now 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.

Updates On The Murder Of Karabo Mokoena

Murdered Karabo Mokoena’s family meets police to obtain details

According to Pelane Phakgadi

JOHANNESBURG - The family of a woman who was murdered, allegedly by her boyfriend, is meeting with Sandton police for details of what happened.

They say they were told the boyfriend was arrested after admitting to killing Karabo Mokoena.

The 22-year-old was reported missing in April.

WATCH: Karabo's uncle: Our family is traumatised

The family, including Mokoena’s mother and uncle, have visited the Sandton police station to obtain details.

The uncle Tshepo Mokoena says although the victim’s body was badly burnt, they have accepted that it is her.

“We have looked at the body; of course you know your child, the mother knows her child and for the mere fact that he has confessed, saying he dumped the body somewhere. Indeed, when we went there, the body was found."

He says the suspect led the police to the discovery of the body after apparently confessing to killing her, moving her body out of a residential complex using a laundry bin and later dumping her in Bramley.

The boyfriend is expected to appear in court soon.

(Edited by Winnie Theletsane)

Andrew Wommack’s daily devotional May 12, 2017 - Dead Works

Topic: Dead Works [Friday May 12, 2017]

John 6:28, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"

John 6:24-29

All throughout history, mankind has been seeking ways to do the works of God. Everyone has a knowledge within them of the reality of God (Rom. 1:18-20), and a desire to be right with Him. However, just as with these Jews, few agree with the Lord as to how to do it. These Jews were willing to do something to obtain salvation, but they were not willing to commit themselves to Jesus and accept His gift.

This is one of the major differences between Christianity and the religions of the world. Religion is willing to make sacrifices to obtain right standing with God, but Christianity recognizes our complete inability to ever do enough to save ourselves and calls for total faith and reliance on what Jesus did for us.

No one deserves salvation. It cannot be earned by what the Bible calls "dead works" (Heb. 6:1; 9:14). Dead works include all religious activities, good deeds, or charity that one may do as a means of being justified before God.

Faith towards God and what He has done through Christ Jesus is the only means of receiving His free gift of salvation. He only asks us to believe.

This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net)

Our Daily Bread Devotional, May 11, 2017 - Singing with Violet

Topic: Singing with Violet [Thursday May 11, 2017]

Read: Philippians 1:21–26, Bible in a Year:2 Kings 13–14; John 2

I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Philippians 1:23–24

An elderly woman named Violet sat on her bed in a Jamaican infirmary and smiled as some teenagers stopped to visit with her. The hot, sticky, midday air came into her little group home unabated, but she didn’t complain. Instead, she began wracking her mind for a song to sing. Then a huge smile appeared and she sang, “I am running, skipping, jumping, praising the Lord!” As she sang, she swung her arms back and forth as if she were running. Tears came to those around her, for Violet had no legs. She was singing because, she said, “Jesus loves me—and in heaven I will have legs to run with.”

Violet’s joy and hopeful anticipation of heaven give new vibrancy to Paul’s words in Philippians 1 when he referred to life-and-death issues. “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me,” he said. “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (vv. 22–23).

Each of us faces tough times that may cause us to long for the promise of heavenly relief. But as Violet showed us joy despite her current circumstances, we too can keep “running, skipping, praising the Lord”—both for the abundant life He gives us here and for the ultimate joy that awaits us.

Prayer: Lord, when times are tough, help me to find joy. Help us to live in the tough times of this world with happiness while looking ahead to something “better by far.”

When God gives us a new beginning, we find a joy that’s never ending.

Insight:

Paul’s mixed feelings about life didn’t seem to be rooted in a moment of crisis or despair. Ever since his encounter with the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus he’d found a different understanding of what it means to live with purpose and to die with gain. Before he met Christ, his goal had been to inflict pain and suffering on followers of Jesus. But then he learned what it meant to consider it an honor to accept whatever it took to help others discover the mercy and kindness he’d found in Jesus.

Describing the love that he now wanted others to know for themselves, Paul wrote, “I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more” (Phil. 1:8–9). Now—whether in life or death—Paul believed he couldn’t lose.

This message was written By Dave Branon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Top 5 Richest Artists In Nigeria

Top 5 Richest Artistes In Nigeria

Year in year out, they artistically express themselves via songs churned out en masse to the delights of millions across the globe, headlining shows and performing at others with major sold-out feature. While some of the artistes on this list make the ‘we love to hate them clique, there is no denying that we love their sound and our unfailing love for it, like Yemi Alade, said a couple of days back, makes them smile to the bank.

Here are top 5 richest artistes and their net worth

Psquare    

ESTIMATED NET WORTH: N5 billion

Peter and Paul Okoye, famously known asPsquare have stayed relevant in the music industry, snagging deals and headlining major shows and concert along the way. The brothers, who are ambassadors to several brands to include telecommunication company, Glo which came with a Mercedes Benz G Wagon and Range Rover vogue , which costs not less than N25m, Olympic Milk alongside a paycheck of N250million. Skol beers and Kia Motors, are the richest musician in Nigeria. They reportedly charge a whooping $50,000 for shows. They own four houses; an omole estate house, an Ikoyi home, a banana island home and apartments in Buckhead in L.A. Paul, on his part owns a record label [Rudeboy Records] and a real estate business, while Peter, owns a budding football agency. Add all these with their over a million record sales, and other exotic cars worth over N200 million has Psquare’s estimated net worth at N5 billion.

Davido

ESTIMATED NET WORTH: N4 billion.

Save for the thousand of foreign currencies he flaunts on social media, American born Nigerian singer, Davido a.k.a Son Of Mercy, stated clearly that asides his numerous assets, he has $2million in his bank account, which we think might be his trust fund[just saying]. He is a brand ambassador for Closeup, Pepsi, formerly an ambassador for telecommunications company MTN, Guinness Nigeria,  and recently snagged a Sony endorsement deal reportedly worth $1million. He owns a Lekki mansion worth about N120 million and is at the verge of acquiring a new one, also believed to be worth several millions of Naira. He also owns fleet of cars to include a Rolls Royce Phantom worth N100 million, a 2015 Range Rover Sport worth N35 million, a 2015 Audi worth N20 million, A Toyota Land Cruiser worth N28 million, Mercedes Benz G-class AMG Series worth over N40 million, Mercedes Benz  Sedan AMG series worth over N50 million and a Porsche Carrera worth about N35-45million. He also owns two music labels, HKN, co-owned with elder brother and DMW, solely owned by him. Coupled with shows/concerts he performs at, record sales and royalties, Davido’s estimated net worth is N4 billion.

Wizkid

ESTIMATED NET WORTH: N3.5 billion

Currently riding on international stride and stars,Wizkid, comes in as number three on our list. From owning a Surulere house worth about N15 million to his Lekki home which is estimated at N65 million. Wizkid, asides his rumored soon to be made public deal with Sony, owns his own record labels, Starboy Records and Starboy Worldwide, which houses 5 musicians in total. He was a brand ambassador for MTN where he reportedly was paid N45 million before sliding into the tent of rival telecommunications company Glo, where he is reportedly been paid N120 million. He also has a renewed two years Pepsi deal worth N140 million, and over a million sales in record. Starboy, is an avid lover of automobiles and has quite a few luxury cars in his garage, they include; a Hyundai Sonata which costs about N6 Million, a BMW X6 worth N11 Million, a Mercedes 2012 Compressor which costs N9 Million, a Bentley reportedly worth N45 Million, a new Porsche Panamera worth N15 million, he got barely a month after crashing the old one and a Can-am supercharged bike estimated at N3.5 billion

Olamide

ESTIMATED NET WORTH : N2.5 billion.

‘Abule Sowo‘ crooner, Olamide aka Baddo Sneh, is the fourth artiste on our list. Olamide, who first signed a mega deal with telecommunications company Etisalat in 2013, renewed the multi million naira deal in 2015. He is also snagged a deal with Ciroc which is reported worth close to N45 Million. In 2013, he also became the brand ambassador for Guinness with the deal also reportedly worth several millions of Naira. In 2014, he became the brand ambassador for SureBet 24/7, an online sport betting company for a whooping N20 million naira. He is the CEO ofYBNL, a music label which currently houses singers Adekunle Gold and Temmi Ovwasa. Olamide, also makes money from shows and concerts with some being sold out. He charges between N3-5million per show bookings. He is also the owner of two petrol filling stations and three houses; one on the island and the other two on the mainland. His luxurious home on the Island is reportedly worth N38 Million. The other two houses situated in Bariga are said to be worth over N20 Million each. He splashed a whooping N6 Million on a Toyota Venza automobile for his producer and owns a Mercedes G-Class worth N22 million, Range Rover sport worth about N15 Million and formerly owned a 2012 Model.

Timi Dakolo

ESTIMATED NET WORTH:   N1 billion

Timi Dakolo, is the fifth atiste on our list. Since hitting the limelight by emerging winner at the inaugural season of West African Idol in2007, Timi Dakolo, has not only remained in the consciousness of the people but also his accountant. The ‘Wish Me Well’ cooner, is known for his love for luxury cars as his garage has 2 cars running into millions. He owns a Chevrolet camaro which is worth about N8 million and a range rover sport worth  N23 million. In 2014, Timi, made headlines with his valentine gift to wife, Busola, a completed building, where the family currently lives. On money made fro  music, this vocal powerhouse, makes a lot of money performing at private and corporate events where he confirmed he gets paid handsomely. Timi, is one of the few artistes in the country, who performed at a paid event almost every weekend in the year, with that, we can all imagine how fat his bank accounts are. His estimated net worth is about N1 billion.

Written by: Tope Delano

@Tope_Delano

Be Inspired to The Fullest

As culled from Fadeleoba Initiatives,

1. Take risks in your life. If you win, you can lead; if you lose, you can guide.
2. People are not what they say but what they do; so judge them not from their words but from their actions.
3. When someone hurts you, don't feel bad because it's a law of nature that the tree that bears the sweetest fruits gets maximum number of stones.
4. Take whatever you can from your life because when life starts taking from you, it takes even your last breath.
5. In this world, people will always throw stones on the path of your success. It depends on what you make from them - a wall or a bridge.
6. Challenges make life interesting; overcoming them make life meaningful.
7. There is no joy in victory without running the risk of defeat.
8. A path without obstacles leads nowhere.
9. Past is a nice place to visit but certainly not a good place to stay.
10. You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.
11. If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, then you haven't done much today.
12. If you don't build your dreams, someone else will hire you to build theirs.
13. If you don't climb the mountain; you can't view the plain.
14. Don't leave it idle - use your brain.
15. You are not paid for having brain, you are only rewarded for using it intelligently.
16. It is not what you don't have that limits you; it is what you have but don't know how to use.
17. What you fail to learn might teach you a lesson.
18. The difference between a corrupt person and an honest person is: The corrupt person has a price while the honest person has a value.
19. If you succeed in cheating someone, don't think that the person is a fool...... Realize that the person trusted you much more than you deserved.
20. Honesty is an expensive gift; don't expect it from cheap people.
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This is very interesting post and I want all my friends and family to benefit.

6 Hilarious Lies Some Ladies Tell In A Relationship.‎

Except if a lady loves you like genuinely, there are some things she wouldn't ever tell you as culled from Naira Land

 Ladies are very good when it comes to hiding secrets. These are some of the lies she tells you when you are dating. I am sure you can relate with some of these lies.

 1.He is just my friend- At a point in time, there is always one particular male friend she has. They talk almost about everything. He gets the most of her attention. Even if there is more to it, she wouldn't ever let you know the deal.

 2. Number of sexual partners- Ladies wouldn't answer this question when asked. Who does not like to act good?a lady wouldn't want you to know how many guys have gone down there.

 3. Reason her ex left her- she is gonna come up with wrong reasons why he left. She is definitely gonna try to make herself look good without flaws.

 4. Not sexually active- you begin to get things like''its been a while i had sex''. well of course, the number of times she had sex can't be measured. she even tries to act naive at their first experience.

 5. I don't have call card/money- Ladies don't ever admit they are financially OK. they are always broke and out of call card. She always want you to do the calling and spending, even when they have.  6. I'm on my period- at a point, you begin to wonder if some ladies see their period everyday. there is never a stop. They keep telling you they are on their period when it is time to get down to business or when they come visiting. ‎ ‎

Emmanuel Macron and the New France

THE outcomes of the French presidential elections were announced on Sunday,  May 7, with Emmanuel Macron, the centrist political leader, having 65.8% of the votes as against ultra-nationalist Marine Le Pen’s 34.2 percent.  It had been a bitterly contested election. So much was at stake – no less than the future of France and of Europe itself. Marine Le Pen, the candidate of the far-right Front National, campaigned under the banner of xenophobic nationalism. She promised to act tough on immigration, pull France out of the EU, and revoke the citizenship of naturalised citizens with known terrorist sympathies. For her, it would always be “les français d’abord” – the French first! For Macron and his En Marche! liberal centrists on the other hand, the campaign was for winning back the heart and soul of France – for solidarity, social justice, non-discrimination and reaffirmation of France’s place in the heart of Europe. I spent some of my growing-up years as a student in France; first, at the provincial city of Vichy, in the heartland of the glorious Auvergne region, and later in Paris. I have drunk deep from the fountain of French intellectual culture. Blaise Pascale, François de la Rouchefoucauld, Simone Weil, Emmanuel Mounier, Jacques Maritain, Paul Ricoeur and Emmanuel Levinas – among the greatest of the world philosophers – have been the thinkers with whom I have shared a spiritual kinship. If truth be told, I have nursed an ancient grievance against France because of the racist and humiliating manner she has treated our glorious continent.  No leader in the so-called francophone African countries could hope to survive if they decided to pursue an independent policy. Sekou Toure tried it in Guinea, with disastrous consequences. So did the martyred Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso and the lugubrious Laurent Gbagbo in Côte d’Ivoire. There is some speculation that the French and the Americans know a thing or two about Boko Haram that we don’t. Their murderous exploits have been successful in the north east of our country because they could kill and flee back to French and American military training camps in neighbouring Chad and Niger.  The French view our country as the greatest threat to their colonial ambitions on our continent while the Americans have never forgiven us for rebuffing their leprous Africom project. The French have a tendency to arrogance; but it is not arrogance entirely without basis. France is also a land of many virtues. The homeland of Lamartine, Honoré Balzac, Victor Hugo, Sartre, Régis Debray and Bernard Henri-Lévy is also the land where the apostles of the New Enlightenment stand sentry with all the oppressed of the earth.


Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/05/emmanuel-macron-new-france/

PRESIDENT BUHARI TRAVELS FOR MEDICAL FOLLOW-UP

President Muhammadu Buhari proceeds to London tonight for follow-up medical consultation with his doctors.

He had planned to leave Sunday afternoon, but decided to tarry a bit, due to the arrival of 82 Chibok girls who arrived Abuja earlier in the day.

The President wishes to assure all Nigerians that there is no cause for worry. He is very grateful for the prayers and good wishes of the people, and hopes they would continue to pray for the peace and unity of the nation.

The length of the President's stay in London will be determined by the doctors. Government will continue to function normally under the able leadership of the Vice President.

President Buhari has transmitted letters about the trip to the Senate and the House of Representatives, in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.


FEMI ADESINA
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
May 7, 2017

Our Daily Bread Devotional, May 7, 2017 - Praise in the Dark

Topic: Praise in the Dark [Sunday May 7, 2017]

Read: Matthew 26:17–30, Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 1–3; Luke 24:1–35

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.Hebrews 13:15

Even though my friend Mickey was losing his eyesight, he told me, “I’m going to keep praising God every day, because He’s done so much for me.”

Jesus gave Mickey, and us, the ultimate reason for such never-ending praise. The twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew tells us about how Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples the night before He went to the cross. Verse 30 shows us how they concluded the meal: “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

It wasn’t just any hymn they sang that night—it was a hymn of praise. For millennia, Jews have sung a group of Psalms called “The Hallel” at Passover (hallel is the Hebrew word for “praise”). The last of these prayers and songs of praise, found in Psalms 113–118, honors the God who has become our salvation (118:21). It refers to a rejected stone that became a cornerstone (v. 22) and one who comes in the name of the Lord (v. 26). They may very well have sung, “The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad” (v. 24).

As Jesus sang with His disciples on this Passover night, He was giving us the ultimate reason to lift our eyes above our immediate circumstances. He was leading us in praise of the never-ending love and faithfulness of our God.

Prayer: You are always worthy of praise, Lord, even when I don’t feel like praising You! Help me to learn to praise You more and more.

Praising God helps us recall His goodness that never ends.

Insight:

How might Jesus’s example encourage you to praise God during hard times?

This message was written By James Banks [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]