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*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *27th November, 2017* *Grace Is a Finished Work* "For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world." Hebrews 4:3 A lot of times believers assume that what they do is what qualifies them as believers or for the blessing. But a close look at our text shows that God’s work in our lives have been completed from the very foundation of the world. There is nothing you need now that would move God, because He settled it a long time ago. Most of the time what we need is a revelation of where the provision for that need is. For example when you are praying for a spouse, you are not praying that God should create your spouse but that He orders your step to meet each other. God has you in mind with His grace ever available for you every step of the way (2 Corinthians 12:9), everything you need f...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *25th November,2017* *Grace Singles You Out* “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6:8 The Old Testament is filled with the accounts of how people experienced grace in different areas of their lives. Noah experienced God’s grace which delivered him from destruction during his generation. The grace of God singles people out of the crowd. It announces people. When Jesus was on earth, He sometimes told the people He healed not to tell anyone who He was. However the more He did that, the more the people spread good news about Him. The bible made us to understand that there were times when the whole city gathered to hear Him. He could not be hidden because of God’s great grace upon Him. Another example is Joseph. He was sold as a slave to a strange land. However he found grace and was made the manager over all that his master had. Beloved, you can also experience grace in all your endeavors. Grace will always singl...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *24th November,2017* *Grace Changes Things* “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” Colossians 1:13 An unbeliever has no leverage over unfavorable situations because Satan is his lord. This means that he is under the dominion of the devil. Satan who is his lord is the chief architect and executor of unfavorable occurrences. So when an unbeliever goes through such situations, there is no one to deliver him from the hand of his master, the devil. He is in the kingdom of darkness therefore he has unpleasant experiences by default. However, a believer has been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and has been translated into the Kingdom of light, therefore he has the authority to change unfavorable situations when they come his way. For the believer, his experiences should be in line with his realities in Christ. Beloved, you are saved, so fill yourself with the con...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *23rd November, 2017* *Healthy by Grace* “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed”. 1 Peter 2:24 Christ paid the price for your sin and its consequences. Since sickness is one of the consequences, He paid the price. He paid it to the overflowing measure by going through punishments for you. Jesus has brought you health by the stripes He received for you. Sin, during its reign in your life brought death because the wages of sin is death. Now that you have received the life of God, sin and its consequences which include sicknesses have no power over you. Beloved, you have been delivered from sin and its consequences; therefore you are entitled to divine health. You have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness where sicknesses reign into the kingdom of light where divine health reigns. As a believer lay hold on the ...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *21st November, 2017*          *Dominion by Grace* _"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: the gift of God."_ Ephesians 2:8 Grace is the key that opened salvation unto you, and through it you now have access to eternal life, freedom from sin and its consequences. By grace you rule over sin and dominate it (Romans 6:14). Under the law sin reigned because of the weakness of the flesh. The law could not minister righteousness to those under it because of the knowledge of sin that it ministered to its subjects, which in turn ministered condemnation. Condemnation ministered death (separation from God) because of the feeling of unworthiness to approach God. Nonetheless, you who are in Christ Jesus are no longer under the law, but under grace.    God’s grace is the only cure for sin and sinning, if God wanted us to keep sinning, He would not have sent Jesus. What the law coul...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *20th November, 2017* *Changed by Grace* _“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”_Ephesians 2:8 The grace that came to you for salvation is an outflow of God's riches at Christ’s expense. It is the power of God to save whoever calls on the name of the Lord. The gospel of Christ is the gospel of grace. It is this grace that came to you when the message of salvation was preached to you. This grace worked in you and recreated you. It made you a partaker of the finished works of Christ (i.e the results of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus). You became a changed man, a brand new creation who never existed before. The oldness of life you were living in was taken away (passed away). This taking away of the oldness of life didn’t happen because you tried to live right or because you met some qualifications that led to your recreation, rather it happened by grace....

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *17th November,2017* *Grace is God’s Love* “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” ( Ephesians 2:4-5) There is a great danger when we view God’s love in the light of human love, whatever is the best expression of human love that you have seen; God’s love is greater than this. The Bible talks about His manner of love, that while we were yet sinners (enemies of God) Christ died for us. It’s a man that can go on to say I love you and not show it. Imagine you tell your friend you are hungry and he refuses to help get some food to eat, even if he says he loves you a million times, you will never be...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *16th November, 2017* *Grace is A Divine Gift* “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. Romans 5:15" Grace is a divine gift and because of this some have misinterpreted it to mean it cost nothing. It’s just like you get a car as a birthday gift and you conclude that it cost nothing that is not true at all. Though you got the car free and it cost you nothing, it cost someone something; a gift is not just what you get from someone, it is that which you don’t have to pay for. According to Romans 5:21, God gave us the gift of grace through Jesus Christ. This means that the price of grace and all that comes through grace is Jesus Christ-His death, Burial and Resurrection. For Example Scriptures says in 2 Corinthians 8:9 that as believers our prosperity is by grace. ...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *15th November, 2017* *Understanding Grace 3* "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephesians 4:7" The distinct feature of the old covenant is the law, while that of the New Covenant is grace. This is why you must have a good understanding of what grace is. John 1:17 says _the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ._ In this dispensation, grace is our hallmark. Many define grace as unmerited favor, this is correct to an extent but there is much more to grace than it just being unmerited favor. What then is grace?  The word ‘grace’ in the New Testament is the Greek word “Charis” and it refers to something that is given, or you might say a gift. Grace refers to something not earned or worked for; something that is given freely or without charge. Does that ring a bell? Yes it does, that is everything you have in Christ. Grace is all of God’s resources a...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *14th November, 2017* *Understanding Grace 2* “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14” A lot of times you would have said our opening verse as a prayer or just a closing benediction after a Christian meeting. This prayer/declarative utterance is however rich in effect. Grace is a person and that person is Christ our Lord. This is to say that Grace came into your life the moment you accepted Him as your Lord. Without Christ, there can be no Grace.Christ is your right of access to Grace. This He became by the things He suffered for you when He took your place on the cross and paid the price for your sins so as to make you debt free. Christ brought Grace to you by His death, burial and resurrection. Acknowledgment of His Lordship qualifies you to be called the son of God and you then become a joint heir with Him. This invariably qualifies y...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *13th November, 2017* *Understanding Grace* “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17 Most people have not been able to enjoy grace in its fullness because they only seek to have their needs met. They are not desirous to understand what grace really is. However, Beloved, Grace is more than what we receive to have physical substances, grace is a person. Today's text shows us that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is Grace. When you receive freely something you have not worked for, it is called a gift.  God gave Jesus Christ to you freely; He is God’s Grace to you. For you to fully enjoy Grace, you have to come into a personal knowledge of Jesus. 1 Peter 1:2 makes us to understand that it is your knowledge of Jesus Christ that causes grace and peace to be multiplied unto you. This means that all of God’s resources would definitely abound in your life without you runn...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *12th November, 2017* *God Gave You All* He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32. One of the many beautiful attributes of God as revealed by the scriptures is giving, starting from everything God created since the beginning of time. The Old Testament is full of the many good things God gave man. For example in Exodus, God gave the Israelites water when they needed it, He gave them manna when they needed it. He also gave them meat when they needed it.  He met all kinds of needs as they arose. Scriptures say God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. When God gave His only begotten Son, He gave us His all and because He did not withhold His own Son from us, He has equally given us free access to all things. God wants you to know that you have access to all of His. Have you ever asked someone for somet...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *10th November, 2017* *Unchanging God* Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Lamentations 5:19 One of the many attributes of God is that He doesn’t change. That is, He never diminishes in power, love and in doing good. God is not a man that can be today and gone tomorrow. He revealed himself unto Abraham as the El-Shaddai-The All sufficient One. He is still the All- Sufficient One today. He said to Moses,‘‘I am”. God is fond of revealing Himself to man to showforth the part of Him that is yet to be known and He does that to show a pattern to man so that man can know He can always be related with as whatever He reveals Himself to be from generation to generation. He parted the Red sea when the Israelites were at a cross road, the same God made them walk through the river Jordan. He did that to reveal that He has not changed. He delivered David from the hands of death when Saul sought to kill h...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *9th November, 2017* *Don’t Just Desire, Act* Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24. Great things are conceived via desire and are birthed via corresponding actions. As good as desires are, they make no difference until they are birthed. Jesus Christ said whatsoever you desire when you pray, believe that you have received them. This means there is a relationship between desire and prayer. Prayer is an action that you take having desired. When a man desires to eat, what he needs to do is either prepare a meal or buy one. The woman with the issue of blood desired to be made whole. After spending her all on getting medical aids, she heard about Jesus and how that He could heal her then she took a positive action of pressing forward  to take her healing. Jesus needed the world to hear the gospel and receive salvation; He acted by eq...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *8th November, 2017* *Living the blessed Life* ….that the blessing of Abraham may come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:12 Eternal life qualifies you for the blessing. This is because the blessing of Abraham came to you through Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus put to a permanent hold every evil ordinance written and working against you, He nailed it to the cross and thereafter received the blessing for you. In other words, He qualified you for the blessing. This life you now carry is a blessed life. The blessing became legally yours the moment you accepted the life of God. Right now, you can boldly say you are blessed because you are. The blessing of Abraham came on you the moment you received Jesus as your Lord and saviour, nothing can be sweeter than this. God wants you to live a life full of joy and peace, He wants you to enjoy it to the fullest and He has provided you all that you need in Christ Jesus. This ...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *7th November, 2017* *He is not man that He should lie* _Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it._ Isaiah 46:11 God is too big to speak a lie, too powerful not to be able to do the impossible. If God has commanded anything in your life, He is committed to confirm it. Sometimes you experience delay in certain issues and you conclude that you are being denied of your desires.  Well, God does not deny His children their rights; it is His will that good things should happen to you. The bible says He Himself is The Truth, He is the real deal and He’s committed to making things happen for you. The devil may try to delay the fulfillment of God’s promise in your life but here is the good news- He can’t stop it, it’s your right. You should know that your path can only get brighter and clearer...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *6th November, 2017* *Release your Faith in the Love of God* At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. John 16:26-27 Beloved, faith in God is easy when the revelation of His love towards you is settled in your heart. You should approach God concerning any need on the basis of His unfailing, unconditional love towards you. He has loved you with an everlasting love. A natural father, though evil by nature, will not give a stone to his son when the son asks for a bread, how much more God, your heavenly Father. God is a giver of good things because Love gives and God is love. He has created all things for your enjoyment and He will stop at nothing to ensure you have all you need for life and godliness. It is the will of God for you to have all you need in an overflowing meas...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *5th November, 2017* *The Substance of faith* So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 Confession and positive believing without having the word of God to substantiate your belief is positive confession coming from an optimistic mind. What gives substance to your faith is the word of God. Hebrews 11:3 says the world was formed by the word of God. You need to locate the word of God that addresses the issue you want to change because it is the word of God that catalyses faith.  Without the word of God, faith is made void. The word of God is the bank of God’s resources, so you need to go to the bank and know what is available for withdrawal. Faith can only begin when the will of God is known and God’s will is revealed via His word. Therefore beloved, you need to consciously give yourself to the word so as to be able to get results by faith. Get the word of God and turn it to your confession...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* *4th November, 2017* *The Speaking of Faith* We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 2 Corinthians 4:13 Abraham, our great father of faith had a revelation of God as the God who gives life to the dead and calls those things that be not as though they were (Romans 4:17). This should be your manner of speaking as a believer. When you are in faith, your speech will show it. Your speech will no longer be negative tone but a positive tone because the reference point of your faith is God. Faith speaks! God spoke the earth into being, you also can speak into your life by faith. So when there are impossible situations staring you in the face, take the word of God and put it in your mouth. Speak life to every situation that is looking dead in your life. Hebrews 11: 3 says the world was created by the word of God, therefore you also can ...

*Illumination Devotional* *Pastor Jide Ojo* 1st November, 2017. *Take Charge* Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. Luke 9:1 Did you know that you are superior to the devil, his cohorts and circumstances? ' As a believer, you are above the devil and have been given authority over him.  You can take charge and cause a change wherever you find yourself or in any aspect of your life, be it in your finances, career, academics and so on. From our text above you can see that you have the authority to command the devil off your life because Jesus legally gave it to you as much as He gave the disciples. There was never a place in the bible where the devil fought Jesus back, because He had all the authority in heaven and on earth. If the devil has to fight back every time you exercise your authority in Christ, he would not be fighting you but the one who sent you. It is not about you but the powe...