Open Heavens 6 June 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Report, Don't Murmur

Saturday, 6 June 2015

Topic: Report, Don't Murmur [Saturday June 6, 2015]

Memorise: Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. - Psalm 35:1

Read: Luke 18:1-8 (KJV)

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 11:1-12:15, Luke 3:23-4:13

MESSAGE:

One of the sins that God hates so much is the sin of murmuring. During the mass exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, the reason why God destroyed some of them was due to their incessant murmuring. They kept on murmuring instead of discussing their problems with the One who had severally demonstrated the capacity to solve them. A reoccurring scene in their journey is described in Numbers 14:1-2. The consequence of this demonstration of faithlessness in God was that He denied them the joy of making it to the Promised Land. They all died in the wilderness, according to what they had said against themselves while murmuring. We must be careful of what we use our mouth to say in times of challenges (Numbers 14:28).

When confronted with the challenges of life, we should learn from our Bible reading and our memory verse what our attitude should be. In our memory verse, the Psalmist asked God to come to his aid against enemies that fought against him. He chose the correct Ally for the battle of life he was confronted with - the One whose Name is the Lord of hosts. He would rather report his enemies to the Captain of his battle rather than murmur about them. When you consider the end of David and the posthumous glory accorded him till date, you will see a man whose Ally was the Almighty God. Also, the widow in the parable of Jesus did not go to the house of the judge to murmur. She knew what she wanted: that the judge should fight her cause and grant her justice. Nobody knows what her adversary did to her; probably the adversary killed her husband and took their properties away. We are not even told for how many days, weeks, months or years she had been going to the judge for justice. But one thing we know is that, she kept on saying to him: "avenge me of my adversary" (Luke 18:3). The judge had no choice but to avenge her. Hear the Lord's conclusion from this parable in Luke 18:7-8a:

"And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily."

This is so comforting and reassuring. I therefore urge you to cultivate the habit of reporting your adversaries to your sure Ally: the All-powerful God. Don't engage in murmuring while you think you are praying. My prayer for you is that the Great God of heaven will avenge you of your adversaries this season, and you will know peace in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point: Father, You are the All-powerful One, arise and avenge me of all my adversaries in Jesus Name.

Nationwide Customer Care Jobs in a First Generation Nigerian Bank via Whytecleon

Our client, a first generation bank in the Nigeria economy seeks to recruit highly intelligent, young, well articulated and dynamic professionals with integrity for the following positions nationwide:

CUSTOMER CARE OFFICERS (CCO)

Job TypeFull TimeQualification: BA/BSc/HND  

Location : 36 States & FCT

Job Field Customer Care  

Job Description

Attend to customers enquires promptly and efficientlyIssue banker’s signature confirmation and reference letter as requiredRefer customers request beyond his/her limit to appropriate authorityProcess internet banking services and e-product requestPerform other duties as assigned by the Business Service Manager

Skills Required

Good customer service skillsGood relations skillsGood problem solving skillsGood documentation and record keepingGood reading and listening skillsGood dress sense

Educational Qualification

HND Graduate only (Minimum Lower Credit)

Age: Not more than 27 years. Experience in the banking industry will be an added advantage

Open Heavens 5 June 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Other Side of Prosperity

Topic: The Other Side of Prosperity [Friday June 5, 2015]

Memorise: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: - Proverbs 30:8

Read: 2 Chronicles 18:1-3 (KJV)

1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.

2 And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.

3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.

Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 9-10, Luke 3:7-22

MESSAGE:

Prosperity is good, and it is far better than poverty. As a matter of fact, God wants His children to prosper (3 John 2). However, we cannot wave off the words of Agur’s prophecy in today’s memory verse. One may wonder why he would make this strange utterance. The answer lies in Proverbs 30:9:

“Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

The first part of his reason for this statement is what I consider to be the other side of prosperity. When you become so prosperous that you forget the God who prospered you in the first place, you are in very serious trouble. My prayer for you is that the prosperity that will make you forsake God will not come your way in Jesus’ Name.

In our Bible reading, we see how God prospered King Jehoshaphat with abundant riches; but after he experienced prosperity, he made a military alliance with the wicked King Ahab. He would have lost his life through this evil association with Ahab, but for the mercy of God (2 Chronicles 18:31). You must be very careful of the people you associate with as you climb the ladder of prosperity (Proverbs 19:4). Some people suddenly become clubbers after they start commanding wealth. They now enjoy the world of vanities, and no longer value time for fellowship with the brethren. The story of King David in 2 Samuel 11:1-2 is an example of what prosperity can do to a one-time valiant warrior. David had no time for extra-marital affairs when he was running for his dear life from cave to cave. But after the crown came, at a time he was supposed to lead Israel to battle as he used to do, he was busy enjoying a sinful holiday.

Should we then conclude that prosperity is evil? Not at all; all we need to do is to follow the pattern of prosperity management used by the fathers of faith like Abraham. No matter how wealthy you become, keep standing out as a lover of God who trembles at His commandments. Your wealth has a purpose, which is to serve the interest of God and His Kingdom through the machinery of the Church. You cannot imagine that God will bless someone with a car, when the motive is to use it for seducing innocent girls to defile them. This is the reason why some children of God are yet to receive their promised prosperity: God knows they cannot handle it yet.

Prayer Point: Father, grant me the wisdom and the spiritual maturity to handle wealth

Senate Passes Sexual Offences Bill, Endorses Life Jail For Rapists

Senate on Wednesday prescribed life imprisonment for rapists and other sexual offenders.

This followed the passage of the Sexual Offences Bill which prescribes life jail for sexual offenders including rape, child sex tourism and people who deliberately infect others with the Human Immuno Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

I Renew My Pledge To Crush Boko Haram - Buhari

ABUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, in Niger Republic renewed his vow to crush the Boko Haram Islamic sect, saying “five years of the presence of this evil sect is enough.”

Speaking at a news conference in Niger during his first visit outside the country since inauguration, Buhari expressed confidence in the ability of the Nigerian military to overcome and eradicate Boko Haram.

Environment Ministry Terminates N9.2bn Clean Cook Stove Contract

The Federal Ministry of Environment has terminated the controversial N9.2 billion clean cook stoves and wonder bags project, initiated by the former Goodluck Jonathan administration, for rural women under the national clean cooking scheme.

Gang Of Six Rapes Two Sisters In Lagos

Two sisters, Essiet, 18, and 20-year-old Debby (pseudonyms), have been raped by a gang of six men who accosted them in the Bariga area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the victims were returning from a hospital in the Oworonsoki area last Thursday when they were attacked by the suspects.

Amnesty International drags Badeh, Ihejirika, others to ICC over Boko Haram

Read below the executive summary of the report: Some of us have voiced our concerns from insider information of the military leadership here on Nairaland, and some of you called me tribalistic and "hating" XPGEJ. Well this is not CramJones' report it is Amnesty International. For those that are not lazy to read I will recommend you to read the full report. I don't see any credible defense those indicted can present, especially when AI has overwhelming evidence including having some of the best lawyers in the world.

From the full report here is the list of named officials that the AI has dragged to the International Criminal Court with "substantial" evidence:

Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika. He was Chief of Army Staff from September 2010
until he retired in January 2014.

Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim. He was Chief of Defence Staff from 4 October 2012 until
16 January 2014.

Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh. He was Chief of Defence Staff from 16 January 2014
to the time of writing.

Lt. General Ken Minimah. He was Chief of Army Staff from 16 January 2014 to the
time of writing.


Executive Summary

In the course of security operations against Boko Haram in north-east Nigeria, Nigerian
military forces have extrajudicially executed more than 1,200 people; they have arbitrarily
arrested at least 20,0001 people, mostly young men and boys; and have committed countless
acts of torture. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Nigerians have become victims of enforced
disappearance; and at least 7,000 people have died in military detention as a result of
starvation, extreme overcrowding and denial of medical assistance.

Amnesty International has concluded that these acts, committed in the context of a noninternational
armed conflict, constitute war crimes for which military commanders bear both
individual and command responsibility, and may amount to crimes against humanity.
Specifically, Amnesty International names five high-ranking military officials who were in
charge of operations in north-east Nigeria from 2012 to date, as well as two Chiefs of Army
Staff and two Chiefs of Defence Staff, who should be investigated for potential individual and
command responsibility for these crimes. Amnesty International has handed over the names
of these officers, as well as other officers not named in this report, and related evidence to
the International Criminal Court.

This report is based on more than 412 interviews with victims, their relatives, eyewitnesses,
human rights activists, doctors, journalists, lawyers and military sources. Amnesty
International also analysed more than 90 videos and numerous photographs showing
members of the security forces and their allied militia, the Civilian Joint Task Force,
committing violations.

Amnesty International independently interviewed eight military sources, and examined more
than 800 official documents, including military reports and other correspondence between
military units based in the north-east and Defence Headquarters.
Amnesty International shared its findings with the Nigerian authorities during dozens of
meeting as well as 55 written submissions, requesting information and specific action to
address the violations. Government responses are reflected in relevant sections of this report.

Click here to download full PDF report with all those indicted 

Credit: CramJones
 

Open Heavens 4 June 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Get Rid of the Amalekites

Topic: Get Rid of the Amalekites [Thursday June 4, 2015]

Memorise: And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. -Matthew 5:29

Read: 1 Samuel 15:1-3 (KJV)

1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 8:12-66, Luke 2:41-3:6

MESSAGE:

Who or what is an Amalekite? An Amalekite is a symbolic representation of whosoever or whatsoever stands as an enemy of God or His plan. In our Bible reading, God opened the book of remembrance to the page where the wickedness of the Amalekites against His chosen people was recorded. 1 Samuel 15:2 says:

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.”

This should serve as a warning to whoever takes pleasure in doing wickedness to desist from it, because every deed has its divine recompense. Also, it should serve as a pointer to all children of God that they have a responsibility to identify and get rid of anyone or anything that provokes their Heavenly Father to wrath.

The Lord commanded King Saul to go and get rid of the wicked Amalekites, who opposed His goodwill to Israel, and that he should spare nothing and no one. Unfortunately, the calamity of disobedience struck, and God got rid of King Saul for failing to get rid of His enemies.  In like manner, the Almighty had earlier commanded Pharaoh to let His people go so that they may serve Him, but after Pharaoh refused, God got rid of him. I pray for you today, that those who are opposed to the good plans of God for your life will be destroyed in Jesus’ Name.

Just as God sent Saul to destroy all the Amalekites, God is telling all His children today to destroy every symbolic Amalekite in their lives. The Bible inEphesians 5:3-4 says:

“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”

As children of God, we must know that there are things that men do which provoke God to anger. A good child of God will not do what annoys the Father. This is why Jesus in today’s memory verse said that if your right eye would make you sin, you should pluck it out. It is that serious. I pray for God’s grace to help you today to get rid of whatever will make the Father reject you like He rejected Saul, in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Carry out an examination today to see if anything the Bible considers an abomination before God is present in your life. If you find any, get rid of them without further delay.

Sepp Blatter To Resign As Fifa President

Sepp Blatter says he will resign as president of football's governing body Fifa amid a corruption scandal.

In announcing his exit, the 79-year-old Swiss has called an extraordinary Fifa congress "as soon as possible" to elect a new president.

Blatter was re-elected last week, despite seven top Fifa officials being arrested two days before the vote as part of a US prosecution.

But he said: "My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody."

Fifa was rocked last week by the arrests on charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering as part of a US prosecution that also indicted 14 people.

A separate criminal investigation into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were allocated is also under way.

"I am very much linked to Fifa and its interests. Those interests are dear to me and this is why I am taking this decision," added Blatter.

"What counts most to me is the institute of Fifa and football around the world."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32982449

Kashamu Buruji Served Notice Of Extradiction As NDLEA Gets House Commendation

For its role in the the extradition case involving senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu to the United States, the House of Representatives has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Kashamu who is wanted in the United States of America on charges bordering on drug trafficking.

The letter of commendation which was signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes Honourable Jagaba Adams Jagaba states that the Agency’s action will go a long way in building the confidence of the international community in our country. Meanwhile, a notice of application for extradition of Buruji Kashamu to the United States had also be served on the senator-elect.

In an application made to the Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation is seeking the extradition of Buruji Kashamu to answer alleged drug trafficking charges. This is in line with the Extradition Act CAP, E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as modified by Extradition Act Modification Order, 2014). The notice of the suit was officially served on Kashamu by the NDLEA on 1st of June 2015.

Honourable Jagaba while commending the gallantry of officers and men of the anti-narcotic agency observed that the action of the NDLEA has sent a strong signal that Nigeria believes in the rule of law. “This action has sounded a warning that no longer shall any Nigerian be considered to be above the law, no matter how highly placed. It equally points to the fact that no matter how long it takes, the law would catch up with all that has a case to answer. The Agency has shown that it can work without discrimination” he stated.

The letter further enjoined the Agency not to succumb to blackmail. “Let me at this juncture, therefore, encourage you not to falter in the face of blackmail. Your distractors will engage in all forms of antics including blackmail to distract you but you must never be deterred. Instead, with every form of distraction, you should be spurred to maintain the dignity of the Agency and do the needful in the interest of Nigerians and humanity” Jagaba stated.

http://www.punchng.com/news/ndlea-serves-kashamu-extradition-notice/

NIMASA Pays Tompolo N1.5bn Monthly – Ex-chairman

The pioneer chairman of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Ahmed Tijani Ramalan, has disclosed that the agency pays the sum of N1.5bn monthly to the ex-militant leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, to protect the nation’s maritime areas.

Dr Ramalan, however, lamented that despite such gesture, the country still loses over 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily from the nation’s shores.

The former NIMASA chairman, who revealed this to LEADERSHIP in an interview in Kaduna, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to cancel the contract given to the ex-militant by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said, “Over 400, 000 barrels of crude oil are being stolen daily from our shores under President Jonathan; yet we had a government that has the Navy, the Army and the Air Force, and the government of Jonathan decides to hand over the security of our maritime waters to Tompolo at a very exorbitant amount of money.

“And these same people that are given the job of our maritime security are the ones that are collaborating with the international shipping companies to steal our oil.”

According to him, one of the ways to help the country’s economy to bounce back is to revoke Tompolo’s contract.

“And if Buhari does not do so, we will be the first to start attacking him. There is no basis to give that kind of billion naira job to ex-militants,” he declared.

Making further clarification on how long the payment has been going on, Ramalan said it started “sometime after 2011 when Jonathan won his election and since then the payment has been on.

nimasa_logo2“I was the pioneer chairman of NIMASA, and NIMASA is the one funding the contract given to Tompolo. This is a guy that is collecting about N1.5bn every month and yet our Armed Forces are not well funded. So, we call on the president to discard such contract.”

He further stated that Buhari’s strong character and honesty would help him to lead country well.

“We supported President Buhari’s presidency because we believe that the country needs a strong leadership. The insecurity and economic problem that we are having in the country today is because of lack of a strong and quality leadership,” he said.

“We believe the country needs a leader that is not corrupt, because the issue of corruption in the country has led the country to its knees.

“The country would have gone down if the administration of Jonathan was allowed to continue. For us, we believe that having a new leader is what the country needs because of the massive corruption. We believe in President Buhari; we believe there is hope in having him as the president.”

He also expressed confidence in Buhari’s ability to solve the problem of insecurity in the country.

Tompolo keeps mum

Attempt by LEADERSHIP to get clarification on the allegation from Mr. Government Ekpemupolo wasn’t successful. Initial calls made to his spokesperson, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo went unanswered, likewise SMS but he later replied to an SMS sent to him saying “I will get across to my boss.” He never got back again to LEADERSHIP up to the time of going to press when several calls around 11:27pm where again made to him.



Ex-Militants To PMB: Review Oil Pipeline Surveillance Contract

Some ex Niger Delta militants have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to review the multi-million dollar oil pipeline security contract awarded to ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo and other ex-militants by the past administration.

Coming under the aegis of The National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-agitators led by its national president, Israel Akpodoro, they made the call yesterday in a press conference held in Abuja.

In 2012, the President Goodluck Jonathan administration signed a $103 million deal with Global West Vessel Specialist Agency Ltd, a company linked to Tompolo. The deal was to patrol Nigeria’s waterways to stop piracy and oil theft.

Addressing newsmen on behalf of the ex-militants, Akpodoro also called on Buhari to review the Niger Delta amnesty programme, citing “fraud” and “selective treatment” in the federal government rehabilitation programme.

He, however, cautioned Buhari against scrapping the Niger Delta amnesty programmme.

The ex-militants also stated that Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election because the exercise was a “free and fair” contest.

“We boldly endorsed Buhari before the 2015 presidential election. We were not sponsored. We faced threats,” the ex-militants stated, while declaring continuous support for the Buhari administration.

http://leadership.ng/news/438108/nimasa-pays-tompolo-n1-5bn-monthly-ex-chairman