Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

 
DATE:  FRIDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 2018


THEME:   DO YOU KNOW JESUS?

 
MEMORISE:

 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. Matthew 26:72

READ:      Matthew 16:13-16

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Mark 10:35-40

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

MESSAGE

As a believer in Christ who has obtained the saving knowledge of the Lord, you might consider the question we are reflecting on today to be elementary or irrelevant, but I encourage you to wisely give it some thought. This becomes even more necessary when you consider the fact that after months of being with Jesus day and night, He still turned around to His disciples and asked them in Matthew 16:15b:

 “……..But whom say ye that I am?”

In spite of their closeness to Him, the lord did not assume that His disciples really knew Him. Knowing Jesus is more than knowing Him as Savior, Master or even Lord. After years of walking with the Lord, Paul still wrote in Philippians 3:10:

“ That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

As I was growing up in faith, I wondered what else Paul wanted to know about Jesus that he had not known already. Now I know better that we might not be able to know Jesus to His fullness until we see Him in glory (1 Corinthians 13:12). My prayer is that the measure of knowledge that will enable you to be with Him eternally will be given to you today in Jesus’ Name. Beloved, how much of the power of Jesus’ resurrection do you? T what extent do you think the power that resurrected Jesus Christ can work for, in and through you? How much of His suffering can you share and endure? Are you ready to be conformable to his death?

If Peter really knew Jesus, he would not have argued with Him when He told him that he would deny Him thrice (Matthew 26:34-35). Do you now see the wisdom of Paul’s longing and prayer to know the Lord? It was their lack of a deep knowledge of Jesus that made two of His closest disciples make the demand that they made in today’s Bible reading. No wonder Jesus said to them in Mark 10:38b:

“…….Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

When Peter came face to face with the reality of what Jesus Christ told him, he realized how little he knew the Master (Matthew 26:75). I pray for you today that the grace to know Jesus the way you should know Him will be bestowed upon you today. To know Christ is to know victory, and it is to know the resurrection, the truth and the life. Come to Him in humility today if you really want to know Him, as He invites you to come and learn of Him (Matthew 11:28-30).

PRAYER POINT:

Father, help me to know Jesus and His power of resurrection, and as I get to know Him, let me be conformed to his image.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 132-138

Mark 3:31-4:20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

There let me see the sight, an open Heaven;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy given;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS BY PST. ENOCH .A. ADEBOYE

FRIDAY 27TH JULY, 2018

PREPARING FOR YOUR FLIGHT?

MEMORISE:
Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 2 Peter 1:14

READ:   
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 7-8 &
Matthew 9:9-26

MESSAGE:
“ Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.” 2 Peter 1:14

 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”
2 Timothy 4:6

It is so amazing to read the words of Peter and Paul in the above verses of scripture. They spoke of their impending deaths as though they were making preparation for a trip to a better country. Contrary to the common human response to issues relating to death, there is no trace of fear or anxiety in their words. We have important lessons to learn about death from these great apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 9:27, the Holy Spirit spoke through Paul saying:

 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

He also spoke through Peter in 1 Peter 4:7 saying:

 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

These two great apostles had no fear of death because they knew that death was just a vehicle to transport them to the glorious place Christ had prepared for them. They could look death in the eye without flinching because they had lived their lives in holiness, doing the will of God from a heart of love. They lived a victorious life over the devil, and were not held bound by the world with all its trappings. They knew with certainty that death would only be a passage of life in eternity, and that once they closed their eyes in death they would be carried into the presence of Jesus by His holy angels. Death and the grave had no power over them, and they could truly say:

 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
1 Corinthians 15:55

God deliberately gave us these two apostles as examples so that we would learn from their attitude. We who are alive today are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, appropriating the victory He has won for us over death by shedding whatever fear of death we may still have. Christ has indeed delivered us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). His expectation is that we will begin to make preparations for our flight to eternity, either by death or by rapture. Finally, in the words of Amos 4:12, I plead with you today: “PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD!”

KEY POINT:
What is your attitude towards death, and are you prepared to take a flight to glory through it?

HYMN 5:
1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though- none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 25TH JULY 2018

THEME: PROSPERITY MADE EASY.

MEMORISE:
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. James 1:25

READ: James 1:21-25

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

 MESSAGE
The issue of prosperity is an area where many in the Body of Christ today hold dangerous misconceptions. So many people come to church today in search of blessings, either financial or otherwise, but they are not interested in getting born again in truth.

They care less about holiness or righteousness and are not committed to the service of God in anyway, but they are prepared to do anything the pastor says with respect to sowing seeds and giving sacrificially in order to be blessed. Unfortunately, many in this category are youths.

 After they have practiced sowing and sacrificial giving for a while and the blessings are not forthcoming, they begin to pile up accusations against God and His servants.

 Although some pastors may be taking advantage of the innocence and ignorance of these young minds, such youths have themselves to blame because they have access to the word of God and are intelligent enough to read and understand the principles of prosperity as laid down by God.

 In several passages of the Bible, God promises His people prosperity in physical, material and spiritual things, and He also reiterate His intention to make them great and exalted above all other people of the earth, but this is always based on one condition:
 OBEDIENCE.

 Without exception, the Bible always presents obedience as the prerequisite to blessings.

James 1:25 stressed the point that anyone who continues to live in obedience to the word of God shall be blessed in his or her deeds. The pronouncement of multiple blessings on Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 28 was also based on the condition of obedience in Deuteronomy 28:1.

 Therefore, obedience to the word of God is not negotiable for anyone who is looking up to God for blessings.

 Another important thing to note is that God expects His children to continue in obedience, since the matter of their prosperity is already settled (Deuteronomy 28:2).

 The Creator of heaven and earth is a master planner and He knows how to make everything perfect in His own time. For this reason, giving Him a time limit within which you expect Him to perform His work is not wise and may lead to disappointment.

 When God promised to build me a city instead of the two-bedroom apartment I was asking for, I didn’t know His timing, but I waited patiently for Him. Months later, God started His wonders at the Redemption Camp, and about 40years later, the project has become a huge success, although God is not done with His wonders yet.

I decree that the same God will perfect your package of blessing and deliver it to you very soon in Jesus’ Name.

 PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me the grace to obey you in all areas of my life in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 1-3
Matthew 7:24-8:17

 AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey. 

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
 
DATE:  TUESDAY 24TH JULY 2018

THEME:   OTHER END-TIME SIGNS.

 
MEMORISE:

 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: Acts 2:17

READ:     Acts 2:17-21

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

MESSAGE

When considering the signs of the end-times, we are usually so engrossed with looking at the negative things that will happen that we often lose sight of the positive ones. There are several positive ones.  There are several positive things the Spirit of God has indicated will occur in these end times, and children of God who are wise will put these to heart and watch out for them so as not to miss out what God is doing in our time. One of such positive signs is found in Micah 4:1:

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.”

This peaks about the prosperity and the glorification of God’s Church before the whole world. It also speaks of the great harvest of souls that God will send to His Church through this prosperity. Anyone who has his or her ears on the heartbeat of God’s Spirit will know that we live in the time when this sign is being fulfilled. The wise will connect themselves to what God is doing through His Spirit and experience this prosperity is not for God’s children.

Another of positive sign is the great outpouring of revival, which the Holy Spirit spoke about in Acts 2:17, saying:

“ And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”

This has already started, and a greater outpouring is gathering momentum among the youths. For this reason, the Church must being to prepare the youths for the greater revival that is coming. This is not a theological proposition, but a truth that is founded on God’s word. We must therefore allow God to use us to bring it to pass. The old ones in the Body of Christ will dream dreams for the youths to carry out. There must therefore be collaboration and understanding of our distinct role in God’s programme for these end times. While our elders like Moses sit on the mountain to seek the Lord’s face, our Joshuas must take the battle to the enemy’s gates with their God-given vigor (Exodus 17:8-15). When we follow this divine pattern, the battle will be won decisively by the Church of Jesus Christ on earth. And the kingdom of God or Father shall be gloriously inaugurated at the second coming of His Christ.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, let Your kingdom come in its fullness, and let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 9-10

Matthew 7:1-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE



HYMN 12: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

 
DATE:  MONDAY 23RD JULY 2018


THEME:   REMOVE THE LOG, PLEASE.



MEMORISE:

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Romans 2:21

READ:     Matthew 7:1-5

1Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

MESSAGE

Today, we will be reflecting on the subject of hypocrisy. In general terms, hypocrisy is the habit of pretending to be what one is not. Hypocrites especially pretend to be morally upright but in reality, they are morally bankrupt. Jesus Christ identified the Pharisees as perfect examples of hypocrites, and He exposes some interesting characteristics they possess. Let us consider some of these traits, so that we can guard ourselves against them. Simply put, hypocrites are blind to their own faults (Matthew 7:5), they are ignorant of the current move of God (Luke 12:56), they do not know what is important to God (Luke 13:15-16) and they obsess over the traditions of men (Mark 7:8). Furthermore, they lack knowledge of God’s true expectations of His people (Matthew 23:14-15), and love to make public display of their moral and religious standing, (Matthew 6:2). Hypocrites view themselves as the only godly, virtuous and spiritual people around. Consequently, they are highly judgmental of other people’s mistakes and short comings in public, whereas they themselves may even be guilty of worse sins in secret. A careful consideration of these characteristics may reveal one or two that may be evident in your life. I pray that God will destroy every root of hypocrisy in your life today in Jesus’ Name.

Jesus often called the Pharisees hypocrites because of the conflict between their external actions and their internal state (Matthew 23:27-28). In order not to end up like them, we must thoroughly check ourselves often. Do you seldom preach to yourself as a Christian? Do you find yourself practicing what you preach against? Are you blind to your own faults? Do you have the habit of crucifying others when they fall into error? Are you judgmental of other people’s mistakes? Is your internal state consistent with your external works? Are you in anyway hypocritical in thought or action? May the Lord shine His light into our hearts and deliver His Church from hypocrisy in Jesus’ Name. Jesus compared hypocrites to whitewashed tombs and to dishes that are clean on the outside but dirty on the inside (Matthew 23:25-28). It’s such a scary thing to be viewed as neat and clean outside while the internal space that matters most is in despicable condition. This illustration also speaks to Christians who are deemed to be mature, and yet are secretly involved in shameful things. If you are in such a situation, it is time to remove the log from your eyes and straighten out your life. Your efforts to do away with hypocrisy will receive God’s approval in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please help me to be honest with myself henceforth in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 7-8

Matthew 6:16-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE



HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

There let me see the sight, an open Heaven;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy given;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
 
DATE:  SUNDAY 22ND JULY 2018

THEME:  YOU NEED A PARTNER!

 
MEMORISE:
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. Ecclesiastes 4:9



READ:    Genesis 2:18-25

18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.



MESSAGE


Partnership or friendship involves a deep, strong connection between two individuals who are bound together in a way that affects every aspect of their individual lives. It is a close relationship that involves mutual trust, fellowship, sharing and companionship. Friendship enriches human life. The mutual affection and devotion that David and Jonathan shared with each other was extraordinary, and it is a prime example of what friendship of partnership is (1 Samuel 18:1-4). A friend or partner is a person you feel connected to like your own soul. The Bible discuses the benefits and requirement of friendship or partnership in Proverbs 18:24, while it stresses loyalty and steadfastness as hallmarks of true friendship in Proverbs 17:17, which says:

“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”


In Ecclesiastes 4:8-12, the Holy Spirit explains the dangers of being a lone ranger and the benefits of partnership. This passage of scripture states clearly that two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. If they should slip on any issue, they will console and help each with an adversary, the two will put up a more formidable defense, and they stand a better chance of surviving the enemy’s attack together than as individual entities. The Holy Spirit also reveals some more truths about friendship and partnership in Proverbs 19:4 & 6, saying:

“Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.  Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.”

The wise will keep these truths to heart. Many Christians in the business world would have done better with godly partners, but they are running their business alone because they feel that introducing partners will increase their overhead and reduce their profits. The position of the Bible on this is that a right partner will help to increase production and push up profit margins. For example, the great catch of fish in Luke 5:6-7 would have been wasted without the involvement and assistance of partners. The advantages of partnership cannot be overemphasized, even though some people are in a friendly relationship for personal gain. Nevertheless, God wants His children to prayerfully identify, acknowledge and appreciate His talents and special gifts in others. More importantly, He wants us to harness His wonderful investments together in our lives for maximum profit in all that he has destined us to do. The Lord’s declaration in Matthew 18:19 encourages us to work together to achieve greatness that would otherwise be impossible. Begin to harness the power of this word from today.


PRAYER POINT:

Father, please connect me with partners that will lead to greater productivity and efficiency in my life, in Jesus’ Name.



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 4-6

Matthew 5:43-6:15



AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE



HYMN 4:  TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

THURSDAY 19TH JULY 2018

THEME: AFRAID OF THE DOUBLE PORTION?

MEMORISE: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” – John 14:12

READ: 2 Kings 2:1-15, Luke 7:20-22 (KJV)

2 Kings 2:1-15:
1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

Luke 7:20-22:
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 34, Matthew 4:1-22

MESSAGE:
In the context of today’s memory verse , the prospect of possessing a double portion anointing or doing “greater works” is somewhat scary and considered impossible by many. However, a prayerful consideration of the Master’s words in this verse will immediately highlight an important difference between Elisha’s experience and the Lord’s revelation here. In 2 Kings 2:9, Elisha’s request was, “let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me”. The focus here is “thy spirit”, referring to Elijah’s anointing in contrast, the Lord’s focus in John 14:12 is not on having a greater portion of the His anointing (which may be virtually impossible to bestow on mortal flesh for many reasons), but rather on doing His works. We carry out the works of Jesus by gaining access to His anointing through His Name (Acts 3:16). Therefore, we don’t need a huge amount of our anointing to do greater works spoken of in John 14:12; we only need to call on Jesus by faith to gain access to His unlimited power, which is an anointing without measure (John 3:34). No wonder Jesus in Matthew 17:20 said:

“…If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Therefore, you should throw away every form of fear, doubt and unbelief in response to Jesus’ call to do greater works than He did.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was quite conscious of the weight of His words in John 14:12, and for this reason, He started His statement with emphasis, saying “Verily, verily, I say unto you”. When Jesus declared that His disciples would do greater works than he did, He meant that their works would have greater reach and impact on the wider world than His. He was not merely referring to miracles, signs and wonders, but all aspects of what God had planned to do by the power of the Holy Ghost. Part of the greater works involves taking the gospel beyond Jerusalem to all parts of the world. It also involves miracles, sign and wonders of salvation, healing, deliverance, raising the dead and destroying the works of darkness wherever we go. I therefore challenge you to recognize Jesus as the Miracle-Worker and see what He will do through you. The Lord does not expect you to do any of His works with your own power. In John 14:14 He said:

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

So, whenever you are faced with impossible situations in your life and in the lives of others, all you need to do is to call on the Name of Jesus. From today, whatever you decree on earth will be granted in heaven in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the grace to do greater works through the Name of Jesus.

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
1. I Need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Chorus:
I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh bless me now, my Saviour;
I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour;
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour;
Teach me Thy will,
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.

5. I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son