Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 1ST FEBRUARY 2018.

THEME: DON’T WASTE GOD’S GRACE.

MEMORISE:

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1

READ: Genesis 6:1-8

1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

MESSAGE

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,"          Romans 3:23

When you consider the implication of the above verse of scripture, and compare it with the way God related with Noah in today’s Bible text, you will understand that Noah’s story is a classical example of the grace of God at work in someone’s life. To help you realize the enormity of God’s grace and what it can do for you, consider that at the time when the entire world was condemned to destruction by divine verdict, Noah was spared because he enjoyed divine grace. Genesis 6:7-8 says:

“And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

Having understood the enormity of God’s grace, the wise at heart will earnestly seek to be blessed by it. As the grace of god spoke for Noah, I pray that it will speak for you at the point of your inadequacies in Jesus’s Name. Without God’s grace, no man can escape His judgement. This special grace of God is personified in Jesus Christ, God’s own Son (Titus 2:11). He is calling everyone today to come and partake of God’s benevolent grace in the form of the salvation He makes available for all mankind. Have you partaken of the grace of God available in Jesus Christ? If you haven’t what are you waiting for? Today is the day of salvation; remember that tomorrow may be too late (2 Corinthians 6:2).

If you have received God’s grace in Jesus Christ, please don’t take it for granted. Our memory verse implores us not to receive the grace of God in vain. Noah did not waste God’s grace upon his life. He promptly acted on God’s instructions by building the ark according to His specifications, or are you living as if your own heaven will be different from that of the early disciples? If you reject God’s grace after hearing that it is available for you, or you end up missing heaven, you would have wasted this great grace. What a great waste that would be! L pray that this will not be your story in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, in any area of my life your grace is lying fallow or being wasted, open the eyes of enlightenment to correct it in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 20-2117-19; Romans 7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1.       I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

o    Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2.       I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power 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 fulfill.

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

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 31ST JANUARY 2018

THEME: ONE WITH GOD IS MAJORITY

MEMORISE:
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

READ: 2 Kings 6:11-17

11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?

12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.   And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

MESSAGE

“There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.” Psalm 33:16

Our God is the Lord of Hosts; He specialises in using a minority who put their trust in Him to perform great feats. To a user of this Devotional: with God alone on your side, you will overcome that battle that has besieged your life. Don’t let your heart be troubled you are on top of that situation in the mighty Name of Jesus. In today’s memory verse, the Holy Spirit is confidently assuring us that as long as God is for us, nobody can be against us. Through His word that cannot fail, the Almighty God further assures us of victory in Isaiah 54:17, saying:

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

The most interesting part of this assurance is that victory is predicated on God’s righteousness and not ours. The devil, who is the accuser of the brethren, therefore has no say in this matter.

Our Bible text confirms the statement that says, “One with God is majority”. When the servant of Elisha saw the chariots and horses of the ungrateful king of Syria, whose general had previously been healed of leprosy, coming to attack his master, his heart melted. But the man of God in 2 Kings 6:16 declared to him thus:

“…Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”

Wherever God is, legions of angelic hosts are present, and so when God is with you, His innumerable company of angelic hosts are also with you. This is the reason why a child of God cannot afford to either leave the presence of God or engage in things that would make God forsake him or her. My prayer for you is that you will not do anything that would make the Lord forsake you in Jesus’ Name. the only way to make God your ally is to come to Jesus Christ with a humble heart of total submission to His will. He is inviting you today to a life of victory and rest (Matthew 11:28). Please come to Him and make Him the Lord of your life today.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please come to my aid as I confront the battles of life that are before me. Please don’t leave me alone to be at the mercy of the enemies that seem stronger than me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 17-19, Romans 6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4.Whenlife’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 30TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: A GODLY ROLE MODEL?

MEMORISE:
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

READ: Philippians 3:7-14

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:  for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

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

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

MESSAGE

A role model is one who influences others to be like him or her. While there are godly role models, there are also ungodly ones who influence their followers to make choices that will lead them to the pit of hell. Today, we are reflecting on godly role models, and the Lord is asking you this question: “Are you are godly role model?” Apostle Paul was so sure of himself and his position in Christ that he was bold enough to challenge those within his sphere of influence to imitate him as he himself imitated the Lord Jesus Christ (! Corinthians 11:1).

From our Bible text today, we can learn some things about Apostle Paul which mirror the principles and life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first of these is a lifestyle of godliness. Paul said that all he was after in life is the prize of the high calling of God in Christ. Secondly, to learn how to please God, he wanted to know more about Christ, including the power of His resurrection, what it meant to share in His sufferings and how to be like Him in death. Thirdly, he was relentless, not only in keeping himself pure but also in labouring for the harvest of lost souls. Fourthly, for the greatness of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, he forsook all his worldly achievements and followed after Christ. This attitude mirrors the life of his Master, who left His glory in heaven and take up the image of a servant on earth. He humbled Himself so much that He even laid down His life for all mankind (Philippians 2:5-8).

This lesson should challenge the Body of Christ in these end-times. I have observed that some pastors are not so mindful of where members of their congregation will end the Christian race. This is evident in the type of sermon they preach: messages that play on human emotions and nothing more. Concerning such pastors, Apostle Paul has this to say:

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”
Philippians 3:17-19

What a role model of the Christian faith we have in Apostle Paul! You will be wise to have such a godly driven personality as an influence in your life.

ACTION POINT:
In your private study, examine the life of Paul and pray that God will give you the grace to manifest the virtues you desire in his life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 15-16, Romans 5

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 Heaven Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 28TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: EVIL COMMUNICATION

MEMORISE:
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33

READ: Proverbs 1:10-19

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

MESSAGE

In today’s memory verse, the wisdom of God warns us that evil communication corrupts good manners. A wise person would take this divine warning seriously in order to escape the corrupting influence that associating with evil people will have on his or her good manners. Some people have allowed overconfidence to destroy their lives through careless and even deadly associations. Some young people with bright and promising futures, sent to school to prepare them for fulfilled adult lives, have been derailed through evil associations with destiny destroyers like secret cults, sex-for-hire rings, partying and clubbing friends, drinking, smoking and gambling pals. Our Bible text warns us against the enticement of sinners. The revelation here is that sinners are capable of enticing us; we must therefore be careful not to fall prey of their enticing antics. One bait sinners use in luring good souls into their fold is the promise of material gain and comfort. In Proverbs 1:13-14, the Holy Spirit warns that sinners will say sweet words like these to entice you:

“We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:”
But it’s a lie; the target is your soul.

There are many channels of evil communication. One avenue is through business partnerships. Children of God should be careful of the type of people they partner with in business. Someone who pays his or her tithe regularly may begin to default after forming a business alliance with someone who does not believe in giving God a tenth of his or her income. Gradually, such children of God would begin to rob God, and consequently, the blessings of Abraham they claim as their portion will begin to elude them until they lose it all. Another channel of evil communication is marriage. In Deuteronomy 7:3-4, the Lord gave the children of Israel this injunction on marriage with those who did not share their faith:

“Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.”

This principle also applies to the Body of Christ today. Those who disobey this injunction never have a good story to tell down the line (1 Kings 11:4). I pray that you will not be a victim of evil communication in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT:
Examine the lives of those you associate with, determine who are a negative influence on you and break off from them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 11-12, Romans 3:9-21

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 Heaven Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 27TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT V

MEMORISE:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 5:44

READ: Acts 7:54-60

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

MESSAGE

To conclude our reflection on the fruit of the Spirit, we shall today be considering temperance. To be temperate is to have self-control. Temperance enables you to remain cool, calm and collected in the midst of dire situations. Through the manifestation of temperance, you will save yourself the pain of hasty and rash pronouncements that you will later regret. Temperance will restrain you from overreacting in situations that could make you lose your integrity. It takes the restraint of the Holy Spirit to turn the other cheek to those who despitefully use you (Luke 6:29). To better understand temperance, just picture Stephen in excruciating pain and about to die, praying for God’s mercy on those who stoned him to death. This is the hallmark of a life full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:55). The Lord Jesus Christ also manifested this nature on the cross of Calvary (Luke 23:34). When He was arrested and tried, it was temperance that enabled Him to restrain Himself from putting up a defence. There would have been no redemption if Jesus Christ had defended Himself. Matthew 27:13-14 says,

“Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.”

I reckon that in the course of His trial, the Holy Spirit would have continually brought to His remembrance what was written concerning Him in Isaiah 53:7-8. When you cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit, whenever you are faced with a situation of conflict, in order to restrain you, the Holy Spirit will remind you of who you are and where you are going. He will also put words in your mouth if there is a need for you to respond. This is how His nature of temperance is manifested in our character.

As we conclude our study on the fruit of the Spirit, you need to be reminded that walking in the Spirit is the process that brings about the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit is a Person and not a force, and so He will not compel you to fellowship with Him, even though He resides inside you. you need to yield yourself to Him and cultivate His friendship for His fruit to manifest in your life. Here is the key to walking in the Spirit, from Amos 3:3

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

Your life needs to be in agreement with His principles for you to walk with Him. He is the Promise of the Father, and He is willing to abide with you if you will make your life habitable for Him.

ACTION POINT:
Take out time to sing to the Holy Spirit, and tell Him how much you appreciate His ministry in your life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 9-10, Romans 2:12-3:8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IV

MEMORISE:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

READ: 1 Corinthians 2:9-14

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?  even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

MESSAGE

I trust God that over the past few days of our study on the fruit of the Spirit, your relationship with the Holy Spirit has been revolutionised. Yesterday, we reflected on gentleness and goodness, and today by God’s grace we will reflect on faith and meekness. What is faith? In simple terms, faith is taking God at His word and accepting His verdict in all situations. Let’s consider what the Holy Spirit has to say about faith in Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

This statement makes faith a fundamental virtue of the Christian life. Our God operates in the realm of the spirit, and so when He speaks, His words come across as foolishness to the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14). How do you believe something that appears foolish? How can a natural man believe in what the senses cannot comprehend? Well, glory be to God, our Lord knows our frame and understands the limitation of the natural body we inhabit (Psalm 103:13-14). It is for this reason that He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us, thereby empowering us to live above our limitations (Romans 8:11, 26). It takes walking with the Holy Spirit to rise above the senses and operate in the realm of faith. Faith is the nature of the Holy Spirit, and so those who cultivate a relationship with Him are enrolled in the school of faith where their faith is developed to the level where they effortlessly manifest the character of faith (John 14:26). Faith in God opens the doors of possibilities beyond the wildest imagination.

What is meekness? When someone has the power to retaliate a wrong done against him or her but decides to let go in the spirit of forgiveness: that is meekness. A commander-in-chief who is insulted and laughs it off with the sincerity it takes to forgive and forget can be said to be meek. This character trait is necessary for peace to reign in the Body of Christ and for her to be one. If Christians manifest this nature and engage in governance, the world would be at peace. The meekness of our Lord Jesus Christ is perfectly described as a signpost for us in Isaiah 53:7

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

May the Lord make you an embodiment of faith and meekness in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Sweet Holy Spirit, You are my Teacher; teach me to rise above the limitations of my senses into the realms of faith, and help me to operate in Your power with meekness.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 7-8, Romans 1:18-2:11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 25TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT III

MEMORISE:
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:  who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

READ: Luke 22:47-53

47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.

48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.

51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?

53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me:  but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

MESSAGE

In continuation of our reflection on the fruit of the Spirit, we will be considering the following dimensions of the Holy Spirit’s character: gentleness and goodness. Gentleness is a nature that maintains the appropriate comportment in the face of provocative events. Only the Holy Spirit can help a mortal being behave correctly or appropriately in the face of an event that seems to threaten his or her peace, or which stands in his or her way to actualising a desired goal. In today’s Bible reading, we see the Lord Jesus Christ manifesting this character in the Garden of Gethsemane. In spite of Judas’ betrayal, the sorrow of bearing the burden of sin and the degrading treatment meted out to Him, He stilled healed the ear of Malchus, servant of the high priest, which Peter had chopped off in His defence. The gravity of the character exhibited here by the Lord becomes more sobering when we realise that He could have asked for more than twelve legions of angels to fight for Him and they would have been granted Him, but He chose not to do this in order to achieve His goal of finishing the work of salvation for mankind (Matthew 26:53-54). Beloved, we need to manifest the nature of gentleness if we will not take laws into our hands. Romans 12:19 says:

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

The Lord will always fight our battles for us, if only we will allow Him to do it in His own way.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44

How can a man obey these words? How can a person do good to those who hate him or her? The Lord Himself showed us the possibility of obeying this difficult injunction by doing good to those who out of hatred came to arrest and crucify Him. How was He able to do it? Acts 10:38 answers this question; it reveals that the Lord Jesus Christ went about doing good because He had a relationship with the Holy Spirit. The character of goodness is the nature of the Holy Spirit, and only by cultivating a relationship with Him can we manifest this character. If we don’t do good to others, our faith is useless and without meaning (James 2:14-26). I encourage you therefore to be doer of good deeds, because by this your soul-winning efforts will be effective.

PRAYER POINT:
Gentle Holy Spirit, I covet your gentle nature. Let this character of Yours manifest in my life and empower to do good deeds to all those around me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 4-6, Romans 1:1-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 24TH JANUARY 2018

 THEME: FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT II

MEMORISE:
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27

READ: Acts 27:20-36 (KJV)

20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.

23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.

29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

MESSAGE

Yesterday we established that the manifestationof the fruit of the Spirit in the life of a person is a result of cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit, a process which the Bible refers to as walking in the Spirit. We also started taking a closer look at individual character traits that emanate from such a relationship. Together, these character traits form the totality of the character of the Holy Spirit. Today, we will consider the dimensions of this character that enables the Holy Spirit reach out to us as the Comforter: Joy, Peace and Longsuffering.

Joy is a nature of gladness in the spirit that is not impacted by external circumstances. How does a person manifest joy in the midst of sorrow and calamity? A person who walks in the Spirit is able to manifest joy because he or she is privy to heaven’s information and is therefore able to see the bigger picture of what God is doing in every situation. Due to his or her relationship with the Holy Spirit, such a person receives secret information from heaven on the true state of things (John 16:13). This was why Paul, even as a prisoner about to be shipwrecked, was able to eat, drink and give thanks in the middle of a storm! The Holy Spirit had already revealed to him what was going to happen, and so he was full of good cheer, unmoved by the external circumstances around him. I pray that from today, you will be filled with joy in the Holy Ghost in Jesus’ Name. similar to joy, peace is a nature of calmness that reflects a freedom from strife within. To understand peace, just watch a little child sleep. The Lord Jesus Christ manifested this when He was able to sleep in the midst of a raging storm. When He was awoken by the disciples, He was able to extend the nature of peace within Him to the stormy environment around Him (Mark 4:37-39). This is what He expects of us also (John 14:27). You can only manifest the peace of God when you are at peace with the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. you cannot be at peace with the Holy Spirit if you are involved in anything that is contrary to His nature. If you confess that you are saved, yet you are not at peace, examine your ways and motives; there might be some things contrary to the nature of the Holy Spirit hiding somewhere. Longsuffering is a nature built on the hope of a greater glory that lies ahead after enduring sufferings. How does a man hold on to his faith in the midst of adversity? When the Holy Spirit reveals to you the glory that is reserved for you after overcoming hardship, you will manifest a longsuffering nature. This nature continually propelled Paul in the face of adversities (Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27). How we need the Spirit in these perilous times!

PRAYER POINT: Father, let the nature of Your Spirit in joy, peace and longsuffering find expression in my life in Jesus’ Name.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 1-3, Revelation 22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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.


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Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUEDAY 23RD JANUARY 2018

THEME: FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT I

MEMORISE:
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10

READ: Galatians 5:22-26

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

MESSAGE

Over the next few days, we shall be taking a closer look at the important subject of the fruit of the Spirit. Our Bible text spells out the fruit of the Spirit as these: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. In considering this important subject matter, the key words to take note of are “fruit” and “Spirit”. From these key words, we understand that the fruit of the Spirit have their origin in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, a person who has no relationship with the Holy Spirit cannot exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, no matter how hard he or she tries. The good news is, if you have given your life to Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells inside you. This truth is established in Romans 8:9b which says:

“Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

However, for to manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you, you need to cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit by walking side by side with Him every day. This is the reason why, after outlining the fruit of the Spirit, Paul in Galatians 5:25 wrote,

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

What does it mean to walk in to walk in the Spirit? It means interacting with the Holy Spirit like a friend that you can see. It means asking Him what His opinion is before making any move, and yielding to His directions even when they are contrary to yours. It means listening to His voice before wearing that outfit, taking that job or picking that spouse. It means speaking what He suggests to you as the appropriate thing to say to that person. It means going to that place that He moves you to visit. It means keeping quiet when He instructs you to shut your mouth. It means giving out that gift that He nudges you to bless that fellow with. It means yielding to His voice when He reminds you to forgive that person who wronged you. When you cultivate such relationship, the fruit of the Spirit will no longer be a checklist of character traits to be worked on. It will become your nature, effortlessly flowing from within you.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the character traits that emanate from working with the Holy Spirit. Today, we will begin with love. Without the manifestation of love, our confession of faith becomes hypocritical (1 John 3:16-18). To love can be tough and difficult sometimes, and this is why we need to daily ask the Holy Spirit to pour out His love into our hearts (Romans 5:5). We need to demonstrate the God kind of love for the world to know that we are Christ’s disciples indeed. This will motivate them to join us as we journey to heaven with joy unspeakable, full of glory.

PRAYER POINT:
Precious Holy Spirit, as I walk with You day by day, speak to me, comfort me, teach me, guide me and show me things to come, just like the Lord Jesus Christ said You would. Amen.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 48-50 and Revelation 21:9-27

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 22ND JANUARY 2018

THEME: ESCAPE FOR YOUR LIFE

MEMORISE:
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; Hebrews 2:3

READ: Genesis 19:12-26

12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. 

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him:  and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:

19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one:  Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for which thou hast spoken.

22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither.   Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 

24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

MESSAGE

The power of choice is a great gift that God has given to every man. This gift is however a double-edged sword which can either make or mar a man’s destiny. You therefore have an obligation to be cautious while exercising its power. Wrong choices can lead to agony and end in eternal perdition, while right choices can bring joy and peace, and end in eternal bliss. Remarkably, even God’s directives are more often than not subject to human choices. When God gives a directive for our own good, we can either act on it or choose to ignore it. Those who ignore God’s directives never have a good story to tell when the consequences of their choices begin to manifest. In our Bible reading, the Lord issued a command that Lot and his family should escape for their lives. The Bible says that when the angels of the Lord observed that Lot and his family were lingering, reluctant to leave Sodom because all their life investments were there, they took hold of their hands, dragged them outside the city and commanded them to escape for their lives by fleeing to the mountains. Yet, contrary to the directives of the angels that they should not look back, Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). She chose to neglect the warning that provided a way of escape from the judgement of God. Just like Lot’s wife, many people in the world today neglect the call to free salvation that Jesus Christ procured for us with His life. To such people, the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 17:32 says:

“Remember Lot’s wife.”

God will never force His salvation on any man. Salvation is a free choice for those who want to escape the judgement of God that will surely come on the whole world (John 3:16-18). Apart from God’s judgement, there are many other unpleasant things we ought to make a choice to escape from. Poverty is one of such things. The Bible shows us the way out of poverty in Malachi 3:10. Sickness is another. The Lord told the children of Israel that if they would hearken diligently to His voice, he would keep sickness away from them (Exodus 15:26). Beloved, the Lord has made provision for all things that pertain to life and godliness, and He has made them accessible to you; you however need to choose to escape from the corruption that exists in this world, before you can have access to His provision (2 Peter 1:3-4). Choose to escape today.

ACTION POINT:
Think over the entire things God has been telling you in His word. Choose to live by them because they are your escape route from destruction, and your access route to fulfilment.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 46-47 and Revelation 20:7-21:8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SINS

1. What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Chorus:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2. For my cleansing this I see
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
For my pardon this my plea
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

3. Nothing can my sin erase
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Naught of works, 'tis all of grace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

4. This is all my hope and peace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
This is all my righteousness
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 21ST JANUARY 2018

THEME: CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH

MEMORISE:
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15

READ: Jude 1:1-5

1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

2 Mercy unto you, and peace and love, be multiplied. 

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

MESSAGE

If you possess anything of great value, you must be ready to protect and defend it against the onslaught of thieves who would want to take it away from you at all cost. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a precious commodity which the devil and his agents desire to steal away from us (2 Peter 1:1). In 1 Peter 1:7, the Holy Spirit describes our faith as being more precious than gold:

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

It is therefore not surprising that the kingdom of darkness will continue to attack our faith until we finish our course in this world. For this reason, you must be ready to continually fight to preserve, nurture and grow your faith. You must be ready to prevent all manner of assailants from stealing, killing and destroying it (John 10:10). This is what the good fight of faith is all about. Those who had gone ahead of us also had to contend for their faith in order to get a good report (Hebrews 11:2). You also must be ready to do all that is necessary to hold on to your faith and ensure that it is not shipwrecked (1 Timothy 1:19). Your ultimate goal should be that when it’s all been said and done, you will be able to declare like Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7 that

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

Contending for the faith means defending the interest of God’s kingdom when the enemies of the Cross are on the loose. It means speaking up for the Lord Jesus Christ and speaking out against those that would oppose His Person or principles. A classical example of contending for the faith is found in the encounter of Paul with Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:6-12. The sorcerer was trying to dissuade a potential convert from accepting the faith. Paul therefore rebuked him and placed him under God’s judgement. The result of this fight of faith is glaring in Acts 13:12:

“Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.”

Beloved, the precious faith which you have obtained is worth defending, if you are determined that the devil will not wrest it away from you. Therefore, watch and pray, and be ready always to give an answer to every man who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).

ACTION POINT:
Make effort to witness Jesus to someone today. This is a profitable way of contending for the faith.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 44-45 and Revelation 19:11-20:6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIER

1. Onward Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See, His banners go!

Chorus:
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus,
Going on before.

2. At the name of Jesus
Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise:
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthems raise!

3. Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God:
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod;
We are not divided,
All one Body we—
One in faith and Spirit,
One charity.

4. Onward, then, ye people!
Join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honour
Unto Christ, the King;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 20TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: SACRIFICIAL BUT PROFITABLE LIVING

MEMORISE:
Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Ephesians 3:13

READ: Luke 5:8-11

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

MESSAGE

When Peter left the object of his breakthrough in life – the big catch of fishes – to follow after a nomadic teacher, it was a sacrificial decision. However, that singular decision brought purpose and meaning to his life. I often credit Peter as one of the most popular men who ever lived, because in every continent of the world you will find at least one edifice or another named after him. How did he achieve this? He chose to live a life that was profitable to his Maker, even though it required a lot of sacrifice in the beginning. In like manner, it took a lot of sacrifice for Apostle Paul to abandon his doctorial title in law for the sake of evangelising the Way which he once opposed so vehemently.

A life that is profitable to God begins with the second birth. A fellow who gives his or her life to Christ is saying, “The marvellous grace of God which Jesus Christ paid such a high price for, will not go to waste over me”. If you haven’t given your life to Christ, you have to start a profitable life today by surrendering your life to Him. Peter did this at the Lake of Gennesaret, in Luke 5:8:

“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Paul also did the same thing on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6). Beloved, God is also calling out to you. These are His words to you today:

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19

However, if you are born again, you need to know that a life of sacrifice is what is expected of a disciple of Jesus Christ. The Lord expects you to be ready to give your all, and if required, lay down your life for the sake of the gospel. Here is His promise to those who do this:

“…Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30

May the Lord help your decision in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to live a sacrificial and profitable life for You through the help of Your Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 42-43 and Revelation 18:19-19:10

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:  FRIDAY 19TH JANUARY, 2018

THEME: GOD’S FOOT SOLDIER?

MEMORISE:
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3

READ:
1 Samuel 17:32-37

32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.




BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 40-41 & Revelation 18:1-18

MESSAGE:
Since Satan was cast out of heaven, he has been waging war against everything that represents God and godliness on the earth (Matthew 16:23, 2 Timothy 3:12). Satan was cast out because he decided to rebel against the Almighty (Isaiah 14:12-15). His current game plan is to deceive as many people as possible into rebelling against God, so that they will also join him in the Lake of Fire, which is the eternal place of punishment prepared for him and his cohorts (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:10). To destroy the work of the devil on earth and to manifest the plan of God for mankind, God has chosen to raise an army to Himself among men. If you have surrendered your life to Christ, you are part of this army. As a soldier in God’s army, in Jeremiah 51:20, God declares these words to you:

“Thou art my battle ax and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;”

The nations and kingdoms in this declaration are not just physical, they are spiritual. The Holy Spirit made this clear to us in Ephesians 6:12, and He also teaches us that the weapon with which we wage war in God’s army are not physical weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

As a soldier in God’s army, you need to take a cue from David in today’s Bible text. He presented himself as God’s battle-axe and he was mightily used of God to bring into captivity every thought and arrogance presented by Goliath. It is interesting to note that even Goliath, as huge as he was and as sophisticated as his weapons were, did not rely on his physical ability or weapons alone. 1 Samuel 17:43b says,

“And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.”

As God’s foot-soldier, you need to know your God through and through, because only those who know their God can perform valiantly at the battlefront (Daniel 11:32). Because David knew his God, even without a sword in his hand, he boldly replied Goliath with these words of faith in 1 Samuel 17:45-46:

“…I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee...”

Are you presently fighting a battle in your life? This should serve as a template for you. turn to God for victory and you shall be victorious through the Name and Blood of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:17, Philippians 2:10, Revelation 12:11).

ACTION POINT:
Using the Name of Jesus, speak against every spiritual force contending with God’s plan for your life and family.

HYMN 14:
1. Onward Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See, His banners go!

Chorus:
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus,
Going on before.

2. At the name of Jesus
Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise:
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthems raise!

3. Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God:
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod;
We are not divided,
All one Body we—
One in faith and Spirit,
One charity.

4. Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane
But the Church of Jesus
Constant Will remain
Gates of hell can never
'Gainst the Church prevail;
We have Christ's own promise,
Which can never fail.

5.Onward, then, ye people!
Join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honour
Unto Christ, the King;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 18TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION

MEMORISE:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 Timothy 3:1

READ: Romans 1:18-27

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

MESSAGE

It is a statement of fact that the world is changing and people are being changed by its evil whims and caprices. Irrespective of this fact, one truth that people, particularly children of God, must not allow to slip out of their mind is that although the world is changing, God does not change along with it (Malachi 3:6). His nature and standards are forever the same. Beware that He will not judge by what is acceptable in your world but by the standard He has set in His word (2 Timothy 2:19). The Lord knew that the world would come to its present evil state and so He forewarned us of the signs that will herald His coming judgement on this world. One of the signs that He gave to us is that in the last days, men and women will lack natural affection (2 Timothy 3:2-3). In other words, natural feelings, relationships and expression of love would no longer appeal to them. The lack of natural affection is a state of mind caused by the expunging of God from their so-called knowledge (Romans 1:28). Anyone who knows God as a consuming fire will dare not challenge Him to ideological arguments on morals. God dictates what He regards as moral or not. However, what do we see today? The philosophy of relativism argues that it is how you feel about yourself that matters; if as a man you feel you are a woman or if as a woman you feel you are a man, so be it! This is the reason why a man and a man would want to do what naturally a man should only do in a relationship with a woman. Some women also prefer to engage in sexual perversions with other women. Such people choose to ignore the divine order set by God in the beginning. Genesis 1:27 tells us what this divine order is:

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

This Bible verse is in variance with the idea of homosexuality or being transgender. There is a distinction between male and female in the divine order. It is therefore rebellious when a person, due to lust, is dragged out of his or her natural affection into abnormal instincts that pervert the original plan of God for his or her life. This was exactly what doomed Sodom and Gomorrah, and it must be avoided today. Beloved, do you have a feeling that there is a mix-up in your being, such that you want to change your natural or original makeup into another form? You need Jesus Christ urgently for restoration. You need the prayer of deliverance to restore you to God-given personality. Do not be deceived: the world and everything in it are not the result of an arbitrary “big bang”. Everything was perfectly and methodically put in place by God. You are not a mistake; to think otherwise is the age-old deceit of the devil. Come to Jesus Christ today and be free.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, destroy any unnatural instincts in me and silence every satanic voice in my mind in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 38-39 and Revelation 17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Chorus:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

4.To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS BY PST. ENOCH .A. ADEBOYE

WEDNESDAY 17TH JANUARY, 2018

GOD OF ABUNDANCE

MEMORISE:
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

READ:
Luke 5:1-7

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 36-37 & Revelation 16

MESSAGE:
The Lord revealed Himself to us as the God of abundance by declaring these profound words about Himself in Psalm 50:9-10:

“I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”

Having experienced the reality of this truth, Apostle Paul, in Philippians 4:19, penned these words to bear witness to the Lord’s capability as the God of abundance:

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Through this scripture, the Holy Spirit also reveals to us that Jesus Christ is the channel through whom the abundance of God is made accessible. Why is this so? For you to understand the reason why, you need to know that Jesus Christ is the Living Word through whom all things were created. Hebrews 1:2 says this concerning Him:

“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

This means that the earth and the fullness of it are His handwork – the handwork of the Word who became flesh (John 1:1-14). We can therefore get nothing in this world except through the Owner of it all. The story in our Bible text demonstrates that this material world is indeed at the disposal of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter had toiled all night long, but he caught nothing in his fishing net. However, when the God of abundance released His word, there was a great catch.

Beloved, what are those needs that have been bothering your mind? Tell it to Jesus today. He is the God of abundance, and He is capable of meeting you at the points of your need. When He came to this world, He decided to become poor in your place so that His riches may come to you. The Bible, in 2 Corinthians 8:9, says,

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

The only situation that can prevent you from benefitting from the self-imposed poverty of the Lord Jesus Christ is your refusal to accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, and your refusal to walk by His principles. I pray for you today that the abundant riches of God in Christ Jesus will be your portion in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please meet me at the points of my need today according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

HYMN 13:
1. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

2. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might.
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above,
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3. To all life thou givest, to both great and small
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish, but nought changeth Thee.

4. Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight,
All laud we would render, O help us to see,
‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee.

5. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 16TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS

MEMORISE:
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

READ: John 15:13-16

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:  but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

MESSAGE

An ambassador is a worthy representative of a kingdom and its people in general. In particular, he or she represents the head of the realm. Our memory verse today describes us as Christ’s ambassadors. It also spells out our responsibilities as the mouthpiece of God as He persuades all people to come over to His side. We are to speak for our Lord Jesus Christ concerning the work of redemption which He has finished for all mankind. As Christ’s ambassadors, we are not just His servants or errand boys; our relationship with Him goes deeper than that. The Lord Jesus Christ made us to understand from today’s Bible text that following His decision to choose us, He has promoted us to the level of a friend, and He is ready to reveal things He and His father discuss in secret to us. What a privilege! Psalm 25:14 says,

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.”

Why has the Lord made us His ambassadors? Some of the reasons are revealed in Mark 3:14-15:

“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:”

Ambassadors for Christ are ordained, first, to fellowship with the Master. In addition, they are to go out and preach the gospel of the kingdom they represent. They are to exert the dominion of their King over all obstructions to the expansion of His kingdom, by ministering healing and deliverance to all those who are oppressed of the devil. The ambassadors of Christ are expected to do what He did, and even greater works than He did (John 14:12). There are lots of benefits attached to being Christ’s ambassadors. One of these benefits is speedy answers to prayers. Elijah is a classical example of an ambassador for Yahweh. He prayed down fire that could quench water and God answered him immediately (1 Kings 18:36-38). Another benefit of being an ambassador for Christ is that after your tenure here on earth, you will live eternally with Him heaven. The Lord gave us His word on this in John 14:2-3:

“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

To be an ambassador for Christ, you must live a life that represents the Holy God. Choose to represent Christ everywhere you go, and you will not regret doing so.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to be a worthy ambassador of Your Person and Your Kingdom everywhere I go.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 34-35 and Revelation 14:14-15:8

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 15TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: DARING THE MOST HIGH GOD?

MEMORISE:
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: Psalm 78:56

READ: Daniel 3:14-30

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well:  but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.  

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?  They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.  Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.  

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

MESSAGE

“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?  or thy work, He hath no hands?” Isaiah 45:9

Whenever I read the words of this scripture above, I tremble. It is quite astonishing to see mere mortals “flexing muscles” with the One who made them. You can be a ‘dare-devil’, but you better not dare the Almighty God; the end result will always be catastrophic for you. Today’s Bible text narrates a classical example of someone who dared to challenge his Maker: King Nebuchadnezzar. When Nebuchadnezzar commanded all to bow before the golden image he had set up, the Hebrew boys refused to bow, daring the devil in King Nebuchadnezzar. In response, Nebuchadnezzar dared the God of heaven and threw His children into the fiery furnace in defiance of God’s supremacy. However, the God of those Hebrew boys, who is also the God of all flesh, showed up in the furnace and rescued His children. It is unfortunate that those who, by the order of the king, threw them into the fiery furnace were all burnt to ashes. I decree that as it happened to those who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fiery furnace, so shall it be to all the enemies of God in your life in Jesus’ Name. Although Nebuchadnezzar temporarily repented of his folly after witnessing the awesome power of God, he still got a taste of God’s punishment down the line: he was turned into a beast for a season (Daniel 4:28-37)! May those who are challenging the Almighty God in your life be like Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Herod and all those who dared the King of glory throughout history.

How can a mere mortal possibly challenge the Almighty God? It seems ridiculous, but amazingly, this happens on a daily basis in the world that we line in today. We see nations making law against the natural order set by God, judges redefining marriage contrary to what the Almighty God Himself instituted, and people calling to question the very existence of God. Such attitudes are not new. This defiant trend has persisted throughout all of history, but the sponsors of such assault on the Divine have always paid dearly for their actions. Are you daring God in any way? I hope your answer is no. Please, never you dare the Almighty God, not even through subtle disobedience. May the Lord cause you to be wise enough never to dare Him.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please remove folly far away from me so that I may not challenge You to a fight through disobedience.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 32-33 and Revelation 14:1-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Chorus:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

4.To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.