Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

 
DATE:  MONDAY 2ND JULY 2018

THEME:   ETERNAL SECURITY: AN ILLUSION II.


MEMORISE:
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 2Peter 3:17

READ:       Ezekiel 33:12-20
12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

MESSAGE
Yesterday, we started reflecting on the doctrine of eternal security. We considered what this false doctrine teaches and the character of its teachers. Today, we will be looking at the truth of what God’s word says in contrast to this doctrine. If there was no possibility of falling away and losing one’s inheritance in Christ, the Holy spirit would not have given the counsel we have in today’s memory verse. In fact, the Holy Spirit in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 also warns:

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”

Only those who occupy high position need to fear a fall. The “falling away” in this Scripture therefore refers to the falling away from grace of those seated with Christ in heavenly places. The possibility of a saved person falling is registered in these Scriptures and in several others (Galatians 5:4, Revelations 2:5). Also, in today’s Bible reading, God Almighty told Prophet Ezekiel the truth which disproves the doctrine of eternal security. The Lord is therefore warning everyone who chooses to live a godly life never to depart from the path of righteousness, or else his or her past righteous deeds will not be remembered on the day he or she departs to do evil.

Some people argue that nobody sends his child away to the lion because he or she sins, and so God will not judge His children for their sin.  What such people don’t seem to understand is that you cannot equate the ways of God with that of mere mortal men. They fail to recognize that a person who continues to live in sin after being saved does not have the nature of God and is therefore not a child of God. This is made clear in 1 John 3:8:

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

Furthermore, while forewarning us of things to come in Matthew 24:12-13, Jesus Christ said:

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

In other words, the global increase iniquity will not exonerate a backslider on the Day of Judgment. This is a lesson for those who think that because the world is changing, God should also change His standards (2 Timothy 2:19). Beloved, it would be immoral for God to accept from us what He did not accept from those who ran the Christian race before us. Don’t be deceived; there is no eternal security. The wages of sin is death: this is the truth o God’s word that is forever settled.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please uphold me to the very end, and keep my heart away from false doctrine in Jesus Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 23-25

Acts 20:36-21:16

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:  SUNDAY 1ST JULY 2018

THEME: ETERNAL SECURITY: AN ILLUSION.

 
MEMORISE:
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Revelation 2:20

READ:       Revelation 2:18-23
18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

MESSAGE
One deadly error in some quarters of the Christian faith is the doctrine of eternal security. Those advancing this doctrine use the scriptures to convince their followers that one you are saved, you are forever saved, irrespective of the type of the life you live after receiving salvation. It is therefore not surprising that in circles where this doctrine is taught, a loose lifestyle of sin is the norm. in order to appease the conscience of their followers, some modern day teachers of this doctrine have tried to repackage it by redefining what sin is. Some even teach that a Christian cannot sin. It is unfortunate that some people still fall for this old deception of the devil which resurges from time to time.

When you critically examine the life of those teaching this doctrine, you will observe that they themselves fell into the error of this falsehood because of secret sin in their lives which they could not overcome. Instead humbling submitting themselves to God in an environment of accountability for their character to be built up, they proudly developed another “gospel” to justify themselves and deaden their conscience. The unfortunate thing is that several innocent souls who genuinely want to serve God end up being destroyed by these teachers. Because they see such teachers exhibiting the gifts of God, they believe that whatever is coming from their mouths is sanctioned by God. These beguiled souls forget that Romans 11:29 says:

 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

Based on the principle established by this verse of scripture, a person who received the gifts of God’s spirit while teaching thetruth of the gospel will continue to manifest these gifts after they fall into the error of another “gospel”, even if it’s for a while, it is for this very reason the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:22-23 clearly said:

“ Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

From the words of the Master Himself, it is obvious to any serious student of the Bible that the working of miracles or manifestation of the gifts of the spirit is not a wholesale stamp of approval by God. Therefore, beware! Any teaching not founded in the totality of the truth in God’s word should not be accepted, irrespective of the charisma of the teacher. When it is all said and done, you will stand alone to give account of your life before God.

ACTION POINT:

Minister the truth of God’s word to those who have ensnared by the false doctrine of eternal security.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 21-22

Acts 20:17-35

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:  SATURDAY 30TH JUNE 2018

THEME:   MEEK BUT MILITANT.

MEMORISE:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 2Timothy 4:7

READ:       Genesis 14:14-24

14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

MESSAGE

Is it possible to be meek and militant at the same time? To be meek is to do what other people want without imposing your opinion. It is having the power to act but refusing to use it to oppress others. Being militant on the other hand means to use force or pressure to achieve your goals. How is it possible for a Christian to be meek and militant at the same time? Our Lord, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, clearly taught us that it is a blessed thing to be meek (Matthew 5:5). In his letter to the Galatians, Apostle Paul also declared that meekness is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated meekness when He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Hear what He said in Matthew 26:53-54, when He was about to be arrested:

“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”

This same Jesus tells us that there are times when we need to be violent. In Matthew 11:12, He said:

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Paul further expounded on this truth, telling us the reason why we are in battle and providing the guidelines for how to shield and prepare ourselves for this violent warfare. In Ephesians 6:12, He wrote:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

The beautiful swan which vigorously paddles away under the water to stay afloat is viewed as one of the most graceful animals on the water because it appears calm on the surface. Our Christian life needs to emulate the posture of the swan. In the Spirit realm, we need to display all militancy that is needed to secure us a place in heaven and push the agenda of the Kingdom of God on earth. At the same time, in the physical realm, the fruit of the Spirit- meekness- must be visible in our lives.

KEY POINT:

You cannot keep the faith without giving the devil a fight.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 18-20

Acts 20:1-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS.
1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! The trumpet call obey:
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day;
Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone,
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own;
Put on the gospel armor, and watching unto prayer,
Where calls the voice of duty, be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song;
To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:  FRIDAY 29TH JUNE 2018

THEME: SHARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.


MEMORISE:
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, Mark 3:14

READ:       Exodus 18:13-27

13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

MESSAGE

It is amazing that not only are many leaders guilty of self-abuse by working more than is necessary, they are also guilty of stressing themselves out to the point of exhaustion, thereby leading to their untimely  death. When God created ma, He created us in His image and likeness and so we are expected to be like Him in many respects. One area we should resemble him is in the attribute of delegating responsibility. Genesis 2:15 & 19 reveals how God readily delegated the responsibility of keeping the Garden of Eden and the naming of animals to Adam. There is no monopoly of responsibility in the attributes of God. we need to begin to emulate God by sharing and delegating responsibilities with our colleagues, subordinates and neighbors to avoid burning ourselves out and even killing ourselves.

In Exodus 18:13-27, Moses was taught the art of labor by his father-in-law, Jethro came visiting, he observed that Moses hardly had time to rest, because he was ever busy attending to every case brought to him by his people- even monitor cases that were domestic in nature. Although the reason Moses gave for this arrangement was genuine and good intentioned, Jethro pointed out the folly of what he was doing to him. In Exodus 18:17b-18, Jethro said:

“The thing that thou doest is not good.Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.”

Jethro then taught him how to delegate his judicial responsibilities to elders who were able and capable. Moses heeded his advice and it worked: judgment was no longer delayed and Moses had time to take care of himself.

Members of the Body of Christ need to be willing to work, and their pastors need to be willing to prepare them to take responsibilities. Nevertheless, responsibilities must not be delegated carelessly. They should not be passes on to those who would destroy the work you have labored so much for. In delegating responsibilities, adhere to what Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:2:

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Apply this principle to your church, business and family and you will find rest for your soul.


ACTION POINT:

Join an empowerment program that will increase your effectiveness today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 16-17

Acts 19:21-41

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:  THURSDAY 28TH JUNE 2018


THEME:   EVEN THE MEEK CAN BE OFFENDED.

 
MEMORISE:

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

READ:       Numbers 20:1-12

1Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

MESSAGE

One reality of life that many people, particularly children of God, find difficult to believe is that a meek person can be offended. People who are meek are assumed to always be calm and saint-like, and hence people around them then to take them for granted and abuse them in many ways. We all know that meekness is a constituent of the fruit of the Spirit, but our memory verse clearly show that the Holy Spirit can also be offended.

Although Numbers 12:3 describes Moses as the meekest among all men on the face of the earth, in today’s Bible reading, this same man got upset that instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded, he struck it with the rod twice, to the Lord’s displeasure. The consequence of this outburst of anger and frustration by Moses was grievous: the Lord rebuked him and denied him entrance into the Promise Land, after forty years of laboring hard to lead all the Israelites from Egypt.

The key lesson we need to learn from Moses’ experience is that our brethren or leaders are all still living in human bodies, and so we need to be sensitive to their humanity and not overstretch them because we believe that as meek people, they will not break. Another lesson is that the meek should not allow themselves to be solely people-driven; they should instead focus on following the instructions given by God.

While we live in this human body, we will always experience offence of provocations from different sources. However, we need to exercise self-control, which is another constituent of the fruit of the Spirit, in all situations. The Bible is clear that only the foolish burst out in anger; you must refuse to be foolish. Proverbs 14:17a says,

 “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly”

Beloved, what are you known for? Are you the kind of person that engages in confrontation with everyone, or are you known to be an example of someone who manifests the fruit of the Spirit?



PRAYER POINT:

Spirit of the Living God, please manifest more of your self-control in my life everyday in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 13-15

Acts 18:24-19:20

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 DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 27TH JUNE 2018

THEME: THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD

MEMORISE:
At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 2 Timothy 4:16

READ: 2 Timothy 4:14-18, 2 Timothy 3:10-14

14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.

16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom:  to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 3:10-14
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

MESSAGE

Every Christian is expected to be a standard for people around to emulate. Standing out for God as a standard has a price tag attached to it. The price of being God's standard is comprised mainly of antagonism, loneliness and persecution. In John 16:2, our Lord Jesus Christ prepared our minds for what we should expect if we would be His standard in this world, saying:

“They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”

We live in times when these words are being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

To live as God's standard in this world, you have to be ready to walk on the cold road of loneliness sometimes. God's standards we celebrate today, such as Elijah and Apostle Paul, all faced this reality (1 Kings 19:14, 2 Timothy 4:16). When you choose not to follow a multitude to sin, they will confront and antagonise you because you are different. When they discover that they cannot win you over to their side, they will sideline and isolate you. You must be willing to pay this price to avoid the contamination of the world. Always have at the back of your mind that the Christian race you are called to is an individual race that can be lonely. However, be assured that the Lord will be with you always, and so you are never alone. He stood by Paul in his moments of loneliness and He also strengthened Elijah in his time of despair (2 Timothy 4:17, Acts 27:23-25). You can be sure that what He did for them, He will do for you also.

To live as God's standard in this generation, you must prepare your mind for it. The secret of not conforming to the standards of this world lies in the continuous renewing of your mind with the word of God. The Holy Spirit revealed this to us in Romans 12:2, where He said:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The reason is that what is in your mind determines what you would become and the nature of life you would live in this world. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood out for God and they became standards and reference point in the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires. Although they suffered a great deal, their sufferings yielded extraordinary promotions (Daniel 3:30, Daniel 6:26-28). Anyone who wants to be a standard of godliness must be ready to suffer all sorts of evil from the enemies of the cross. The good news is that Jesus Christ promised He is with us till the end of the world (Matthew 28:20b).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to stand firm as Your standard in this crooked generation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 11-12, Acts 18:1-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

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, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still 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: TUESDAY 26TH JUNE 2018

THEME: STRANGE DESTINY HELPERS

MEMORISE:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

READ: Genesis 50:15-21

15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

MESSAGE

God in His unfathomable wisdom sometimes connects us to our destiny through some strange helpers. Such destiny helpers appear strange to us because they are people we least expect help from. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit teaches in our memory verse that we need to see God's hand in all things that happen to us. The Holy Spirit also makes it clear that this truth will only work for those who are called according to God's purpose, walking in line with His precepts and instructions.

A good example of strange destiny helpers is Joseph's brothers. While they were aiding the fulfilment of Joseph's destiny, they did not even know it. They thought they were selling him into slavery, but they only helped in transporting him to the land where he was destined to become the prime minister. Joseph had other strange destiny helpers along his way to becoming the prime minister of Egypt, such as Potiphar's wife, Pharaoh's cup bearer and Pharaoh's baker. All these different encounters worked together for his good until he became the first prime minister of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-41 tells of the awesome promotion he received in one day through the aid of strange destiny helpers:

“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.”

Joseph's experience shows that every person you meet in any situation can be one of your destiny helpers. I pray for you today that your destiny helpers will emerge from the places you least expect in Jesus' Name. Things worked out for Joseph because he was faithful to God and could not imagine sinning against Him. This same attitude is expected of every Christian today. You need to remain faithful and true to God, so that you can be assured of His hand in all that is happening to you. At the end of it all, Joseph also became a destiny helper to the whole of Egypt. An ex-convict and slave ended up saving an entire country from famine. No one is too small to be your destiny helper. Beloved, if you will love God with all your heart, all things will continue to work together for your good in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please send my destiny helpers to me this season in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 8-10, Acts 17:16-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: A NEW THING
(Tune: There shall be showers of Blessing)

1. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because GOD will do new things
Sinners will soon be forgiven
Prodigals will come home soon.

Chorus:
Shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Rivers in desert now flowing
Halleluyah to our king.

2. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Sickness and sorrow will be gone
Bondage will be forgotten.

3. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
The barren will be fruitful soon
Failure will be forgotten

4. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Poverty will be forgotten
Stagnancy will soon be gone.

5. We will soon shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
To all miracles are given
There shall be celebrations

6. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Many will have testimonies
Of prayers answered fully

7. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
One of us will chase a thousand
Two will conquer ten thousand.

8. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Songs of praises we will sing
Halleluyah to our King.