OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, DATE: TUESDAY 30th JUNE 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: TUESDAY 30th JUNE 2015

THEME: DO IT AS TO THE LORD

Memorise:
"Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as The Servants of Christ, doing The Will of God from the heart; Ephesians 6:6

Read: Ephesians 6:5-8
5.?Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6. Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as The Servants of Christ, doing The Will of God from the heart;
7. With good will doing service, as to The Lord, and not to men:
8. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of The Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Message:
A. The story was told of a preacher who went to church one Sunday morning, fully prepared to deliver his sermon, only to find out that the bad weather had prevented members from coming to church except one little boy.
1. This preacher, as the story goes, preached as if the whole auditorium was full of members.
2. After the sermon, the preacher made an altar call and the boy gave his life to Christ that glorious Sunday morning.
3. It was one morning, one preacher, one-member congregation and one convert.
4. That little boy became a world-renowned evangelist.

5. Today’s Bible reading encourages us to render our service, either in church or outside of church, as to The Lord, not with eyeservice or as men-pleasers.
1. Unfortunately, there are men-pleasers today in Church, who would rather offend God instead of offending the feelings of people, even when this is un-scriptural.
2. Such an attitude affects our service to God negatively.
3. It taints our Holy Service to God.
4. Paul in Romans 12:1 says thus about Christian service:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by The Mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

C. The work ethics in our church organisation should require little or no supervision.
1. This is one of the first things we were taught when we applied as volunteer workers in church.
2. There is danger in working with eyeservice, because when the one you intend to impress is not around, you will do something else.

D. Some civil servants short-changed themselves when they think that Government work is not to be done wholeheartedly as if one’s life depends on it. 1. If you work in an organisation, particularly a government establishment, and you think you can loaf around and still get paid at the end of the month without repercussion, you must have been deceived.
2. The law of natural justice and equity established the fact that if your work is worth 50,000 of your country’s currency but you receive 1,000,000 by the time you have spent the last unit of the money, you will realise that the value of what the 1,000,000 obtained is not more than what is obtainable with 50,0000.

Prayer Point:
Father, deliver me from eyeservice, and please help me to serve You acceptably from now onwards in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1CHRONICLES 5:23-7:13 and LUKE 14:12-35

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A ADEBOYE!
I Work With Jesus! Day After Day! I Work With Jesus! Come What May Be! The Holy Spirit! I Will Obey! I Work With Jesus! Day After Day! I Live For Jesus Day After Day! I Live For Jesus! Come What May Be! The Holy Spirit! I Will Obey! I Live For Jesus! Day After Day!
Emmanuel=GOD With Us!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE : MONDAY 29th JUNE 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE : MONDAY 29th JUNE 2015

THEME : IT’S NOT OVER YET

Memorise:
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. Philippians 3:12
Read: Philippians 3:10-14
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
The Christian journey is more often than not a long distance race. This is particularly true because of the long life that our Heavenly Father has promised us (Psalm 91:16).

We therefore need a lot of patience to run the race. Apostle Paul in today’s Bible reading gives insight in the nature of the race we are engaged in. it is a non-stop marathon. Once you start, you cannot go on sabbatical leave. Because you are already grafted into Jesus Christ once you start the race, you must ensure that you don’t pull yourself away from Him who first ran this race and finished well (Hebrew 12:2).

How do we sustain the tempo and determination to finish well? Paul answers this question in Philippians 3:13-14:
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this once thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Many Christians live in the glory of their past achievements, and this has resulted in their undoing. The various indictments Jesus levelled against the seven Churches in Asia in Revelation 2-3, should be food for thought for all end-time Christians.

In the past, when a Christian mistakenly said something that was not untrue but also not 100% true, he quickly corrected himself with an apology. For example, in the days when my father-in-the-Lord was still alive, I remember travelling to Ilesa, a city in south-west Nigeria, and forgetting to buy some oranges along the way as I used to. I remembered after I got to Lagos and quickly bought some in Lagos. I gave them to my father-in-the-Lord and he asked if I bought the oranges on my way. I said “yes sir”. Immediately, the Holy Spirit rebuked me that I was not telling the whole truth. I bought them on the way, yes, but not on the way from Ilesa as the old man meant to ask. I quickly corrected myself and he exclaimed “Holy Spirit” in adoration of the Holy Spirit’s rebuke of love.

Today, many children of God tell lies with impunity and they do not feel the pain of lying even against the Holy Spirit. Their first love is all gone. Be warned that the race is not over yet. Ezekiel 18:24 says:
“But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.”

Prayer Point:
Father, please uphold me to the very end of my Christian race.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 CHRONICLES 3:1-5:22 and LUKE 13:31-14:11

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, DATE: SUNDAY 28th JUNE 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: SUNDAY 28th JUNE 2015

TOPIC: DEATH IS NOT THE END

Memorise: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.         1 Thessalonians 4:14

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19
12. Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13. But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Message:
A. Everything in this life will come to an end one day.
1. However, the life of a man does not end inn death, it continues in eternity, either with God in Heaven or with the devil in the place of torment.
2. Those who believe in The Resurrection of Jesus Christ and live by the expectation of experiencing the same someday, have The hope of Eternal Life.
3. The Bible in 1John 3:2-3 says:
“Beloved, now are we The Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”

B. Jesus Christ promised that He will come back to take us home after preparing a place for us.
1. Here are His words 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.”
2. Those who have this hope in them will conduct themselves in a way that is expected of saints.
3. “LORD, who shall abide in Thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Thy Holy Hill? He that walketh uprightly, and workerh righteousness, and speaketh The Truth in his heart.” Psalm 15:1-2
4. This Scripture reveals the condition to be met by those who will triumph over death.   5. While Revelation 21:1-7 gives a brief description of The Eternal Life of Bliss awaiting those who give their life to Jesus Christ.
6. But for those who remain resistant to The Invitation of Jesus, what awaits them is the second death.
7. This is described in Revelation 21:8:
“But the fearful, the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Prayer: I pray that an eternity in the Lake of fire will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
  
Prayer Point:
Father, let me find Eternal Rest in Your Kingdom in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CHRONICLES 1-2 and LUKE 13:10-30

AUTHOR : Pastor E. A ADEBOYE
When We Get To Heaven! At The Marriage Supper! All Saints Shall Gather! At The Last Assembly! No More Sad Parting! No More Heart Breaking! Farewell To Sorrows! Victory At Last! Victory Ahead! Victory Ahead! Farewell To Sorrow! Victory Ahead!
Emmanuel=GOD With Us!