OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, DATE: WEDNESDAY 15th JULY 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: WEDNESDAY 15th JULY 2015

THEME: ACCOMPLICE TO SIN?

Memorise:
Who knowing The Judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:32

Read: Romans 1:29-32
29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32. Who knowing The Judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Message:
In trying to rationalise and condone certain types of sin, some people have painted them in different colours.
1. Take lying for instance.
2. This evil act has been categorised by some into white, black and so on.
3. Whether it is a grave lie or a lie that cannot hurt a fly, a lie is a lie.
4. Leviticus 19:11 says it is wrong to lie to other brethren.
5. The devil is the father of all liars according to our Lord Jesus Christ (John 8:44).
6.  John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
7. If you wilfully engage in lies, you definitely have the devil as your father.

B. The Bible declares that outside the gates of Heavens are liars:
1.  “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Revelation 22:15
2. If a lie is as trivial as people say it is, why would liars be categorised with fornicators, murderers and idol worshippers?
3. If a lie is not grievous, why would the gated of Heaven be shut against liars?
4. Also, in the above Scripture, a distinction is made between those who love lies and those who tell the lies.
5. In other words, some people are branded liars and not because they told a lie, but because they are in accomplice to a lie.
6. If you cover up someone who has lied, you are an accessory to the lie and as a result, a liar yourself.

C. We understand from our memory verse that while two people may commit a particular sin, ten others may be punished along with them for complicity.
1. This is why you must be very careful.
2. In the process of recommending someone for ordination for example, the fellow may lie that he is a house fellowship leader and provide an address, whereas he is not.
3. If his pastor knows the truth but turns a blind eye and goes ahead to present such a candidate for ordination, he has become an accomplice to a lie and might be on his way to Hell unless he repents.
4. This goes for everyone who knows the truth but cover it up.
5. Do not be taken over by the sin of others! 6. If some people choose to sin, let them face its consequences all by themselves.    7. Never support, sponsor or encourage anyone over sinful act.
8. You must be able to tell the fellow that he or she has sinned and condemn that action with all gravity.
9. Never become the pillow on which the sinner will find solace whenever he or she wants to sin, or else, you will partake of divine judgement and end up in Hell together.  

Key Point:
A lot of people will go to Hell because they take pleasure in those who sin.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 CHRONICLES 13:15 and LUKE 22:63-23:17

AUTHOR : Pastor E. A ADEBOYE

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Emmanuel=GOD With Us!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, DATE : TUESDAY 14th JULY 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE : TUESDAY 14th JULY 2015

THEME: PHILIPPIANS 4:19 WAS EARNED

Memorise:
"Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account." Philippians 4:17

Read: Philippians 4:14-19
14. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
15. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of The Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
16. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
17. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
18. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Message:
A. If you are enjoying God’s Love, you must be ready to give something in return to Him as a demonstration of your love for Him.
1. This was demonstrated by the church at Philippi in today’s Bible reading.
2. Paul reported that they were the only ones who stood with him during the period of his trial and need.
3. After he left Macedonia, some churches used that as an excuse not to support him anymore, but not the brethren at Philippi.    4. Even after he travelled to Thessalonica, they repeatedly sent provisions to meet his need there.
5. Today, some people still hide under the cover of distance to shy away from showing love through giving.
6. They would say “You are so far away and that is why it is so difficult to send assistance to you.”
7. If it is difficult to send assistance now, it was much more difficult to do so then.
8. As challenging as it was then, the brethren in Philippi found a way around the difficulties and supported Paul.
9. They knew what they were doing.
10. They become a major financial backbone of the ministry of Paul.
11. Paul declared that by virtue of their being so sacrificial in giving, he was full, having all his needs met.
12. It was based on this that he prayed that God would supply all their needs in Philippians 4:19.

B. Just as you have needs, so does God have needs.
1. If you can meet Gods needs, He will surely meet yours.
2. The project of expending God’s kingdom on earth has needs.
3. There is therefore a need to support anymore or any cause that is dedicated to meeting these needs.
4. Why did Paul not pray the same prayer for the other churches?
5. It is because a person has the responsibility to provoke the blessings that come to him or her as an individual, family or church.
6. Before you expect so much from God, ask yourself what you have done to provoke what you are expecting.
7. As revealed in Philippians 4:17, know that everyone has an account with God:
8. “Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”
9. Everything you give to God grows that account.
10. It is when your account is full that your harvest will come.

C. The church at Philippi got their harvest.    1. What about you?
2. What have you given to God in demonstration of your love for Him?
3. What contributions have you made to grow your local parish and meet their needs?
4. How have you met the needs of your pastor and his family?

Key Point:
Can your pastor say like Paul that he is full and has no needs as a result of your care?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 CHRONICLES 9:29-12:16 and LUKE 22:39-62

AUTHOR : Pastor E. A ADEBOYE
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
EMMANUEL=GOD With Us!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, DATE: TUESDAY 7th JULY 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: TUESDAY 7th JULY 2015

THEME: LOVE MUST BE RECIPROCATED

Memorise:
If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My Love; even as I have kept My Father’s Commandments, and abide in His Love. John 15:10

Read: John 15:9-10
9. As The Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My Love.
10 If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My Love; even as I have kept My Father’s Commandments, and abide in His Love.

Message:
A. God loves us so much the He gave us Himself as a gift.
1. Giving Jesus Christ to die for us was the same as giving Himself to us (1Timothy 3:16).
2. 1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
3. But He did not stop there, He went further, pointing out to us in Romans 8:32 that:
“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.”
4. However, love should be a two-way exchange, and not one-sided.
5. If you love someone and your love is not being reciprocated, after a while, something will happen to that love.
6. That love may grow cold or even die.
7. The same applies to the relationship between God and us.
8. If you check through the scriptures, you will learn that whenever God does something for someone, He expects them to do something in return.

B. It is one thing to be loved and another thing to abide in that love.
1. While you were in your sins, God demonstrated His Love for you by sending Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, to die for you.
2. When you respond to this divine initiative by repenting of your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you will be washed by His blood and forgiven.
3. After this, God increases His love towards you, and when you reciprocate, that love increases.
4. Love begets greater love.
If you want to sustain or increase The Love that God has for you, reciprocate His Love. 5.  In today’s reading, Jesus tells us that when He came to earth as a man, He was loved by the Father; but to sustain that love, He had to keep The Father’s Commandments.

C. What The Father expected of Jesus is what He expects of us today.
1. There is no way you will continue in God’s love when you deliberately break His commandments or refuses to obey Him.
2. If He has loved you, He expects you to love Him too.
3. He expects your obedience.
4. He also expects you to love other brethren.
5. How have you reciprocated The Love of The Lord?
6. Even though afflictions, persecutions, angels, Satan, what we see and what we can’t see cannot separate us from The Love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35-39)!
7. Disobedience, manifested by violation of His word, can deal that love a terrible blow.

Action Point:
List some things you have never done that you can start doing to reciprocate The Love of God. Do them from today!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 CHRONICLES 23:25 and LUKE 18:35-19:10

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A ADEBOYE
He Loves Me I Cannot Say Why! He Loves Me I Cannot Say Why! On Calvary Cross He Suffered For Me! He Loves Me I Cannot Say Why! On Calvary Cross He Died For My Sins!  He Loves Me I Cannot Say Why!
Emmanuel=GOD With Us!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, DATE: WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 2015

THEME: RETURN REDUCED WAGES!

Memorise:
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled The Law." Romans 13:8

Read: Genesis 31:36-42
36. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? What is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
37. Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
38. This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
40. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
42. Except The God of my father, The God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

Message:
A. God is a righteous God, and as a result, He hates all forms of fraud.
1. According to Leviticus 19:13, it is a crime to delay your worker's salary for 24 hours.
2. Leviticus 19:13
"Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning."
3. Do you promptly pay your staff – whether church or secular?
4. Another aspect of fraud is manipulating your workers’ salaries.

B. One Bible character who was a victim of this was Jacob.
1. All the years he worked for Laban, he suffered a great deal.
2. He was deceived, cheated, made to bear the losses his boss should have borne and earned an ever-decreasing wage.
3. Laban was extremely wicked.
4. But do you know that some employers today are like Laban?
5. They take all the gains of their businesses and push all the losses to their staff, irrespective of what caused such losses.     6. Also, while they plan to make more profit and push their staff to work hard at it, they hardly ever plan to increase their salaries.
7. If anything, they continue to come up with excuses as to why such salaries should remain at the same level, or even be reduced.

C. Laban reduced Jacob’s wages 10 times.
1. If you are happy to cut down your staff salaries rather than increase them, though your business is not diminishing, you are toying with Hell.
2. If your business cannot afford an employee anymore, it is better to let such staff go after paying their entitlements.
3. Take note of The Words of Romans 13:8:
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled The law.”
4. Every cent, kobo or penny you fraudulent cut off the wages of your staff amounts to a debt you owe them.
5. Also, the fact that you owe your staff shows your lack of love for them. 
6. You cannot be cutting down the salary or wages of those you love, while your business is doing fine.

D. Do not be surprised that some employers who claim to be believers in Christ will die and get to the gate of Heaven, only to be told that they cannot enter in because of the debt they owe their staff.
1. At that checkpoint, the entire amount owed will be found on them.
2. They will then say “I am sorry; I am now prepared to pay the debts I owe my staff”, but the angles will say “Sorry, it’s too late.”
3. The money such persons fraudulently stole from their staff will follow them to Hell-fire and torment them there for eternity.
4. For your own good, go and restitute all the wages you have cut off without just cause!

Key Point:
Besides pride, another vice that God cannot stand in people is breaking of agreements. If you make a promise, you must keep it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:1 CHRONICLES 7:14-9:34 and LUKE  15:1-24

AUTHOR:  Pastor E. A ADEBOYE
Pay Attention To Those You Meet On Your Way To The Top! Be Extra Careful To Treat Those Who Gave You A Helping Hand On Your Way Up The Ladder Of Success! You May Need Them To Remain Successful! Or On Your Way Down The Ladder!
Emmanuel=GOD With Us!