OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. DATE: FRIDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2016 THEME: THE SOURCE OF SATISFACTION

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: FRIDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: THE SOURCE OF SATISFACTION

Memorise:
"But Godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6

Read: 1 Timothy 6:3-11
6:3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to Wholesome Words, even The Words of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness;
6:4. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
6:5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
6:6. But Godliness with Contentment is great gain.
6:7. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
6:8. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
6:9. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
6:10. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
6:11. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after Righteousness, Godliness, Faith, Love, Patience, Meekness.

MESSAGE:
A. Satisfaction is a state of contentment or fulfilment that only God can bring into reality.
1. The scripture advocates that children of God should cultivate contentment.
2. We really therefore expected to be contented spiritually, financially, materially and in our marriages.
3. We should be contented with the things and people that God has put around us.
4. Satisfaction is made possible as a result of God's good provision made available through The Atoning Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
5. Ecclesiastes 3:13 says: "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God."
6. The above passage indicates that contentment or satisfaction is a gift from God; it does not develop from the desire of man.
7. As a matter of fact Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity."

B. Covetousness and accumulation of wealth has its attendant problems.
1. One of such problems is lack of satisfaction.
2. Those who love money will never be satisfied with what they have; no matter how much they have, they will continue to desire more.
3. I once had a friend, who at the age of 70 had so much money in one of his several bank accounts; he could not exhaust it for another 200 years.
4. Whenever you visit him, you will meet him planning to invest some more.
5. The rich are ever striving with each other. They will say, "Mr. A has just built another house or bought another car, I must follow suit".
6. They are never satisfied. Satisfaction is a precious virtue that every believer must have.
7. Are you caught in the rat race for earthly possessions? Ask God to give you satisfaction or contentment without which that wealth will become a deadly trap.

C. Whenever wealth comes as A Blessing within the context of Holiness and The Fear of God, such wealth is always accompanied by contentment or satisfaction.
1. This is why Psalms 17:15 says: "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."
2. Because The Source of The Blessing is God, satisfaction is naturally inclusive in the package.
3. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 goes on to say: "But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
4. This passage shows that A Child of God should be more concerned about the source of blessing and the attending satisfaction than accumulation of wealth.

Prayer Point:
Father, You are my Source, please let my prosperity come with contentment in Jesus' Name. Amen!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 49:23-50:46
Psalms 60

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE  

HYMN 3: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Chorus:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Chorus:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Chorus:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Chorus.
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE: SATURDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2016 THEME: YOU NEED ENCOURAGEMENT

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE: SATURDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: YOU NEED ENCOURAGEMENT

Memorise:
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

Read: 1 Kings 19:1-6
19:1. And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
19:2. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
19:3. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
19:4. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
19:5. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
19:6. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

MESSAGE
A. Based on human experience, life is generally believed to be hard, laborious, burdensome, and full of sorrow.
1. A combination of several factors may be responsible for the dilemma faced by human beings.
2. First among these factors is recorded in Revelation 12:12: "...Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath..."
3. And 1 Peter 5:8 followed up by saying "...your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
4. Furthermore, Genesis 3:17 says, "...Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;"
5. The implication of these passages on unregenerate human beings is so great that Job 14:1 had to say, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble."

B.  When a higher authority such as marriage, parenthood, civil or spiritual leadership is added to the ordinary troubles of life, the result is better imagined than experienced.
1. For the above reasons, every human being needs divine encouragement and support daily.
2. In the Name that is above all other names, beginning from today, you will receive divine support and encouragement to carry on in life in Jesus' Name. Amen!
3. Indeed, God Promises continual support for his people, particularly when they become weary, depressed or disillusioned.
4. Several passages of The Bible affirmed God's encouragement for His children.
5. Moses, Joshua, Abraham, David, kings and prophets of Israel, our fathers and mothers of faith were not abandoned at critical moments in their lives.
6. God was always there to give the required support and encouragement when it mattered most.
7. This could be seen clearly in God's pronouncement in Isaiah 41:10 that says, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

C. However, Bible records show that we have a responsibility to carry out in order to merit God's encouragement.
1. You must first be born again and make meditation on The Word of God a habit
2. Joshua 1:8-9" This Book of The Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
3. Then you must invite The Holy Spirit Who is The Counsellor, into your life.
4. Thereafter, you will begin to experience God's Encouragement.
5. Isaiah 40:30-31, says that God's Encouragement brings renewed strength and an ability to do exploit.
6. This is the secret of my success as The General overseer of The RCCG. I enjoy tremendous support and encouragement from the Almighty God always.
7. It is only by His Support and Encouragement that any man can succeed.

Prayer point:
Father, please encourage and support me so that I may fulfill my destiny in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 33:14-35:19
Psalms 55:1-15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: HO MY COMRADES!
1 Ho! my comrades, see the signal,
Waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory is nigh!
Refrain:
“Hold the fort, for I am coming,”
Jesus signals still,
Wave the answer back to Heaven,
“By Thy grace we will.”

2. See the mighty host advancing,
Satan leading on;
Mighty men around us falling,
Courage almost gone. [Refrain]

3. See the glorious banner waving,
Hear the bugle blow;
In our Leader’s Name we triumph
Over every foe. [Refrain]

4. Fierce and long the battle rages,
But our help is near;
Onward comes our great Commander,
Cheer, my comrades, cheer! [Refrain]
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.. DATE: WEDNESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2016 THEME: HE SHALL SURELY RETURN

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL..

DATE: WEDNESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: HE SHALL SURELY RETURN

Memorise:
"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This Same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven." Acts 1:11

Read: Acts 1:8-11, (KJV)
8. But ye shall receive Power, after that The Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be Witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9. And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10. And while they looked stedfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This Same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven."

MESSAGE
A. One of the chief messages of the Bible is that Jesus Christ will return Visibly and in Glory at the end of history. 1.    First to raise the dead, judge the world, and then destroy all evil and opposition to God.
2. He will thereafter consummate His kingdom.
3. Christians are encouraged to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ with eagerness and joy.
4. Several passages of the Old Testament Bible predicted the second coming of Jesus,
5. Daniel 7:13-14 says:
“…one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven…And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
6.  Also, several passages of the New Testament Bible foretold The Second coming of Jesus.
7. In Acts 1:11, two angels announced The Second Coming of Christ by saying:
“…Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

B. However, because at least two thousand years have passed without the actual fulfilment of this prophecy, unbelievers and Christians alike are beginning to doubt the reality or possibility of Rapture or The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
1. Brethren, do not be deceived, JESUS IS COMING BACK AGAIN.
2. This Truth is very important to the continued relevance of The Church of God in general and that of The Redeemed Christian Church of God in particular.
3. Focusing on The Second Coming of Jesus Christ should be our duty, in order to realign the worldview and mindset of Christians and unbelievers alike with The Word of God.
4. The matter is settled in Heaven and the earth has witnessed the fulfilment of almost all the signs of The End Time as recorded in The Word of God. 
5. We are witnesses to the Increased In Knowledge! False Prophets! Wars and Rumours of Wars! Famines, and Earthquakes!
6. The Re-gathering of The Nation of Israel! Man's inhumanity to man! Extreme Wickedness, and Diverse Forms of Immorality.
7. The second coming of Jesus will occur unexpectedly at God’s appointed time.
8. Be Warned! Be Watchful and Be Ready. 

Prayer Point:
Father, please give me The Grace not to get weary while waiting for Your Second Coming in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 27:1-29:23 and Psalms 51

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: WHEN THE TRUMPET OF THE LORD SHALL SOUND!

1.  When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
Chorus:
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.

2.  On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of His resurrection share;
When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
Chorus:

3.   Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;
Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
Chorus.
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE: TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2016 THEME: THE LORD IS IN CHARGE!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE: TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: THE LORD IS IN CHARGE!

Memorise:
"The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice. " Psalms 21:1

Read: Daniel 4:30-35, (KJV)
30. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
31. While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from Heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
32. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that The Most High Ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He Will.
33. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
34. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto Heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that Liveth Forever, Whose Dominion is an Everlasting Dominion, and His Kingdom is from generation to generation:
35. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He Doeth according to His Will in The Army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His Hand, or say unto him, What doest Thou?


MESSAGE;
A. To be in charge or in control is the exercise of authority and restraint over individuals, events, situations, or circumstances of life.
1. The Bible stresses the fact that God is Sovereign over all Creation;
2. He has Absolute Authority and Control over everything in Heaven and on earth.
3. But a limited degree of control over creation is delegated to humanity.
4. However, man has gained tremendous knowledge of the universe over time and this has translated to an increased level of authority and control over situations and circumstances in life.
5. Man has acquired advanced knowledge in Computer Science, Geography, Medicine, Mathematics, Genetic Engineering, Archaeology, and Space Technology, to mention but few.
6. As a result of these achievements, humanity has wrongly assumed that they are the master of the universe and therefore in ultimate charge.

B. Contrary to this human belief, The Bible teaches that God controls The Affairs of Heaven and Earth.
1. Deuteronomy 4:39 says:
“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that The Lord He is God in Heaven above, and upon The Earth beneath: there is none else.”
2. Also, Daniel 4:35 says;
“And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His Will in The Army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His Hand, or say unto Him, what doest Thou?”
3. From these passages, it is clear that God is unquestionable;
4. He does as He pleases in the distribution of His Mercies, Blessings, and Favour.
5. He gives Strength, He makes Great, He Promotes, He gives Knowledge and Wisdom, all at His Pleasure.
6. The Lord controls human hearts, He controls time and seasons, He removes kings and sets up others in their place.
7. He controls the weather and fixes human destiny (Daniel 2:22).

C. He is the source of every creation!
1. The Fountain of life!
2. The Channel of goodness from whom all blessings flow.
3. All hail The True Master of The Universe!
4. The Redeemer of human kind and
5. The Saviour of the whole world.
6. Matthew 25:34 says:
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”  

Prayer point:
Father, please silence every opposition to Your Authority as The Master of The Universe in my life in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 25-26 and Psalms 50:16-23

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: IMMORTAL INVINCIBLE GOD ONLY WISE!

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 like leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish, but naught changeth thee.

4. Thou reignest in glory, thou dwellest in light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee! 
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. DATE: FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2016 THEME: HIS ALMIGHTINESS!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: HIS ALMIGHTINESS!

Memorise:
"Thou art The God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared thy strength among the people." Psalms 77:14

Read: Psalms 107:1-9, (KJV)
1. O give thanks unto The Lord, for He is Good: for His Mercy endureth for ever.
2. Let the redeemed of The Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
3. And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
4. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
5. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6. Then they cried unto The Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8. Oh that men would praise The Lord for His Goodness, and for His Wonderful Works to the children of men!
9. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

MESSAGE
A. The Bible presents The Name of God as the cumulative self-disclosure of God to His people.
1. Therefore, The Name of God and The Person of God are inseparably related.
2. As a matter of fact, whenever The Scripture mentions God by any of His Names, it is an attempt to invoke God in His fullness.
3. When we call on The Name of God, God is worshiped and adored.
4. Genesis 21:33
"Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on The Name of The Lord, The Everlasting God.
5. When a people forget The Name of God, they lose His Presence.
6. Jeremiah 23:27
who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.
7. And when we take The Name of God in vain, God is personally profaned and offended.
8. Exodus 20:7
“You shall not take the name of The Lord Your God in vain, for The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.

B. ‘The Almighty’ is one of the popular Names ascribed to God to showcase His Divine Strength.
1. The strength of God is made known in Creation, Providence, Redemption, and The Empowering of believers to do exploit in this world.
2. Psalms 19:1 says:
“The Heavens declare The Glory of God; and The Firmament sheweth His Handwork.”
3. The Bible reveals that The Almightiness of God could be clearly seen in nature and understood through The Complex Design of the things that were created.
4. It is a wonder to observe The World with its Archaeology, Geography, Animals and Human inhabitants.
5. It is more breathtaking to considerThe Design and Operations of The Universe as a well ordered whole, where Celestial Bodies of Humongous Sizes and Weights are revolving around their stars at a frightening speed and accuracy.
6. One cannot help but imagine The Awesomeness of The Almighty Designer and Creator of The Universe.

C. All power in Heaven and on Earth belongs to God, and He is unquestionable. 1. His Almightiness in providence gives Him the prerogative to do as He pleases.
2. Psalms 135:6 says;
“Whatsoever The Lord pleased, that did He in Heaven, and in Earth, in The Seas, and all Deep Places.”
3. The Book of Daniel 4:35 went on to proclaim that,
“And all the inhabitants of The earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His Will in The Army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of The Earth: and none can stay His Hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou?”
4. God is Almighty in Redemption according to Exodus 6:6 and Ephesians 1:19 which both talk about the exceeding greatness of His Power that delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and raised Jesus Christ from The dead.
5. Exodus 6:6-"Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I Am The Lord; I will Bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will Rescue you from their bondage, and I will Redeem you with An Outstretched Arm and with Great Judgments."
6. Ephesians 1:19 -"and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power"
7. His Almightiness is further revealed in Revelations 6:15:
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.”

D. Everything in Creation is subject to His Almighty Power and He has made these available to all that will accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
1. Are you faced with challenges beyond your ability?
2. Ask for The Divine Support of the Almighty.  

Prayer Point:
Father, please let Your Awesome Power begin to work in my favour today in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 13-15 and Psalms 47

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: IMMORTAL INVINCIBLE GOD ONLY WISE!
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 naught changeth thee.

4. Thou reignest in glory; thou dwellest in light;
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render: O help us to see
Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. DATE: THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2016 THEME: NO ROOM FOR THE DEVIL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: NO ROOM FOR THE DEVIL

Memorise:
"Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1Thessalonians 5:22

Read: Psalms 15:1-5
1. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy Holy Hill?
2. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear The Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Message:
A. 'Looking unto Jesus’ are three very important words of Salvation, Encouragement and Direction for daily Christian living.
1. Nicodemus, in his search for The True God and Eternal Life, approached Jesus for possible understanding.
2. The Lord Jesus made The New Birth very plain by using an Old Testament illustration of the fiery serpents of brass put on a pole for the Israelites to look upon as recorded in the book of Numbers!
3. Numbers 21:8-9
"Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

B. The fall of Adam and Eve, and the temptation of Jesus Christ, exposes humanity to two important realities among many others.
1. First of all, the devil is out to destroy all human beings without exception.
2. Secondly, the devil cannot do a perfect Job at destroying a person without the consensual agreement of that individual. 3. Consequently, the devil seeks the permission of an individual to have the access required to destroy his life.
4. That is why the Bible in Ephesians 4:27, admonishes us not to give way to the devil.

C. Moreover, the devil does not make this request directly; neither does he require a clear answer from anyone.
1. The language of the devil is always implied and shrouded in ambiguity, such that no one is ever fully aware of the implications of any transaction with the devil until reality dawns on them.
2. For these reasons, children of God should be mindful of their responses to any proposal by the devil because ordinary interest is usually taken as consent or approval by the devil.
3. Men and women who showed interest in various proposals of the devil in the past were soon captured and enslaved to the point of being addicted to such harmful practices like alcoholism, gambling, illicit sex, hard drugs, prostitution, etc.
4. For these reasons, The Bible outlines several ways in which believers should respond to the devil.

D. Evil is to be avoided at all cost.
i. As indicated in Psalms 1:1:
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”
ii. And in Proverbs 4:14:
“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.”
iii. And 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says:
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

E. Evil is to be hated with passion and resisted with everything we have.
i. In line with proverbs 1:10:
“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”
ii. And James 4:7,
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

F. Above all, children of God should pray every day in response to evil,
i. Matthew 6:13 says,
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”
ii. I pray that you will not be a victim of evil in Jesus’ Name.  Amen!

Prayer Point:
Father, please keep evil far away from me and my entire family in Jesus' Name. Amen!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 10-12 and Psalms 46

AUTHOR: Pastor  E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN: I MUST TELL JESUS ALL OF MY TRIALS!  

1. I  must tell Jesus all of my trials;
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me;
He ever loves and cares for His own.
Chorus:
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
  Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

2. I must tell Jesus all of my troubles;
He is a kind, compassionate Friend;
If I but ask Him, He will deliver,
And in my griefs with me He will blend.                                            Chorus:

3. Tempted and tried I need a great Savior,
One who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus;
He all my cares and sorrows will share,                                           Chorus:

4. O how the world to evil allures me!
O how my heart is tempted to sin!
I must tell Jesus; He will enable
Over the world the vic’try to win. Chorus:
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. TUESDAY AUGUST 30 2016. THEME : PRINCIPLES OF DIVINE BLESSING.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

TUESDAY  AUGUST  30 2016.

THEME : PRINCIPLES OF DIVINE BLESSING.

MEMORISE : Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 SAMUEL 2 : 30.

READ : DEUTERONOMY  28 : 1 - 6 :

1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

MESSAGE  :

If you want to command the blessings of God, you must be willing to pay the price. If you want the kind of blessing that does not have any form of sorrow, you must be willing to obey the instructions of God. If you want the kind of blessing that is no respecter of seasons, you must be willing to live a holy life. This means it is very possible for you to enjoy the blessings of God all the days of your life; however, there are principles that command this blessing. When you follow and honour God, you have no fear of tomorrow. There are many people who are worried about what their tomorrow looks like. They don't know what will happen next. For those who are living holy, they know their tomorrow will be alright as promised by God in His Word, they know they will prosper. This is automatic for them because the Word of God says :

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land" Isaiah 1 : 19.

If you are living a holy life, God will supply all your needs. There are many people who are blessed but they have no peace. For those who walk in the path of God, He blesses them and adds peace to their blessing.

"Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." Isaiah 3 : 10.

If you want a glorious promotion, you must live a holy life. The Almighty God is no respecter of persons. He will never bend His standards. He is very strict and perfect. It is the blessing of God that takes an individual to the top. The moment you choose to live by His standards, God will lift you up on high. If you do not live holy, you will always see yourself falling down. Those who are down always suffer but when you are on top, the Lord will bless you greatly. This is why you have to make up your mind to pay the price of consecration. The knowledge of God produces material and financial blessings. The moment you honour God with your life, you will have access to the good things of life. You will attract blessings from all parts of the world and He will give you the wisdom to keep the blessings. Obedience brings blessings; if you are obedient you will have victory in every aspect of life. You will have access to the Fullness of God's provision. Only those who walk in the principles of God can command the blessings of God. He fed the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness without them working for one day. The blessings of the Almighty God are inexhaustible. When you distance yourself from the principle of tithing, the blessings of God will always be distant from you. There is no blessing for the wicked unless the wicked repents and comes to Jesus. Fools are those who know the consequences of something and still go into it. They know that the wages of sin is death and still continue to sin. Divine blessings come to those who keep the commandments of God. They enjoy good success and prosperity. The moment you begin to walk in the principles of God, everything you touch becomes blessed. It is obedience to the Word of God that attracts blessings into one's life.

KEY POINT :  It pays to follow God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 5 : 14- 7 : 29 AND PSALMS 44 : 17 - 26.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

HYMN 1 : O LORD MY GOD

1. O LORD my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made;
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed:

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze:

Chorus:

3. And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die - I scarce can take it in:
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:

Chorus:

4. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home - what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God how great Thou art!

Chorus.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. DATE: MONDAY 29TH AUGUST 2016 THEME: THE GREAT INVITATION!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: MONDAY 29TH AUGUST 2016

THEME: THE GREAT INVITATION!

Memorise:
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith The LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

Read: Matthew 11:28-30
11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

11:29. Take My Yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I Am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

11:30. For My Yoke is easy, and My Burden is light.

MESSAGE:
A. There are numerous invitations we receive during the course of our lifetime, but there is an invitation that changes the life of a person permanently and that invitation is only found in Jesus.
1. Sometimes, people can invite you to great occasions where you dine and wine with very important people in the society but that does not put an end to the trouble you are going through as an individual.
2. You dine with them, but upon returning to your private closet, you carry your problems again.
3. However, when you respond to the invitation of Jesus, He solves all your problems.
4. This is why you cannot afford to respond inappropriately to this invitation. 5. With this invitation, you come as you are.
6. Present yourself to Him the way you are and let Him turn your  life around.
7. This is why the invitation of Jesus is the greatest of all invitations; it is also unique because He has all The Power and The Resources to turn any situation around.

B. No matter how blessed an individual is, there is a limit to how many people he can help.
1. No matter how buoyant your organisation is, there is no CEO that can employ everyone in a country.
2. Jesus is the only employer who can pay everyone that comes under His Government.
3. There no restriction, it is open to all.
4. This invitation is to those who live under the stress and turmoil of this world.
5. He wants to deliver them from all their troubles.

C. There are those who have problems with their spiritual life.
1. Jesus is available to release Grace and Mercy in the state of their spiritual poverty.
2. There are people living under the bondage of emotions and religion.
3. Jesus wants to set them free and deliver them from all their battles both within and without.
4. There are many people who are struggling on the inside. When you see them, they appear alright but they have troubles, fears, worries, anxieties and depression.
5. Jesus is calling you to come to Him.
a. He wants to remove the yoke that the devil and His agents have put on you.
b. He wants to uproot every plant that He has not planted in your life.
c. He wants to deliver you from the burdens of this world that cause frustration and depression.
6. However, you must submit to Him before He can be of help to you.

D. It does not matter how far you have gone into the world of sin, Jesus is calling you to come.
1. There is no sinner without a future and there is no saint without a past but in Jesus everything becomes new;
2. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17
3. One finds Peace and Rest of mind by understanding that his sins are forgiven by The Grace of God through The Blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross at Calvary. Because where there is no shedding of blood there is no remission for sins.
4. You can cast all your worries and anxiety on Jesus. It is part of your Redemption Right because all those troubles have been exchanged for Peace through His death.
5. However, you must know that The Glory of God is His Holiness.
6. His dwelling is in Holiness.
7. His Way is Holy and the invitation to us is not an invitation to lawlessness but an invitation to Holiness.

Prayer Point:
There is no sin that is beyond the redemption at cross.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 3:6-5:13
Psalms 44:9-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS!

1. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.

2. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

3. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
Till trav’ling days are done.

4. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“My Father’s house above
Has many mansions; I’ve a place
Prepared for you in love.”
I trust in Jesus—in that house,
According to His word,
Redeemed by grace, my soul shall live
Forever with the Lord.              EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. DATE: MONDAY 29TH AUGUST 2016 THEME: THE GREAT INVITATION!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: MONDAY 29TH AUGUST 2016

THEME: THE GREAT INVITATION!

Memorise:
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith The LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

Read: Matthew 11:28-30
11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

11:29. Take My Yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I Am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

11:30. For My Yoke is easy, and My Burden is light.

MESSAGE:
A. There are numerous invitations we receive during the course of our lifetime, but there is an invitation that changes the life of a person permanently and that invitation is only found in Jesus.
1. Sometimes, people can invite you to great occasions where you dine and wine with very important people in the society but that does not put an end to the trouble you are going through as an individual.
2. You dine with them, but upon returning to your private closet, you carry your problems again.
3. However, when you respond to the invitation of Jesus, He solves all your problems.
4. This is why you cannot afford to respond inappropriately to this invitation. 5. With this invitation, you come as you are.
6. Present yourself to Him the way you are and let Him turn your  life around.
7. This is why the invitation of Jesus is the greatest of all invitations; it is also unique because He has all The Power and The Resources to turn any situation around.

B. No matter how blessed an individual is, there is a limit to how many people he can help.
1. No matter how buoyant your organisation is, there is no CEO that can employ everyone in a country.
2. Jesus is the only employer who can pay everyone that comes under His Government.
3. There no restriction, it is open to all.
4. This invitation is to those who live under the stress and turmoil of this world.
5. He wants to deliver them from all their troubles.

C. There are those who have problems with their spiritual life.
1. Jesus is available to release Grace and Mercy in the state of their spiritual poverty.
2. There are people living under the bondage of emotions and religion.
3. Jesus wants to set them free and deliver them from all their battles both within and without.
4. There are many people who are struggling on the inside. When you see them, they appear alright but they have troubles, fears, worries, anxieties and depression.
5. Jesus is calling you to come to Him.
a. He wants to remove the yoke that the devil and His agents have put on you.
b. He wants to uproot every plant that He has not planted in your life.
c. He wants to deliver you from the burdens of this world that cause frustration and depression.
6. However, you must submit to Him before He can be of help to you.

D. It does not matter how far you have gone into the world of sin, Jesus is calling you to come.
1. There is no sinner without a future and there is no saint without a past but in Jesus everything becomes new;
2. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17
3. One finds Peace and Rest of mind by understanding that his sins are forgiven by The Grace of God through The Blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross at Calvary. Because where there is no shedding of blood there is no remission for sins.
4. You can cast all your worries and anxiety on Jesus. It is part of your Redemption Right because all those troubles have been exchanged for Peace through His death.
5. However, you must know that The Glory of God is His Holiness.
6. His dwelling is in Holiness.
7. His Way is Holy and the invitation to us is not an invitation to lawlessness but an invitation to Holiness.

Prayer Point:
There is no sin that is beyond the redemption at cross.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 3:6-5:13
Psalms 44:9-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS!

1. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.

2. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

3. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
Till trav’ling days are done.

4. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“My Father’s house above
Has many mansions; I’ve a place
Prepared for you in love.”
I trust in Jesus—in that house,
According to His word,
Redeemed by grace, my soul shall live
Forever with the Lord.              EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THURSDAY AUGUST 25 2016 THEME : NOTHING GOES FOR NOTHING

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
THURSDAY AUGUST 25 2016
THEME : NOTHING GOES FOR NOTHING
MEMORISE : And after six days Jesus taketh
Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth
them up into an high mountain apart, MATTHEW
17 : 1.
READ : MATTHEWS 17 : 14 - 21 :
14 And when they were come to the multitude,
there came to him a certain man, kneeling down
to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is
lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth
into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they
could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless
and perverse generation, how long shall I be with
you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither
to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed
out of him: and the child was cured from that
very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and
said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your
unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith
as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto
this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place;
and it shall remove; and nothing shall be
impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer
and fasting.
MESSAGE :
In secular environments, it takes diligence to get
to the top and it takes even more diligence to
remain there. There are many people who work
really hard to get to the top but upon getting
there, they soon begin to relax. Diligence is even
more important when it comes to spiritual
responsibilities. You need to work hard to have
an encounter with God but you need to work
twice as hard to keep your encounter intact. To
get the answer to all your requests, you have to
invest a lot of time before God. Many people just
get born again and begin to relax. If you want to
command the miraculous you must be ready to
pay the price. You have to keep running until you
get to the finish line. There are people who have
not given God their entire lives, yet they want
God to always respond to all their requests. If
you want a spiritual transformation in your life,
you have to give attention and seriousness to the
business of growing daily. Following Jesus Christ
could be very costly, His standards are always
high and He will never compromise His standard
for anyone. If you want to operate in the
miraculous, you must be willing to die daily. Self-
denial is a basic qualification for discipleship and
there are many courses you have to register for
in the school of exploits. That includes fasting
while others are feasting. It includes praying
while others are sleeping. You have to study the
Bible while others are spending time on things
that will not add significant value to their lives. It
involves spiritual discipline while some people
are wasting their time away. Paul testified that
he kept his body under in order to win the prize.
Keeping the body under is self-denial. You are
deliberately doing something to achieve
something. Somebody asked me how I am able
to fast for many days and I replied that it is
always very easy for me to do so because each
time I want to start a long fast I just go to the
calender and count the number of days I want to
go and I tell my stomach "look at that day very
well, that is the time next time we shall be
taking food" it is as simple as that.
To command supernatural situations, nothing
goes for nothing. You have to engage in spiritual
exercises ;
"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer
and fasting." Matthew 17 : 21.
If Jesus said "men ought to pray and not to
faint" ( Luke 18 : 1 ), it is very obvious that
prayer covers a wide range of issues that should
keep one very vigilant. It is in the place of prayer
that there is a guarantee of continuous Open
Heavens for every child of God. At the same
time, there are many people who have lost many
opportunities because of their understanding of
the significant prayer in commanding the release
of their heart desires. Fasting is not just a
religious exercise as some think. When you
engage in fasting, you are equipping yourself with
strong weapons to counter every attack of the
wicked ones and take your victory in every battle
of life. When faith is actively coupled with prayer
and fasting, there is nothing that can stop your
prayers from being answered. Every barrier that
wants to stand on your way will always give in
like we observed in the case of Daniel with the
prince of Persia.
KEY POINT : Fasting and prayer is a combined
spiritual weapon that commands the miraculous.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 56 : 9 - 59 : 21 AND
PSALMS 41.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THURSDAY AUGUST 18 2016. THEME : THAT WE MAY BE RICH.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

THURSDAY  AUGUST 18 2016.

THEME : THAT WE MAY BE RICH.

MEMORISE : For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2 CORINTHIANS 8 : 9.

READ : JOHN 10 : 9 - 11 :

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

MESSAGE :

The death of Jesus was for a purpose and that purpose is to ensure that you fulfil your destiny. Jesus sacrificed Himself for your redemption. He took your place and gave you His. It is upon this arrangement that you have access to all that He provided. The death of Jesus was not in vain, it is a substitution for all your human weaknesses and deficiencies. God is not only interested in making you saved; He is interested in you having all that is available in the salvation package. I decree that whatever will not make you enjoy the full benefits of salvation shall be destroyed in Jesus’ name. Just for your sake, Jesus was born into very poor circumstances, He lived a poor life and died in poverty; and all these was that such things do not happen in your life. He voluntarily did all that, so that you might be rich. The riches even cover your divine health; by His stripes you are healed. I command every sickness and disease operating in your body to be uprooted in Jesus’ name. His death is so that you might be rich in deliverance. There are many people attending deliverance services but are yet to be free. If you appropriate the death of Jesus into your situation, there should be freedom for you.

“And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”
John 8 : 32.

As believers of the new covenant, you are to be rich in the love and favour of the Almighty God. You are to be rich in the blessing and promises of the new covenant. You are to be rich in your expectation of eternal life. When you give your life to Jesus Christ, there is happiness in your life not only by the things you have but by the experience you have in Him. The Lord Jesus becomes the shepherd of your soul and He guarantees your protection so that you enjoy the riches of His divine security. Nothing scares you any longer because He that now watches over your soul does not sleep nor slumber. You become rich in abundance and the yoke of poverty becomes destroyed. You will be practically guided on how to enjoy the benefits of His riches through His goodness and mercy.

This is why you must not allow the devil see your life as being vacant. The devil is out to kill, to steal and to destroy but when you give Jesus a chance in your life, you will experience a turnaround from poverty to wealth. The devil has nothing good to offer you. In the end, his offers lead to destruction and disgrace, but the riches of God are permanent. The Joy of God is real; the peace of God is timeless. The abundance of God is not a function of economic indices. The longevity of life has nothing to do with keeping to medical prescriptions. The security of God has nothing to do with human elements. All these benefits are part of the riches He gave to you on the cross of Calvary but they become activated when you accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour.

KEY POINT : If you don’t know your rights, you cannot enjoy them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 34 : 1 - 37 : 13 AND PSALMS 37 : 1 - 20.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.

HYMN 12 : MY HOPE IS BUILD ON NOTHING LESS

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Chorus:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Chorus:

3. His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

Chorus:

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Chorus.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17 2016. THEME : DESIRE ACCELERATED PROMOTION?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

WEDNESDAY  AUGUST  17 2016.

THEME : DESIRE ACCELERATED PROMOTION?

MEMORISE : Seeth thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. PROVERBS 22 : 29.

REQD : 2 KINGS 2 : 9 - 15 :

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MESSAGE :

Some people wrongly believe that God will promote them irrespective of their attitude in life. God is not a God of mediocrity, laziness or indolence. God is interested in promoting those who make good effort in their endeavours. Joseph was not just promoted in the house of Portiphar, his master saw a mark of excellence and diligence in him before he was put in charge of everything. Those who think God will favour them despite being lazy, dormant, inactive and lethargic are only wasting their time. There are people who have privileges but refuse to use them. Joseph utilized the privilege he had in his master’s house and he was in charge. He also utilized the privilege he had in the prison and he was put in charge. This attitude of hard work and diligence continued with him until space was made for him at the top.

There are many people who have remained in the same spot for a long time because they have refused to engage their God given potentials. They want God to provide food for them and cook it and also put it in their mouths. You must be able to strike the iron while it is red hot. Maximizing the opportunities given to you by God can change the story of your life and attract uncommon promotion to you.

If one knows how to work efficiently, he will have no problem getting to the top. He will be able to provide for himself and his family. Industrious people will always rule over those that are lazy. What were the other sons of the prophet doing when Elisha was following Elijah? They were making mockery of Elisha, reminding him that his master will soon be taken away. Even though all of them were sons of the prophet they did not see Elijah as their own master. They told Elisha that ‘his master’ will soon be taken away. The anointing you do not respect will never work for you. The office you do not respect can never get to you. They were all there viewing from afar. They refused to step out of their comfort zone. Complacency had taken over their hearts. Elisha followed his master from Gilgal to Bethel and from Bethel to Jericho and from Jericho to Jordan but the others just viewed from afar. Are you like one of the 50 sons of the prophet? When you see your leader pursuing a vision, you just stay and watch from afar? Are you one of those who discourage others from putting their best into what their superiors are doing? Are you one of those who specialize in pulling down others because their promotion is a threat to you? You have to have a rethink of heart if you don't want to remain in the valley of life. God is interested in blessing you and promoting you but you have to convince Him that you desire that promotion.

If you are hardworking, there is no demon that can stop your progress in life, but God will never bless the lazy. You must be up and doing. You should be diligent in all your duties. It is takes diligence to get to the top and the same diligence is required to sustain your place at the top. You must challenge yourself to rise above every limitation and barrier and work your way to the very top through hard work.

KEY POINT : It is the soul of the diligent that will eventually be made fat.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 30 : 18 - 33 : 24 PSALMS 36.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

HYMN 14 : ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

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,
Looking unto Jesus,
Who is gone before.

At the sign of triumph
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.

Chorus:

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 hope and doctrine,
One in charity.

Chorus:

Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never
Gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ's own promise,
And that cannot fail.

Chorus:

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

Chorus.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : MONDAY 15 AUGUST 2016 THEME : NO HINDRANCE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : MONDAY 15 AUGUST 2016

THEME : NO HINDRANCE

Memorise:

Who are thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone therefore with shoutings, crying, Grace, unto it. Zechariah 4:7

Read: Zechariah 4:7-11, (KJV)

7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

8 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.

10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

MESSAGE

You must never allow anything to hinder you from becoming what God wants you to become. Don’t give in to the lies and fear that the devil is sending against you. In 1981, before I became 40 years old, I had been General Overseer for just a few months. One day, I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw grey hair all over my head. We had many problems in the church then. The Lord said I was carrying a burden that was not mine and I responded by saying that I was carrying the burdens related to the church. He said the church belonged to Him and that He could take care of it. He said He just made me the General Overseer as a front so that people will see a visible representative. I relaxed henceforth, and all my hair became black again.
There are mountains that stand between us and the things God wants us to achieve. These mountains could be issues that are hindering the actualisation of our set goals. The mountain could be people who do not see or understand what God is saying to you yet; or it could be people who are falsely accusing you, but you can be sure that God will always reduce all your mountains into plains. There are certain burdens and problems that are too big for you to carry? All you need do is to hand them over to the Burden Bearer. In Numbers 16:1-35, three men; Korah, Dathan and Abiram, came with the intention of hindering the assignments that God gave to Moses. They accused him of turning the leadership of the congregation into a family affair. They said Aaron his brother was a priest while Miriam his sister was the Choirmaster. In the midst of this mountain, Moses turned to God for intervention. The Lord told Moses to stand aside and watch Him fight against the mountains that were rising before him to hinder the work He had committed into his hand. By the time God was through with the mountains, they had all become plains.

When mountains rise against you, don’t waste your time entertaining any fear. When the Almighty God is on your side, it does not matter the problems confronting you, testimonies will be the final result in your favour. The Bible says in Psalms 30:5:

“Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.”

What is that sickness hindering you? The Almighty God will be your personal Physician. If it is poverty that wants to hinder all the great dreams that the Almighty God has given to you, do not fear the hindrance because He will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Are there people standing up against you? Are they persecuting you and distracting you from that which God has designed you for? Just relax; God who levels all mountains knows the best judgement for your enemies. He has assured you that when the enemies come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against them. He has assured you that no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper. He will supply you with the strength to succeed when failure rises up. He will still all the storms rocking your boat and at the end you will look for the mountains but you will see them no more in Jesus’ name.

Key Point:

There is no mountain that is beyond God.

Bible in one year: Isaiah 24-27 and Psalms 34:11-22

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: MY FAITH HAS FOUND A  PLACE

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Chorus:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.

Chorus:

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's Name,
Salvation through His blood.

Chorus:

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

Chorus.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. SUNDAY AUGUST 14 2016. THEME : RELEVANT TO EACH OTHER.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

SUNDAY AUGUST 14 2016.

THEME : RELEVANT TO EACH OTHER.

MEMORISE : So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. ROMANS 12 : 5.

READ : 1 CORINTHIANS 12 : 18 - 25 :

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

MESSAGE :

The church is an assembly of the called out; people who have been called out of darkness into the marvellous light of Jesus. We have become vessels unto honour unto God and also unto one another in righteousness. It is upon this that Apostle Paul admonished us in Philippians 4 : 8 :

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things".

As people who have received the grace of God, we must be concerned about one another. We should live our lives helping others to become what God has destined them to become. We must give ourselves in service to other brethren. Our minds must be directed by purposes higher than the material world and selfish ambitions. We are what we are by the Grace of the Almighty God, and everyone cannot possess the same measure of grace and abilities, hence the need to encourage one another and not engage in envy and strife.

No matter how highly placed you are, you must never look down on others, neither should you write anyone off because the weak person of today can become the strong person of tomorrow. The people in David's army were once called vagabonds, but they were the same people who eventually became mighty captains of his army. There must be unity amongst us, because we are members of the same body. The entire body needs every member in order to function as a whole. You cannot do everything all alone, you need others to succeed. There are great people that are your destiny ties. The moment you identify them, you need to also invest in them and leverage on their grace. Every member must be encouraged to use his God given abilities to profit the entire body. The church is like a chain and everyone is very important in the scheme of things. No one should claim superiority over others because this will not encourage unity. Unhealthy competition should not be allowed in the Body of Christ. We are one and we need one another. There is no one who is an island. Let those who are strong help those who are feeble. Let those who are rich help those who are in need. Let those who are matured help those who are coming behind. Let those who are at the top encourage those who are climbing.

Jesus specifically instructed Peter to strengthen his brethren. You must contribute to the success of others. Great leaders who gain respect are the ones who constantly add value to others. You need to be a source of hope to those around you. Your life must demonstrate the competence and chemistry that attracts others to the grace of God upon your life. This starts by respecting yourself and respecting those that God has given to you. People will naturally submit to your leadership when you take them from where they are to where God wants them to be. You must see the good in people. Encourage people to do their best and when you have to correct, let it be done in love. Do not take any failure or criticism personally. Treat everyone you meet as important because they are.

ACTION POINT : You are very important to God. If you fail to play your role in the Body of Christ, it could bring losses to God's Kingdom. Determine to play your role today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 19 : 16 - 23 : 18 AND PSALMS 34 : 1 - 10.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5 : OH SPREAD THE TIDING ROUND

Oh, spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound: The Comforter has come!

Chorus:
The Comforter has come,
The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n,
The Lord’s dear promise giv’n;
Oh, spread the tidings ’round,
Wherever man is found,
The Comforter has come!

2. The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!

Chorus:

3. Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings:
The Comforter has come!

Chorus:

4. O boundless love divine! how shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
The Comforter has come!

Chorus.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. SATURDAY AUGUST 13 2016. THEME : SELF DISCIPLINE.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

SATURDAY  AUGUST 13 2016.

THEME : SELF DISCIPLINE.

MEMORISE : But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 CORINTHIANS 9 : 27.

READ : 1 CORINTHIANS 9 : 24 - 27 :

24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

MESSAGE :

Self-discipline is a personal commitment and decision to voluntarily yield every aspect of ones life to the Almighty God. This is ensuring nothing controls or influences your life outside the power of God. You must make no further provision for anything else to rule your life except the power of God. For this specific reason of desiring to be vessel unto honour, you deliberately narrow your choices to only what Jesus will have you do at any given time. When a man is self-disciplined, he will no longer entangle himself with the affairs of this life or with those things that add no significant value to his life as a Christian. Presenting your body as a living sacrifice is one of the ways to impose discipline on yourself.

“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”
Romans 12 : 1.

The fact that some people are not determined enough to pay the price of self-discipline is a major reason why things will not work for them the way they expect. In life, nothing goes for nothing. Until there is a departure from certain things, there can never be a discovery of great things. No one will amount to something great until they are ready to make certain sacrifices, which must come through self-imposed discipline.
Having been a boxer myself, I can tell you that you can never become a champion in the world of boxing if you are not programmed to be self-disciplined. When an individual is not disciplined, he or she will not be able to go far in life. A believer will have to be disciplined when it comes to certain issues like eating, sleeping, talking etc. Some people cannot do without comfort for a while. There are some that are slowed down in life because there are numerous weights that they are entangled with. When you are not self- disciplined, it will lead to your being unfruitful and unproductive in the business of God. There are people who cannot pray as they should because they cannot allow anything to deny them of their sleep. Some people will always eat when they should be fasting just because they cannot deny themselves of food.

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one recieveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain”. 1 Corinthians 9 : 27.

Here, Paul was portraying the struggles that one must contend with in the Christian walk if one will have to make full proof of his ministry. Apostle Paul was willing to make all sacrifices and commitments required in evangelising to the world. He was obedient to the demands of the gospel because of the assurance that He who called him was faithful to reward him in due time.

As believers, there is the need to show commitment in self-discipline to the task of our calling as ministers of the gospel. Those who prepare for competitions with the mind of receiving perishable rewards still give the competition all the sacrifice required, this is a big lesson for those of us preparing for eternal rewards. One must exercise no less commitment or sacrifice. As long as we faithfully run the Christian race, we can be assured of the gift of eternal glory in Christ Jesus. No matter the difficulties we encounter, we can be rest assured that the grace of God can be relied upon.

PRAYER POINT : Father, please remove anything that will hinder my greatness from my life in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 14 : 28 - 19 : 15 AND PSALMS 33 : 12 - 22.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

HYMN 2 : O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED.

O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.

Oh, let me feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. FRIDAY AUGUST 12 2016. THEME : THE CHRISTIAN RACE.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

FRIDAY  AUGUST 12 2016.

THEME : THE CHRISTIAN RACE.

MEMORISE : And if a man also strive for masteries, Yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 2 TIMOTHY 2 : 5.

READ : PHILIPPIANS 3 : 13 - 17 :

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.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing
ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule,
let us mind the same thing.

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

MESSAGE :

Apostle Paul admonished us in his epistle to forget those things that are behind us as we journey through the pilgrimage of this earth. We should not allow the things of this world to distract us from the goal of eternal dwelling. A Christian cannot lay hold of that which he strives for if he is still distracted by the ephemerals of life. The greater a person grows in the knowledge of Christ, the greater his desire to be with Jesus will be. This is why my hope for Heaven is strong. As a Christian who wants to dwell with Jesus, you have to deliberately submit yourself to the narrow way of Christian living. We must give our attention to those things that will endure the passing of this material world. As a soldier of the cross, you must allow your life to be influenced by those whose minds are set on things above. We must live up to the spiritual nature of the gospel after which we are called. We must continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of God.

It is necessary to allow the Word of God to direct your life as you press on to greater spiritual heights. This is the only way you will be able to communicate the nature and character of God to the world. We have to submit ourselves to the gospel and allow the Head of the Church ( Jesus Christ ) to give us direction in all our ways if we are to end as divine champions. Those who will be champions for Christ will be people of rugged determination who have set their minds on certain goals. They will pursue these goals relentlessly until they begin to see the kind of reward they desire in Christ. You will never find a believer who understands the nature of the Heavenly race retreating because he is being discouraged. They will never give any excuse for non-performance neither will they allow failure to be placed at their door step. They have only one life to live and they do everything to please Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of their lives.

There are many people who have lost their miracles and blessings because they stopped too soon. They were not determined enough, they gave in to certain impossibilities as they journeyed through life. This is a lie of the devil to cheat you of your blessings in Christ Jesus. Nothing is ever impossible before God according to Luke 1 : 37. In my little walk with Jesus, I have met a lot of people who said what they wanted to do at some point in their lives was impossible. The moment you agree that it is impossible, it becomes impossible. There are people who believe that it is impossible to live holy and this is why holiness is not a venture for them. Unfortunately, it is a strategy of the devil to deny them the blessings of living a holy life. There are young converts who have been discouraged by their leaders. They discovered that there is a great difference between what their leaders teach and what they practice, hence they give up their faith. This is why it is very dangerous to put your trust in any human being. Put your trust in God because He is the only one who will never fail you. Make Jesus your Senior Partner. Know that if God is for you, nobody can be against you. Know that if God is the one backing you up, there is no amount of conspiracy against your life that will ever come to pass. No matter the size of the enemy and the direction of the attack, you are divinely secured.

PRAYER POINT : Father, please let me finish my race without losing any battle in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 11 : 1 - 14 : 27 AND PSALMS 33 : 1 - 11.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.

HYMN 4 : 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 ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless 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 power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power 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. THURSDAY 11 AUGUST 2016 THEME: THE CARNAL MAN

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

THURSDAY 11 AUGUST 2016

THEME: THE CARNAL MAN

MEMORISE:

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24

READ: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

MESSAGE:

If you want to do great exploits for God you have to rise above your carnal mind because no serious exploit can be done in the flesh. One of the things responsible for the miraculous events in the early church is that everything was done in atmosphere of God's Spirit. This is why we need to thirst for more of His presence in our midst if we want an outpouring of His spiritual blessings. It takes the Spirit of God for one to have access to deeper revelations of God.

"For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the father." Ephesians 2:18

Anyone who wants to experience and encounter the glorious presence of God must be ready to let go of the flesh and allow the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Truth to take over. The carnal man is manipulated by his emotions and thinking. The carnal man is vulnerable to lust. The carnal man cannot understand the things of the Spirit. The carnal man is always a victim of strife and questionable actions. The carnal man will always be found in questionable environments and circumstances, but the man who allows the Spirit of God to dwell in him will always be sensitive to the leading of the spirit.

To effectively deal with the problem of carnality, wisdom demands you take it from the root. A tree that is cut down but not uprooted will grow again; it is only a matter of time. The only time you can be assured of permanent victory over the flesh is when you uproot the carnal man from its root. The moment you turn on the light, darkness automatically ceases. There is a need for you to turn on the Spirit man, who is nourished through a life of holiness and consecration to the Almighty God. As long as the Spirit is in charge, you cannot be defeated. You remain a champion and everything that is not of God will keep its distance from you, but the moment you give the carnal man a little attention, it begins to take over again. The best way to deal with the carnal man is to flee from every appearance of evil. One of my spiritual sons once told me that anytime it is Friday, he was always looking forward to the weekend being over because he wanted to be in the office on Monday. He was always looking forward to Monday mornings because of his secretary in the office whom he had grown fond of. I told him he was playing with a cobra in his bed and at anytime, the cobra could bite him. I asked him to kill the cobra once and for all by sacking the secretary that was unknown to him, feeding his flesh to destruction. Out of wisdom, he heeded my counsel and sacked his secretary, who in turn verbally insulted him and all those who had advised him. After she left, my son found peace in his spirit. Anything done with carnal mind will always bring problem and fear, but where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty and rest of mind. Are you toying with sin? Repent and come to Jesus for restoration. Are you in the company of those who will feed your flesh? Return to Jesus, His grace will overcome the works of the devil. Obey His Word, walk closely with Him and you will see yourself exercising victory over your weaknesses.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, fortify every deed of the flesh in my life in Jesus' name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 8-10 and Psalms 32

AUTHOR: Pst E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: 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 ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless 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 power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power 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. TUESDAY AUGUST 9 2016. THEME : BLESSED ASSURANCE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

TUESDAY AUGUST 9 2016.

THEME : BLESSED ASSURANCE.

MEMORISE : Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. ISAIAH 3 : 10.

READ : PSALMS 23 : 1 - 5 :

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

MESSAGE :

God is calling us to a closer walk with Him. This is the only way to launch us into the realm of His divine blessings. The blessings and miracles of God are exclusively reserved for His children. It is only the elect of God that can be assured of His blessings. One question we must always remember to ask when we read of or hear God make a promise is : am I the one God is referring to? Do I qualify to be blessed? God's blessings are only reserved for those who live holy.

"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Hebrews 1 : 9.

To be assured of the blessing of the Lord,  you need to be righteous. Every sin in your life reduces your chance of being a full beneficiary of the goodness of God. This is why you need to find out ( and be sincere in your search ) if there is any sin hidden in your life. Ask yourself : what are those things that can limit the flow of God's blessings to my life? God has given us all things, but they will not flow into the lives of those who are not living according to His pattern. You can determine how far you want to be blessed in God. It is a function of the relationship that exists between you and God. This is why you need to ensure that nothing hinders your relationship with Him, so that there can be an uninterrupted flow of blessings to your life.

The moment we to begin follow God, there will always be an assurance of His divine protection so that you don't become plagued with the suffering and turmoil of life. All that is necessary for one's survival is already guaranteed in God. For reasons best known to God, there are certain things that He will not reveal to you. He enjoys giving pleasant surprises to His children. He always gives those who serve Him more than they bargained for. When I was answering the call to ministry, I never knew God was going to bless me as much as He has done so far. All I was after was just to love Him and serve Him with the whole of my heart, because I was glad He had rescued me from the wicked hands of the Devil. But God decided to bless me beyond measure. My greatest dream was to become the youngest Vice-Chancellor of a University. But today, that dream is a child's play in comparison with what God is doing in my life. All you need to do is to live a life of holiness and everything will work out in your favour. By the time Joseph finally arrived in the palace, he must have felt far better than he had ever imagined. But remember that Joseph had to contend with those things that were capable of hindering his glorious destiny. There is no challenge or sin that God cannot give you victory over as you trust in Him. Just turn to the Lord and ask Him to help your weakness. The moment you do this, you will see better and bigger victories emerging on your behalf. God will never forsake those who trust in Him. The assurance of every believer in Christ Jesus is that God will never turn His back on His people. There will be a guarantee of protection when you are under any attack. He will protect you to the point that you will pity your attackers. He will openly manifest to all that you belong to Him. Only those who come under His government enjoy His benefits.

KEY POINT : There is a ready-made banquet prepared for those who belong to God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  ISAIAH 1 - 3 AND PSALMS 31 : 9 - 18.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

HYMN 11 : STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST OUR KING

Standing on the promises of Christ MY King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,  Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus:

3. Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus:

4. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s string cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus:

5. Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus.