Tuesday, April 28, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (TUESDAY 28 APRIL 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Tuesday April 28

CHOOSE TO BE SANCTIFIED

Memorise:
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24
22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.   
23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
24  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 

Message
It is the express will of God that every believer is sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3). For us to become vessels unto honour, fit for the Master's use, we have to be fully sanctified (1 Timothy 2:21). To be sanctified is to be separated unto the process of becoming like Jesus Christ in character (2 Corinthians 3:18). Sanctification helps the believer to live a holy life. Right from creation, God has always been in search of vessels to glorify. The Lord will find you worthy for His glorious use in Jesus' Name. Today, He is still looking for men to honour by using them. One thing you must know is that the scarcity of men is not the issue; it is the scarcity of sanctified vessels. 

A holy God cannot fill unholy vessels. A vessel that God will use for doing great exploits in life must be clean always. All those who are still finding it difficult to deal with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life cannot be used of God for honourable purposes. It is a great privilege for God to use a person. God will never play your role even though He wants to honour you. You must be made pure through and through by the Blood of Jesus. You must be willing to resist ungodly thoughts and every other thing that has the potential of defiling you physically and spiritually. Sin makes a vessel impure. The choice is yours to make.

The one who wants to be used and honoured by God must refuse to compromise by following the norm (Daniel 1:8). You cannot go far if you are not ready to be sanctified. You cannot be an oracle of God if you are not ready to deny yourself of the present in order to buy the future. God's vessels are not democratically elected. His choices are made based on what He deems fit for His purpose (Hebrews 2:4). The moment He picks you and you are willing to leave your life in His hands, you will never regret that you did. The call to sanctification is a clarion call to all. It is a call of privilege to become a vessel of honour fit for the Master's use. If you accept and allow God to perfect His good works concerning you, you will become a wonder to yourself. You must be willing to let go and let God work on your weaknesses. You must be ready to decrease so that Christ may increase in you. 

Give attention to the study of the word of God. Memorise it and do all that it commands. Do not love the world or the things that are in it. Beware of pride, rebellion, envy, strife, ungodliness and uncontrollable desire for wealth. Watch and pray. Do not allow anything to stain your glorious garments. Get back to God and remain connected to Him in all that you do.

Prayer point:
Father, sanctify me wholly from every besetting sin by the Blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

Bible in a year: Judges 16:23-18:31 & Matthew 27:15-44... Read after the cut:

Judges 16:23-18:31; 

Jdg 16:23  Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. 
Jdg 16:24  And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. 
Jdg 16:25  And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. 
Jdg 16:26  And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 
Jdg 16:27  Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. 
Jdg 16:28  And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 
Jdg 16:29  And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 
Jdg 16:30  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. 
Jdg 16:31  Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years. 




Judges 17

Jdg 17:1  And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 
Jdg 17:2  And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. 
Jdg 17:3  And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. 
Jdg 17:4  Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 
Jdg 17:5  And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 
Jdg 17:6  In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. 
Jdg 17:7  And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 
Jdg 17:8  And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. 
Jdg 17:9  And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 
Jdg 17:10  And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. 
Jdg 17:11  And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 
Jdg 17:12  And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 
Jdg 17:13  Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest. 



Judges 18:31;

Jdg 18:1  In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 
Jdg 18:2  And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there. 
Jdg 18:3  When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 
Jdg 18:4  And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 
Jdg 18:5  And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. 
Jdg 18:6  And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go. 
Jdg 18:7  Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. 
Jdg 18:8  And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye? 
Jdg 18:9  And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. 
Jdg 18:10  When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth. 
Jdg 18:11  And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. 
Jdg 18:12  And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim. 
Jdg 18:13  And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah. 
Jdg 18:14  Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do. 
Jdg 18:15  And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him. 
Jdg 18:16  And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate. 
Jdg 18:17  And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war. 
Jdg 18:18  And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? 
Jdg 18:19  And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? 
Jdg 18:20  And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. 
Jdg 18:21  So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them. 
Jdg 18:22  And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan. 
Jdg 18:23  And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company? 
Jdg 18:24  And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee? 
Jdg 18:25  And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. 
Jdg 18:26  And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house. 
Jdg 18:27  And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. 
Jdg 18:28  And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein. 
Jdg 18:29  And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first. 
Jdg 18:30  And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 
Jdg 18:31  And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. 



Matthew 27:15-44

Mat 27:15  Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 
Mat 27:16  And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 
Mat 27:17  Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? 
Mat 27:18  For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 
Mat 27:19  When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 
Mat 27:20  But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 
Mat 27:21  The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 
Mat 27:22  Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 
Mat 27:23  And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 
Mat 27:24  When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 
Mat 27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 
Mat 27:26  Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 
Mat 27:27  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 
Mat 27:28  And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 
Mat 27:29  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 
Mat 27:30  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 
Mat 27:31  And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 
Mat 27:32  And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. 
Mat 27:33  And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 
Mat 27:34  They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 
Mat 27:35  And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 
Mat 27:36  And sitting down they watched him there; 
Mat 27:37  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 
Mat 27:38  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 
Mat 27:39  And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 
Mat 27:40  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 
Mat 27:41  Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 
Mat 27:42  He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 
Mat 27:43  He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 
Mat 27:44  The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 

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