Tuesday, May 26, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (TUESDAY 26 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Tuesday May 26

DRESS TO BE ADDRESSED

Memorise:
And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
Exodus 2:19

Read: Exodus 2:16-20
16  Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.   
17  And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.    
18  And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?   
19  And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.  
20  And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

Message
Many of today's Christians don't pay attention to their physical appearance. They have overstretched the fact that physical appearance may be deceptive at times. Although the Bible confirms this to be true in Proverbs 31:30, it is also true that what you show on the outside is a reflection of who you are on the inside. In my culture, there are two sayings of the elders which appear to contradict each other, but which contain eternal truths that cannot be wished away. The first one says: "The way you appear determines the level of respect people will accord you." In other words, if you dress like a slave, you will be treated like a slave. The other saying is: "A gorgeous dress does not guarantee nobility." That is to say, a slave can dress like a king but this does not make him a king. 

The experience of Moses when He fled to Midian confirms the truth that a person is more often than not addressed based on the way he or she is dressed. Moses was not an Egyptian; he was Hebrew, but he was called an Egyptian by the daughters of the priest of Midian. Why did they call him an Egyptian? It's most certainly because of his general appearance. The lesson we should learn from this story as Christians is that we should allow what is inside us to reflect on the outside. For instance, if you are actually saved from sexual immorality, your manner of dressing must not promote it. Many years ago, some foreign teachers came to teach in our Bible College, and they taught our students that how they dressed did not matter, rather, it was that which was inside of them that was important. To correct this wrong teaching, I went to the nearby market to buy two similar oranges. 

The only difference between them was the fact that one was yellow while the other was green. I took the oranges to the class, showed them to the students and asked: "Given an option to choose, which one would you choose out of these two oranges?" They chose the yellow orange because according to them, the yellow one would be sweeter. Then I further asked how they arrived at this conclusion, since they had not even cut them open. They replied, "The outside appearance shows what is inside." That drove home the message. When you dress in a way that people begin to wonder whether you know the difference between the "public" and the "private" parts of your body, then you need to learn Christian dressing ethics. Christians should allow the Holy Spirit to guide them on their physical comportment as becoming of saints. Others may dress inappropriately, but children of God cannot.

Action Point:
Look into your wardrobe, bring out any attire that promotes lust and sexual provocation and get rid of them. Let your wardrobe be born-again.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 18:1-19:15 & Mark 14:32-52... Read after the cut:

2 Samuel 18:1-19:15; 

2Sa 18:1  And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 
2Sa 18:2  And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. 
2Sa 18:3  But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city. 
2Sa 18:4  And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. 
2Sa 18:5  And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. 
2Sa 18:6  So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 
2Sa 18:7  Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. 
2Sa 18:8  For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. 
2Sa 18:9  And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away. 
2Sa 18:10  And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. 
2Sa 18:11  And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. 
2Sa 18:12  And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. 
2Sa 18:13  Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. 
2Sa 18:14  Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 
2Sa 18:15  And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. 
2Sa 18:16  And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people. 
2Sa 18:17  And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. 
2Sa 18:18  Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place. 
2Sa 18:19  Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies. 
2Sa 18:20  And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead. 
2Sa 18:21  Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. 
2Sa 18:22  Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready? 
2Sa 18:23  But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. 
2Sa 18:24  And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. 
2Sa 18:25  And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. 
2Sa 18:26  And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. 
2Sa 18:27  And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. 
2Sa 18:28  And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. 
2Sa 18:29  And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. 
2Sa 18:30  And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. 
2Sa 18:31  And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 
2Sa 18:32  And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. 
2Sa 18:33  And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! 


2 Samuel 19:15; 

2Sa 19:1  And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 
2Sa 19:2  And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. 
2Sa 19:3  And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 
2Sa 19:4  But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! 
2Sa 19:5  And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; 
2Sa 19:6  In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. 
2Sa 19:7  Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now. 
2Sa 19:8  Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent. 
2Sa 19:9  And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom. 
2Sa 19:10  And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back? 
2Sa 19:11  And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house. 
2Sa 19:12  Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king? 
2Sa 19:13  And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab. 
2Sa 19:14  And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants. 
2Sa 19:15  So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan. 


Mark 14:32-52

Mar 14:32  And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 
Mar 14:33  And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 
Mar 14:34  And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. 
Mar 14:35  And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 
Mar 14:36  And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. 
Mar 14:37  And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? 
Mar 14:38  Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. 
Mar 14:39  And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. 
Mar 14:40  And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. 
Mar 14:41  And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 
Mar 14:42  Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. 
Mar 14:43  And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 
Mar 14:44  And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. 
Mar 14:45  And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. 
Mar 14:46  And they laid their hands on him, and took him. 
Mar 14:47  And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 
Mar 14:48  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? 
Mar 14:49  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled. 
Mar 14:50  And they all forsook him, and fled. 
Mar 14:51  And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 
Mar 14:52  And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. 

No comments:

Post a Comment