Wednesday, May 27, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (WEDNESDAY 27 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Wednesday May 27

THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD

Memorise:
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2 Corinthians 6:17

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?    
15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?   
16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.   
17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,   
18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.


Message
To become a standard or a positive reference point, there is a price to pay. Going through the Bible, one will see that all those who got outstanding approval from God had at least one thing in common, which is that they stood out for God before they became a reference point. One of such Bible heroes is Elijah. He stood out for God on Mount Carmel. He risked being killed by the numerous prophets of Baal whom he had challenged. As a matter of fact, he was considered to be Public Enemy No. 1 by the ruler of his day, Ahab (1 Kings 21:20).

Another Bible hero is Daniel. He stood out alongside three other young Hebrew men in order to be outstanding and thus became a standard. Several times, he risked being killed because of his stand for godliness. He knew his God and would not compromise his allegiance to Him. On one occasion, a decree forbade everybody from praying to God, but he put his life at risk by praying. He showed that he was different from every other person. The Bible says he did not go into hiding to pray; rather, he opened his windows and prayed three times a day until he was found out (Daniel 6:10). He disobeyed the malicious decree, which his malicious fellow presidents made King Darius to sign. One striking thing in this story was the statement of these presidents in Daniel 6:5:
 "Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

The question is: if it becomes a crime to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, will you be found guilty? It is unfortunate that Christians are steadily losing their virtue as salt and the light in this world of darkness. Christians are no longer setting the standard for godly, virtuous living. They are allowing this corrupt world to overwhelm them, failing to realise that the state of corruption they are witnessing today was predicted in the Bible so long ago to prepare us to meet its challenges (2 Timothy 3:1-5). This is the reason why in today's Bible reading, God commands us to come out from among evildoers, particularly false brethren. This is part of the price of being a standard; you must stand out and not conform to this world (Romans 12:2).  May the Lord give you the grace to obey in Jesus' Name.

Action Point:
Watch out for the evil deeds of this world and try to separate yourself from doing them. You will soon be noticed as different, and you will become a standard to the glory of God.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 19:16-20:26 & Mark 14:53-15:5... Read after the cut:

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:

Monday, May 25, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (MONDAY 25 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Monday May 25

YOU ARE GOD'S SANCTUARY

Memorise:
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:15-20
15  Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.   
16  What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.    
17  But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.    
18  Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.    
19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?   
20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Message
The most pleasurable sin to the flesh is sexual immorality. Incidentally, this particular type of sin is the most deadly because its consequences are not only spiritually unpleasant but also physically humiliating. In our Bible reading, Apostle Paul warned the Church at Corinth against sexual immorality. He explained that we are the temple of God. The implication of this is that your body does not belong to you, but rather, it belongs to God. He further revealed to us the judgment that would follow if we defile the temple of God - our body. In 1 Corinthians 3:17 he wrote:
 "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

Are you currently involved or planning to go into any form of sexual immorality? God is warning you today. You better desist before it is too late. If sickness has turned your body into its permanent place of abode, and you have claimed all the promises of God concerning healing to no avail, it would be wise of you to examine yourself. Is there any sexual sin you have committed and you have not confessed? I am afraid to tell you that you may be under God's judgment, and there is nothing any anointed man of God can do about it unless you repent. You have defiled God's temple; you therefore need to make amends through genuine repentance that involves confessing and forsaking this sin entirely. I know of a man of God who appeared fervent, but suddenly he was stricken with a strange sickness. This sickness persisted for so long a time that I began to wonder what was actually responsible for his affliction. One day, the Lord decided to satisfy my curiosity. Someone came to tell me some secret things about this man of God without knowing how close I was to him. He was flirting around with women, including widows! The Bible in Proverbs 9:17 says a whore sits at the door of his or her house calling customers who lack understanding to come and patronise him or her, saying:
 "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."

This is the deceit of the devil. There is nothing in that strange woman or man you are going out with that is not present in your spouse. The same scripture in Proverbs 9:18 says:
 "But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell."
I pray that you will not go to Hell as a result of either pre-marital or extra-marital sexual adventures.

Prayer Point:
Dear Holy Spirit, please prepare me as a pure and holy dwelling place for You in Jesus' Name.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 16-17 & Mark 14:10-31... Read after the cut:

Saturday, May 23, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (SUNDAY 24 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Sunday May 24

ARE YOU READY?

Memorise:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:17

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.    
14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.    
15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.   
16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:    
17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.   
18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.



Message
The admonition of Apostle Paul in today's Bible reading is addressed to those he referred to as "brethren". His first admonition is against ignorance (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Ignorance is the first weapon the devil uses to make Christians not ready for the rapture! Going by the words of Paul's warning, other people on earth can afford to be ignorant, but we who are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ cannot afford to be. One reason why many Christians are not watchful anymore is the supposed delay in the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. They feel He may not come as expected; therefore, they have thrown godliness with contentment to the wind. Such Christians display their ignorance by not recognising the fact that although the great trump of God has not yet been sounded by the archangel, there is the individual trumpet, which the angel of death sounds when your time on earth is up.

In 2 Peter 3:1-11, Apostle Peter also attacked the spirit of ignorance in the brethren. Specifically in 2 Peter 3:8-9 he said:
 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Are you a beloved of the Lord? Then, you cannot afford to be ignorant of the fact that the two thousand and fifteen years following the Lord's first advent is just two days and a few seconds by the Lord's timing. One of my sons wrote an article at the end of the second millennium which he titled "Two Days Are Gone" - pointing to the truth in Peter's epistle above. We must do everything within the available grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship (the helpful partnership) of the Holy Spirit to be ready for the rapture. To remain rapturable, you need to take very seriously the words of Romans 12:1-2:
 "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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Action Point:
Carry out a personal assessment of your readiness for the return of our Lord.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 14-15 & Mark 13:24-14:9... Read after the cut:

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (SATURDAY 23 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Saturday May 23

DON'T BE CARELESS

Memorise:
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 24:42

Read: Matthew 24:37-44
37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  
38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,   
39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  
40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  
41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.   
42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.   
43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.   
44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 

Message
While some commandments of God are very glaring, some others appear in covert mode, such that many don't even see them as commandments. One of such subtle commandments is the commandment to "watch" (Matthew 24:42). This commandment can also be expressed this way: don't be careless. It is unfortunate that many children of God today are careless about their Christian life, and by so doing, they have shipwrecked their faith. They live their lives as if they have nothing to lose to the enemy. Such Christians needs be reminded that they have at least one crown to protect - the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). The Lord in Revelation 3:11 says this to us:
 "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."

Our Lord Jesus Christ expressly commanded us to watch. Have you pondered on why He gave us this command? It is because He knew He would not be coming back as quickly as we would expect, and that there would therefore be the tendency for us to become careless with respect to our readiness for His return. We are all living witnesses of the spiritual decadence that is enveloping the Church today. The Lord used the experience of Noah's period to warn us that His coming will be sudden. He said it will be business as usual for most people at this time, and they will have no inkling whatsoever of what is about to happen (Matthew 24:37-39). When I see Christian brothers and sisters being careless about holiness, I begin to wonder whether they still believe the words of the scriptures, particularly those that came directly from the mouth of our Lord Himself. 

Different scriptures are being fulfilled in our time more than ever before, and so many seem not to bother! In the early days of spiritual awakening, some Christians would not even want to marry in order to avoid the cares of this life. But these days, even some pastors are changing two, three or four women in rapid succession. It used to be that Christians dressed for the purpose of covering their nakedness, but today, we dress for "fashion". Some Christian women even compete with call girls in their mode of dressing. This scenario playing itself out may be as a result of the "delay" in the return of our Lord. Yet, the scripture has already warned us against this in Matthew 24:43-44:
 "But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
Prayer Point:
Dear Holy Spirit, as promised by the Lord Jesus, always bring to my remembrance the need to watch and not be careless in the area of my readiness for the Lord's return.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 12:24-13:39 & Mark 13:3-23... Read after the cut:

Friday, May 22, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (FRIDAY 22 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Friday May 22

THE POWER OF SIGHT II

Memorise:
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Hebrews 11:24

Read: Genesis 13:14-18
14  And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:   
15  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.    
16  And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.   
17  Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.    
18  Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.


Message
The power of spiritual sight is apparent in anyone who has it. Such a person can see into the future and therefore does not exercise any form of fear. We can see these attributes manifested in Elisha in 2 Kings 6:11-18. Elisha's servant could not see what his master saw, and so he was afraid of the human army attempting to arrest them; but read what happens in 2 Kings 6:17:
 "And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."

People often ask me why I don't go about with police escorts like many great men of God do. My answer is simple: it is great men who need human protection, and if only God would open the eyes of those who are so concerned about my safety, they would see that those who are with me are more than those with the enemies who would want to attack me.

What really kept Abraham going in his journey of faith was the power of what he was seeing. God, in several instances, used audiovisual aids to build up his faith (Genesis 13:14-17, Genesis 15:5-6). What God showed Abraham was so convincing that he stopped worrying about his state of childlessness until the child of promise came. 

Moses also was endowed with the power of sight; he saw into the future of the Hebrews while they were still in bondage (Hebrews 11:24-26). He saw that someday these people would be set free, while their tormentors would be in agony. He therefore preferred the temporary shame of identifying with the people of God, to the enjoyment of temporary bliss that would lead to eternal damnation. This quality qualified Moses to lead the people of God. He who sees what others can't see will ultimately lead the rest. I pray that whatever is blocking your vision will be removed today in Jesus' Name. A man with the power of sight will often act reasonably well. For example, after King Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth man in the fiery furnace, his perception changed (Daniel 3:23-30). May the Lord open your eyes to see the pleasant surprises that God has in store for you, so that you don't backslide before the time of your divine visitation.

Prayer Point:
Father, please grant me the grace to remain committed to my future, and strengthen me to do all that is required of me to attain this glorious future.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 11:1-12:23 & Mark 12:28-13:2... Read after the cut:

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (THURSDAY 21 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Thursday May 21

THE POWER OF SIGHT I

Memorise:
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18

Read: John 9:1-7
1  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.   
2  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?    
3  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.   
4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.   
5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.   
6  When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,  
7  And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Message
There are 3 categories of sight, all of which are very important. These categories include: physical, mental and spiritual. Today's memory verse rightly summarizes the risk a person without the power of sight is taking in life. The story of the man born blind in our Bible reading shows us some of the challenges a person without the power of sight faces. For as long as he was blind, this man had to be content with sitting on one spot, begging (John 9:8). Before Jesus met this man, he was already on the verge of frustration and despondency, but after his encounter with Jesus, many things took place in his life. His life was transformed for good, such that the one who had been a liability to his parents suddenly could go out and work for a living. Also, those who had been passing black to him as white before his miraculous experience would desist from doing so, because he could now see. Moreover, the danger of falling into ditches was now history in his life. The Bible in Luke 11:34a says:
 "The light of the body is the eye:"
It is a great thing to have physical sight. More often than not, what we see affects our personality and our perception of life generally. For example, because my father never saw a house fitted with a modern toilet or bathtub, he never aspired to build a house with such facilities till he died.

However, some people with physical sight lack the power of mental sight. Lack of mental sight leads to lack of knowledge which in turn leads to lack of wisdom, and as we know, wisdom is the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7). Wisdom has been defined as the correct application of knowledge, but it is only the knowledge that you have that you can apply. I pray that you will not lack mental sight in Jesus' Name. I am praying this prayer for you because of what the Bible says in Proverbs 17:25:
 "A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him."

In addition to physical and mental sight, we most importantly need spiritual sight. Having spiritual sight is the bedrock of all good success. Spiritual sight exposes you to deeper truths in the word of God. Every word of God suddenly becomes meaningful to you (2 Timothy 3:16). Those who don't have spiritual sight to illuminate their understanding cherry-pick only those areas of scripture that favour their easy-going Christianity. You need to pray for all three categories of sight today so that you can fulfil your destiny here on earth.

Prayer Point:
Father, open my physical, mental and spiritual eyes to see and buy into the great future You have for me.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 7:18-10:19 & Mark 12:13-27... Read after the cut:

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (WEDNESDAY 20 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Wednesday May 20

THE TURNING POINT IV

Memorise:
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
Ecclesiastes 5:10

Read: 2 Kings 5:15-20
15  And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.   
16  But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.  
17  And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.    
18  In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.   
19  And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.    
20  But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.



Message
Gehazi was the servant of Prophet Elisha. He was privileged to be the apprentice of a great prophet and had the potential of inheriting at least the double portion of Elijah's power that was upon Elisha. However, his covetousness ruined his destiny as a would-be great prophet. He decided to go after the material things of this world at the expense of his prophetic calling. He was so determined to go after worldly things that he even swore by God that he must "possess his possessions". Like present-day worldly preachers, he seemed to be saying: "...after all, he that labours by the altar must feed by the altar". Consider his words in 2 Kings 5:20:
 "But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him."
Once his sin of covetousness was found out by his master, the leprosy of Naaman was transferred to him and all his generations after him (2 Kings 5:27). 

Judas Iscariot is another individual we should learn from. He had almost the same moral and spiritual problem as Gehazi: covetousness and greed. The Bible says he was a thief, and being the treasurer of Jesus' ministry, he often stole from the purse (John 12:4-6). His greed got to the level where he took a decision that condemned him to eternal perdition: he decided to sell his Master, the King of glory (Matthew 26:14-16). Before Judas Iscariot realised his folly, he had already ruined the opportunity of having himself numbered among the twelve apostles. He ended up committing suicide.
 "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,...And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."
Matthew 27:3&5

Children of God in the 21st century must be wary of materialism. It is deadly, though it may not look that way. This is why John the Beloved warned us against worldliness, as if he knew what would become of the Church in the end-times (1 John 2:15-17).

Prayer Point:
Father, guide me never to take a wrong decision that will blight my future in Jesus' Name.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 5:1-7:17 & Mark 11:20-12:12... Read after the cut:

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (TUESDAY 19 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Tuesday May 19

THE TURNING POINT III

Memorise:
And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Genesis 25:32

Read: Genesis 25:29-34
29  And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:   
30  And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.   
31  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.    
32  And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?   
33  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.    
34  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.


Message
While the decisions made at crossroads resulted in a great future for Moses, Elisha, Daniel, Peter, Paul and Ruth, the decision of Esau at such a moment blighted his future. Esau found himself at a crossroads when his brother, Jacob, offered him food (a present need) in exchange for his birthright (a future asset). He experienced a negative turning point when he chose to sell his birthright. He filled his stomach with bread and pottage of lentils, gulped some drinks, rose up and went his way, but he forever lived to regret it. The Bible in Hebrews 12:16-17 says:
 "Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

Another figure who took a decision that led to a negative turning point was Reuben, the first son of Jacob. He defiled the bed of his father by sleeping with his father's concubine. When Reuben was taking this decision to humiliate his father, little did he know that he was destroying his own future. Our Father in heaven deserves our honour and not humiliation. We humiliate our Heavenly Father when we offer Him worship that is polluted with sinful habits (Malachi 1:6-7). As priests of God (Revelation 1:6), when we lift up unholy hands in worship to God, we are offering polluted "bread" on His altar. This is the reason why the Bible in Romans 12:1 says:
 "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."

The most fearful thing in the story of Reuben is that after he did the abominable act, he did not realise that his father knew about it, because his father never even mentioned it (Genesis 35:22). However, on the day of reckoning, his father placed a curse on him (Genesis 49:3-4). I will therefore encourage you to pray that the Lord will, through the blood of Jesus Christ, undo whatever you have done wrong in the past that is troubling you now even as a Christian. 

Prayer Point:
Father, please undo whatever I have done in the time of ignorance that has placed a curse on me.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 3-4 & Mark 11:1-19... Read after the cut:

Monday, May 18, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (MONDAY 18 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Monday May 18

THE TURNING POINT II

Memorise:
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Ruth 1:16

Read: Ruth 1:11-16
11  And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?   
12  Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;   
13  Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.    
14  And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.    
15  And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.    
16  And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:


Message
After Ruth lost her husband early in life and there was no child to show for the relationship, she could never have dreamt that she would be a mother of many nations through Jesus Christ our Lord (Matthew 1:5).  Ruth would have been long forgotten but for a turning point in her life when she made the decision in today's memory verse. Her sister-in-law, Orpah, kissed their mother-in-law goodbye and left, but Ruth refused to let go. She was resolute in her decision to stay with Naomi.

After moving to the land of Israel with her mother-in-law, Ruth eventually remarried Boaz, who was a distant relation of her late husband. This union produced an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ, Obed (Ruth 4:13-17). Anytime I remember the decision I made to serve the Lord in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, after the founder personally followed up on me by visiting my residence just after my first visit to the Church, I give glory to God. When I was making the decision to turn away from my self-righteousness and academic pride, little did I know that I was entering into a lifetime of joy in the service of the Lord. I am grateful to the Holy Spirit who helped me make that decision. 

I pray for you that the Lord will help you to make the decision that will turn your life around for the best today, in Jesus' Name. You will decide to serve God in spirit and in truth as from today in Jesus' Name. The last mention of Orpah in the Bible was when she was at a crossroads, and she made the decision to return to her idols. 
 "And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law."
Ruth 1:14-15

Beloved, what type of situation are you passing through now, and what decisions are you making? Have you weighed the decision you are making, and is God being brought into the picture? Think about this and go into prayer as you go about your business today.  

Prayer Point:
Holy Spirit Divine, please lead me aright in my decision-making process at all times.

Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 1-2 & Mark 10:32-52... Read after the cut:

Saturday, May 16, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (SUNDAY 17 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Sunday May 17

THE TURNING POINT I

Memorise:
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Exodus 3:3

Read: Exodus 3:1-6
1  Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.   
2  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.   
3  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.    
4  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.   
5  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.   
6  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Message
A turning point is a defining moment; it is a moment of decision that either makes or mars the life of a person. In life's journey, there are always crossroads where you have to decide whether to go to the right or to the left. At such moments, if you make the right call, glory to God, but if you make the wrong decision, may God have mercy on you. The Bible contains several examples of people who took either positive or negative turns while at crossroads. Moses is one of such persons. In today's Bible reading, Moses made a turn that sealed not only his destiny but also that of the Jews for good. I pray for you today that God will guide you to always make the right call when you are at a crossroads in your life, in Jesus' Name. When Moses turned to see the great sight of the burning bush, the Bible says it was then the Almighty God spoke. There are some necessary turns you must make in order to fulfil your destiny. There are steps you must take to make progress. The Bible in Exodus 3:4 says:
 "And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I."
From that moment, a dialogue ensued, followed by a commissioning for an assignment of eternal value (Exodus 3:10).

Another example of someone who took the right turn was Elisha. His decision to answer the call of God to the office of a prophet made kings call him "my father" (1 Kings 19:19-21, 2 Kings 6:21). Also, the decision of Daniel, that he and his colleagues would not defile themselves with the king's meat, made him outlast several kings and serve as a reference point of excellence to them all (Daniel 1:8, Daniel 1:21, Daniel 5:11-12). The day Peter forsook his big catch of fish at the lake of Gennesaret, he sealed his destiny as a foremost apostle whose shadow would heal the sick (Luke 5:10-11, Acts 5:15). The turning point Paul experienced on the road to Damascus resulted in him writing more than a third of the entire New Testament, not to mention the special miracles the Lord performed through him (Acts 9:3-8, Acts 19:11-12).

I encourage you to prayerfully decide what you want to do with your life today. Are you born-again, sanctified and Spirit-filled? Your decision today will determine if you will partake of these experiences or not. God will take over your life from the moment you make up your mind to serve Him in spirit and truth.

Action Point:
Make a lasting, positive decision on what you want to do with the remaining years you have to spend on earth, and pray that God will help you stand by this decision in Jesus' Name.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 29-31 & Mark 10:1-31... Read after the cut:

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (SATURDAY 16 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Saturday May 16

CHILD OF DESTINY

Memorise:
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5

Read: Exodus 1:15-17
15  And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:  
16  And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.   
17  But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.


Message
A child who must fulfil destiny can never be destroyed by the enemy. The fact that you are alive today is a pointer to the fact that you have a destiny to fulfil, and this destiny is a good one (Jeremiah 29:11). By Pharaoh's calculations, Moses was born to die. He orchestrated a diabolical arrangement with the midwives so that even before Moses was born, death was already waiting for him. However, the plan of God for Moses was quite different from Pharaoh's plan. The good news is that God's plan for you supersedes that of any human entity (Lamentations 3:37). Always be conscious of the fact that you are created for a divine purpose.

Although the children of God are a specially selected group of people (Ephesians 1:4-5), there are serious questions they must ask themselves and provide answers to in order to fulfil their destiny. Such questions include: will the plan of God for my life be fulfilled?  The answer to this question is yes; that is if you are in good standing with God, because the counsel of God shall forever stand (Psalm 33:10-11). However, every child of God must remember that they can ignorantly upturn the plan of God for their lives as seen from the life-story of Eli the priest (1 Samuel 2:30). 

Another question a child of God must ask if he or she would fulfil destiny is: can the plan of God for my life be completely fulfilled? The answer to this question may be positive for some and negative for some others. For example, God's plan for Joshua was unfortunately not fulfilled completely. In Joshua 1:3-4, God declared that He would help Joshua to fully capture the whole of the Promised Land. God even spelt out its boundaries to him. But alas, at the twilight of Joshua's life, God said this to him in Joshua 13:1:

 "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."
What a disappointment. For you to fully realise God's purpose for your life, you must make up your mind to be completely obedient to Him in everything He commands. When you consider the devastating effects of partial obedience on King Saul (1 Samuel 15:17-23), and the failure of King Joash of Israel who was asked to strike his arrow on the ground severally but stopped after the third strike (2 Kings 13:18-19), you will learn how to obey God completely.

Prayer Point:
Father, help me to completely obey You in all areas, so that I may fulfil Your divine purpose for my life.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 26-28 & Mark 9:30-50... Read after the cut:

Friday, May 15, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (FRIDAY 15 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye  
Friday May 15

UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART?

Memorise:
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Acts 7:51

Read: Romans 6:1-10
1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?   
2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?   
3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?    
4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.    
5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:   
6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.   
7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.   
8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:   
9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.    
10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Message
In his sermon just before he was killed, Stephen spoke to a Jewish audience made up of people who were circumcised in the flesh as required by God's covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10). However, Stephen revealed to them that there exists a circumcision beyond that of the flesh: the circumcision of heart and ears (Acts 7:51). This circumcision is spiritual. He admonished them to accept it in order to belong to the new dispensation of grace. They rejected his message and held tenaciously to the old order, which Paul declared as irrelevant under this new dispensation. 1 Corinthians 7:19 says:
 "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God."

Those of us who claim to know God and claim to be born-again must be careful not to fall into the same error as the Jews to whom the gospel was first preached. The circumcision of our heart and ears must not be one professed by mouth only. Our Pentecostalism must not turn to lawlessness. We must truly be circumcised in our heart and hearing, so that the message of the gospel may always have a place in our lives. We must heed the warning of Hebrews 12:15-16:
 "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright."

We tend to glory in many things as Pentecostals, as if attending a Pentecostal Church is the main ticket to heaven. Many of us have become docile in spiritual matters. The enemy is taking advantage of this passive attitude to penetrate and adulterate Pentecostal beliefs. This is why homosexuality, lesbianism and the reconstruction of the Bible doctrines handed to us by the apostles and prophets are being considered. What we must do as individuals and as a family is to retrace our steps back to our first love for the Bible and the sound teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, such as these in Revelation 3:2-3:
 "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."

Prayer Point:
Pray for God to send revival upon His Church, especially among Pentecostals who are now growing lukewarm.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 24-25 & Mark 9:2-29... Read after the cut:

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (THURSDAY 14 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Thursday May 14

YOU NEED THE DIVINE TOUCH

Memorise:
For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Matthew 9:21

Read: Matthew 9:20-22
20  And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:   
21  For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.    
22  But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole And the woman was made whole from that hour.


Message
The entrance of sin into this world destroyed so many things about humanity. It provoked God to pronounce a curse on the ground and banish mankind to a life of sorrow and pain in Genesis 3:16-17:
 "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;"
The unifying theme of God's pronouncements on Adam and Eve was sorrow. From that moment onwards, sorrow has been a heritage of humanity. But praise God, because whatever the Almighty God touches is bound to be good, irrespective of its initial condition. This is why every man born of a woman needs the divine touch of God. Only the regeneration of a man's spirit through God's divine touch can put an end to his heritage of sorrow.

In today's Bible reading, we see a woman in whom the heritage of sorrow manifested as an issue of blood for twelve years! In Luke 8:43, the Bible says she had spent all she had in seeking healing from physicians to no avail. At this point in her life, only a divine touch could put an end to her years of agony and sorrow. Then one day, she came across the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. Her faith was so strong; she believed in her heart that all she needed from Him was a passive divine touch. She believed that based on the power in the divine touch, she did not need an active touch for her to be made whole. This singular act of faith was commended by Jesus Himself. I pray for someone using this devotional that your day of deliverance is here in Jesus' Name. The Almighty God will touch and perfect everything concerning you in Jesus' Name.

It is most unfortunate that the divine touch of God is going around the world today through the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is being rejected in many quarters. No wonder Jesus wept and lamented in Luke 19:41-42. The woman with the issue of blood recognised the person of Jesus. She knew her contact with His divinity would solve her problem, and so it was. Once, again may the Lord touch you today as you yield to Him in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point:
Father, please touch me with your mighty power of deliverance today in Jesus Name.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 21:10-23:29 & Mark 8:22-9:1... Read after the cut:

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (WEDNESDAY 13 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Wednesday May 13

YOU CAN BE REPLACED!

Memorise:
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Revelation 3:11

Read: Esther 7:9-8:2
9  And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

2  And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.


Message
It is great folly to contend with God. This is why I pity those societies that have become anti-God and are challenging His commandments. God spoke about such people in Isaiah 45:9, saying:
 "Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?"
God can enthrone and dethrone at will. He does whatever pleases Him. You are blessed when God acts positively towards you, but if He decides to move against you, pray for His mercy. The Bible in Daniel 2:21 says:
 "And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:"

It is a grievous experience when God decides to replace an individual. Haman the Agagite experienced this, and you can see the result in our Bible reading today. King Ahasuerus promoted Haman above all his fellow princes. However, he thought it was by his own making that the promotion came. Little did he know that promotion does not come from the east or west, but from the Almighty God alone (Psalm 75:6-7). So, he began to misuse his highly exalted position to victimise the people of God. He continued to misbehave along this line until the Almighty God who ordained his promotion decided not only to demote him, but also to replace him. I pray for you as a child of God, that whosoever is using his or her position to victimise you shall be replaced in Jesus' Name.

For God not to replace you, you must learn from those He has replaced. You can be replaced if you don't make the best of the position of authority you are given to serve God's people. Beware of divine replacement because it can affect your future generations. Eli was replaced, and his house lost the priesthood forever. God categorically said that although He was the One who said Eli's house would walk before Him as priests forever, He had changed His mind about this (1 Samuel 2:30). Please run away from whatever will make God replace you. If you have done such things, you must repent quickly before he removes your candlestick (Revelation 2:5).

Prayer Point:
Dear Holy Spirit, nudge my heart away from doing anything that will make the Father replace me in Jesus' Name.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 20:1-21:9 & Mark 8:1-21... Read after the cut:

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (TUESDAY 12 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Tuesday May 12

DIVINE INVOLVEMENT COMPARED

Memorise:
And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
Numbers 11:17

Read: Exodus 2:13-15; Exodus 3:7-8
13  And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?    
14  And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.    
15  Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

Exodus 3:7-8
7  And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;   
8  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Message
When God is involved in your matter, you can go to bed and sleep with your two eyes closed; the simple reason being that He can handle any situation better than you. When Moses attempted to deliver the Israelites by his own might, he ended up fleeing and leaving a mess behind, but when the Almighty God Himself got involved in the project of delivering His people, Egypt was never the same again. I prophesy to someone using this devotional, that the Almighty God will get involved in your situation today in Jesus' Name. At the end of God's intervention in Egypt, the Bible records this in Exodus 12:30-31:
 "And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said."

Now, let us compare the difference between the result of Moses' attempt at deliverance and the result achieved after God got directly involved. The Bible says Moses went out one day to see the affliction of his brethren. Moved with compassion, he decided to take up the role of "self-made hero". Before he knew it, he became a fugitive, because after he had killed a man, Pharaoh sought to take his own life also. So, Moses ran for dear life. But when God got involved, it was a different ball-game. After thousands of Egyptians were slain in one night, Pharaoh was the one begging Moses to leave his land in peace! Divine involvement made the difference. If you are one of those who believe in human connections in high places, I encourage you to invite God into that situation that is almost causing embarrassment to you and your family. Once God gets involved, the results will make you think you are day-dreaming. Psalm 126:1 says: 
 "When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream."

To enjoy divine involvement in your situation, you must be numbered among the people of the Lord of Hosts. You don't have to fight the battle of life alone if you are one of His. Call on Him today. He will get involved, and you will glorify Him.

Action Point:
Cry to God and report all those afflicting you to Him. He will get involved if you belong to Him.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 17:55-19:24 & Mark 7:14-37... Read after the cut:

Sunday, May 10, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (MONDAY 11 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Monday May 11

PRESS INTO YOUR DAY OF FAVOUR

Memorise:
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Psalm 5:12

Read: Esther 5:1-3
1  Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.   
2  And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.   
3  Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.


Message
Queen Esther is one person who pressed into her day of favour. Her experience should serve as a template for us all. She obtained favour in the sight of the king because it was the day of her favour. Be aware that the law of the land during this period was that nobody could go into the king's inner court uninvited. Disobeying this law was equivalent to a suicide mission. But Esther went to the king in his inner court uninvited, and she lived because of favour.

The first lesson to take note of from our template is that Queen Esther did not go to the inner court of the king's house until after three days of fasting and prayers were over. Secondly, she went into the inner court in her royal apparel, not in kitchen aprons. What does this suggest to us? It shows us that righteousness must be the garment of any person who desires God's favour, just as stated in our memory verse. The third lesson to note is that the Queen was found standing in the court. Are you still in good standing with God, or have you for one reason or the other backslidden? To be favoured of men, you must be in good standing with God. Carefully consider the location of the king on the day of Esther's favour. 
This is the fourth lesson to note. Esther 5:1 says that:
 "...and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house."
Is the King of kings on the throne of your life? Do not expect the day of His favour to come if He is not. Note that the king sat against the gate of the house, overseeing everything. What will God find in you when He looks towards your direction today? Will He find filthy garments of sin or royal garments of righteousness? Imagine Esther in a kind of attire that was unbecoming, the story would have been different. A lot of people go to the sanctuary of the King of kings half-naked in the name of fashion. This they do contrary to the Lord's directive in Exodus 20:26:
 "Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon." 

The key message here is that your nakedness must not be seen by other worshippers, thereby distracting them. The Almighty God is at the gate of your heart knocking (Revelation 3:20). Will you open for Him to come in and show you His favour today? You have agonised enough; surrender your life to the One who can grant you favour today. I prophesy to your life that today is your day of favour in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point:
Father, let all men and all things work together for my favour today in Jesus' Name.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 17:1-54 & Mark 6:53-7:13... Read after the cut:

Saturday, May 9, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (SUNDAY 10 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Sunday May 10

SIGNS OF HIS PRESENCE

Memorise:
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Psalm 100:2

Read: 2 Samuel 6:10-12
10  So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.  
11  And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.  
12  And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.


Message
When Moses tenaciously requested that the presence of the Almighty God should follow them in their journey to the Promised Land, he knew what he was doing (Exodus 33:14-16). Many children of God don't value the presence of God, and so they don't bother to ensure that they are in His presence or that He is present in their situations. The proof of this observation can be seen in what some so-called children of God do in supposedly secret places. If such people had formed the habit of craving God's presence wherever they go, they would not indulge in such things. Nobody would steal or fornicate if he or she desires or carries God's presence wherever he or she might be.

From today's Bible reading, the signs of God's presence in the household of Obed-Edom were apparent. David, out of fear of death, rejected the presence of the Lord symbolised by the Ark of the Covenant, because Uzzah died suddenly when he erroneously touched it. An adage in my native tongue says: "Cutting off the head is not the right cure for a headache." This was exactly what David did; he rejected the presence of the Lord instead of finding out how to behave in God's presence. A lot of people don't want to come to Church because they feel sad whenever they come. They feel sad because the pastor makes them feel guilty by his sermons! Such people don't know what they are missing when they run away from God's presence. Psalm 16:11says:
 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

Three months after David had shunned the presence of the Lord as represented by the Ark, God had so blessed the house of Obed-Edom who accepted the Ark, that David himself heard about it. David then realised his folly in rejecting the presence of the Lord. The Bible in 2 Samuel 6:12 says:
 "And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness."
When I encourage some of my children to surrender their houses for use as House Fellowship meeting points, some do not realise that I'm only trying to bring God's presence into their homes for blessings and protection. God will not allow evil in any house being used as a meeting place for His praise. I pray that God's presence shall be upon you and you will rejoice in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point:
Father, just like You did for Moses, let Your presence follow me all the days of my life in Jesus' Name.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 15-16 & Mark 6:30-52... Read after the cut:

Friday, May 8, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (SATURDAY 9 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Saturday May 9

ENGAGE IN WONDER-WORKING PRAISE

Memorise:
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Psalm 22:3

Read: Acts 16:25-26
25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.   
26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.


Message
Praise directed towards God is a lethal weapon of spiritual warfare. This is so because God inhabits the praises of His people. Children of God must not joke with their praise life. It would be logical to say that if prayer is the "master key", then praise is the "principal key". You need to catch the revelation of what the Psalmist is saying in Psalm 22:3: 
 "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel."

In other words, God, the wonder-working Father, dwells in the praises of His people. The implication of this revelation is that wherever God is, the supernatural is always present. In the habitation of the Almighty, wonder-working power is present and breakthrough is commonplace. However, we must get it right; it is the praise we channel towards God that He receives. God will only take what you give to Him. Those who sing the praise of pastors or of themselves, particularly during testimony time, are missing a great point without knowing it. It is not your prayer or the prayer of your pastor that did the wonders; rather, it is the mercy of God in action upon your life. He alone deserves your praise.

Although Paul and Silas were kept in prison, they did something unusual of people in trouble. Even when people know that they are the architect of their own problems, they still try to justify themselves by raining curses on their tormentors. This was not the attitude of Paul and Silas. Their case was different because they were apprehended for preaching the gospel. They were thoroughly beaten and cast into prison. While they sang praises, the Almighty God came to inhabit their praises. This should not be surprising, because the promises of God are Yea and Amen. He had already promised that He would inhabit the praises of His people. Since this is true, what prison gate could have resisted the coming of the King of glory? None! It is written:
 "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in."
Psalm 24:7

Paul and Silas engaged in wonder-working praise and they experienced wonders in their ministries. God is no respecter of persons; what He did for them, He can do for you also. Learn to engage in the praise of God to unleash His wonder-working power. I pray that as you engage in the praise of the Almighty God, you shall receive the wonders of a life-time in Jesus' Name.

Action Point:
Devote at least one hour to the praise of God the Almighty without asking for anything.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 14 & Mark 6:7-29... Read after the cut:

Thursday, May 7, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (FRIDAY 8 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Friday May 8

PRAYING WONDER-WORKING PRAYERS

Memorise:
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

Read: John 11:41-44
41  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.   
42  And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.   
43  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.   
44  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.


Message
When we sing the song "Prayer is the master key", I sometimes wonder whether we really understand what we are singing about. For some people, prayer is a religious routine, but there is a type of prayer that has wonder-working powers. Our Lord Jesus Christ set a good example of this type of prayer in our Bible reading today. Let us look at His prayer in detail to better understand how to engage in prayers that produce wonders.

When Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, the first thing He did was to give thanks to His Father for two wonderful reasons: that the Father had heard Him, even before praying, and that the Father always hears Him! Moreover, Jesus Christ did not pray the "gentleman's prayer" that is common in many so-called elitist Christian organisations. The Bible in John 11:43 says:
 "And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth."

I always tell my children in the Redeemed Christian Church of God that the intensity of your prayer will tell God how urgently you want your miracle. Whether you believe it or not, God will listen to the one who cries aloud to Him for help before He listens to those who whisper their requests. If you don't believe me, ask blind Bartimaeus. Among all those following Jesus on His way out of Jericho, only the one who cried out got his need met (Mark 10:47-52).

Also, in the prayer of our Lord at the tomb of Lazarus, we can see Him expressing His faith in what His Father is capable of doing. We can also perceive the cordial relationship between the Son and the Father in this prayer. This relationship gave the Son the confidence to ask the Father what He knew would glorify the Father. Jesus would not ask for anything that did not bring glory to His Father. Many times, we pray and receive no answer. Some might think that God is on holiday at such times; not at all. The Bible gives us one reason why we do not receive answers to our prayers in James 4:3:
 "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
Another reason is that a life of sin robs us of the confidence we need to ask God in faith. Beloved, how is your relationship with the Almighty God? Remember, your prayer can work wonders today.

Prayer Point:
Father, grant me the grace to maintain a cordial relationship with You, so that my prayers to You may continue to produce wonders to the glory of Your Name.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 12-13 & Mark 5:21-6:6... Read after the cut:

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL (THURSDAY 7 MAY 2015)

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Thursday May 7

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Memorise:
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:47

Read: Luke 1:30-35
30  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.   
31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.    
32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:    
33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.    
34  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?    
35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.


Message
God attaches great significance to names. It is unfortunate that many people don't pay attention to the importance of the names they bear or the names they give to their children. Africans, like the Jews, consider the meaning of a name before they give it to their children or to someone else. The Name that the Almighty God chose to give to His only begotten Son is very significant. It is a wonder-working Name. In Matthew 1:21, we are told the reason why the miracle child Mary would give birth to should bear the Name Jesus:
 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Salvation from sin is the greatest wonder in the history of mankind because the Bible expressly declares sin as a plague affecting all men. Romans 3:23 says that:
 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
The Name Jesus therefore proclaims to the world thus: "Behold the Man who came to achieve the greatest wonder the world needs." 

This is where practitioners of some other religions get confused. They wonder how the Name of one Man can save another man; not to talk of the claim that this same Name can save all who believe in it. They wonder silently and loudly; they try to rationalise the workability of this declaration which God Almighty Himself made concerning His only begotten Son. Beloved, I encourage you not to bother about how it works. Evidence abounds as to how on the merit of this Name, souls have received and are receiving the forgiveness of sin. Not only that, the positive transformation that occurs in those who believe in this Name is indisputable proof of the wonders the Name of Jesus performs from generation to generation. 
One of my sons testified that when he believed in the Name of Jesus, not only was he forgiven, he was also miraculous transformed. He experienced the disappearance of curses and abusive words from his vocabulary. He testified that "The curse words could just not come out anymore even when I tried." To have this same experience, I encourage you to surrender your life totally to Him today. You need to identify with the Owner of this Name before it can work for you. God bless you as you do so today in Jesus' Name.

Action Point:
Make sure you know and belong to the Owner of the Name, JESUS. By this, you will experience transformational wonders, not only in your spiritual life but also in your family and business.

Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 10-11 & Mark 5:1-20... Read after the cut: