Network Issues and OPEN HEAVENS announcement

I'm like the happiest person right now.
There has been a terrible network problem for almost a week now and its has incapacitated my blog-post. I am so sorry especially to my daily blog readers.

For the GSB readers of open heavens, with a sad feeling, I'll like to inform you that I won't be posting the daily OPEN HEAVENS devotional anymore due to the fact that it's illegal and inappropriate without prior approval from the author.

Open Heavens is the daily devotional for our time, written by the general overseer Pastor E.A Adeboye, the Open Heavens is indeed the guide in resolving daily christian issues and lifestyle.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

You can purchase the e-open heavens if you can't have access to the hard copy on iopenheavens.com

God bless and thanks for your understanding.

I seriously wish the network is fully restored, so that we can connect once more.

Happy New Month to you all....

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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: