Thursday 27 February 2014

BEFORE YOU GET ANGRY- 28/02/2014

BEFORE YOU GET ANGRY- 28/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled ANGRY WITH GOD. Today’s message is titled “BEFORE YOU GET ANGRY” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Jeremiah 29:11: "For I [mow the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."  and read  James 4:13-14. The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Jeremiah 16 to 17 and Psalm 48.

Quoted below is the message for today. God bless you for your contribution.

"Yesterday we learnt it is not right for us to get angry with God or to take offence against Him, even if we experience the deferment of our hopes. The example of John the Baptist who earlier acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, but later doubted Him because of his painful experience of incarceration is a warning signpost to us that if care is not taken, following the asking of questions, offence towards God might begin to reside in our heart. Going forward, we need to ask ourselves the question: why do we take offence, get angry or feel irritated by the way God deals with us? We shall look at three answers to this question.

In the first instance, we children of God sometimes tend to overestimate ourselves as human beings (James 4:13-14). Some people of God in olden times realised this, hence Job 25:6 calls man a worm. Whereas God is infinite, man is finite. He is the potter and we are the clay; how true!

Also, we tend to underestimate the sacrifice God has made for us. Though we are but dust and worms, God did give His Son for our redemption — essentially God Himself, the maker of the universe, coming to be conceived in a human womb and be born as human. Not only that, He subjected Himself to the limitations of man and was maltreated by His own creatures; all just for you and me not to perish in hell fire but to be with God forever. Having done all these, He has proved beyond any reasonable doubt He has our best interest at heart, notwithstanding our present situation (John 3:16, John 15:13,1Timothy3:16).

Lastly, it is because we tend to forget that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Whatever He is doing, He has our end in view. He is concerned about how we end; after all what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? While looking for a site for our Camp ground, initially it was the old Youth Camp at Ogunmakin (South-West, Nigeria) that we were negotiating for. But in spite of prayers and crying to God to take ownership of it, we had no money to pay. It eventually went to another ministry that was able to pay the required amount. We all wept because of this experience, but God knew what He had in store for us - the Redemption Camp, which is much bigger and in a much better location."

Our action point for today is to praise and thank God for the sacrifice of Jesus for you. Right now resign your will to Him over the current issues of your life.

This morning, as we thank God for not allowing the suffering of Jesus over us to be in vain, I commit every situation that look like a mountain before us to meet with the King of Kings and become our stepping stone to the greatest heights in Jesus name, amen."


Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited







Wednesday 26 February 2014

ANGRY WITH GOD?- 27/02/2014

ANGRY WITH GOD?- 27/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “JESUS IN YOUR BOAT”. Today’s message is titled “ANGRY WITH GOD?” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Romans 8:28: "And we know  that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose"  and read Matthew 11:2-6.  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Jeremiah 13 to 15 and Psalm 47.

Quoted below is the message for today. God bless you for our discussion.

"When deferred hope prompts a person to issue queries to God, it is an indication of the person taking offence towards God. We have to settle it in our hearts as children of Goo that there can never be justifiable grounds for us to pick a fight with God. You Can ask God questions to seek clarification of issues, but to query Him, that is a no-go area. The case of John the Baptist in our Bible reading is one glaring example of this practice which some of us also indulge in. John had himself acknowledged Jesus to be the Lamb of God that takes away our sins in John 1:29. But much later, in the midst of his trouble with King Herod, who imprisoned him because he spoke out against Herod's taking of his brother's wife, he sent his disciples to Jesus.This time, it was not to complement Jesus, but to air his doubt about who he had rightly proclaimed Him to be. Why did it come to this? It was because he expected that Jesus as the Messiah ought to have known about his situation and to have either spoken or applied His power in getting him out of Herod's custody. To be imprisoned is not a palatable experience, yet our knowledge and confidence in God's ability, love, faithfulness and goodness should not be challenged by our life experiences. Jesus replied John's emissaries in Matthew 1 1 :6 thus:
 “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” 

 We must be careful in the midst of challenges never to allow offence against God set in our heart.

There is no one who has been saved for ten years, who would not ask questions about not seeing corresponding results or answers to some prayers. However, you must realise that life is in phases (Psalm 37:25). Take for example Joseph: first, he was his father's favourite with a special coat (Genesis 3 7 :3), next he was the dreamer (Genesis 37:19), then he was an interpreter of dreams (Genesis 40:1 -22) and finally he became the Prime Minister (Genesis 41 :3 9-46). The journey of life for Joseph was not all smooth sailing, but his end was glorious. Joseph did not begin to issue queries against God in the evil days of his life experiences. Life is in phases. In the  eyes of men, some phases are bad while some are good. As a child of God you must however remember that:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 "

Today's action point is to have a deep reflection to recollect wherever you may have taken offence or have been angry with God, and apologise to Him from your heart.


I pray that God will give us the grace to see Him at the center of whatever situation we find ourselves, knowing fully well that His thoughts of us are of good and not of evil to bring us to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11)

Reference:

Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited



Tuesday 25 February 2014

JESUS IN YOUR BOAT-26/02/2014

JESUS IN YOUR BOAT-26/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “BE FULL OF PRAISE” and it was indeed a day of unlimited praise in this forum. I pray that His praise will continually dwell our midst in Jesus Name, amen. Today’s message is titled “JESUS IN YOUR BOAT” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 50:15: "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me".  and read Mark 4:35-41.  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Jeremiah 10 to 12 and Psalm 46

Quoted below is the message for today. God bless you for your contribution

"No doubt, life in a sense is like the sea. A characteristic of the sea is that storms of varying degrees arise, putting the lives of those sailing on it in jeopardy of being drowned. In Jesus’ Name, the storms of life will not be able to drown you, your family and your business. While literal storms are natural phenomena, the storms of life are often generated and directed to an individual by enemies. Whether it is by enemies in the flesh or in the spirit realm, every situation that would constitute a storm in your life shall be disappointed in Jesus’ Name.

Jesus was in the boat with His disciples on a mission across the Sea of Galilee. His Father's business that should bring deliverance to the mad man in Gadara, who the devil had been afflicting with chronic insanity, beaconed. The devil had an idea of this and decided to thwart it, but he is never a match for our God, and He will never be. This is why I command whatever storm you may be experiencing now to be calm in Jesus‘ Name. As you sail on the sea of life to fulfill your destiny, the devil and his allies are not happy because your success is also going to result in the blessing and deliverance of others. This is because you will use it for God's service, to build up the work of God and to bring souls to the Kingdom of God. Nevertheless, the devil and his agents will fail.

At the onset of the storm, while Jesus was taking time off to relax, the disciples embarked on a rescue operation of the boat. The situation however did not get better. They could not cope. It was then they remembered to wake Jesus up.- 1 Samuel 2:9c says: .
”........for by strength shall no man prevail.” .   
You should not make this mistake; your role is to notify Jesus  of the storm. In any case, Jesus woke up unperturbed..The Author and Controller of Peace himself rebuked the winds behind the storm, and there was calm. You shall begin to experience calmness in your marriage, in your finances, in   your education, in your business and in your health from now on in Jesus‘ Name. Stop running helter-sketer to dubious men all over the place; they will only compound  your problems. Look up to Jesus; let Him handle your   storm. 

Today's action point is to repent of being too quick to seek out man's solution instead of God's at times of difficulty. Praise God, the all-powerful One and tell Him of any storm in your life.

As we seek the face of God instead of man today, I pray that every mountain before us will become plain in Jesus Name, amen.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited

Monday 24 February 2014

BE FULL OF PRAISE: 25/02/2014

BE FULL OF PRAISE: 25/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “GLORIOUS EXPECTATION” while today’s message is titled “BE FULL OF PRAISE” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 34:1 " l will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth." and read Psalm 18:1 -3.  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Jeremiah 7:30 to Jeremiah 9:26 and Psalm 45

Quoted below is the message for today. God bless you for contributing to the discussion, amen.

" The incident that led to the fall of man in the Garden of  Eden was a complete loss of all that is beautiful. Prior to the fall, man wasn't fearful of his environment or of the presence of God. But after the fall, for the first time Adam was terrified by the presence of God which he previously used to anticipate. With this came the universal culture of complaining, murmuring and grumbling, The awesome glory of God over his life and destiny was destroyed. Glory to God that Jesus as the second Adam has come to undo the evil the devil subtly brought on man. 

David in our Bible reading for today reveals the importance . of eulogising God. He was confessing who God is to him: his rock, his fortress, his deliverer, his strength, his buckler, the horn of his salvation and his high tower. In his praise of  God, David was also expressing his confidence and trust in , God. God enjoys our praise. He says in Psalm 50:23 that he who offers praise glorifies Him. Are you a child of God? You must know that there is no place for those that murmur and   grumblers in heaven; it is an eternity of ecstatic adoration of our great King (Revelation 4:5-1 1). David, even in those days caught the revelation of this truth; hence he resolved to banish murmuring from his life.This caused him to proclaim in Psalm 34:1 that:
 ’’I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

 This is the secret of the greatness of this man who was once a nobody. From a human perspective, David had no prospect of becoming anything. Usually in families, it is expected  that the youngest in the family would enjoy some pampering and ease, but not so with David. His older  siblings remained at home enjoying themselves with the  milk from the flock of sheep that David kept in the bush all by himself. However, every labour has its rewards. David . became the greatest king of Israel and became an ancestor of our Lord Jesus. Because he was full of praise, God could  not help but lavish His favour on him Mind you, a great  man always likes his greatness to be acknowledged. He  would like that those around him do not embarrass or  disgrace Him by diminishing his status in any way. I once had an uncle who would refuse financial assistance to anyone who requested a meager amount  because he felt such a request was demanding on him. God is greater than the greatest of men. Whatever your condition. He has the  final say. Its not over. therefore don"t let the challenges of life reduce your God to a grasshopper in your eyes."

Today's action point is that no matter your current condition, right now look to God. Praise Him by calling Him beatiful names. Tell Him you will praise Him at all times and that He should help you.

I apologise that today's posting is a little bit delayed due to some challenges with internet connection and I pray that today, as we praise God like never before, He will be moved to do what no man can do in our lives in Jesus Name, amen.

Sunday 23 February 2014

GLORIOUS EXPECTATION- 24/02/2014

GLORIOUS EXPECTATION- 24/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “CHRIST IN YOU” while today’s message is titled “GLORIOUS EXPECTATION” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise 1 Peter 5:10 " But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his external glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered while, make your perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you and read 2 Kings 7:1-10. The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Jeremiah 5:14 to Jeremiah 7:29 and Psalms 44:17-26

Quoted below is the message for today. God bless you for contributing to the discussion, amen.

"A child of God has every right to expect a glorious tomorrow, even if the present situation does not in any way make such optimism look realistic. In the face of uncertainty and the total economic collapse of country, the believer who knows his God will still rightly expect a change for the better, because he knows he serves a God who specialises in giving pleasant surprises to His children. The story of 2 Kings 6 & 7 is not fictional, through it may look incredible. The famine that resulted from the siege of Samaria by its enemies became so devastating that mothers were surviving on their own children. What a terrible thing! Have you ever through about it: even Elisha the great man of God was in the midst of the situation as others? One thing you can be sure of is that God would have taken care of Him for as long as the famine lasted; through that aspect of the story is not revealed in the Bible. In the same way, the Lord is able to take care of you in the midst of any crises, only make sure you trust in Him and obey Him in all things. Pay your tithes, win souls and live holy.

We should not cease trusting God in the place of prayer for desirable changes in the state of affairs of our country as we seek to do His will in all things. In the case of Samaria, God brought about a change with 24 hours at the peak of their national predicament of insecurity that resulted in acute want. By the mouth of His servant, God pronounced great abundance upon the land. The pronouncement brought to an end both the insecurity and famine of the land (2 Kings 7:1&18). So will Boko Haram and its activities be brought to a sudden end in Nigeria in Jesus’ Name. on the other hand, being expectant does not imply sitting down and doing nothing; in the case of Samaria, it took the rising up of four lepers, who decided to go to the camp of the Syrians, only to discover that the Syrians has fled their camp, leaving all their supplies behind. There is always a place of action to your faith, just as the Bible in James 2:17 says:
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
Are you in need of a good job? You have got to take the right step of action. Do you want your business to be more competitive? Diligently get to know what action to take and take it."

The action point for today is to praise God for His mercy over Nigeria and pray for the forgiveness of sins for Nigeria and that God will grant her political leaders the fear of God and the wisdom to run the country.

We pray for an overflow of pleasant surprises in this nation in Jesus Name

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited

Saturday 22 February 2014

CHRIST IN YOU - 23/02/2014

CHRIST IN YOU - 23/02/2014


Yesterday’s message was titled “THE RELIABLE GOD”. Today’s message continues the series and is titled “CHRIST IN YOU” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Colossians 1:27 "Memorise: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory"  and read 1 John 4:4-6. The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Jeremiah 3:6 to Jeremiah 5:13 and  and Psalm  44:9-16.

Quoted below is the message for today. God bless you for contributing to today's discussion, amen.

"What someone is carrying on the inside of him can go a long way in affecting his destiny and that of other people around him. Some people possess demonic spirits which empowers them to wreak terrible havoc on fellow human beings from the spirit realm. These are referred to as witches. Some others are possessed by demonic spirits in order to torment them and make life miserable for those around them. Such was the mad man of the Gadara (Mark 5:1-5). He was made mad by reason of the demons inhabiting him. According to our Bible reading today, children of God are carrying Jesus on the insider of them. As a child of God, what you have on the inside is infinitely greater than whatsoever a possessed person can have. Hence 1 John 4:4 declares:
“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”

That is, Jesus in us is greater than Satan and his cohorts that are in the world. On this note, there is no cause for a child of God to be afraid of witches and wizards because there is no basis for comparing even Satan their boss to Jesus.
Having Jesus dwelling insider you gives life to every part of your body. If anything has died in your body before, the presence of Jesus now brings them back to life. Glory be to the Lord! I command that infected vital organ in your body, to come alive right now in the Name of Jesus. Furthermore, with Jesus in you, your body receives divine revitalisation and invigoration which enables you to survive any situation. Also, the child of God can always be hopeful of a glorious tomorrow. The Bible says it shall be well with the righteous (Isaiah 3:10). The righteous has the hope of reigning with Christ in His kingdom all through eternity. In this regard the scripture says:
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3

In order not to be overcome by the enemy and miss Heaven, the believer must ensure consistent holy  living and constantly enforce the victory earned from the death and resurrection of Jesus by Faith. You must resist the enemy with the authority that Christ has vested in you for him to flee."

Today's Prayer point is "Father, let the eyes of my understanding be enlightened to comprehend the experience the reality of Christ in me".

Wishing you the fullness of God's presence in Church today and praying for a fruitful week ahead. god bless you all, amen.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited

Friday 21 February 2014

THE RELIABLE GOD --22/02/2014

THE RELIABLE GOD --22/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “LIFE IN ABUNDANCE II”. Today’s message continues the series and is titled “THE RELIABLE GOD” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Proverbs 23:18 "For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cutoff."  and read Luke 2:25-32. The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from jeremiah 1:1 to Jeremiah 3:5 and Psalm 44:1-8.

Quoted below is the message for today.  
"One of the divine attributes of God is Truth. He revealed himself as the Truth in John 14:6. He is truth personified. It is impossible to expect God to lie or to be deceitful (Titus 1:2). The Bible reading for today tells of an occasion after the birth of Jesus, where He was brought to the temple for dedication. Simeon, a devout man had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen Jesus born. Just as he was promised, at the exact point in time Jesus was brought to the Temple as a babe, this man turned up. From his statements, this singular event was all that was left for his life to be fulfilled as purposed by God, and it came true exactly as he was told. Has the Lord made any promise to you at any time before? Be rest assured that He will surely bring it to fulfilment in due season no matter what may be. Besides a personal promise specifically made to you at any definite time, the Bible is full of several promises that God has put in His word to take care of His people and their needs. As a child of God you would do yourself a world of good to avail yourself of this great privilege. Just like the Psalmist said in Psalm 23:5, the table of the Lord is full of all menus to satisfy all needs. It's a pity that many children of God suffer needlessly when they have a Father that not only has the ability to solve any problem, but is also faithful and willing to do it for them.

Nevertheless, it requires that you release your faith when expecting God's promises to be fulfilled in any area of your life.
”But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-8
Another thing you must be ready to do i; to pray. When it comes to prayer, many children of God are lazy, preferring that some other person do the praying on their behalf. Actually, there is nothing wrong in praying for one another, but when you choose to live your Christian life entirely dependent on other people's prayers, definitely you cannot get the best of what the faith promises, and therefore cannot amount to much before God and man. Obviously, no person with the mind of Christ should be willing to settle for such a base life". (Adeboye 2014)

Today’s action point is to search the scriptures for promises of God on answer to prayer, healing, deliverance, victory over sin, victory over enemies, divine promotion and financial breakthrough".


God bless you for your contribution to the forum

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited

Thursday 20 February 2014

LIFE IN ABUNDANCE II - 21/02/2014

LIFE IN ABUNDANCE II - 21/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “LIFE IN ABUNDANCE I”. Today’s message continues the series and is titled LIFE IN ABUNDANCE II as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise 1John 3:6 "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."  and read 1 John 3:5-8 .  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Isaiah 63:15-66:24 and Psalm 43

Quoted below is the message of today as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye (Adeboye, 2014). God bless you again and again for your contribution to the discussion

"Truly, the genuineness of God's concern and His interest in the well being of man is established in the giving of His Son to die, thereby making provision for their redemption. According to the word of it God, such individuals that therefore surrender their lives Jesus Christ are now children of God.

 "But as many as received him, tot them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them  that believe on his name: Which were born, no  of blood, nor of  of the flesh, nor of the Will of man but of God. John 1:12-13

If believers in Christ are children of God as the Bible  clearly reveals, then it means that they possess some ;; measure of divinity, a divine DNA. It implies further that  divine abilities are at their disposal, just as the passage  above indicates that these people are given power to  become sons. On this note, it is therefore expected that such people would live to take full advantage of this life in . accordance with the divine purpose. We should then ask a  ourselves this question: ’’Is it every child of God that is on  top of their situation, and are they living life to the fullness of what Jesus has on offer in John 10:1 0"?” The answer to  this question is NO! Why is this so? Definitely the fault is not with God, it can only be with us His children.

 Some of us are not sincere; some want what God has to offer but at the same time what the sinful world offers the first instance, sin was the undoing of man; It follows that if after we have received pardon from Jesus we still think we are free to continue in sin, we are taking God for a fool. the Bible says: .

 ”What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”  Romans 6:1 -2 
 It is required therefore that we live holy lives otherwise we will short-change ourselves. Living holy implies total obedience to God and His word"


Today's action point is to earnestly pray for consecration; ask God for the grace to live above the vanities of the world, and to be obedient to Him completely.

I pray that God will help us to deal with every end-time distraction that is prevalent in this generation and give us the grace to live above vain things around us in Jesus Name, amen.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited




Wednesday 19 February 2014

LIFE IN ABUNDANCE I - 20/02/2014

LIFE IN ABUNDANCE I - 20/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “FIT FOR DIVINE FAVOUR”. Today’s message continues the series and is titled LIFE IN ABUNDANCE I as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that y might have it more abundantly.” and read 2 Peter 1:1-4.  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Isaiah 60:1-63:14 and Psalm 42

"Under normal circumstances, no human being desires to be a nonentity. The various forces in the world however, are responsible for many people spending their entire life amounting to nothing and dwelling in the valley of not-well-to-do persons. The Almighty God Himself in making man did not intend for him to be a scourge of His creation, but rather the master.
”And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air; and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”  Genesis 1:26-27

This passage clearly reveals love and goodwill par excellence on the part of God toward man. Where then did the negative turn of events come from? It is sin in the camp of man. He rebelled against his Maker; he rejected His authority over him by choosing to obey the archenemy of God—Satan, rather than God. 
”And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman Said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Genesis 3:11-13
Since this incident in the Garden of Eden, things have not been the same with man; until the same God who was sinned against sent His Son to make atonement for the sin of man (Hebrews 9:22, John 3:16). Whosoever now is in Christ is in a position to regain all that man had lost through sin (Romans 5:17). If you are already in Christ, I want to let you know that you are positioned to live a fulfilled life. If you have not truly surrendered to Jesus however, even if you Seem to be making it, know that something very vital is still missing. Besides, where it matters most in the hereafter, you will be disappointed; so repent and turn over your life to Jesus today." (Adeboye 2014)

Today's Action Point is to  make sure you are fully in Christ, to be able to reclaim all your lost ground and make heaven. 

I pray that the Almighty God will speedily recover all for us in Jesus Name, amen. God bless you richly for your contribution.


Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited




Tuesday 18 February 2014

FIT FOR DIVINE FAVOUR - 19/02/2014

FIT FOR DIVINE FAVOUR - 19/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “DIVINE CHAMPION III”. Today’s message continues the series and is titled FIT FOR DIVINE FAVOUR as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.and read Ecclesiastes 9:11.  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Isaiah 56:9 to 59:21 and Psalm 41

Quoted below is today's message for our usual discussion

"Do you know that even the African elders have  saying that they have seen princes become Slaves and slaves become landlords? This saying Of elders is philosophically aligned with the Bible (Ecclesiaste 10:7). Many times, the fact that a person is very energetic and hardworking is not necessarily an indication that the person  will be successful and great in life. If human prowess and  efforts were really the automatic yardsticks to great heights,  then many of those people still struggling up the ladder of _ achievements would already be on the mountain top of success.The Bible spells this out in Ecclesiastes 9:1 1 :

”I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race Is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”

Favour is that currency by which you do little and obtain great results; it is that factor by which what others are struggling and sweating to accomplish, gets done by you almost effortlessly. It is favour that causes someone to be singled out of a multitude for special and pleasant treatment. Divine favour makes you someone that others would be willing to sacrifice their convenience to make comfortable. This was what happened to me years back on my first trip to Canada for a conference. On the long queue for registration on a very cold night with the ground wet, the registration officials came to me at the back of the line, collected my particulars and went on with my registration. Not only that I was offered a cup of tea and an old man pulled off his jacket, laid it on the wet and cold field for me to sit on. What else made this happen, if not the God of the whole universe at work, moving these people to treat this first time visitor from Nigeria like a king. Jesus of course, has made believers kings and priests to his Father (Revelation 1:6).

All children of God are entitled to this favour, however, it has  to be accessed by each one individually. You as a  a child of God should make yourself a favourite of God to enjoy divine favour at the highest level. How? Through praise'and’worship, complete obedience, witnessing Jesus, holy living and being full of faith. For instance, Mary the espoused  wife  of Joseph did not just become favoured to be the mother of  the Jesus; she was a virgin. Today, many of our young women have defiled themselves with men, even among those who say they are children of God." (Adeboye, 2014)

Today's prayer point is to pray that God will qualify you by Himself for divine favour through a life of praise, fear of God, faith and total obedience like Mary

God bless you for your contribution, amen.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited



Monday 17 February 2014

DIVINE CHAMPION II - 18/02/2014

DIVINE CHAMPION II - 18/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “DIVINE CHAMPION II”. Today’s message continues the series and is titled“DIVINE CHAMPION III” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 51:61  “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom" 
” and read Daniel 2:20-21. The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Isaiah 52:1-56:8 and Psalm 40:11-17

Quoted below is today's message for our usual discussion

"The divine champion is one that is made wise by God I (Daniel 2:20-21). Wisdom can be defined as having the fear of God. As a matter of fact, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Also, it is the correct application of knowledge. This knowledge itself must be the right and pure knowledge. In this context therefore, wisdom is the substance by which a solution is proffered to problems and unpleasant situations or experiences of men, individuals, institutions, organisations and nations. Wisdom makes way for progress and success. Daniel as a divine champion largely gained stardom by presenting solutions to the puzzles of kings. These came by God revealing to him the meaning of mysterious dreams and the strange handwriting on the wall during the reign of one of these kings. As you become a divine champion, God would graciously reveal to you the cause of people's problems so that you may help them out in Jesus‘ Name. As a professional in your area of specialisation, the Lord will show you secrets of outstanding breakthroughs for new products, ideas and principles for alleviating people's sufferings, hardships and sorrows in Jesus‘ Name. As a leader, ajudge, magistrate, king, community head, governor or president, the God that gave Solomon wisdom and deep insights will honour you with the same for right adjudication and administration in your domain in Jesus‘ Name.

Remember however that the divine champion is God's representative; hence the special abilities he has are meant to bless men and honour God. It is in this light that God backed Samuel and Elijah up (1 Samuel 3:19, 2 Kings 1:9- 12). The divine champion is also one that is loved and sustained by God, as was the case with Elijah. Supernaturally, Elijah was provided with food at the Brook Cherith and was fed by God through a widow at Zarephath during a period of famine in the land (1 Kings 17:3-9). God sees to it that the divine champion '5 needs are met, whatever it takes. Get occupied with God and His business, please Him like Elijah and your needs will become His needs and you can be sure that you would not have to struggle like others do to make ends meet. Even blessings you do not crave for would come around you. "

We have been asked to pray as follows: "Father, make me a solution provider in my generation."

I pray that God will give us the wisdom that will cause us our light to shine as solution provides in Jesus Name, Amen. God bless you richly  for your contribution to this forum, amen.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited

Sunday 16 February 2014

DIVINE CHAMPION II- 17/02/2014

DIVINE CHAMPION II- 17/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled DIVINE CHAMPION I. Today’s message is titledDIVINE CHAMPION II as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise lsaiah 40:31  “
But they that wait upon
the LORD shall renew 
their strength; they 
shall mount up with wings
 as eagles; they shall
 run, and not be 
weary; and they shall 
walk, and not faint
” and read  
Isaiah 40:28-31
.  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from 
Isaiah 49 to 51 and 
Psalm 40:1 -10
 (Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is the message. God bless you richly as you contribute to today's discussion

"Yesterday we discovered that our Lord Jesus Christ is the number one champion and that He makes His people champions. We saw also that a divine champion is a person raised up and supported by God.  One attribute of a champion is strength. The divine  champion is one who receives divine strengthening. 1  Samuel 2:9 says by strength (i.e. human ability) shall no  man prevail. The required divine strength for success,  achievement, getting to the top etc is supplied to the  divine champion by God. Hannah, who by inspiration of  the Holy Spirit proclaimed those words in prayers, had  that experience. She became a champion by divine  strengthening. She received strength to put an end to her  barrenness, thus her shame and reproach were taken  away. Every barren child of God using this devotional 1* right now, today marks that turning point in the story of your life; the strength for conception comes into you . right now in Jesus‘ Name. Having delivered our first  three children by caesarean section, by this same divine  strengthening, my wife safely delivered our fourth child  by herself contrary to the expert's opinion.The Lord who  did it for us will do it for you.

By the time divine strength came upon Elijah the divine champion, He ran on foot ahead of the king's chariot to the city of Jezreel (1 Kings18:46). Thus, the divine champion is always physically strong in his body - no  room for sickness at all. Though it was by divine ability that David tore both the lion and the bear while shepherding his father's flock, he would not have been a sickly fellow to be in the wilderness looking after the  animals. Likewise, though God was the one behind his  killing of the giant Goliath with a catapult, he would no  doubt have been healthy in his body to be strong enough  to pull the catapult string. Jesus our Master is the number  one divine champion; we can only be divine champions  because He is. There is no one occasion recorded where  he was having a simple headache. Therefore, we His  Champions have no business being sick. Rather, what  Jesus was doing is what we are meant to be doing also, i.e. giving health to the sick (Acts 1 0:38)."

Today's prayer point is: "Father, make me a divine champion full of the anointing, and give me a strong sickness-free body for your service". 

As we pray this prayer point with the whole of our hearts today, I pray that the Almighty God will give us overflow of anointing that will perfect all that concern us in Jesus name, amen.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.


Saturday 15 February 2014

DIVINE CHAMPION I - 16/02/2014

DIVINE CHAMPION I - 16/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “FRUITS OR LEAVES”. Today’s message is titled “DIVINE CHAMPION I” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise 1Samuel 2:8  “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD '5, and he hath set the world upon them.” and read  Jeremiah 51:20-23.  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Isaiah 45:14 to Isaiah48:22 and Psalm 39 (Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is the message. God bless you richly as you contribute to today's discussion

A champion is the victor, the one winning, the overcomer. A Champion is also the representative of the people, the best the people can offer, The greatest champion in human history is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence the popular song in Nigerian Pidgin English says:
’’Winner 0 o 0, Winner! 2x
 Jesus you don win 0, Winner!
Patapata you go win forever, Winner! ”

You may wonder: Why is Jesus the greatest champion? Jesus engaged the greatest enemy of mankind - Satan, and defeated him. This was prophesied in Genesis 3:15. The outcome of the contest is in Hebrews 2:14-15. In addition to Satan, Jesus also overcame sin (Hebrews 4:15) and the world (John 16:33). Jesus is the number one Winner, He is the all-time Winner. The battles He won, He however won for you. I have good news for you today: that battle you are facing right now is a fall-out of that old battle which Jesus already won for you. The Bible says that Jesus destroyed Satan so that you might be delivered. You are delivered right now from that evil bondage and yoke of sickness, be it physical, financial, mental or emotional in Jesus‘ Name. Furthermore, Jesus defeated the archenemy for you, in order to make you a champion. You are a divine champion because you are raised up and supported by God (1 Samuel 2:8, Romans 8:31).

irrespective of the current situation and status of the Individual being made into a champion by God, by the time God finishes with him or her, he or she will become an amazement and a wonder. Our memory verse for today ‘says that God raises the prospective divine champion out of the dust and lifts the beggarly from the dunghill to make him keep company with princes. This means that the beggar becomes like a prince, and by every standard, his level changes. He no longer belongs in the dunghill. This is what our God is capable of doing. What low estate can be worse than dwelling in a dunghill i.e. having no prospect of becoming somebody in life, becoming dependent on picking and scavenging in the refuse dump? Your case might not be that bad, but even if it is, congratulations, your condition is about to change drastically. Only let the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart.

Today, we have been asked to pray as follows: "Father, make me a divine champion; fill me with the Holy Ghost and fire" (Adeboye, 2014)

I pray that no matter what has come our way in the past, the Almighty God will give us the power to dominate in Jesus name, Amen.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.

.

Friday 14 February 2014

FRUITS OR LEAVES- 15/02/2014

FRUITS OR LEAVES- 15/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “BE STRONG”. Today’s message is titled “FRUITS OR LEAVES” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise
Philippians 1:11  “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. ” and read  Mark 11:12-14.  The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from Isaiah 43:1 to Isaiah 45:13 and Psalm 38 (Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is the message. God bless you richly as you contribute to today's discussion

"When hungry, a person instinctively makes moves to have the hunger assuaged, which is normal. I had an experience in my early years when I had to go get firewood to sell to have money for my basic needs (food primarily). One day, l got stung bees after climbing a standing dry tree. I however refused to come down until I felled dry wood from the tree. I endured the terrible pain because I knew that no wood to sell meant no food to eat. May you not be poor in the Name of Jesus. In the morning of a particular day, the Lord Jesus while returning from Bethany to Jerusalem was hungry; needed food. Just at that moment, a fig tree was insight; hope and expectation arose in Him. Food for a hungry tummy is a necessity, a basic one for that matter. However, on getting to the fig tree, it was all leaf and no fruit. This fig tree had taken so many nutrients from the ground, only to produce leaves. It failed to fulfill its basic purpose of bearing fruits. Today, though Jesus is not physically present and A traversing the land of Judah and Galilee as He was then,   He is alive and still very much hungry for fruit. Howbeit,  not for figs or grapes but for:
 (i) Fruits of righteousness - Philippians 1 :1 1.
 (ii) Souls—John 15:16.

Just like the fig tree in our reading for today, it IS saddening that rather than Jesus finding the desired fruits on many of His children, they are merely full of leaves. Such leaves are reminiscent of the conditions prevailing in the Laodicean Church (Revelation 3:17-18), which had money and  material things to the exclusion of spiritual substance.  Some of us have position, titles, fame and material things. We are living big, but the fruits that Jesus really desires are   lacking. Some of us have taken so much blessing from Jesus only to consume all on ourselves. We dress in good attires, live large and have created a niche for ourselves in company of the who-is-who in high society, all with little or nothing at all in the area of influencing lives for Jesus. by We need to repent, and like the Laodicean church,   consider getting the true riches of Jesus Christ. The verdict  of Jesus Christ on the fruitless fig tree is frightening. This  should be an example to a leafy but fruitless individual jg (Luke 13:6-9). In Jesus’ Name, you will not be marked for  cutting down. May you begin to bear fruit to the  satisfaction of the Master henceforth and the blessings of the fruitful will be your portion." (Adeboye, 2014)

Today"s prayer point is to desire to be fruitful and pray to God for all that is needed to make you fruitful. also pray that every force that work against your fruitfulness should be destroyed by fire. (Adeboye, 2014)

May we never be cut down from our position of honour in Jesus Name, Amen.

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.


Thursday 13 February 2014

BE STRONG - 14/02/2014

BE STRONG - 14/02/2014


Yesterday’s message was titled GOD SEES YOU”. Today’s message is titled “BE STRONG” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise  
Ephesians 6:10
 Finally; my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10” and read 
Ephesians 6:10-13.
 The Bible in one year reading for today has been taken from 
Isaiah 40:9 to Isaiah 42:25 and 

Psalm 37:33-40
 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below for our usual discussion:

"You don't charge someone to be strong if there is no task to be performed or if pressure is not required, either for motion or putting up resistance against an opposing force. In the physical realm, mere movement requires strength. This explains why a sick person or a person just recovering from an ailment finds it difficult to walk. Spiritually you need to be strong. In today‘s Bible reading, the Lord commands us to be strong, and He gives two reasons why we should be:
1. That ye may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil.
2. That ye may be able to withstand in the evil
day.
There are evil forces that want to short-change a child of God's life regarding the good things that God has in store for him or her. These spiritual forces are listed in Ephesians 6:12 as: principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world  and spiritual wickedness in high places. These spiritual entities attack either directly or through their human agents namely: witches, wizards, and people with familiar spirits etc. They cause harm, sorrow and calamities, including abortion of pregnancies and barrenness. They give spirit husbands, spirit wives and abort prospective contract deals; they are responsible for a myriad of misfortunes. As you know, the Bible says that the thief's (Satan) mission is to steal - stealing joy, peace etc; to kill -through sickness, diseases, calamities, tragedies, business failures etc, and to destroy -  i.e. the complete and ultimate devastation of a man's destiny in Hell. In the Name of Jesus, you will not become a victim of Satan's mission in any of these areas. What Jesus has for those that belong to Him is life in great abundance. 

Some years ago, a young lady who for the second time had failed her Ordinary Level exams refused to eat for days, grieving over her failure. Within this period, a fight ensued between her and another young girl. Though this grieving lady ordinarily should have dealt decisively with her adversary, the reverse turned out to be the case. Why? Because the strength she needed was not there, having not eaten for days. Spiritually, the food for our spirit man is the word of God. One of the basic things necessary for a child of God to be strong is the word of God. It serves as spiritual food for the supply of the needed spiritual calories (1 Peter 2:2, Colossians 3:1 6). The word sanctifies and purifies us. We are to study it, meditate on it, memorise it and of course, obey it."

The action point is: "Take definite steps to improve your level of interaction with the word - study, meditate on and memorise striking passages. Also appoint an accountability partner to help you." (Adeboye, 2014)


God bless you for contributing into today’s discussion

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.


Wednesday 12 February 2014

GOD SEES YOU - 13/02/2014

GOD SEES YOU - 13/02/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “WHAT KIND OF VESSEL?”. Today’s message is titled “GOD SEES YOU” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise  2 Psalm 139:2 “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.” and read Psalms 139: 1 -3Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Isaiah 37:14-40:8 and Psalm37:21-33 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below for our usual discussion:

“As a child of God, the fact that God knows all about you should give you assurance and confidence, While God sees and knows in detail what is going on around and inside of you, the devil does not have such ability. The Psalmist says:
"Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.” Psalm 139:12
God knows all that you are passing through now and He knows the history of your life. Sometimes, what you consider to be the origin of your problem is not. There was this young boy whose father had stolen the Raleigh bicycle of another man before he was born. So painful was this experience to the man who lost his bicycle that he placed a curse on the generations of the person that stole his bicycle. The man who stole the bicycle had died and his young boy had gone to school and successfully completed his national youth service program. However, the young man just discovered that anytime he ate rice, it turned out to be a serious life threatening meal for him. He was completely oblivious ofthe evil his father had committed and the curse that was placed on his generations, that they would die eating rice. The all-knowing God however revealed this to His servant, who counselled the young man to find the exact amount the bicycle cost and give it to the owner of the bicycle.This he did and his predicament stopped.

Another thing about this attribute of God in relation to how we comport ourselves is that we should not be deluded into thinking that we can cover up any misdeed. Remember David smartly got his evil deed with Bathsheba kept from being known to everybody. He thought he could cover up his act of adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband, but he was foolish not to consider that God saw him. God sees all you are doing. Beyond that, He knows every thought you are thinking, even while the thought is still far away from you (Psalm 139:2). He knows it, Won't you rather fear this God and rightly comport yourself? Are you a brother, minister or pastor, indulging in fornication or adultery with your members? He sees you, and except you repent, you will pay dearly for it. Repent today, and you shall obtain mercy, and it shall be well with you.

Today’s action point is to pray that the all-seeing and knowing God will reveal to you any pending situation you ought to prayerfully  go ahead and perform it.


God bless you for contributing into today’s discussion

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.


Tuesday 11 February 2014

WHAT KIND OF VESSEL? - 12/02/2013

Yesterday’s message was titled “GOD OF PURPOSE”. Today’s message is titled “WHAT KIND OF VESSEL?” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise  2 Timothy 2:21“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.” and read 2Timothy 2:19-22. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Isaiah 34:1-37:13 and Psalm 37:1-20 (Adeboye, 2014).
The message is quoted below for our usual discussion:

“Vessels are simply containers. God identified His children as vessels in order to bring up one crucial fact about His dealings and workings on earth. The Bible in Psalm 115:16 says:
”The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.”
Because God has given the earth to men, in order to carry out His works on earth, He does not get it done without involving men, particularly His own children. The reason is, those in Christ are co-workers with the Father (Romans 8:16-17, 1 Corinthians 3:9). The heavenly resources by which the work will be accomplished will need to be carried or contained in us as vessels, not only as vessels but also as pipes or conduits. The purity of these resources, virtue, power and gifts of the Holy Spirit are highly essential if results as desired by God will be obtained.

Though we are God's children as believers, a component part of us is still flesh and blood. For this reason, we are called earthen vessels. The onus therefore is on us to make sure we keep this vessel pure, hence, the need to purify ourselves from all contaminants that could make us dirty. Our Bible reading for today reveals also that as vessels, the type of use we are put to will differ one from another. The interesting thing is that you are the one that determines the type of vessel you would be in the hand of God. What a great opportunity to become distinguished! It means I can become the most valuable vessel to God with all the honour that goes with such. Consider that for a mere slave who was sick, a centurion was ready to go all out to secure his healing. He had to plead with the Jewish leaders to appeal to Jesus to come and heal this servant. He did all this because this one servant was of immense value to him (Luke 7:1-10). Herein is the secret of what could make a difference between a child of God in whose life Mark 16:17 is a reality and another for whom it is not. Are you still meddling with sin, rationalising smoking, alcohol drinking, enjoying immoral thoughts and generally living in disobedience, and yet you wonder why you cannot pray to heal a headache? Mind you, if you do not desire to change, it means that God may consider using your life to send a message that teaches others why it is not good to live the way you live while claiming you are a child of God” 
(Adeboye, 2014)

Today’s action point is to prayerfully list out all the bad habits you know about yourself and determine to break them as you engage in serious prayers. Avoid factors that make you susceptible to them.


I pray that the Almighty God will empower us to deal decisively with  every act of flesh that will stop us from achieving our God-given results in Jesus Name, amen.  

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.