VESSEL OF HONOUR? - 01/04/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “SHEPHERD OR WOLF?”. Today’s message is titled “VESSEL OF HONOUR?” as provided 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 2 Timothy 2:20-21. The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 30:20 to Ezekiel 35:1 to Ezekiel 37:14 and Psalm 74:1-11.(Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is  today's message for our usual discussion 

"Our God is a God of purpose and plan. He does not  do anything just for the sake of doing it. When He wanted to create man in Genesis 1 :26 He 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.” Also, when God sent His only begotten Son to the world, it was for this purpose:

”. . . for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1 :21

In the same vein, when God saved you and called you to Himself, it was for a purpose. You are not in Church just to add to the numbers. Every child of God must find out the purpose of God for his or her life within the community of believers. Also, every child of God must ensure that he or she is qualified to perform such duties as required of honourable vessels. While some vessels are shameful and ignoble, there are others that are glorious and majestic. The striking thing about this truth is that it is inevitable to have both honourable and shameful vessels in the Church! The task before every sincere child of God is to ensure that he or she is a vessel of honour.

How can one be a vessel of honour? The memory verse for today answers this question. Every child of God must purge himself or herself of anything sinful. Jesus Christ gave the standard we must attain to be vessels of honour when he said in Matthew 5:48:

”Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

How can we practically attain this? Part of the process required is found in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, which says that we should not touch the unclean thing but rather, we should separate ourselves from the world of darkness. A vessel of honour according to the Psalmist does not walk in   the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1 :1). Beloved, if you want to be used of God for good works, be ready to pay the price of a true disciple and live holy. The Lord will not only use you, He Will also reward you handsomely according to Mark 10:28-30. Our Lord Jesus Christ promised a hundredfold return of everything we consider good that we have left for the sake of serving Him, alongside with eternal life"

Today's action point is to Examine your life to know what you need to purge from it, and pray that God will make you a vessel of honour in His vineyard.

Happy new month! Wishing you a prosperous month of April in Jesus Name, Amen.

SHEPHERD OR WOLF- 31/03/2014

SHEPHERD OR WOLF- 31/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “BE GRATEFUL?”. Today’s message is titled “SHEPHERD OR WOLF?” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise 1 Peter 5:2: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind" and read Lamentatiions 4: 1 -5. The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 30:20 to Ezekiel 33-34 and Psalm 73:18-28.(Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is  today's message for our usual discussion . 

"Our Bible reading for today is a grim lamentation of Prophet Jeremiah. It concerns both the spiritual and physical state of affairs of the people of God of his time. This state of affairs sadly reflects the current state of affairs of God's people in our time. The Bible says that all these were written as examples for those upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Corinthians 10:1 1). This state of affairs is therefore indicative of the times we live in; theseare the end-times. Let us learn one or two lessons from this lamentation to deliver our soul from impending doom. ln this end-time, many pastors and preachers are no longer building with precious stones on the Sure Foundation — Jesus Christ. Rather, they are building with rubble, i.e. the philosophy of men and modern ideologies in order to make Christianity ”intel|igible” to a 21“century audience. Even the sea monsters draw out the breast and give suck to their young ones, but the teachers of God's people have become cruel — denying the flock the sincere milk of the Word, not even when sincere seekers of truth demand for it.

Many modern day pastors and ministers of the gospel of all categories are failing to live by the injunction of the dying Apostle Paul to Timothy, his son in the Lord, and by extension, to all ministers of the gospel in 2 Timothy 4:2 &5:

”Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evanlgelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”

The Bible warns ministers of the gospel against negligence or dereliction of duty in Ezekiel 3:18-21. Ezekiel was also told not to consider the.unfriendly countenance of his audience but rather to deliver the word as he was asked to (Ezekiel 2:6-7). The reason we have worship centres all over the place without ' godly impact is because God's watchement are not doing their duty right. Some pastors don't consider if members of their congregation are heaven-bound or not. In as much as they keep on bringing: their offerings, ’’all is well”. This is not right. As a Christian parent, you need to take today's message as yours as well. Your home is your God-given flock. It is for you to nurture in’ the fear of the Lord. Are you a shepherd or a wolf? Think about this, and may the Lord grant you understanding  Jesus‘ Name."

Today's prayer point is to Pray for all ministers of the Gospel around the world, that God will grant them  the grace to preach the gospel without fear or favour.

God bless you all. Have a fruitful week in Jesus Name, amen.

BE GRATEFUL- 30/03/2014

BE GRATEFUL- 30/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “PRAYER: IN WHAT DIRECTION?  ”. Today’s message is titled “BE GRATEFUL” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Luke 17:15: "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God " and read Luke 17:12-19. The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 30:20 to Ezekiel 32:32 and Psalm 73:1-17.(Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is  today's message for our usual discussion . God bless you all in Jesus Name, amen.

It is not a big deal for God to perform miracles in the life of anybody. The problem that hinders the working of miracles lies with the children of men and is multifaceted in nature. It has to do with ignorance of what the Almighty is capable of doing and lack of faith among others. However, there is one problem that seems insignificant to many people but is a big hindrance to the manifestation of God's power: It is ingratitude! Many times I have to compel people to clap in praise of the Almighty God when fantastic testimonies are being given during our big meetings. This problem is evident in the story of the ten lepers. Jesus in Luke 17:17”-18 asked in dismay:

”Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” 

Though all of the ten lepers were cleansed, only one was made perfectly whole! Why? The faith of the nine was lopsided! They had faith that Jesus Christ could heal them; that was why they cried to him for help in the first place. Unfortunately, their faith did not go beyond receiving their miracles, hence they discharged themselves prematurely! Instead of coming to show gratitude to the One who healed them and get their healing certified by the lnfallible High Priest as required by the law of Moses (Leviticus 14:1 -4), they went their own various ways. But to the one that returned to show gratitude, Jesus in Luke 1 7:19 said:

”Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

In other words, Jesus perfected the leper's healing and certified him permanently healed.

Showing gratitude is one secret to receiving perfect miracles. You should show gratitude to the one and only Miracle Worker, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Let us cultivate the habit of worshiping God for Who He is, thanking Him for what He has done in the past, in anticipation of what He will continue to do. Never trivialise even the miracle of sleeping and waking. Like I often tell members of our church, when you see people who can't use the toilet or ease themselves without the aid of medical gadgets, you will know how to praise and thank God. The good thing about being grateful to God is that you receive more blessings from the one from whom all blessings flow. One way of saying thank you to God for His providence is by paying your tithes according to Malachi 3:10. God bless you as you obey today in Jesus‘ Name.

Today's action point is to Count your blessings before God and appreciate Him for them.

I pray that as we appreciate God today, He will move to do the miraculous in our lives in Jesus Name. God bless you all. Wishing you a fulfilling service in church today.

Reference:

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

PRAYER: IN WHAT DIRECTION? - 29/03/2014

PRAYER: IN WHAT DIRECTION? - 29/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “YOU ARE A CARETAKER ”. Today’s message is titled “PRAYER: IN WHAT DIRECTION? ” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 5:2: "Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. " and read Psalm 5:1-3.   The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 28:1-30:19 and Psalm 72.(Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is the text for today's message. God bless you or your contribution.

"The Holy Spirit inspired men to write accounts of some of their experiences and of events that occurred In time past  for a reason. The reason He did this IS stated in 1 Corinthians 10:11

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

It is however unfortunate that those things written as examples to make us wiser are often not adhered to. The Psalmist discovered something fundamental to being victorious in life which is the power of prayer. Not only the power of prayer but also the right direction we should channel our prayers to. In 2 Kings 6:26-27, we read about a woman who misdirected her prayer to the king of Israel when she was in distress: The Psalmist got it right when he said: ”unto thee will I pray In Luke 18:1-8, we see a clear picture of why we should direct our prayers to God. It took the judge an unknown number of days, months or even years, to heed the request of this helpless widow. He decided to help the woman only because she did not relent. Jesus Christ said:

“Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them ? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

An often overlooked truth in this parable is that, if this woman had directed her prayers to God, she would not have gone through the pain of insensitivity she suffered. Beloved of the Lord, to whom are you directing your prayers? When you discuss your problems with people as though they have the solution, you are making a god out of them. This is why you meet with disappointment more often than not. The Bible   placed a curse on people who put their trust in men and whose hearths have strayed  from God in Jeremiah 1 7:5:

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

Let us put our trust in the Almighty God who gives liberally without upbraiding (James 1 :5)."

Today's action point is that from now on, redirect your prayers from men to God. You will not be disappointed.

God bless you all. Have a nice weekend

YOU ARE A CARETAKER- 27/03/2014

YOU ARE A CARETAKER- 27/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “BE PATIENT ”. Today’s message is titled “YOU ARE A CARETAKER” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 127:3: "Lo, children’ are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. " and read Psalm 127:3-5   The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 25-27 and Psalm 71:14-24 .(Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is the text for today's message. God bless you or your contribution.

"In the scripture in today's Bible reading establishes I one fundamental truth that all parents must accept: God owns all children. God laboured to create man, both male and female. He then pronounced His blessing upon them that they should be fruitful and multiply, so that they would reproduce after their own kind. The product of the union of the man and woman whom God created therefore became His own reward! It then follows that any man or woman who claims to own a child is exhibiting ignorance because they do not even have an idea of how the child was formed in the womb. A case in point with respect to this principle is the story in Exodus 2 :9” where the daughter of Pharaoh said :

”Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.” 

The Almighty God is so generous that he gave us children who in all respects belong to Him. He gave them to us as caretakers with the promise of a reward if we nurse them for Him and not for ourselves. Some parents nurture the children God gave to them with the sole aim of promoting their family name! For some others, they nurture them to carry on the customs of their family! Such people clearly think their children belong to them. They miss the point, and they will be rewarded accordingly. Contrary to such mindset, the Bible in Proverbs 22 :6 says:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The question then is: In what way should a child be trained? The answer to this question is found in Psalm 34:1 1:

”Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will  teach you the fear of the LORD.” 

The fear of the Lord goes hand in hand with the knowledge of God. In fact, the fear of the Lord comes from knowing God and understanding His ways (Proverbs 9:1 0). The knowledge of The Holy One is found in His word. All parents should therefore train their children in the fear of the Lord through injunctions from the Holy Bible and not fables. As stated in Psalm 19:7, only the word of God is endued with power to change the heart of a man for good:

”The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”

Today's prayer point is to  Pray for all parents in your church, that God will grant them the wisdom to take care of their children the way He expects them to. Pray also for those considered barren, that in nine months from today, their babies will be born.

If only all parents can take today's topic very serious, our world will become a  better place. I pray that Gd will bless as many readers of today's devotional who are depending on or their own children. Nine month from now, you will carry your own children in Jesus Name. Please when they children come, remember today's lesson- train them in the fear of God. It is well 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.

BE PATIENT- 27/03/2014

BE PATIENT- 27/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “TRUE WORSHIP ”. Today’s message is titled “BE PATIENT” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Hebrews 6: 12: "That be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. " and read Matthew 4:1 -4.  The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 23-24 and Psalm 71:1-13 .(Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is the text for today's message. God bless you or your contribution.

"One Common point of weakness in the life of many believers today is impatience. It is unfortunate that this weak point is being exploited by the devil to prey on believers. The tempter sometimes. capitalises on the fact that a believer is hungry, to tempt him or her to ”turn   stone into bread”. At such moments, the believer should react like his Master did in Matthew 4:4‘ by saying this in  response:

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” But what do we see today? Some couples go all out in search of the fruit of the womb when there is an apparent delay. This they do in spite of numerous scriptural passages that enjoin us to patiently run the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).The Bible in Genesis 41 :1 says:

"And it came to pass at the end of two full years,   that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold; he stood by the river.”

This scriptural passage speaks volumes and our understanding of its deep meaning will go a long way to cure us of the spiritual disease of impatience. Whatever and however terrible the situation a child of God is passing through, the promise of God is that it shall not last forever; rather it shall come to pass! Two full years passed from the commencement of Joseph's expectation of release from prison to the time Pharaoh had the dream that would eventually set him free.

Why is the Christian life characterised by challenges? It IS because the world hates the godly lifestyle of a believer. It takes determination for believers to stand in the face of adversities which the world puts as a stumbling block to cause their fall. This is why Jesus Christ prayed for believers in John17:15-16 saying:

”I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

Beloved, let us keep on looking unto Jesus, the Author and

Finisher of our faith, who was once tempted like us, but remained determined to endure everything for our sake. And because he was victorious, we shall be victorious; for the scripture in Romans 8:37 says this concerning us: 

 ”Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that Ioved us.” "

For our prayer point today, we are expected to pray as follows: Holy Spirit Divine, please see me through the challenges of life with your comfort and guidance.

I pray for the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in all that we go through in Jesus Name. 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.

TRUE WORSHIP - 26/03/2014

TRUE WORSHIP - 26/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “THE PEACE OF GOD ”. Today’s message is titled “TRUE WORSHIP” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise John4:24: " God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. " and read John 4:21-24.  The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 21-22 and Psalm 70 .(Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is the text for today's message. God bless you as we meditate and discuss on this topic

"Today you will observe with dismay how some people counterfeit the true worship of God in the name of religion. The reason for this phenomenon is not far fetched. They worship in the flesh and not in the spirit. This is the reason Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5"that: 

”Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

This also was the message of Jesus Christ to the religiously minded people of His days, as well as the message of the early apostles. They played down the paraphernalia of religious practices that did not connote spiritualism. They worshipped in truth and in spirit. How can we put an end to carnal religiosity in our churches today? The solution is simple: we must go back to the basics of Christian teaching as outlined in Acts2:37-38:

”Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do .? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye sh all receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ”

It is a pity that people do not know or have forgotten that genuine repentance is the foundation of the faith that saves. Covering up our past misdeeds without repentance is a waste of time. The Holy Spirit emphasizes this truth through Apostle John in 1 John 1:6-9:

’’If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The problem with many 21“ century so-called Christian worshipers is that they no longer admit sin to be sin; they trivialize sin and regard it as unavoidable ”mistakes”, hence, they neither confess it as sin nor strive to live above it with the power of the Holy Ghost. This explains the carnal worship and ”plenty-rascality” in the name of Pentecostalism that we observe in some of our churches. Remember the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. These are the things we must not entangle ourselves with if we would worship God in spirit and in truth. You must be born of the Spirit and live a life of change for acceptable worship in the sight of God. "

Today's action point is to Read Galatians 5: 79-23, identity the works of the flesh still manifesting in your life and pray for power to live above them.

I pray that every work of the flesh that is still left in us will be completely dealt with before the end of today in Jesus Name, amen.

God bless you all in Jesus Name.

THE PEACE OF GOD-25/03/2014

THE PEACE OF GOD-25/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE III ”. Today’s message is titled “THE PEACE OF GOD” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Philippians 4:7: " And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." and read Philippians 4:4-8. The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 19-20 and Psalm 69:22-36 .(Adeboye, 2014).
Quoted below is the text for today's message. God bless you as we meditate and discuss on this topic

"There is nothing tangible that can he achieved in an organisation, family or mind without a peaceful atmosphere. This is why when the world was characterised with chaos in Genesis 1 :1 -3, the first thing God did was to restore peace to the chaotic world. I pray that the peace of God will be your portion today in Jesus‘ Name. There are factors that can guarantee peace in the life of an individual, particularly a child of God. One of them is contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6&1 0 says that: "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after; they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Many people lack peace because they are not contented with what they have. They dabble into some nefarious activities in search of the material things of this world which lead to stress related diseases. We must beware not to run after the material things of this world which do not bring satisfaction, or those things that attract undue responsibilities, or those things that hurt when they have flown away. Also, avoid the abuse of things which bring discomfort like piles or stomach aches and other illnesses to your body (Proverbs 25:16). How do you cultivate contentment? Contentment is developed when you endeavour to enjoy the present blessings of God in your life and give Him glory for such benefits (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, Psalm 103:1 -5).

”l.et your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in ever thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:5-6

Other truths about having peace are revealed in this passage: One of such truths is that, to have the peace of God, you have to be moderate in your lifestyle without hypocrisy. Another is: do not be anxious for anything, or else you will lose your God given Peace. How then do you survive in a competitive world where the essential things of life are scarce? The next if. truth answers this: make your request known to God. He is . Jehovah-Jireh, the Great Provider. He will meet you at the point of your needs. it is when we obey what the ‘Hi Ye our admonishes us to do here that the peace of God will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. I pray for you ti body’ A peace of God will come mightily upon your trouble soul and spirit today in Jesus‘ Name."

For our prayer point, we are to Pray for the peace of God to reign in your entire life, family, church and nation today.

I pray that God will remove every obstacle to our peace in Jesus name. Thanks and God bless everyone for your prayer and encouragement yesterday. the Church will forever march on and the gate of hell will never prevail 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.

GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE III- 24/03/2014

GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE III- 24/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE II ”. Today’s message is titled “GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE III” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Nehemiah 13:31: Remember me O my God, for good. ” and read 1 San:uel 1:17-19.   The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 17-18 and Psalm 69:1-21.(Adeboye, 2014).

 "One truth the children of God must continue to O remember is that it takes divine remembrance to daily  experience deliverance in their lives and ministries. The best way to explain this is to interpret ”remembrance” as ”attention”, because God is never forgetful. In Isaiah 49:15 God said:

”Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget,  yet will I not forget thee.” 

So, God does not forget, but He may decide to ignore you if you continue to live in sin. One person that experienced divine remembrance was Hannah. The Lord remembered Hannah by paying attention to her prayer in_answer to E_|i's prayer. 1 Samuel 1 :1 7 says:

”Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.”

Hannah was under the bondage of barrenness for several years, but when God remembered her, she was delivered from the bondage of unfruitfulness. To someone using this devotional, I pray that the Almighty will remember and deliver you from allforms of bondage today in Jesus‘ Name. Let us learn from Hannah what she did to draw divine attention to herself and her situation. First, she prayed earnestly and fasted for God's attention. At times we need to demonstrate our seriousness concerning what we really want God to do for us by embarking on prayer and fasting. Jesus taught His disciples this truth in Mark 9:29. In addition, for God to remember you in your unpleasant situation, you have to cooperate with Him by playing your own role. My experiences have revealed to me the mistakes some children of God make as they expect God to play their own roles together with His. This ended at Calvary where God suffered as a man, but there He declared: IT IS FINISHED. If you are looking for a job, write applications and go out to attend interviews because God will not write an application letter for you, neither will He attend the interview on your behalf. Sufficient is the fact that He will back you up during the interview. The Bible reveals something that many may not pay attention to which, of course, was fundamental to the divine remembrance of Hannah.What is it? 1 Samuel 1:19“ says that:

”and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.”

What could have happened to Hannah's prayer if she and her husband did not play their part in this regard? Beloved, let us Cooperate with God, He will remember us for good in Jesus’ Name."

Today's action point is to Pray, fast and take steps under the guidance of the Holy Spirit concerning that situation that is bothering you. You will experience’ divine remembrance and deliverance

Again, I apologise for the inability to post the messages for the past two days as at when due. It was due to some challenges beyond my control. Please pray for me for more grace. God bless you all in Jesus Name, Amen

GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE II- 23/03/2013

GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE II- 23/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE 1 ”. Today’s message is titled “GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE II” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Geneis 8:1: "And God remembered Noah,and every living thing and all the cattle  that was with him in the ark: and  God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters as waged;." and read Genesis 8:1-4.  The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 16 and Psalm 68:22-35 (Adeboye, 2014).

When the world was in enmity with God and He decided to destroy it by a flood, Noah found favour in the sight of the Lord according to  Genesis 6:5-8. Though Noah and his family escaped from  the flood, they were however caged in the ark, which of  course would have become something else after some days  of eating and passing of body waste in the ark. God  remembered Noah and all the living things with him in the ark. May the Good Lord remember you for good today in   Jesus‘ Name. There are some revelations we can catch in this story. One of such is that when God remembers an  individual in trouble and bondage, the following things  would happen: the wind of the Holy Spirit will blow away  all the challenging situations (Genesis 8:1); the terrible  waters will be dried up and the fellow will escape being drowned (Genesis 8:2). Moreover, the tempestuous life will  become peaceful (Genesis 8:4). Beloved of the Lord, there are conditions for God's remembrance to facilitate deliverance as experienced by Noah and his family. One of such conditions is godly living, even in the midst of a perverted generation of men. It is a pity that many children of God in the 21“ century live ungodly lives with the excuse that the world is perverted. Jesus Christ said Noah will be a witness against these so- called children of God who would attribute their worldly and ungodly living to the fact that their world was ungodly (Matthew 24137-39). Pay attention to God's testimony concerning Noah: 

“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and at! thy house into the ark; for thee have I been righteous before me in this generation.” Genesis 6:9

Another of these conditions is a life of worship. God must see in you the desire to worship Him before He can remember you for good,‘ because He is a prudent investor (Genesis 8:20-22). I pray for you that the Almighty God will remember you for deliverance today in Jesus' Name. Please ensure you live a godly and Cultivate the habit of intense worship. You will thee experience divine remembrance.

The prayer point for today is "Father, remember me this day and deliver me from all my oppressors in Jesus' Name."

I apologise for the inability to post yesterday's message as at when due and for posting today's message late. It was due to some challenges beyond my control. Please pray for me for more grace. God bless you all 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.

GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE I - 22/03/2014

GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE I - 22/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS”. Today’s message is titled “GOD'S REMEMBRANCE AND DELIVERANCE I” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Luke 23:42: "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comes! into thy kingdom. " and read Luke 23:40-43   The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 13-15 and Psalm 68:7-21 (Adeboye, 2014).

Quoted below is the message text:

"When God remembers a sinner for good, He forgives that sinner, forgets his past sins and delivers him or her completely from the power of sin that has enslaved him or her for a long time. When God remembered the mercies He promised His people - Luke 1:72-75, He forgave the woman caught in adultery and empowered her to ”go and sin no more” (John 8:10-1 1). A very important thing to note here is that two different types of divine remembrance cannot clash in an individual's life. It is either God remembers the sins of an individual, closes the door of mercy and gets the individual punished, or He remembers His mercies and forgets the sins the individual has committed after genuine repentance (Ezekiel 33:13-16).

The robber in our Bible reading was remembered and was saved. There are lessons to be learnt from the robber on the right hand of the Cross. One of such lessons is that God is not only capable to save but is ever ready to save. The robber said: ”Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom”, and Jesus responded immediately: ”Today you will be with me in paradise”. It was as if Jesus was waiting for the robber to speak. Certainly Jesus wanted to rubbish the devil who might have been rejoicing that he was about to receive one more soul into the kingdom of hell. Jesus however snatched that soul from hell at the last minute. The good thing was that the One who paid the price in full was also the One who appropriated the benefit of the atonement on the robber. So there was nothing the devil could do. Another good thing about divine remembrance for salvation is that the process is simple. Genuine turn-around from wickedness to godliness (i.e. repentance) will earn earnest seekers of salvation divine remembrance. Zacchaeus was one of such seekers who genuinely repented after meeting the Lord. As a mark or repentance, of his own volition, he said to the Lord in Luke 1 9:8”:

”BehoId, LORD, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” 

Immediately the Lord in Luke 19:9-10 replied:

”...This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

How pleasant it would be, if as many as are reading this devotional, who are yet to experience salvation through Christ, would cry to Jesus today and say, ”Lord remember me for your salvation”. No doubt, there would be joy in heaven today (Luke15:7)!"  (Adeboye, 2014).

For the prayer point, Pray that the Almighty God will touch all members of your familly for genuine salvation today

SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS - 21/03/2014

SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS - 21/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “THE WAY OF ESCAPE ”. Today’s message is titled “SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise 2Timothy 4:2: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all Iongsuffering and doctrine. and read Luke 8:38-40.   The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 16-12 and Psalms 67:1 -68:6 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

"There is one great sin of omission that contemporary followers of Jesus Christ are guilty of. We enjoy God's grace, forgiveness, healing, breakthrough, P9309 and joy but fail to share the good news with others so that they may become beneficiaries of the benevolence of the Almighty God. We tend to take interest in staying in our beautiful cathedrals. When we are sent to go out and pioneer Churches in rural areas where people are in need of the  gospel, we see it as punishment! We tend to enjoy  listening to powerful, motivational sermons from our fathers in the Lord and their associates - tapping from their anointing on daily basis but refusing to go and share part of what we have received. What a crime of omission. Our Bible reading reveals one fundamental obligation of every genuine Christian which unfortunately, many children of God do not pay close attention to. A demoniac encountered Jesus Christ in this story and immediately fell in love with Jesus and His company. This man wanted to stay with Jesus, but He commissioned him to go and spread the  good news of his deliverance among his people. This is exactly what our Lord expects of us as His followers. This injunction however, does not encourage forsaking Jesus Christ to become independent or to begin to do whatever we like; Jesus spoke against such attitude in John 15:4-5. In Mark 16:15"He also said:

”Go ye in to all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Whenever we comply with this injunction, we do not only make our Lord happy, we also make His benevolence known. After the witnessing of the demoniac, the Bible reports Luke 8:40 that:

”And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were waiting for him.”

When we do what we ought to do on the field of evangelism, many good things will happen. First, darkness will give way for the light of the gospel. Secondly, Jesus Christ will be Lord wherever the gospel is preached. Thirdly, in anticipation of the second coming of our Lord, people will be conscious of what they do in the society. Lastly, the world will be a better place to live in. Therefore beloved of the Lord, I encourage you to begin to spread the good news of what the Lord has done for you and what He is capable of doing for others too, all in the light of His gospel. God bless you as you do so in Jesus' Name. "

Today's action point is to decide today that you will not sleep until you witness to at least one person about the goodness of Jesus Christ.

God bless you all for your contribution. Have a fruitful day

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

THE WAY OF ESCAPE-20/03/2014

THE WAY OF ESCAPE-20/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “NOURISHED BUT FRUITLESS? ”. Today’s message is titled “THE WAY OF ESCAPE” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Acts 2:21:: "YAnd it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." and read Matthew 24:29-30.  The Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 7-9 and Psalm 66:7-20 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

"The Bible predicts that a lot of problems and calamities will befall the world as the judgment day approaches. For example, Prophet Joel in Joel 2:30-31, predicted that the Lord will show divers wonders in the cosmos and on earth: 

“And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ also did not hide this reality from us, as we read in today's Bible passage. The apostles also were not kept in the dark concerning the pending doom that is to come upon the earth and its inhabitants. Peter in 2 Peter 3:10 wrote that:

”But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

The fact therefore is: there shall be tribulation. The question then is: ”ls there no way of escaping these calamities since the word of the Lord cannot but come to pass?” We may need to ask another question and that is: ”What can one do to escape these inevitable disasters that are not only gathering momentum but are already here with us?” Glory be to God Almighty, who is full of tender mercies and loving kindness. He provides a way of escape in Joel 2:32:

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: ”

The onus therefore is on us to cry to him for pardon if we do not want to be part of the terrible happenings in these last days. How then should we call upon the Lord? We should call upon the Lord in repentance and holy living. Every man and woman, boy and girl must repent to escape from the wrath to come. The Bible in 2 Peter 3 :11 says that:

”Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”

Father, I don’t want to perish with the world. Help me to live right, and spare me me affliction of the ungodly.

I pray that whatever it will cost us to make heaven, the Almighty God will give us the grace to pay the price in Jesus Name, amen.

God bless you all 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.

NOURISHED BUT FRUITLESS? - 19/03/2014

NOURISHED BUT FRUITLESS? - 19/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “THE COST OF ETERNAL LIFE”. Today’s message is titled “NOURISHED BUT FRUITLESS? ” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise John 15:16: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain : t h a t whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." and read  Luke 13:6-9. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 4-6 and Psalm 66:1-9 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

Jesus Christ who had cursed a fig tree in Mark 1 1 :14 for being unfruitful, gives the parable of a well-nurtured fig tree which had nothing to show for the nourishment given by its owner in Luke 13:6-7. The reaction of the owner of this fig tree is our point of study today. This farm owner in Luke 1 3:7” said: ”Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground .?” He was expectant of pleasant fruits based on his efforts to cause the tree to bear fruits, but sadly, the tree failed to meet his expectations. His reaction was that the fig tree should be cut down.

Beloved, the Bible in 1 Corinthians 3:9 says that you are God's husbandry. God is the husbandman; you are the lively tree being nurtured since the day of your birth, and particularly, since the time you gave your life to Christ. That you are alive to see this day is a pointer to the fact that you have received both physical and spiritual nourishment up till date. The question is: are you nourished yet fruitless? The husbandman said: ”cut it down”. This is serious. May we not be cut down in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The practical ”Amen” to this prayer is simply turning away from a life of fruitlessness and beginning to bear fruit. To those who have not. had a serious commitment to Jesus Christ through genuine repentance, the Bible in Matthew 3 :8&1 0 says:

”Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast in to the fire.”

To those of us who by the grace of God are chi ldren by the Spiritof God, Jesus said in John 15:4: 

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”

Therefore, let us give ourselves completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Let us begin to go the ”extra mile” with Him. The reward is certainly sure. Apart from the avoidance of being cut down and of being thrown into the fire, Jesus in today's memory verse promised that you will not be denied good things of life if you bear good fruits."

Today's action point is to Meditate on Galatians 5:22-26.
Galatians 5:22-26
New International Version (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

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

THE COST OF ETERNAL LIFE - 18/03/2014

THE COST OF ETERNAL LIFE - 18/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS”. Today’s message is titled “THE COST OF ETERNAL LIFE” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Mark 9:47 "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter in to the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast in to hell fire." and read  Matthew 13:45-46. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Ezekiel 1-3 and Psalm 65 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

"Jesus Christ gave a parable in our Bible reading today on the importance of making sure we are not exempted from the kingdom of God. He likened the kingdom of God to a precious pearl that a rich merchant sought for, and after he had found it, went and sold all that he had just to buy it. In Mark 9:47, Jesus gave another serious instruction, showing just how important it is for everyone to strive to gain entrance into the kingdom of God. He said that if your eye, as precious and important to living as it is, will disqualify you from gaining entry into the presence of God at the end of your life, you should pluck it out! This is food for thought when we observe how careless we could be when it comes to the matter of making it to Heaven at the end of life. We seem to trivial is the problem of sin and what sin is capable of doing against our souls.

”But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall ha ve their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brims tone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

It is unfortunate that modern day theologians are writing and teaching people to be comfortable in their sinful lifestyle. They are explaining away the reality of Heaven and Hell. These two realms are real; they should not be explained away. As we continue to live on this planet earth, we should always remember that we do not have a permanent stay here. No matter how blessed we are with long life, eternity is not here on this present earth. A new earth and a new heaven are in the making for us according to Revelation 21:1-2. Therefore, whatever will disqualify you from gaining entry into the new earth and the new heaven should be discarded immediately. The reason is not far-fetched; death may come at any given time and the expected tomorrow may not come. Failure to enter to the kingdom of God leaves room only for the second option which is disastrous — hell. Today is the day of salvation, now is the acceptable time. Every weight that besets us must be done away with in accordance with the admonition in Hebrews 12:1:

”Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us la y aside every weigh , and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

Today's prayer point is "Father, please grant me strength in my inner man to stop doing whatever lam doing that will make me a candidate for hell, in Jesus’ Name." "

God bless you richly for your contribution to today's forum, amen

PRAYER: ANTIDOTE TO CHALLENGES- 17/03/2014

PRAYER: ANTIDOTE TO CHALLENGES- 17/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS”. Today’s message is titled “PRAYER: ANTIDOTE TO CHALLENGES” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Nehemiah 4:6 "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work." and read  Nehemiah 2:13-20. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Lamentations 3-55 and Psalm 64 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below for our usual discussion:

"Every good builder has a foe, and that is the discourager. As we have read in the passage for today, Nehemiah determined to rebuild the destroyed city of Jerusalem; but then, he was faced with opposition! Sometimes, when you determine to do something good for God, you are surprised to come across opposition to your good intentions. Nehemiah could not be deterred, and neither should we be. As a young minister in the Church, I planned a programme for the purpose of winning souls to the Kingdom with the approval of my father-in-the-Lord. A senior pastor heard about it and picked a quarrel with me. I was surprised because my expectation was commendation and not condemnation. I could not   understand how winning souls could become sacrilegious. I therefore reported the matter to the General   Superintendent, but he asked me to go and beg the senior pastor so that the programme could hold! I obeyed; thou I did not know why I should do that except for the fact that my father-in-the—Lord asked me to. I thank God I  did.

Reading through the book of Nehemiah, you will discover that Nehemiah's strength was hidden in his prayer life. He prayed all through to the God who gave him the vision to build, and he was strengthened (Nehemiah 4:1-4). Jesus Christ also used the medium of prayer to overcome the challenges of His assignment of saving the world (Luke 22:41-44). So, when you are convinced of what the Lord has asked you to do, go ahead and pursue it with all your strength, but do not leave prayer out of it. For those in opposition to good things, there are lots of lessons for you in this story as well. Beware of standing in opposition to what God does or wants to do, or else, you will live to regret your actions. You should know that what you think   should not happen or will be impossible to achieve will story of the 24-hour miracle that terminated the famine in Samaria is one to take note of (2 Kings 7:18-20). The man of God prophesied super-abundance after a long time of  of famine in Samaria, but a powerful minister in the king's cabinet said it was not not possible. He saw It happen but he did not partake of it according to the word of the man of God. God. May this not be your portion in Jesus‘ Name. Let us join hands to build our country. Let us cease from being destructively critical of our political and economic system. Rather, let us build our nation through prayers and we shall see and eat the good of the land in Jesus‘ Name."

Today's prayer point is "Father, five me the strength to build your kingdom on earth, and make me a partaker of the celebrations to follow."

I pray that when the book of remembrance is being opened for kingdom builders on earth, none of us will be left behind in Jesus name.

God bless you for your contribution today. Have a fruitful week ahead

Reference:

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

BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS - 16/03/2014

BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS - 16/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “DELIVERANCE: DIVINE ASSURANCE”. Today’s message is titled “BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Luke12:15 "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man;s life consisted not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." and read  Luke 12:13-15. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Lamentations 1-2 and Psalm 63 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

"one of the challenges of the 21“ century world  and the Church in particular is covetousness.  Worldliness is now the greatest foe of the Church and it seems leaders are becoming helpless in  this regard. The amazing thing is that this seemingly helpless situation had been spo en of b the Lord of t e Church - Jesus Christ, and by His early apostles. It is therefore incorrect to think that the present situation is irredeemable. Jesus warned us against covetousness in Luke 12:13-15. It is surprising to hear Jesus indirectly telling His audience that the man who came to complain about his brother's overbearing attitude was covetous. Not many people will understand this except by divine revelation. In other words, it appears in this passage that the complainant was asking for too much! It takes covetousness to ask for too much. The vanity in being covetous is that the life of a man is neither made more meaningful nor pleasant by the abundance of his material possessions. The Bible in Ecclesiastes 5:10-11   says: 

”He that Loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor be that Loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes .?”

Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote to warn us against the menace of worldliness and covetousness. He encouraged us to embrace godliness with contentment which, he said, is great gain. He further wrote in 1 Timothy 6:9 that: 

”But they that will be rich fall in to temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

Beloved, how far have you been dragged into the world? How far has the world been dragged into you? Those things that did not matter to you years back, are they not what you are running after now? Remember that the rich people of yesterday ran into the Church before they could have peace and satisfaction. They envied believers and came to share in our heritage. Good for them, but bad for those of us who have thrown away the peace and joy that money cannot buy for the vanity of this world."

Today's action point is to Check your life to find out whether the trio of lusts - the lust of the flesh, of 

the eye and the pride of life are present. Determine to mortify them for everlasting joy and peace.

I aplogise for the delay in today's posting. This is due to unexpected error in my network. 

Hope you had a nice time in God's presence today

Reference:

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

DELIVERANCE: DIVINE ASSURANCE - 15/03/2014

DELIVERANCE: DIVINE ASSURANCE - 15/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “GOD, MY FORTRESS”. Today’s message is titled “DELIVERANCE: DIVINE ASSURANCE” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 91:3"Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence." and read  Mark 16:17-18. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Jeremiah 52 and Psalm 62 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

"When God speaks, that settles it. He reigns forever. When He gives a decree, it is forever. When He says ”surely”, it means surely. When He says surely, it will be well with me, nobody can change it. He says surely, by His stripes I am healed, and nobody can change this. He says surely, everything I do shall prosper, and nobody can change this. This assurance can be yours too. Provided you dwell in the secret place of the Most High and you abide under the shadow of the Almighty, surely, all shall be well. But if tomorrow you decide to go back from Jesus, it is entirely a different matter. No doubt, there are enemies pillaging the lives of unsuspecting victims and careless children of God. Satan is their garrison commander. According to 1 Chronicles 21:1:

"And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number lsraeI.”

It was Satan who plotted against Israel but it was David who did the actual numbering of Israel. Satan will always use somebody against you. He sets traps for people by luring them with bait.

In our Bible reading today, our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the assurance of victory and deliverance from the onslaught of our enemies. It is interesting that demons which Satan uses to kill, maim and destroy lives, are what our Lord Jesus Christ gave us authority to cast out in Luke 9:1 :

Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.”

Take note of the fact that Jesus gave power and authority over all devils; all without exception. This indicates that it is a sheer waste of time to be asking demons or their victi ms such questions as: ‘What is your name?‘ ‘Where do you live?‘ In as much as the authority and power given to us covers all devils, it is wisdom to exercise it without limit. In the same vein, our Lord gave us power and authority to cure diseases-diseases in plural form! This is the assurance we have, that we should no longer be living at the mercy of the devil. Deliverance is a divine assurance for all believers that know their God. Let it be said on the mountains and in the valleys that Christians should not be living at the mercy   of the devil any more. Also, let Christians take the battle to the gates of the enemy because victory is guaranteed in Jesus‘ Name. The good news is that God can deliver you from every form of demonic possession. He will deliver - you from all forms of diseases and demon-possession if you a are already trapped. Call upon Him today and He will answer you."

The prayer point for today is " Father, please deliver me from the snare of the fowler and protect me from the noisome pestilence, in Jesus Name."

Wishing you the best of the weekend. God bless you for your contribution

GOD, MY FORTRESS - 14/03/2014

GOD, MY FORTRESS - 14/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “GOD, MY REFUGE”. Today’s message is titled “GOD, MY FORTRESS” as provided by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 71:3"Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress." and read  2 Samuel 22:1-4. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Jeremiah 51 and Psalm 61 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

"The Most High God is our fortress. What is a fortress? A fortress is a stronghold where you can fight from. After you have been in a refuge for some time and you are now prepared for battle, the place of refuge can become your fortress. A fortress is w ere you are to put on your armour, consolidate all your strengths and then go out to battle. The Almighty God is not only my refuge but He is also my fortress. This speaks of His Almightiness. Jehovah-Nissi is not just a defensive God; He can equally be on the offensive! He is the Divine Garrison for genuine children of God. The God who told Elijah to go and hide was also the One who told him to go forth and fight after some time. In 1 Kings 18:40, we see a different Elijah:

”And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.” the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”

The time of hiding was over and it was time to go to battle. We also have another example in 1 Samuel 17:43- 45. Here we see how God can be a fortress. Goliath cursed David by the name of his gods and David handed Goliath into the hands of the Lord of Hosts. Goliath came to David with sword, spear and with a shield; but David confronted Goliath with the Name of the Lord of Hosts and of the God of the armies of Israel. While Goliath was disappointed by his gods, sword, spear and shield, David was protected by the everlasting arms of the Almighty.

If you pay close attention to the memory verse of today, you will discover something intriguing about our God who has never lost a battle. David discovered this truth and he asked God to be his strong habitation where he can continually resort to. No wonder the Bible says because you have made the Lord your habitation, there shall no evil befall you (Psalm 91:9-10). To make the Almighty God your habitation, you must live holy because He is hol . Some people may not accept an invitation to spend, their vacation in the house of an important personality who is noted for cleanliness because of their dirty habits. Don't continue to short- change yourself of the privilege of living with the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. When you make God your fortress, He will deliver you from the unrighteous and cruel men of your generation. My prayer for you is that your changed life will qualify you to have God as your habitation in Jesus‘ Name."

Today's action point is to Take an inventory of your life and see what may disqualify you from having your abode with the Lord of Hosts. Take positive steps to change immediately.

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

GOD, MY REFUGE- 13/03/2014

GOD, MY REFUGE- 13/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “VICTORY OVER ENEMIES II”. Today’s message is titled “GOD, MY REFUGE” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 91:2 "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.." and read  Psalm71:1-3. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Jeremiah 49:23 to Jeremiah 50:46 and Psalm 60 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

"The Almighty God, who is also the Most High, is our refuge, if only we belong to Him. A refuge Is a place where you hide especially when trouble comes. For me, this place is in the presence of God Almighty. I can   hide underneath the Name of Jesus and say nobody can touch or harm me. Hiding does not always indicate cowardice. Brave men also hide. As a matter of fact, an adage in my native language says in part that ‘you know a man of valour by his ability to fight and hide‘. There are several occasions in the Bible w ere strong men of God were told by God to go and hide. 1 Kings 17 :1-3 shows such an instance. Here we meet a mighty man of God who came before a king and pronounce that there would be no rain until he commanded it. Immediately after his statement, God told him to go and hide. Is this not strange?   Was God afraid of the king? No! There are moments when we have to learn to hide. When God says you should go and hide, what it implies is that the battle is no more your own but His own. When God starts the fight, you have to leave the scene. I have learnt to hide when God says I should hide. If God asks me to hide so that He can fight for me, I will gladly hide.

  In Psalm 71 :1 -3, the Psalmist declared his total trust in the  Lord and earnestly prayed to the One who has never lost a battle. He told the Lord that if God would not keep him, he a was finished, because he had no surer alternative. One of my sons told the story of how he threw away all the charms he took from his ‘father's house after his conversion. According to him, he blew the bridge between his magic  world and the new world in Christ he had come into. It  became difficult for him to think of going back because he  had destroyed the charms which took his father decades to gather in the occult world. Let's pay close attention to  Psalm 71 :2 which says:

”Deliver me In thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

The Psalmist points out something fundamental to divine  security here. It is only the righteousness of God that can   keep and cause us to escape the onslaught of the wicked world. It is also the life of holiness that will make God to  incline His ear to our cry when we call on Him in the time of trouble. The promise of God in Psalm 91 :15 is for those  who love Him, know His name and keep his  commandments (Psalm 91:14). I pray for you that the Almighty God will be your refuge as from today in Jesus Name"

Today's action point is to put your trust in the Lord and shun any other alternatives the world may offer you and you will live in peace and safety

God bless you richly for your contribution in this forum today

Reference:

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

VICTORY OVER ENEMIES II - 12/03/2014

VICTORY OVER ENEMIES II - 12/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “VICTORY OVER ENEMIES I”. Today’s message is titled “VICTORY OVER ENEMIES II” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Daniel 11:32 "And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." and read  Daniel 6: 19-22. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Jeremiah 47:1 to Jeremiah 49:22 and Psalm 59 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

"Paul in Philippians 3:10 prayed earnestly:

”That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of is sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ” One wonders what prompted the apostle to pray this type of prayer! It may be, as we shall shortly see, that he discovered the secret of victory in the knowledge of the Most High God. It is beneficial to know Christ. In Daniel 11:32, the Bible reveals that the people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. The knowledge of God is therefore the key to doing exploits for Him. The degree of your knowledge of the Almighty God determines the level of victory you will experience over your enemies. For victorious Christian living therefore, knowledge is not a matter of choice but rather that of life and death; for lack of knowledge could lead to death (Hosea 4:6). Knowledge is generally accepted as power. Power to conquer your enemies is in knowledge. This knowledge should be the knowledge of the Most High. Let's take a look at examples of some heroes of faith and see how their knowledge of God gave them victory. Joseph is a hero of faith who knew God, and this knowledge helped him to abstain from sexual immorality. When his master's wife asked him to sleep with her, he in Genesis 39:9‘ said:

”... .how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against'God.?”

Joseph knew that the act of sleeping with his master's wife was directly a sin against God because He knew the God of his fathers to be a Holy God. Another example is Daniel. Daniel knew his God to the level of obeying Him rather than observing the malicious decree King Darius signed up to in ignorance. Daniel knew that with his God, a l things are possible. He went ahead and prayed to the God that can kill and can make alive. Jesus said we should not fear those who can only kill the body; rather we should fear the One who can kill both the body and send the soul to hell (Matthew 10:28). The three Hebrew young men were boastful of their God as being able to deliver them (Daniel 3:1 6-18). They also knew that it could please Him to recall them to Himself in heaven through the fiery furnace. When you know God to be a consuming fire, you will not want to do anything that will offend Him. In return, your life of consecration and holiness will shield you against the onslaught of the enemy. Seek to know the Trinity today."

The prayer point for today is "Father, reveal yourself to me. Let me know you as I ought to, and let the  knowledge of you give me victory all the days of  my life."

I pray that the knowledge of God will pave way for us in every difficult situation 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.

VICTORY OVER ENEMIES I - 11/03/2014

VICTORY OVER ENEMIES I - 11/03/2014

Yesterday’s message was titled “IDENTIFY YOUR ENEMIES II”. Today’s message is titled “VICTORY OVER ENEMIES I” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise Psalm 91:1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the . shadow of the Almighty.” and read Psalm 91 :1-2. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Jeremiah 44-46 and Psalm 58 (Adeboye, 2014).

The message is quoted below. God bless you for your contribution

“The first thing that strikes you in Psalm 91 :1 is that there is someone called ”The Most High”. He is called ”The Most High” because He is higher than the highest (Ecclesiastes 5:8”). The Name of that Person called ”Th Most High” is Jesus. It is written concerning Hi -8 Philippians2:9 that:

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and grven him a name which is above every name:”

There is a story about four boys who were discussing  their fathers. Each boasted about his own. The first said his father was the greatest because his father was the Head of State. The second boy said his father was greater because h is father was the physician of the Head of State. His father could order the president to stay in bed for one week and the president would obey him. The third boy then said his father was higher than the fathers of the other two because his father was the medicine man of their fathers. He could kill  the two fathers if he wished. The fourth boy, who was the son of a messenger, said his father was the greatest of all four fathers because, not only could his father kill all their fathers, he could also raise the dead. They were amazed but he told them he was not talking about his physical father but  the One above, whose name is Jesus. In our reading today, we can see factors that guarantee us victory over our enemies. One factor is that ”The Most. High has a secret place where He hides his own in the time of troub|e.1he secret place of the Most High is not a building. It is a Name, His Name. Proverbs 18:10 says:

“ The name of the. Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

The Name of Jesus is our secret place of safety because the Father has ordained that at the Name of Jesus, every knee should bow (Philippians 2:10). We also discover from today's Bible reading that there is someone who is called "The Almighty”. He is so called because He is very strong; He can even do the impossible (Luke 1:37). The reason He can do the impossible is because power, real power, belongs to Him (Psalm 62:11).The question then is, ”how do I get under the shadow of this Almighty God?” It is simple; all you need to do is to make sure you are born-again. In other words, you must be born of God through the appropriation of the work of atonement by Jesus Christ when you confess and renounce your sinful ways. The Bible says that only those who are born of God and live by faith in Him are victors (1 John 5:4-5).Victory is yours in Jesus‘ Name.

Today’s prayer point as given by Pastor Adeoye is “Father, keep me from evil And let Your mighty hand uphold me that I may not fall away from your grace and mercy” Adeboye, 2014

I pray that we will forever remain in the Lord’s grace and mercy, amen.

Reference:

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