Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Tuesday, 16th January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 16TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS

MEMORISE:
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

READ: John 15:13-16

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:  but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

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: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

MESSAGE

An ambassador is a worthy representative of a kingdom and its people in general. In particular, he or she represents the head of the realm. Our memory verse today describes us as Christ’s ambassadors. It also spells out our responsibilities as the mouthpiece of God as He persuades all people to come over to His side. We are to speak for our Lord Jesus Christ concerning the work of redemption which He has finished for all mankind. As Christ’s ambassadors, we are not just His servants or errand boys; our relationship with Him goes deeper than that. The Lord Jesus Christ made us to understand from today’s Bible text that following His decision to choose us, He has promoted us to the level of a friend, and He is ready to reveal things He and His father discuss in secret to us. What a privilege! Psalm 25:14 says,

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.”

Why has the Lord made us His ambassadors? Some of the reasons are revealed in Mark 3:14-15:

“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:”

Ambassadors for Christ are ordained, first, to fellowship with the Master. In addition, they are to go out and preach the gospel of the kingdom they represent. They are to exert the dominion of their King over all obstructions to the expansion of His kingdom, by ministering healing and deliverance to all those who are oppressed of the devil. The ambassadors of Christ are expected to do what He did, and even greater works than He did (John 14:12). There are lots of benefits attached to being Christ’s ambassadors. One of these benefits is speedy answers to prayers. Elijah is a classical example of an ambassador for Yahweh. He prayed down fire that could quench water and God answered him immediately (1 Kings 18:36-38). Another benefit of being an ambassador for Christ is that after your tenure here on earth, you will live eternally with Him heaven. The Lord gave us His word on this in John 14:2-3:

“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

To be an ambassador for Christ, you must live a life that represents the Holy God. Choose to represent Christ everywhere you go, and you will not regret doing so.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to be a worthy ambassador of Your Person and Your Kingdom everywhere I go.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 34-35 and Revelation 14:14-15:8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE SIDE MIRROR

TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE SIDE MIRROR

Text: Philippians 3:13-14

Life is a race. An unending race. However, life is not the kind of race where we look out for the first, second or third positions. It is a race of destiny. A race where getting to the finish line is all that matters. Little wonder this race is not for the swift;

“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.” - Ecclesiastes 9:11.

When we drive in our cars on a smooth, long road, we get to come across other drivers, potholes or even ditches (in some countries of the world). Sometimes, we aim to overtake other drivers, at other times, they outsmart us. When we drive, we are of the habit of keeping track of other cars and drivers through our side mirrors. Unfortunately, in the race of life, many believers have taken a long drift off the focus in a bid to keep track of the past.

When we give the past too much attention, we automatically lose sight of the great things right ahead of us. The past could entail previous achievements and attainments or even disappointments. But, please take your eyes off the side mirror because no one makes accelerated progress by dwelling on the past; the windscreen have a lot more to offer.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Monday, 15th January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 15TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: DARING THE MOST HIGH GOD?

MEMORISE:
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: Psalm 78:56

READ: Daniel 3:14-30

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

MESSAGE

“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?” Isaiah 45:9

Whenever I read the words of this scripture above, I tremble. It is quite astonishing to see mere mortals “flexing muscles” with the One who made them. You can be a ‘dare-devil’, but you better not dare the Almighty God; the end result will always be catastrophic for you. Today’s Bible text narrates a classical example of someone who dared to challenge his Maker: King Nebuchadnezzar. When Nebuchadnezzar commanded all to bow before the golden image he had set up, the Hebrew boys refused to bow, daring the devil in King Nebuchadnezzar. In response, Nebuchadnezzar dared the God of heaven and threw His children into the fiery furnace in defiance of God’s supremacy. However, the God of those Hebrew boys, who is also the God of all flesh, showed up in the furnace and rescued His children. It is unfortunate that those who, by the order of the king, threw them into the fiery furnace were all burnt to ashes. I decree that as it happened to those who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fiery furnace, so shall it be to all the enemies of God in your life in Jesus’ Name. Although Nebuchadnezzar temporarily repented of his folly after witnessing the awesome power of God, he still got a taste of God’s punishment down the line: he was turned into a beast for a season (Daniel 4:28-37)! May those who are challenging the Almighty God in your life be like Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Herod and all those who dared the King of glory throughout history.

How can a mere mortal possibly challenge the Almighty God? It seems ridiculous, but amazingly, this happens on a daily basis in the world that we line in today. We see nations making law against the natural order set by God, judges redefining marriage contrary to what the Almighty God Himself instituted, and people calling to question the very existence of God. Such attitudes are not new. This defiant trend has persisted throughout all of history, but the sponsors of such assault on the Divine have always paid dearly for their actions. Are you daring God in any way? I hope your answer is no. Please, never you dare the Almighty God, not even through subtle disobedience. May the Lord cause you to be wise enough never to dare Him.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please remove folly far away from me so that I may not challenge You to a fight through disobedience.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 32-33 and Revelation 14:1-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Chorus:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

4.To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Thursday, 11th January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 11TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: HELP FROM ABOVE

MEMORISE:
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

READ: Psalm 121:1-8

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

MESSAGE

Not many people that the surest source of help is the God of heaven and earth, and for this reason, so many people struggle for a very long time without having anything to show for their efforts. No wonder wise King Solomon, in Psalm 127:1, confessed thus:

“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”

If you have been struggling all your life, with little or nothing to show for it, your struggles have come to an end today in Jesus’ Name. one struggle a lot of people battle with throughout their lifetime is the struggle against the power of sin. Apostle Paul, before coming to the knowledge of the saving grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, found himself in this situation. In Romans 7:24, he bemoaned his spiritual condition, saying,

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

The good news is that Paul found help from above and he is today, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, numbered among the saints. The same Jesus who did it for Paul can do it for you. the Lord is telling you to look up to Him for that help you seek, because looking elsewhere is an exercise in futility. The Lord Himself will send help from above to you today in Jesus’ Name. the Saviour who helped the woman caught in adultery to come out of her state of spiritual hopelessness, will set you free from the power of sin and empower you to sin no more in Jesus’ Name (John 8:3-11).

Beloved, let Jesus help you. He is calling you today, saying,

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

For you to receive help from above, you need to answer His call as matter of urgency. You can do this by surrendering your life to Him. You must stop relying on your own ability and stop trusting in the arm of flesh (Jeremiah 17:5). As a child of God, you must put your trust in Him even as you call upon Him in prayer to come and help you. However, before calling on the Lord, first ensure that there is no impediment in your life that would deny you of His help, because in Isaiah 59:1-2, He says,

“Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

PRAYER POINT:
Abba Father, please send help to me today, and don’t let me be put to shame.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 25-26 and Revelation 9:20-10:11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4.Whenlife’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Wednesday, 10th January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 10TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: THE PERFECT BOOK OF INSTRUCTION

MEMORISE:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16

READ: 1 John 1:1-5

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

MESSAGE

One of the problems confronting contemporary Christians today is accepting the infallibility of the Holy Scriptures. The truth of the matter is this: the Christian faith falls into disarray the moment the integrity of the Bible is destroyed by any so-called logical argument. Glory be to God, our Christianity is not based on logic or human reasoning; rather, it is built on the wisdom of God and on the demonstration of His power. Hallelujah! This is the foundation built upon by the prophets and apostles of the early Church. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 says,

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Is it not amazing that right from the time of the early apostles, some people crept into the Church to argue against some of the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith, such as the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12, 2 Timothy 2:18)? It should therefore be no surprise to any student of the Bible that toady, even some so-called clergy do not believe in the resurrection of Christ. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:13-20, used the wisdom of God to present the truth about the resurrection and its significance to the Christian faith. Some people choose to ignore such presentations of truth, and consider them to be fables or allegory. The early Church succeeded in subduing many heresies because they held unto the Scriptures as the infallible word of God. More then ever before, the sufficiency of the Bible for doctrine, for reproof and for instruction in righteousness is being questioned and doubted today. Thank God, the Holy Spirit knew this would happen, and He, in 2 Timothy 3:16, declared thus to all this who will listen and be saved:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

People argue against Scripture passages that attack their ego or their weaknesses. They pick up what suits them in the Old Testament, like the blessings listed in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, but when they get to Malachi 3:10 that speaks on tithing, they see it as an outdated instruction to the Jews only. Moreover, some people jump at Philippians 4:19 and appropriate it into their lives as infallible Scripture, but when they get to places like 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, they will claim such passages were written only for the Church at Corinth. Such people choose to ignore the words of 1 Corinthians 10:11. All these are signs of the end-times. Know this for sure: the word of God is settled in heaven, forever. Amen.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, help my faith in Your holy word to be unshakable, and grant me grace to live by it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 24 and Revelation 8:13-9:19

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Chorus:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

4.To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Monday, 8th January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 8TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: PREACH THE WORD

MEMORISE:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Matthew 28:19

READ: 2 Timothy 4:1-5

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

MESSAGE

You will observe that parents often pass across their most important instructions to their children at the time they about to leave the world. In like-manner, our Lord Jesus Christ, when He was about to leave this world, gave us the instructions contained in our memory verse today. The Body of Christ refers to this set of instructions as The Great Commission. Due to the place of this mandate in the heart of God, I always encourage my spiritual children to be guilty of the error of neglecting to act upon it. Not only must we do the work of The Great Commission, we must also do it right. We must be like a certain torch bearer at a railway crossing, whose responsibility was to warn people from crossing the rail lines whenever a train was approaching. He indeed waived the torch at the sight of an approaching train, but alas, the torch had no light in it. You can be sure the result of such error of omission would be catastrophic. It is terrible to not engage in evangelism, but it is much kore terrible to engage in it as an empty routine. On the other hand, it is life-giving when we engage in it with all due diligence.

In 2 Timothy 4:2, the Holy Spirit gave us a template for what the mode of our evangelism and content of our message should be:

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

From this scripture, we understand that the gospel should be preached when it is convenient (in season), and also when it sounds offensive to the society we live in (out of season). We also understand from this scripture that our gospel message should contain reproof, rebuke, exhortation and doctrine. Many preachers today chose not to dabble into doctrinal issues because they would not want to be caught in controversies. You hear them saying, “I am sent to preach prosperity or deliverance and not doctrine!” One wonders whether they preaching the same message given by the Holy Spirit to the early disciples, which put Stephen and James to death. Are they preaching the same gospel that landed and Paul and Silas in the midst of controversies and ultimately in jail? Should we, because of the fear of controversies, imprisonment or even death, fail to preach the word as we ought to? God forbid (Revelation 2:10)! I encourage you, if you have encountered the saving grace of Jesus Christ, to rise up for the salvation of others, in season and out of season, by preaching the unadulterated word of God to them.

ACTION POINT:

Organise a line of action on evangelism in your local assembly and ensure that the undiluted word of God is preached regularly through it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 19-20 and Revelation 7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Chorus:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Saturday, 7th January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 7TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: REDEEMED FOR DIVINE PROMOTION

Memorise:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:  Colossians 1:13

Read: Psalm 75:5-7

5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Message

“ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”   John 10:10

For you to reap the full benefits of the abundant life that Jesus Christ came to give, you need to understand the character of this life. Many children of God short-change themselves because they do not know that the redemption which Jesus Christ earned for us through His Blood is an all-round redemption that touches every aspect of our lives (Colossians 1:14,20). For example, not only did He redeem us from the power of sin, He also translated us to become citizens of God’s Kingdom. As Kingdom citizens, we are lifted above principalities and powers of this world. The Holy Spirit makes this truth clear through these verses of the Scripture:

“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:” Ephesians 1:20-21

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”  Ephesians 2:6

The implication of this is that the devil should no longer dominate, buffet or torment us anymore because we are no longer under his feet, where sin had previously kept us. We have been bought with a price that frees us from the tyrant master (1 Corinthians 7:23, Hebrews 2:14). We are divinely promoted as kings and priests, as declared in Revelation 5:10:

“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

We are redeemed and promoted above sorrow, poverty, sickness and every form of oppression of the devil. Beloved, learn to celebrate and enforce the divine promotion you have obtained through redemption. Moreover, if you desire promotion in any facet of life, our text tell us that only God promotes. Therefore, put your trust in God, and your promotion will manifest sooner rather than later, and it will be beyond your wildest imagination in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:
Spend some quality time to celebrate your divine promotion by rendering high praises to God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 17-18 and Revelation 6:3-17

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: A NEW THING
(Tune: There shall be showers of Blessing)

1. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because GOD will do new things
Sinners will soon be forgiven
Prodigals will come home soon.

Chorus:
Shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Rivers in desert now flowing
Halleluyah to our king.

2. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Sickness and sorrow will be gone
Bondage will be forgotten.

3. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
The barren will be fruitful soon
Failure will be forgotten

4. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Poverty will be forgotten
Stagnancy will soon be gone.

5. We will soon shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
To all miracles are given
There shall be celebrations

6. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Many will have testimonies
Of prayers answered fully

7. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
One of us will chase a thousand
Two will conquer ten thousands.

8. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Songs of praises we will sing
Halleluyah to our King.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Friday, 5th January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 5TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: SPIRITUAL SEPARATION

MEMORISE:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8

READ: John 15:4-6

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.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

MESSAGE

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46

The above verse of Scripture vividly captures what spiritual separation is and the agony that accompanies it. The Lord Jesus Christ experienced it on the cross of Calvary on behalf of all mankind, when He carried the sins of the entire world upon Himself, and the Father turned His face away from Him for the first and only time. My Prayer for everyone who is spiritually separated from God is thy their eyes of understanding will be opened to see their pitiable state, and that they will realise the agony that awaits them in eternity if they do not reconcile with God.

Sin is the root cause of spiritual separation. The reason is that the Almighty God cannot look at it or interact with sin (Habakkuk 1:13). If you are living a life of sin, you are spiritually separated from Him. Genesis chapter 3 narrates to us how the first man and woman experienced spiritual separation. After they sinned, they became empty and naked. They felt so worthless that even when God tried to reach out to them, they were too ashamed to show up. A sense of guilt and self-condemnation overwhelmed their hearts. We thank God today there is remedy for spiritual separation: the Blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:19-22). However, there is an eternal spiritual separation that is coming from which there is no remedy; the Bible refers to this as the second death. Today’s memory verse tells us some of those who will partake in this terrible experience and the first of these is the fearful. Proverbs 29:25 says,

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”

Saul, the first king of Israel, lost his throne because of the fear of man. Just like King Saul, many leaders have lost their God-given leadership position because of the fear of men. The unbelieving are next on that list. Unbelief was the bedrock of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Other practices such as lying, murder, adultery, incest, homosexuality, as well as witchcraft and sorcery, are the part way to eternal separation. Beloved, spiritual separation from one’s Maker brings about untold agony and frustration because without God, you can do nothing (John 15:5). If you are in the state of spiritual separation today, close the gap between you and your Maker through genuine repentance and by applying the Blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Blessed are you if you do this because you will escape the agony of eternal separation from God in the Lake of fire.

ACTION POINT:
Examine your life. Whatever brings separation between you and God should be done away with. Also ask for forgiveness and cleansing in the Blood of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 11-13 and Revelation 4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Thursday, 4th January, 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 4TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: ONLY BELIEVE

MEMORISE:
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18

READ: Romans 8:31-39

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

MESSAGE

Whenever I ruminate over the many-sided blessings embedded in the Good News that came through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, my heart is filled with great joy. I equally find it fascinating that no elaborate process involving complexities is required for us to access these blessings. Jesus did the hard work and made things simple for us. One of such blessings is freedom from condemnation. The righteous judgment of God against sin has brought all of mankind under condemnation. This is the reason why no man can escape the pain of guilt that results from sin, or the consequences that follow it. Romans 3:23 says,
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23 further says,
“For the wages of sin is death,”

However, the Good News is that Jesus Christ gives us freedom from the condemnation that had put a seal on the destiny of all mankind. In Romans 8:1, this Good News says,

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Those who are in Christ Jesus can now live a life free from guilt of sin or the feeling of inadequacy resulting from past misdeeds. Their conscience is liberated from condemnation because they know their sins have been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus (Revelation 1:5). What does it take to access this blessings of freedom? Only Believe! Believe in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, believe He is who He says He is, and believe in the work of salvation He has completed. How do you know you truly believe all these? When your actions and confessions reflect what you claim to believe, that is when you truly believe.

Another blessing of the Good News that you can have access to by faith is the truth that Jesus Christ, though rich, became poor, so that through His poverty, you might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Your faith in this article of the Good News will prevent you from doing diabolical or criminal things to get rich, because you know that your prosperity lies in the sacrificial life that the Master has lived. Believing in the words and works of Jesus gives us contentment, the absence of which brings many sorrows to those who want to be rich by any means (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Beloved, do you believe all these? If you do, live your life by the ideas of the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will forever be free from condemnation, now and in eternity.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to live according to Your will, so that I may not be condemned with this world. Grant me grace not to lose sight of the words and works of Jesus. Amen.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 8-10 and Revelation 3:7-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4.Whenlife’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Wednesday, 3rd January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 3RD JANUARY 2018

THEME: THE OVERCOMERS

MEMORISE:
 

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:32

READ: Revelation 21:1-7

1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

MESSAGE

Since the advent of sin into this world, life has become a battle for mankind. In the battle of life, one is either an overcomer or a victim. My prayer for you is that you will live the rest of your life as an overcomer in Jesus’ Name. Today’s memory verse expressly reveals to us the secret of overcoming in the battle of life:

“…whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered:”

However, the truth in this verse of scripture throws up this question:

“How then shall they call on him whom they have not believed?” Romans 10:14

Therefore, before you can overcome by calling on the Name of the Lord, you need to first believe in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and in His finished work on the cross of Calvary. When you believe this and you confess so with your mouth, you become “born of God”. Here is what the Bible, in 1 John 5:4-5, says about those who are born of God:

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Living the reality of being an overcomer in this world means that you daily experience the victory that Christ has obtained for you over the enemies of your body, soul and spirit. It means living your life everyday as having been delivered from the power of sin, and when you overcome sin, you have invariably overcome death, which is at the pinnacle of the battle of life. James 1:15 says,

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Are you under any siege in the battle of life? Has life dealt you so many blows that you do not have the will to go on? Don’t give in to depression, and don’t contemplate suicide. This is a great time for you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, through genuine repentance. In prayer, call upon the Name of Him That is able to save, and you will overcome! Are you saved but still living under the shackles of this world? It is time to realise who you are, shake yourself up from the dust of pity and begin to enforce the victory that Christ has won for you!

ACTION POINT:
Call on the Name of the Lord convening any area of life where you have been experiencing defeat.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 5-7 and Revelation 21:18-3:6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SINS

1. What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Chorus:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2. For my Cleansing this I see
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
For my cleansing this my plea
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

3. Nothing can my sin erase
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Naught of works, 'tis all of grace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

4. This is all my hope and peace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
This is all my righteousness
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Tuesday, 2nd January, 2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE : TUESDAY 2ND JANUARY 2018

THEME : COME WITH US

Memorise:
And he said, My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Exodus 33:14

Read : Exodus 33:12-17

12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

Message

Only a fool would think that he or she can exist independent of God, who is the Maker of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them (Romans 1:20-22). Moses, the servant of God, knew this and he consequently did not make the mistake of doing anything without God’s approval. In today’s Bible reading, he insisted on the presence of God going with them as they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

There is this story of three fishes in the sea living under the threat of sharks. They went to the Almighty God to ask for help concerning the danger of death looming over them.
The first fish asked God for many eyes so that it could see sharks approaching from any direction and escape to safety. The second fish demanded for wings so that it could fly away from the reach of sharks whenever they came after it. The third fish only asked for the presence of the Almighty God wherever it went. The Lord granted all their requests, and they swam away happily. Not long after, sharks came after the first fish, and immediately with its many eyes, it saw them coming! It took a jump into a nearby pond where the sharks could not go and began to laugh at the sharks. However, the water in the pond soon began to dry up and this fish died. The second fish also saw sharks coming for it, because it had been granted wings, it flew like a bird out of the water, but only to be caught in the air by an eagle flying by. So, the second fish ended up in the stomach of an eagle, which was happily surprised to have a delicious fish as its mid-flight meal. In contrast to these, the third fish, which had wisely requested the presence of the Lord, went swimming about without any fear of death from ferocious sharks. It was basking in the protection that comes with carrying the presence of the Lord. When the mother-shark would not go after it, the baby-shark asked its mother, “Why don’t we eat this beautiful fish?” The mother-shark cautioned it against entertaining such ideas, pointing to the shadow of the Almighty God following the fish everywhere.

Beloved, all that you need to succeed and have breakthroughs this year is God’s Presence in your life. I therefore encourage you to give your life totally to God through Jesus Christ. For His Presence to envelope your life, you need to walk daily with Him by fellowshipping with Him in the place of prayer and worship, and by framing your every thought around His Word. If you are faithful in doing this, He will abide with you, and you will live in safety throughout this year and beyond (Psalm 91:1-2).

Key Point:
The God that creates is the One that prospers, and He is the One that protects. Seek and ask for His Presence in all that you do from today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 3-4 and Revelation 2:1-17

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 2 : I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Chorus:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior!
I come to Thee.
   
2. I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.

RISE UP AND GET COUNTED

RISE UP AND GET COUNTED!?

Text: And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Romans 13:11

On daily basis, our world is ageing. The end of this age is drawing closer than ever. The Bible tells us in the book of 2 Timothy chapter 3 about the terrible times in these last days. The Bible also tells us about how the love of many will wax cold. Are you one of those whose love has waxen cold?

We are approaching a season when it will be more difficult to take a stand for God. Children of God are fast losing their identity in an overcrowded world

Won't you rather rise out of your slumber and get counted? Won't you rather stand with God and watch the lines fall to you in pleasant places? 

God is still enlisting and recounting men and women into His end-time Army.

Won't you rather be one with them?

Open Heavens Daily Devotional For Saturday, 30th December, 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 30TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME: OF SEASON

MEMORISE:
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Ecclesiastes 3:4

READ: James 5:1-6

5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten.

5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

MESSAGE:

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes3:1
It is clear from the above scripture that in God’s timetable, there is a time for everything. Life is split into different seasons. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; there is also a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastics 3:4). One lesson here is that every man is expected to go through the ups and downs of life. In order words, if you go through a weeping season, you will equally go through a laughing season. If you have experienced a season of mourning, you will also experience a season of dancing. However, if all you experience is the down seasons, something is most likely wrong somewhere. The forces of darkness, together with their human agents, often do what they can to manipulate their victims so that they never experience the good seasons of life. Every evil plot against you that is geared towards separating you from your good seasons shall come to naught in Jesus’ Name!
“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Luke 16:25

In Luke 16:19-31, the Lord told the story of a rich man and a certain beggar named Lazarus. These two characters experienced different seasons on earth that contrasted greatly with the seasons they found themselves eternally living in after they died. While the rich man enjoyed a good season on earth, he found himself in an unending season of torment in eternity. On the other hand, Lazarus experienced very bad seasons while on earth, but he found himself enjoying an unending season of joy in eternity. One crucial lesson here is that if your stay on earth is just to enjoy yourself without giving consideration to having a good relationship with God, be prepared to spend an eternity without God. If you live life without Christ, you will live an eternity separated from God. In other words, how you live today will determine the permanent season you will experience in eternity. What season are you bringing upon yourself for eternity? In our Bible reading, rich men living in so much affluence and engaging in the excesses of the rich were asked to mourn over the evil season that would befall them in time to come. Are you going through a bad season in life? You shall soon enter a new season of joy in Jesus’ Name. If you are in Christ, that season of joy will led to a permanent season of joy in eternity. Thank God for your new season of joy. Hallelujah!

ACTION POINT:
Take stock of the high and low points in your life this year. What could you have done differently to avoid some of the low points?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ecclesiastes 11-12
Song of Solomon 1-3
Malachi 2:17-3:15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:

Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

[Refrain]

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

[Refrain]

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

[Refrain]

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

[Refrain]