Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 10th May, 2016.
NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.

Memorise
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Message
Speaking about a ‘new life’ is an indication that there has been an old one. In Christianity, when we speak of the ‘old life’, we mean a combination of the philosophy of life and worldview that controls the lifestyle and behaviour of a person that is not born again. The new life in Christ however, is the new way of thinking and doing things in accordance with the Bible that we have come to be acquainted with since we became born again. Several passages of the Bible focus on issues concerning the old and new life in order to help Christians identify the sources of their thoughts and actions, whether they are remnants of the old evil ways or from the new life in Christ. Galatians 2:20 says:
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The book of Galatians devoted much effort to explanations on the old and new life, but what the above passage says about the old life and the new is golden. It simply says that when a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour, he automatically becomes dead to the old life, and communication with the old life becomes cut off. Everything about the thought process, interest, tastes, sensibilities, and the will becomes inaccessible to the former system of control. The old password simply refuses to work because the access code has been changed.
This event effectively marks the end on an era called ‘the old life’, and the beginning of the new life in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says;
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

At this point, everything about the life we lived before we met Jesus ceases. The control of our lives now shifts back to the original source, to the One who gave us this free gift of new life. We naturally begin to hunger for righteousness by pursuing purity, honesty, justice, unselfishness, love, humility, and service to humanity. The Bible makes it clear that becoming a Christian is much more than adopting a new philosophy of life. When a person becomes a Christian through the right process, all phases of life are renewed. It starts from a new mind; you instantly begin to think differently from the old ways, to the extent that you actually become surprised at your new self. You suddenly develop a new standard and you begin to measure everything you do in line with the Bible. The new life in Christ also comes with a new hope of abundant life here on earth and eternal life in Heaven. People may equate hope with wishful thinking, but real hope is based on the authority of the One offering it. God is faithful and dependable. You can count on Him for a new life in Christ.

Prayer Point
Father, please let the new life You gave me be refreshed every day of my life in the Name of Jesus.

Hymn 4: Take my life and let it be.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 11th May, 2016.
CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN?

Memorise
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
-Revelation 22:12.

Read: Revelation 22:11-14.
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Message
At the beginning of his ministry, Paul took a ride in a basket as he escaped for his life in Damascus (2 Corinthians 11:32-33). But the God who delivered him from the garrison at Damascus, allowed him to end up in jail at Philippi (Act 16). Because God answered a particular prayer yesterday does not mean that He would repeat another in exactly the same manner.
In Acts 16:25, Paul conducted a worship service in prison right in the midst of chains and bonds. He never complained. Paul learnt to praise God in whatever circumstance he found himself. Not many people can praise God when thrown into prison for the sake of the Gospel. He was prepared to undertake the worst of sufferings for the Kingdom of God (Philippians 1:20-21). He was not ashamed. Are you ashamed to suffer minor ridicule, persecutions, denials, beatings for His Name today? Paul could say we should become a living sacrifice to God because he was one.

In African traditional religion, when a bird or animal is brought as a sacrifice to an idol, the giver forfeits his right to that animal; it becomes the property of the idol for the rest of its life. Whether it lives or dies or is given to someone is at the discretion of the idol. That living sacrifice may be fed so well in one moment and killed the next minute. This explains the term living sacrifice. You should be so yielded to God to the extent of delivering to Him the greatest pleasure in whatever you do. If dying for the Gospel will give Him the height of pleasure, you should be prepared to die like Stephen. The preparedness of Daniel to go into the lion’s den demonstrates that he was a living sacrifice. But in the end, instead of death, his faith compelled a decree for the whole world to fear Daniel’s God. If my death can produce a United Nations decree compelling all nations of the world to worship no other god other than my God – the true and living God, I will gladly be on my way to Heaven. Are you a living sacrifice? And to what extent?

Prayer Point
Father, please give me the grace to always look unto You for everything I need in life.

Hymn 2: O Jesus I Have Promised.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 12th May, 2016.
KNOW YOUR CALLING.

Memorise
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit.
-1 Corinthians 12:4.

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

Message
Being called is an important issue which usually brings up endless discussions amongst Children of God. Meanwhile, we are advised to give due diligence to make our calling and election sure. The knowledge of our calling is not as important as what we are doing about it. How are you justifying Heaven’s confidence in you? Each time you stray from God’s path, purpose and will, you make the Heavenly host regret their choice. That you were chosen suggests you are special. You were chosen to be precious (1 Peter 2:4). Those who are chosen are called into divine friendship with God (Isaiah 41:. The chosen is allowed to draw nearer to God. Having been chosen, how close are you to God? Heaven defends the chosen to any extent. God turns impossibility into possibility and makes miracles common place in the life of the chosen. The important thing is to recognize Heaven’s calling on your life; we are called to be to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:12 says;
“That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

Gifts may differ just as the sun and the moon have their different spheres of influence. Unlike the moon, the light of the sun influences those under it to stay awake and work. It gives life, while the light of the moon-which is a reflection – influences those under it to close shop and rest. From Genesis 1:26-28, we understand that man was created for a purpose – to dominate everything God had made including the sun, moon and stars. You were created for a purpose, even if you were conceived by mistake, you are not an accident. Were you a product of rape? Even then, you have to fulfil God’s purpose on earth. God needed a particular man and a specific woman to come together in order to have you. If your father just impregnated your mother and disappeared, it could just be that he had finished his assignment. Before you were created, God knew you and He knows your worth to Him even when people think you are of no value because you lack education, money, skills or intellect.

God knows you and has ordained you for a purpose from your mother’s womb even without her knowledge or consent (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Physical ordination is only an outward manifestation of what God had already done before your birth. You were born for a great purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) and chosen by God before the foundations of the earth (Ephesians 1:3-5). You were chosen to be holy, blameless and in love. Anytime you dabble into sin, you contradict the purpose for which you were created. Is your life blameless like Daniel’s? If you find it difficult to do something perfectly, or people always find fault with your work, it could be that the spirit of error is operating in your life. Each time you fail to walk in love towards those who offend you, you contradict God’s purpose for calling you. As seen in our Bible reading for today, you were created to glorify God. Is your life praising God today? Are you fulfilling God’s purpose for creating you?

Action Point
List those things you do that are against God’s original purpose for your life. Determine to make appropriate corrections henceforth.

Hymn 12: My hope is built on nothing less.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 13th May, 2016.
LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

Memorise
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
-Matthew 5:14.

Read: Matthew 5:14-16.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Message
Jesus introduced Himself to humanity in John 8:12 as the light of the world. Just as the sun is the physical light of the world, so also is Jesus the spiritual light of the world. As the light of the world, Jesus exposes sin and gives sight. Our memory verse for today shows that Jesus is the primary light, and we are the secondary light. As the light of the sun is to the moon, so Jesus is the source of light, and we are the reflectors of the Light. Jesus said in John 9:5
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Now that He is no longer here, we are His reflected light in the world. I have often told my children that light is a very powerful force. When there is light, darkness has no choice than to disappear. John 1:5 says;
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not”.

The truth is, not all light can outshine darkness. For instance, Genesis 1 talks of categories of lights.
“And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also”
Genesis 1:16.

There are lights of the sun, moon and stars. Then there are man-made lights of varying sizes. If you flick on the tiny bulb of a flash-light in the midst of total darkness, you will only see the spot that the torch is pointing at. Everywhere else will still be surrounded by darkness.
The size of a light determines the area it will dominate or rule over. The Sun rules over the day because it is far brighter than the moon. If the moon were to replace the sun during the day, there would be darkness during a period that should be day time. Similarly, if you bring the sun to replace the moon during night time, the night will turn into day. This tells us that what determines the result of a situation is the amount of light it is exposed to. This means exposing varying degrees of light on the same situation will give you different results. The volume of the light of God’s Word that you are exposed to will determine the degree of change you can experience. Matthew 5:16 says:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

The intensity and size of God’s light in you will determine your sphere of domination. Although, God has commanded you to dominate everything (Genesis 1:28), the actual scope of your domination will be determined by the amount of God’s Word that is in you. The Word is the Light of the world. If you lack the Word, you lack the Light that gives definition to your ability to dominate. As you increase your Word content, you enlarge your coast. Staying away from the Word automatically reduces your glow and ultimately, your ability to control forces, situations and circumstances. On the other hand, the moment you stop shining as light, darkness will swallow you up. If you want to be victorious over forces of darkness, be daily exposed to more light from His Word.

Prayer Point
Father, please fill me with Your Light and let me shine across the whole world in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 14th May, 2016.
THE END OF THE LAW.

Memorise
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
-1 Corinthians 13:13.

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Message
The Bible says Christ is the end of the law (Romans 10:4), and it is entirely correct in every respect. Christ is the object of the law, the reason why the law was given; He is the fulfilment of the law, the conclusion of the law, the finality of the law, and the termination of the law. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. There is no righteousness of any kind (justifying righteousness or sanctifying righteousness) to be attained by our personal obedience to the law because it is written, “for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21).

However, Christ is not the end of the law for everyone. He did not fulfil the demands of the law for everyone. He is only the end of the law for the elects of God and all those who shall trust in His saving power. Christ is therefore the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes in Him.
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.” - Romans 10:4.

When Apostle Paul declared that Christ is the end of the law, he was not telling us that the law is evil. Writing by divine inspiration, the apostle meant that those apostate religious leaders who try to mix law and grace, who try to put believers under the yoke of bondage, desiring to be teachers of the law, do not know what they are talking about, “understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.” The law was never intended, in any sense, for those who are righteous before God.

The law was given for the unrighteous. The law is not evil. It is holy, just, and good. It would be well if all men lived in conformity to the law’s commands, both in outward practice and inward principle. Indeed, it is ordained of God and used by all civil governments to protect society from those who would otherwise disregard all respect for the rights, property, and lives of others.

This passage should not be used to legalise immorality and corruption as many are doing. Jesus did not come to invalidate the commandments of God in anyway. He was a law abiding person while He lived here on earth. Jesus teaches liberty and freedom from the binding effect of sin in that the letters of sin enslaves in a very powerful way. Yet, man has a strange infatuation with the law. Like the gnat that is drawn to the candle that will destroy it, man by nature is drawn to the law for righteousness, when all the law can give is destruction. The law can do nothing else but reveal sin and pronounce condemnation on the sinner (Romans 3:19-20).

Still, we cannot get men to flee from the law. They are so enamoured with their own self-righteousness and their own self-worth that they will cling to the law with a death-grip, though there is really nothing to cling to. They prefer Sinai to Calvary, though Sinai offers them nothing but death. Listen to the Word of God. If the opinions of men or your own opinions contradict the Word of God, “Let God be true and every man a liar.”

Hymn 12: My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less.

Prayer Point
Father, please give me the grace to live by Your righteousness and not my works.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 15th May, 2016.
WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES (I).

Memorise
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
-John 16:8.

Read: John 8:8-14.

Message
In the story of creation, the Bible talked about the earth being without form and void, and darkness being upon the face of the deep. In the midst of darkness and apparent confusion, the Spirit of God stepped into the scene, then God said, “let there be light” and there was light. We can then safely say that when the Holy Spirit comes into any situation, He brings light. If you ignite a fire, no matter how little it is, there will be light around the fire. In the midst of the darkness, emptiness and chaos, the Holy Spirit stepped in and light had to be created immediately. In other words, it was His coming that brought about light at the very beginning. The beauty of this is that the light of the Spirit exposes the hidden contents of darkness. This is confirmed by our Lord Jesus Christ when He said in John 3:20:
“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deed should be reproved.”
In Acts 28:3-6, when Paul gathered some firewood and lit it up, a serpent that was hiding in the wood suddenly reared up its ugly head, but Paul threw it back into the fire. If the fire of God is really burning in your ministry, it will expose every evil person in the church, and deal with them. When under the strong influence of the Holy Spirit, your personal problems will be exposed to you. Your greatest enemy is not the witch or wizard around, but yourself. Not many of us think we are part of our problems.

If you ask a student to mark his examination sheet, he will most probably award himself the highest grades. If you know that what is hindering your progress is in you, it is then important to deal with it. The fire in Acts 28:5 not only exposed the serpent, it also killed it. Every serpent that is hiding in any corner of your life shall be exposed and destroyed today in Jesus’ name. Moreover, if you walk in the light of the Spirit, people will hate you. Don’t be surprised that compromising brethren and church leaders would not only hate and persecute you; they may also want to get rid of you. If your presence does not allow them to steal, they will hate your guts. The more you allow the light of the Spirit to shine in and around you, the more difficult it is for your enemies to cover up their evil intents. This season, the Lord will expose all the hidden agenda of your enemies by the light of the Spirit.


It is obvious that without an encounter with the power of the Spirit, many will remain trapped and live far below their expected potentials. To fulfil your destiny, you must partner with the Holy Spirit. Another character who realized his potential was Peter. If you compare Peter before the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost with the Peter after Pentecost, you will notice some sharp differences. Before Pentecost, Peter was full of fear. He found it difficult to stand on his convictions. Even a maid could make him deny the Lord, but after Pentecost, he became so bold that not even the council’s threat stopped him. Before Pentecost, Peter realized his leadership potential but lacked the fire, zeal, direction and divine backing of the Holy Spirit to fulfil it. As a result of this, he went back for fishing after Christ’s death (John 21:1-3). But after Pentecost, he was able to perform according to Heaven’s expectations.

Prayer Point
Father, ignite the Holy Ghost fire in me that I may reach my full potentials in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 16th May, 2016.
WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES (II).

Memorise
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- Acts 1:8.

Read: Acts 4:31-34.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold.

Message
The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and the child of God is so vital that survival seems virtually impossible without Him. Jesus made several statements that emphasized the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christians.
Based our memory verse of today, the great commission could not be carried out without the support of the Holy Spirit. But when the power of the Holy Spirit is active we become exceptionally empowered for soul winning even in very difficult situations. I have had some unbelievable experiences about how the Holy Spirit can empower a person. While preaching in one of our programmes a few years ago, as I was about to pray,
I heard in my spirit a discussion between two witches – one on my right and the other on my left, saying it was time for them to operate. Immediately, I announced that if they came out they would be delivered, but if not, they would die within a week. Thank God they both came out and confessed. The presence of the supernatural would make men to see God the way He is. Quite a number of unbelievers believe that the testimonies they hear by testifiers are stage-managed – nothing but lies. But when they see the raw demonstration of God’s power, they will not need to be cajoled before they surrender. A man once attended our monthly Holy Ghost Service in Nigeria. His son had been trying to persuade him to surrender his life to Christ, but he refused to listen. As soon as he came in, as instructed by the Lord, I said “there is a man coming for the first time who came late because he was feeding his snake”. And that the Lord said before he gets home, his snake will die but if he loves himself he should surrender to Jesus or else he will die with his snake. Immediately he heard it, he ran out and was delivered. If you are in contact with the supernatural, soul winning would be ‘piece of cake’.
However, some have been baptized in the Holy Ghost but are not able to function the way they should. This is because the right knowledge is required to get the best out of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. For example, it is difficult for you to be in the Spirit when you are overfed with physical food. So if you want to be in the Spirit, watch your diet. On the other hand, feed on the Word of God. Spiritual overfeeding is allowed. Be constantly in the mood for prayer. Pray in tongues. Focus on God and cut off every distraction. Take time to give God spirit-filled praise, worship and thanksgiving. Open your heart wholly to God. Be sensitive to His voice. As you minister to God, be full of expectations. Be sensitive to all Heavenly communications: visions, dreams, voice, scriptures, impressions on your spirit man, ideas, etc. It is also important to set yourself apart just to fellowship with the King of kings. Take time to meditate on key scriptures. When last were you in the Spirit? Nothing is impossible to the one who is in the Spirit.

Prayer Point
Father, please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and empower me to do the impossible henceforth.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 17th May, 2016.
THE PEACE OF GOD.

Memorise
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:7.

Read: Philippians 4:4-8.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Message
We can know all the facts about God’s provisions, but if emotions do not support our knowledge, we will not be able to act upon what we know to be true. The peace of God applies a balm of inner serenity to our emotions. If you have the peace of God, you will feel at peace in mind and heart – the total inner person. All of us know what it is like to lack inner peace. Some crisis comes into our lives – some worry, some danger - and a turbulent storm rages within. Many people seek peace through tranquilizers, depressants, and other drugs. Others turn to illicit drugs or alcohol. Some try pseudo-religious movements such as transcendental meditation to find a solution for their lack of peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 says:
“Do not be careful for nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”

How does the believer walk in the shoes of peace? Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us that it is through prayer. Time alone with God in thankful, prayerful petition is the most effective inner tranquilizer. There is no solution to inner disquiet as effective as prayer. It always works. The peace of God transcends all understanding. That means the peace of God is above and beyond what we understand. It is more than we really need to see us through.

The next time you sense a great inner shaking or even just a slight inner disquiet, try prayer. Shut yourself away for thirty minutes or an hour alone with God. Use doctrinal praying. Pray back to God the truth of being “in Christ,” inseparably united with Christ in all of His person and work.  Pray through your understanding of the Holy Spirit. Pray on each part of the believer’s armor. Thank the Lord for all of His grace and goodness. Tell Him about your anxieties and concerns. God will intervene to change things. It may be so gradual, you will scarcely know how or when it happens, but when you finish, you will discover the peace of God within your emotions. A quiet inner serenity and calm reigns even though the storm may still rage around you. I know that to be true both by experience and by the Word of God. In fact, if you are practicing this kind of praying regularly, you will discover the peace of God already there before the crisis comes.

The Scriptures are utterly practical and workable. The Bible works when we use its promises in every circumstance of life. Have you ever considered that your lack of inner peace may be God’s way of calling you to prayer? We have many marvellous electronic gadgets available to us today. A lack of inner peace could be God’s beeper signals to you. God may be calling you for an audience with Himself. He wants fellowship with you, and in the process He will restore to you that peace that transcends all understanding.

Prayer Point
Father, let Your peace like a river flow over my life today in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 18th May, 2016.
A GIANT KILLER?

Memorise
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
-Romans 8:13.

Read: Colossians 3:1-6.
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

Message
David is the biblical man for all seasons, the most complex and many-sided human character in the Scripture. David was variously shepherd, fugitive, politician, king, poet, musician, prophet, warrior, friend (of Jonathan), lover, father, sinner (adulterer and murderer), penitent and “type” of Christ. David is unique among bible characters by virtue of being fully known to us, both from the outside (as subject of narrative writing) and from the inside (as writer of Lyric poems). While many post biblical exegetical and literary traditions take extravagant liberties with biblical data, the traditions stemming from David can all find biblical basis. This includes the Puritan image of David the reformer, the true child of God resisting the assaults of a tyrannical king (Saul), beset by slanderers and enemies; the champion who fought against God’s enemies, the king who reformed the nation and established worship on a holy foundation.

The role in which David is best known to the Western imagination is that of ‘boy hero and giant killer’. When David killed Goliath, he became an instant public hero, a civic liberator providing possible inspiration for fictional heroes, following in his wake from Beowulf to Jack (of the beanstalk). To this day we read in the newspapers about someone pulling of a “little David” act in sports or politics, or about a “David and Goliath” contest. David’s success in expanding the territory of Israel was unequalled in the annals of Israeli history.

David’s career as a national hero was preceded by his career as an underdog. The youngest son, belittled by his older siblings (1 Samuel 17:28-29), David was considered so unlikely a candidate among Jesse’s sons to be anointed as the future king that he had to be summoned from tending the sheep after the other brothers had been passed over (1 Samuel 16:6-11).

Subsequently, he had a career as a fugitive, fleeing from the wrathful Saul, living continuously on the edge. There is even a touch of David as a rebel and a desperado. Jesus cited David as a precedent for disobeying the Levitical laws on the basis of the time when David took consecrated bread to feed his hungry men, and also ate from it too (Matthew 12:3-4). Then there is David the political strategist. Even after he was anointed king of Judah, David had to undertake a long process of consolidating his power until he eventually became king of the entire nation (2 Samuel 2-5).

Anyone who has ever been to Sunday school probably knows the story of David and Goliath. In fact, the concept of a boy giant-killer excites even the imaginations of unbelievers. And well it should. Not only is this an actual historical event and a wonderful Bible story to tell our children, it is also a powerful demonstration of victorious spiritual warfare. It’s a story we need to revisit often as we mature in the Lord. The imagery in this story is rich with profound spiritual truths and insights that can help strengthen our own understanding of how to engage effectively in spiritual battle. With your study group, read through this passage, ask the Holy Spirit to open your mind and heart to new truths, and then together begin to ‘mine’ the rich treasure contained in this passage.

Prayer Point
Father, please give me the grace to achieve greater feats than David.

We have had to fight on this for centuries; do you think ladies have roles to play in pulpit ministry?
This blog will clarify all your doubts regarding this topic.
http://www.sujiandrewsblog.tk/2016/04/do-ladies-have-place-in-pulpit-ministry.html
Be blessed as you read in the name of our lord Jesus Christ!

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 19th May, 2016.
THE SERVANT LEADER.

Memorise
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
-John 13:14.

Read: John 13:13-17.
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Message
One great difference between servant leaders and self-serving leaders is that servant leaders always look at leadership as an act of service, while self-serving leaders view leadership as a high status and spend most of their time trying to protect their status. Servant leaders would embrace and welcome feedback, viewing it as a source of useful information on how they can provide better service, but self-serving leaders usually respond negatively, taking a harmless feedback as a sign of rejection. In Matthew 20:26b-28 Jesus said;
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Servant leadership is service to others. It is not about lobbying for a position, nor politicking for power. Instead, it is looking for the opportunity to serve. This is not attractive to the insecure soul in need of abundant attention. Servant leaders avoid the limelight and serve in ways that often go unnoticed. The little things are what make a servant leader. It may be taking out the trash at home or making the coffee at work.
No task is too menial for the servant leader; there is something bigger than behaviour which distinguishes a servant leader. It is an attitude which wants to make others succeed. He knows that if those around him are successful, then there is a good chance that he too will experience success. He is wise to want what’s best for others.

Jesus served for the glory of God. His ultimate service was laying down His life in love. In Matthew 10:39, our Lord Jesus who is an example of a perfect leader says;
“He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
Any leader that is preoccupied with personal interests, protection of status, and preservation of positions, may not be a good ambassador of Christ. Another thing that helps you to identify a serving leader is integrity. They are usually men and women of integrity. Proverbs 11:3 says the integrity of the righteous provides him with direction. Being someone who wants to please God, there are certain things he cannot do. Anything God will not be pleased with is a no-go area for him. Being a man of integrity, he states the exact time of his arrival in the office. In fact, everyone will strive to arrive before him knowing that he cannot alter his arrival time. He cannot also compromise the truth. He will not buy something for =N=100 and say he bought it for =N=500. He keeps his promises. His word is his bond. His relationship with the opposite sex is clean. He cannot take what does not belong to him. He has clean hands and a pure heart. Are you a man or woman of integrity?

Prayer Point
Father, please make me a servant leader, ever focused on Your relationship principles in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 20th May, 2016.
BEING UNMOVABLE.

Memorise
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
- Ephesians 6:11.

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:58.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Message
As Christians, it is necessary that we are settled in our convictions, steadfast in faith and established in the Word of God. We should also be unmovable wherever external forces are concerned. We should be like a ship in a storm, solidly anchored. The winds may toss it to and fro, but it will only move around without being seriously troubled. A ship that is properly anchored will not be affected by the waves and the wind on the surface.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says;
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always, abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

While this passage may have a general usage, it has a more specific meaning than what is usually assigned to it. Unmovable or immovable means incapable of being moved, it means no matter what the devil does, the solid foundation of faith, which is built on the Word of God will hold things together. We must not allow ourselves to be moved away from what is right. Paul said, “Be not carried about with the divers and strange doctrines” (Hebrews 13:9). Furthermore, Colossians 2:6-7 says,
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

There are constantly new forces, new invasions, new innovations which seek to push us off course. We must be un-movable in the face of such attacks. The Christian’s anchor is his faith and hope in the power of God. We are secure in the face of such attacks, always abounding in the work of the Lord. We must be constant, dedicated, unswerving in our dedication. The “work of the Lord” is what God has assigned to us. It includes not only our personal growth, but the growth of the church. Our love for God can be measured to some extent by how much we are willing to do. If one does “just enough to get by” his love is at best questionable.

‘Abounding’ means surpassing that which is required, or necessary for us, it militates against stagnation, separates the convicted from the nearly so, promotes spiritual health and well-being, and amplifies the hope we have in Christ. That person who seeks to abound will seek opportunities to serve. He will not ask, “Do I have to?” but “what can I do?” Our labour is not in vain; both our labour and our hope are secure in Jesus. If we are steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in His work, we will reap in due season, if we faint not.

Prayer Point
Father, please let my anchor hold firmly on You, don’t let me ever fail in Jesus Name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 21st May, 2016.
NO PARTIALITY.

Memorise
Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
- 1Timothy 5:20.

Read: 1Timothy 5:17-21.
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
18 For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

Message
Partiality is defined as a favourable bias or prejudice. It could also mean a special fondness, or preferential treatment. The Bible speaks against partiality as an abomination in the sight of God. Partiality is especially evil because it leads to divisions, intrigue, envy, hatred, and unhealthy competition among the people of God. It is also terrible, in that it places the poor and the weak at a disadvantage. In any organization or community where partiality is practiced, peace and unity will be a rare commodity. The book of James reveals that the poor have a very important place in the Church because of the levelling effect of the Christian gospel. Also the nature and make-up of the Church has no place for the social classifications and distinctions of the world. In fact, if a Christian body should give any consideration to these distinctions, it becomes, by fact, evil, and sides with the wealthy who persecute Christians.

From the account of Genesis, it was favouritism that fuelled the fire of contention between Joseph and his brothers. The Bible has much to say about the pitfalls of partiality. In the Old Testament, favouritism is usually associated with injustice and bribery. But it was James who condemned partiality most harshly. As a leader in the early church, James witnessed Christians showing preference for wealthy members over poor ones. In his letter, James asks his audience a rhetorical question: “My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favouritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?” He said those who played favourites were like evil judges, and he condemned them for it: “But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and thus are convicted by the law as transgressions.” His solution to the problem of partiality was simple. He issued the command: “Carry out the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

It’s clear, in both Testaments, that any expression of favouritism is wrong and likely to produce disastrous consequences. Jacob’s disproportionate love for Joseph alienated Joseph from his brothers and eventually led to his enslavement. Jacob’s partiality also led to his greatest heartache – the loss of his son.

Because respect of persons or partiality is used biblically in a negative sense, the Bible declares several times that God is never guilty of partiality. Paul clearly states in a universal context that God does not show partiality or respect of persons in His judgement of the works of individuals. God’s impartiality is made the basis for Paul’s command to Christian masters to treat their slaves fairly since there is no favouritism with God, their own great Master in heaven (Ephesians 6:9). Paul uses this attitude of God to encourage the Christian slave to serve his master wholeheartedly, since he will be repaid by his impartial God in heaven.

Prayer Point
Father, please purge my heart and Your Church of all acts of partiality and favouritism in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 22nd May, 2016.
A SON INDEED?

Memorise
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
- Galatians 4:7.

Read: 1 John 3:1-3.
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Message
In a previous teaching, I remember saying that a person can choose to be anything he or she wants before the Almighty God. You can be just a creature, a dog or a cow. You can go beyond being a mere creature to becoming a servant. Being a servant gives you more personal access to God. But you could go yet another step – to becoming a son of God. Sons have tremendous opportunities that servants do not have. As a son of God, you become a co-heir with Christ. That means all God’s possessions jointly belong to Jesus and you. Besides, John 8:35 says sons abide in the house forever. No wonder David in Psalms 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever”. He could say so because he had a son-ship relationship with the Lord. For such sons, even after leaving planet earth, Jesus promises to prepare a mansion in His Father’s house for them to stay throughout eternity (John 14:1-3). Sons have eternal right to God’s house. Are you a son of God?
If you abide in God’s house, you will automatically flourish. Psalms 92:13 says,
“Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.”
Beyond being rich or wealthy, you can flourish. Age will not erode your opportunities or harvests. In fact, the older you get, the more flourishing you become. This is not for those who visit God’s house. It is not for servants but for sons.

Some people endure going into God’s house or presence. If they were asked to come for a big contract at 9am, they would be there by 7am. But if invited to meet with the King of kings for 8am, they will stroll into church by 10am. This attitude hinders people from attaining the heights they are meant to achieve. If you find it difficult to stay in God’s presence, you can be sure you cannot have access into His Heavenly home. Those who will enter Heaven must desire to enter that city not made with hands (Hebrew 11:10, 16). It far excels the best of planet earth; in fact it is simply incomparable. Do you qualify for Heaven? To what extent do you long for Heaven? How much do you crave to be in God’s presence? How much do you enjoy worshipping the Lord? May you make it to this glorious planet in Jesus’ name.

“Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God”
- Psalms 92:13.

Why should anyone having the opportunity to be a son, choose to be a servant? When you consider all the benefits of being a son of the Most High God here on earth such as peace, security, divine provision, and abundant blessings; and then add those benefits waiting for us in heaven, then you wonder what is wrong with those that are fooling around with this wonderful opportunity to be identified as a child of the Most High God. Here is the good news! If you discover that your relationship with God is below that of a son, you can ask for an upgrade. Do a self-examination today and take advantage of the opportunity to upgrade to son-ship.

Prayer Point
Father, please don’t let me ever live below the status of Your Son again in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 23rd May, 2016.
DO YOU LOVE GOD?

Memorise
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
- John 21:15.

Read: Deuteronomy 6:4-7.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Message
In today’s Bible reading, Jesus asked a pointed question from Simon Peter, “lovest thou me more than these?” Jesus was not in doubt whether Peter loved Him; He was more interested in knowing the level of Peter’s commitment to Him when compared to other worldly things. Many truly love God, but they are more committed to other things like their profession, business, means of livelihood, fashion, sport, entertainment, food and delicacies, friends and family, social engagements, etc. whenever God’s demand clashes with their interests, they will surely go for their interests. When the chips are down, God must play the second fiddle to the true love of their lives. In this respect, in Psalms 42:1, David says
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
In the above passage, the Bible recorded the Psalmist speaking of his yearning of a dehydrated deer, whose need for God to the extreme yearning of a dehydrated deer, whose need for water is shown by its panting.

We know the hart or deer does not pant except when it is being chased by a hunter or when it is highly dehydrated. Do you know that for many people, it is only when they are being hunted by the devil or situations of life that they remember God? When everything else is in price: the store is filled with rich varieties of food, the bank account is bubbling, the contacts are coming, the family members are well and making progress and the ministry is moving on; the need to search for God never arises in the hearts of many. But when there is trouble: a child is sick, there is no food to eat, the business is experiencing dryness and there are several challenges in the ministry; then suddenly the one at the receiving end would remember that he or she has a God. If you seek God only when you are hunted, you are a God-user and not a God-lover. You can be sure God knows the difference and He will deal with His seekers accordingly. John 21:15 says:
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”
It is possible to pursue God, not because you are in trouble but because you love Him. Anything can happen when you are in love. Songs of Solomon 2:5 says it is even possible to become sick because of love. If you have an intense love for God, you will go to any length for Him. God has created us to be capable of loving one another, particularly Him. If you find it difficult to truly love God, it is because something else or someone else has stolen your love. Material things have stolen the hearts of many people from God. If you have lost your first love – the original quality of love you once expressed towards Him when you first knew the Lord, then ask Him to help you recover it. Are you panting after God because you are hunted or because of love? If love drives you to God, love will drive Him to you in return and He will give Himself to you without reservation. Do you love God more than anything in this world?

Prayer Point
Father, let my love for You grow stronger, and stronger, all the days of my life.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 24th May, 2016.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS.

Memorise
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.
- Matthew 18:35.

Read: Matthew 18:32-35.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.

Message
Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. It is also a commandment from God and a requirement to be fulfilled before anyone can enjoy the grace of receiving His forgiveness in our lives. The root cause of bitterness and un-forgiveness in our lives is often the root cause of a number of other issues that we may be dealing with on a regular basis.

Forgiving whether we feel like it or not, or releasing even the greatest offender into God’s hands will baffle, confound, and damage the whole realm of Satan. Just as all of heaven rejoices when we accept Christ, so hell impotently rages as we reclaim lost ground.
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not … neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15.

Let us assume that your problems are really big. You have been badly hurt by your partner’s actions. No one denies the pain and anger you are going through, especially if your partner has been unfaithful. But despite the unfaithfulness or whatever it is that has caused you to think about divorce, assuming that there has been true repentance, have you tried forgiveness? Forgiveness is ultimately the only way we can handle broken relationships. It is the only way we can lay past problems to rest. Forgiveness is not a surge of emotions; it is a deliberate act of will. For Christians, the forgiveness we exercise is based on the fact that we ourselves have been forgiven by God. I know that many hurting partners will say, ‘I have forgiven again and again.’ if that is so and your forgiveness has been abused and trampled on, it may well be time for another action. But before you take the final step, put all your problems into perspective. Is it worth throwing away the past years if it is possible to salvage the relationship with an act of Christian forgiveness? I am not suggesting it is easy, that the pain will mysteriously go away or that all the problems will be sorted out overnight. There may be a great deal of work that needs to be done.

Bitterness is a cyclical, repetitive, tightly closed circle of self-centered pain. It carries us round and around the same senseless arc. Like a child learning to ride a bicycle, knowing how to ride but not how to stop, we pedal on and on, afraid to quit, yet wishing desperately for someone to come and take the bars, break our circling, and let us off. Bitterness is useless. Repayment is impossible. Revenge is impotent. Resentment is impractical. Only forgiveness can reconcile the differences and restore healing to a relationship. Rejecting all the relationship that have failed us is the most common counsel among Christians and non-Christians alike. Cut off the old connections, withdraw from all interactions, live at a distance, and avoid any intimacy or involvement. Above all, do not risk working towards forgiveness. All these are contrary to the Word of God.
It is definitely not easy to forgive and it may be impossible to forget. However, it is possible for us to forgive because we have the power of the Holy Spirit within. Think for a moment, and honestly answer the big question, have you considered forgiveness?

Prayer Point
Father, please close the door against the spirit of un-forgiveness in my life in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 26th May, 2016.
BEWARE OF PRIDE.

Memorise
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
- Proverbs 16:18.

Read: 1 Peter 5:5-6.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Message
Our topic for today is a warning to be very careful of pride. Pride is a giant killer that has turned many great men and woman of God to mere casualties. Pride is the first and foremost of the traditional seven deadly sins, perhaps because it is in many ways the root of other sins. Even the “original sin” of Adam and Eve was not mere disobedience, but at the heart of it was pride, quietly lurking in a corner. The fact that Adam and Eve wanted to be like God, reveals a form of hidden pride. Ironically, eating the forbidding fruit led to the opening of their eyes, increasing them in knowledge and wisdom. It turned their attention away from God and they became focused on their outward appearance. They immediately developed the ability, confidence and independence to decide and act on their own without any recourse to God their maker. This is the same fatal foolishness that has plagued the human race ever since.
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Pride has been correctly identified by many as the greatest woe which can quickly destroy anyone captured by it. I usually tell my children that apart from impure thoughts and cravings of the body, another area in which you must exert your victory over the flesh is pride. A proud person is always in contention – fighting with those he thinks he is better than; such a fellow will do everything to show that he is better than others. The proud is always in competition with those who appear better off, just to prove a point that he or she is superior. In doing this, the proud will make derogatory statements about such people and cut them to size just to show that he knows it better or can do it better.

The proud finds it difficult to acknowledge the sincere work or effort of others because he thinks such will displace him from being on top. The proud sees himself as being number one in all things. Apart from contending with men, the proud also contends with God. Anyone who is proud or haughty and is speaking so much about God is only a pretender. By reason of their contention with God, they have enthroned themselves as number one in their own lives, making God their running mate. Are you finding it difficult to recognize the efforts of those that are better than you in certain areas? You are simply proud.

Psalms 73:6 says some people are compassed with pride. This implies that it is possible for pride to be visibly glaring in the life of someone that is full of it. You can be clothed in pride just as you can be clothed in humility. You can identify a proud person from his or her looks, carriage, dressing, speech, behaviour, giving, prayer, Christian service, work, attitude, etc. Unfortunately, Isaiah 13:11 says that the same reason which makes the proud fellow haughty is the same reason that will make him fall. Every proud individual is headed for a fall and proud people end up being destroyed (Proverbs 16:18). Some people are proud but they don’t know it. If you exalt yourself by your words and conduct, you shall be abased (Matthew 23:12). James 4:6 speaks of something quite frightening: it says God resists the proud which confirms that God is always contending with the proud, is there pride in your heart? Ask God to forgive and uproot every trace of pride from your life today.

Prayer point
Father, please remove the spirit of pride from my life this moment in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 27th May, 2016.
VENGEANCE IS THE LORD’S.

Memorise
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give please unto wrath: for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
- Romans 12:19.

Read: Ezekiel 25:12-14.
12 Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.
14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.

Message
Many passages of the Bible reiterate the fact that vengeance belongs to God alone. Because vengeance belongs to the Lord, it is His right to execute it. He said in Romans 12:19, “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.” Deuteronomy 32:35 also says, “To me belongs vengeance”. Even Psalms 94:1 says, “O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs, show thyself.” God’s people are not to avenge themselves; especially when He makes use of them as His instruments. God must be seen as the one in action, personalities involved should assume the position of an ordinary instrument in the hand of the Almighty. Romans 12:19 says:
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
We as children of God must never make any move to avenge ourselves under any circumstance. You can be sure that God will surely fight on your behalf according to His word. God will avenge His people upon their adversaries; He will not allow any unrepentant sinner to go unpunished. You must know that God does not want the death of any sinner; therefore, He will make ways for repentance by making a reasonably long period of grace available to sinners and adversaries alike. But you can be sure that at the right time, He will make good His promises to His people, and they will be avenged of their enemies. But, because His mercy endures forever, He will even spend several warnings to the enemies to prompt them towards repentance as recorded in Isaiah 47:3:
“Thy unclothedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.”
But let enemies not be encouraged by this to continue in wickedness, because God will surely avenge His elect, because they are so near and dear to Him. God has always been a witness to the rage and oppression of the enemies; He is a quiet listener to the threatening and arrogant boastings of these enemies. It does not please any father to watch his dear children being tormented, beaten, enslaved, burned alive, and killed, before his eyes. We are His beloved; He suffered and died by carrying out the ultimate sacrifice of our sakes.

The compassionates and tender heart of a husband toward his betrothed wife cannot be over emphasized. Our heavenly Father is always sharing in our affliction, and bitterness of soul, every time any of His children is being brutalized. God will avenge His own elect to convince the world of how grievous it has been for Him to behold all the violence and cruelty wicked men have done unto His own people.
God will avenge His people because the days of the wicked must end, and the days of the saints must begin. Also, because the harvest of the prayers and cries of God’s elect is now ripe. Your deliverance is here, you can begin to celebrate Jesus. Praise God!

Prayer Point
Father, from today, I will stay quiet and watch You avenge me.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 29th May, 2016.
THE TRIAL OF FAITH.

Memorise
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1 Peter 4:12.

Read: 1 Peter 1:1-7.

Message
Faith, by its very nature, must be tried, and the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character has to be cleared on our own minds. Faith in its actual working out has to go through spells of isolation. Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life.

Much that we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith in the Bible is faith in God against everything that contradicts Him - 'I will remain true to God's character whatever He may do'. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" - this is the most sublime utterance of faith.

Trials of faith are difficult to bear; for they cause heaviness or depression of the mind,( Hebrews 10:32 ). "Why art thou cast down, O my soul! And why art thou disquieted within me?" is often the language of a child of God. But ought he ever to be cast down? Ought he not be superior to the trials of life, and to soar above them as on eagles wings? No; Christianity is not Stoicism, and , if a believer does not feel his troubles, there would cease to be such, and it would not affect their purpose and design.

While, he does not yield to a spirit of dejection, or allow it to overcome him, he must feel when in the furnace of trial even as did our Lord Himself. In the presence of others, however, he should endeavour to be cheerful, and the more so if he occupies a public position in the church, so that he doesn't discourage those around him.

When Joseph's brethren appeared before him, he felt deep emotions, and could scarcely restrain himself. He left them, therefore, that he might weep in secret before God, and then he returned, relieved of the oppressive load ( Genesis 43:30-31 ).

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:" 1 Peter 4:12

Trials of faith should be endured because they are temporary. Trials are not supposed to be permanent fixtures in life, they are for a season. A day of adversity comes, when darkness intercepts the skies, when the storm sets in on every side, when not a glean of light shines upon the path you tread; and then, perhaps, you hastily concluded that it will always be so.

But no; sorrow endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning. It is only for a while that the trials lasts, and before long there is an opening in the clouds, the sun's bright beams burst through them again, and you are filled with hope and joy.

There are some trials, which are life-long in their effects, and can never be forgotten, like a deep wound in the flesh which, though healed, leaves a scar which must be carried to the grave. But the longest trials, and those which leave the deepest wounds, are only for a season the season of our earthly life, and in a brighter sphere we shall forget them all, or remember them only as the wounded soldier remembers what he has passed through when he returns victoriously from the field of battle.

May you receive strength to bear your trials and to overcome them all in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point
Father, Please don't let me fail in the trials of life in Jesus name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 30th May, 2016.
ALWAYS ON TIME.

Memorise
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
-John 11:21.

Read: John 11:21-26.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Message
Situations in life sometimes portray God as being insensitive to human suffering, sorrow and pain. On this account People tend to blame God by asking questions such as, where was God when the bad act was taking place. Why did God not intervene on time? Our memory verse says,
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
John 11:21.

By this statement, she was implying that the damage had been done, if the Lord had really wanted to help the situation, He would have arrived much earlier. But I have good news for you, God is never late, He is always on time. He is omnipresent; He is not bound by human timing. He knows the end from the beginning, He does not sleep or slumber, He can do all things, and forgetfulness is not part of His nature. David was obviously in the spirit when he penned Psalms 102:13 which says:
“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time of favour her, yea, the set time, is come.”

When talking about favour, generally, there is a time requirement involved. Some are born into favour from their first day on earth. Some enter into favour in their childhood or teen years. Others encounter favour as adults while some experience it at old age. In the same vein, some experience favour in one or two areas of their lives, while for some, when favour comes, it covers every department of their lives. Whether it comes early or later, or covers one or all areas of life, the coming of favour is characterized by a chain of goodies: bountiful joy, breakthroughs, miracles and blessings. In the scriptures, the time of favour has been termed a time of divine remembrance.

In Genesis 30:22-24, we see the case of Rachel. For many years, her womb was closed. There could be several factors responsible for this ranging from biological to divine. Although, her husband loved her very much, his love could not terminate her childlessness. Meanwhile, her sister Leah had become a baby making factory. The anguish of the barren in the midst of fruitful people can best be imagined. Genesis 30:1 says it got to a point Rachel preferred death to the unending embarrassment she was going through. Have you been in a similar situation where your high school pals are gainfully employed, own cars, and live in their personal houses while you are still combing the streets looking for a job? How do you feel when you all have to attend a meeting and everyone cruises in with their brand new cars except you? You may be compelled to keep away from them in order to avoid embarrassment. Don’t despair! Thank God Rachel’s time of favour came and God remembered her. At last, apart from having two children, Joseph, her firstborn, became an Egyptian Prince – ruling over the world. Do you know your time of favour is coming? It is around the corner. God will remember you and could even make you overtake those who started much earlier than you. It may appear as if God forgot you all these years, but your time of divine remembrance has come. Celebrate Jesus as you step into your time of divine favour in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, let my time of favour come now in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 31st May, 2016.
A GLASS OF WATER?

Memorise
For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
- Mark 9:41.

Read: James 2:14-18 (KJV).
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Message
The Bible has laid much emphasis on the art of giving, especially to God, the poor, widows, and our neighbours. Galatians 6:9 enjoins us not to be weary in doing good. One good thing we must not be tired of is sowing. To access your greatest financial harvest, continuous, consistent quality sowing is required. Your first seed may open the door to blessings, but keeping the door open requires persistent sowing. Are you already calling it quits with sowing just because you cannot quantify the returns of previous seeds? Don’t! You may be closing the door it took you so much effort to open! In the case of the widow of Zarephath, it took the sacrificial cake she gave on meeting Elijah the first day to open her door to abundance. If she had stopped at that, her miracle would have expired long before the end of the famine, but she did not. She kept the door permanently open by making cakes for Elijah daily for the entire period. Your first seed must have the backing of the other seeds if you will experience your ultimate financial breakthrough. Some people have pegged their blessing or limited the space through which their blessings come. James 2:14 says:

“For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Another relevant example is King Solomon. His first notable seed was when he sacrificed 1000 cows (1 Kings 3:4-15). This opened the doors of wealth, wisdom, and honour to him. But he did not stop there. In fact, immediately he got up from his revelational dream, he responded to God’s answer by offering more. And he continued and increased his seed. In 1 Kings 8:63, he gave God an offering of 22,000 oxen. Solomon continued to increase in wealth because he sustained his giving. He became so prosperous that they lost count of his wealth. In fact, 1 King 10:24-27 says the whole world sought after the wisdom of Solomon and choice things as silver and cedar become common place in his kingdom.

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” - James 2:14. He later concluded that “faith without works is dead.”

Do you know that like King Solomon, God can bless you to the point that the business idea He gives you could be sought after by the whole world? It is possible for what people consider as priceless treasures to become common place to you. But there is a price you must pay continuously. You must not stop sowing. The door the Lord has opened to you which you were already closing by refusing to sustain your seeds will be kept wide open from today. However, play your part. Like Solomon continue to increase your seeds.

Prayer Point
Father, please make me a giver and use me to provide solutions to the problems of many in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 1st June, 2016.
THE LORD, MY HEALER.

Memorise
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
- Psalms 147:3.

Read: Exodus 15:26.
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

Message
The New Testament is full of accounts of people who were healed, just to convince us that healing is possible through Christ Jesus. There is so much virtue, glory and power in the name of Jesus. Everyone who had an encounter with that Name or with His person never remained the same, irrespective of the degree of their sicknesses. All things are possible through the name of Jesus (Matthew 19:26). Through the name of Jesus there is so much power to overcome all forms of sickness and infirmities.

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow." Philippians 2:9-10.

If only you will see that Jesus has paid the whole price for our redemption so that we might be free from all sicknesses, then you can boldly accept the fact that Jesus is the source of life. The Lord Jesus gave to us through salvation; life, health, peace and so much abundance. He Himself took all our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. He is always willing to do things to manifest His Word, and to let us know a measure of the mind of God towards us.

If you are in need of one miracle of healing or the other, or you have been afflicted with all manner of sicknesses, the Lord will show forth His perfect cleansing and healing power in your life. All you need is to have faith in Jesus. Peter and John were helpless and uneducated, but the fact remains that they had been with Jesus and they knew practically what His name was capable of doing. They told the man at the beautiful gate to stand up and walk and the man received his healing immediately.

There is someone reading this devotional this morning, it doesn't matter how helpless or hopeless your medical report has indicated, the Lord will change your story in Jesus name. Through the name of Jesus, the incurable can be healed. Through His name, the lame will walk and the blind will see. Through His name, lepers have been miraculously cleansed.

In this world of ours, where new diseases are always surfacing and doctors sometimes cannot identify them, you need to rely absolutely on the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. He is able to heal those who are broken hearted and destroy all satanic forces. Through faith in His name, deliverances become a daily occurrence.

"They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
- Mark 16:18.

By the special grace of God, Jesus Christ had become my personal physician since I came to the knowledge of this truth. This is why every time I have the opportunity to minister to people, I just follow the instructions of my faithful physician and allow Him to glorify Himself. I don't bother myself about how the healing will take place I just do as He commands.

One major cause of sickness is sin. If you live a life that is pleasing to God, sickness will never find a place in your body. It doesn't matter how many people are falling sick around you, the promises of God to keep His children from being affected with what affects others is kept intact.

If you are allowing sin into your life, then you are sending an invitation to sicknesses because sin and sicknesses are related. Repent today and follow the path of life. When we turn back to the Lord, our nations and immediate communities become healed and free from every satanic influence.

Action Point
Father, destroy every root of sickness in my body, soul and spirit in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 2nd June, 2016.
GOD'S TIME-TABLE.

Memorise:
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.
- John 2:4.

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11.

Message
God is a God of time and purpose. There is no lateness with God and in His own time, He does as He pleases and makes everything beautiful. There are many things you will never access from God until you have an understanding of the principles of timing. To have testimonies that will stand the test of time, you must learn to wait upon God in patience and perfect obedience. Unfortunately, many people are not willing to wait for God. In their own wisdom, they believe God's time comes too late, so they go about 'quickening' things up. We live in a world where people want to be announced before their set time. They want quick fame and glory. They get carried away with the glories of others without asking about their stories. When things do not work out at the time they want, they begin to cut corners, unfortunately, every time they cut corners, they short-change themselves.

One of my sons said that "proper preparation prevents poor performance". This is true because God will only reward those who wait and prepare for His appointed time. It doesn't matter how fast others are travelling, just ensure you are in the will of God and all those you think have gone ahead of you will soon ask for the secret of your stability. There is need to contentedly believe that God has everything under His control. In life, God has established seasons by which we will experience different phases. In the plan and timetable of God, there is a season to rejoice over things that are good and there is a time to identify with those who are experiencing joy. Never allow your own times of doing things be set at variance with Gods time. The truth remains that no matter how far you think you can strategize, you can never have anything better than what God has in store for you. There are many people who are presently looking in the wrong direction, when God brings their blessings, they will miss the opportunity. Elisha never allowed the voice of the 50 sons of the prophet to distract him from Gods timing and purpose. There were several distractions and discouragements but he stayed to end and got a double portion of his masters anointing.

Are you tired of waiting upon the Lord? Don't be. Every moment you spend waiting faithfully on the Lord can never be wasted. As you wait upon the Lord, you are saving time and not wasting it, you can be sure that at the end, nothing will be lost.

Prayer Point
Father, help me not to miss my time and chance.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 3rd June, 2016.
CHILD OF DESTINY.

Memorise
And he shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name JESUS for he shall save his people from their sins.
- Matthew 1:21.

Read: Jeremiah 1:4-5.
4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (KJV)

Message
Before the earthly existence of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, His destiny had been foretold. Do you also believe that according to the Word of God, before you were formed in your mother’s belly, the Lord knew you? Do you really believe that before your physical existence on the face of the earth, the Lord had ordained you for His purpose? If you believe this, then I congratulate you. With this assurance, you can be confident of the fact that you are not an ordinary person; you are a child of destiny. God has a plan for you and it is a good plan. The most important thing you need to do is to find out what you must do to secure this glorious destiny in Christ Jesus. I have illustrated this several times through the story of two friends who decided to seek the help of an oracle to know what lay in the future for them. As for the first one, after due consultation with the oracle, he was assured that he would be a future monarch who would rule over a kingdom. His friend however was told that he would die a servant.

Upon returning from the oracle, the one who had been told he would become a king decided to remain passive and crossed his legs, waiting for the day of his coronation. The one who had been destined to be a servant encouraged himself by saying “at least I can be useful to myself”. He went deep into the bush, far out of the town and began to farm on a large piece of land there. After several years, there was a heavy famine in the land. When the people discovered that there was someone somewhere in the wilderness who had a large farm to feed the entire community, they decided to make him their king as long as their feeding was guaranteed. The other man who was day dreaming and waiting for his coronation eventually became his servant. Even the wisest king ever said, “There is an evil which I have seen upon the earth. I have seen princes walking and servants riding upon horses.”

There is a part you have to play if you must arrive at the plan of God for your life. Moses, as a child of destiny, was destined to be a deliverer for the children of Israel. He had the full backing of the Almighty God and he remained supernaturally in command. Jesus Christ had a mandate to save the world, and He fully achieved that mandate from you. You also have a glorious destiny in Christ Jesus, and you must protect it and never allow anything to steal it.

The Christian life is that of continuous warfare. We are at war against Satan and he is trying all he can to take us down. You must resist him and not faint in your spirit. We must ask for wisdom from God so that we can put the devil where he belongs (under our feet). Be prayerful and continue to dwell on the Word of God at all times.

Key Point
Every child of destiny runs away from all appearances of evil.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 4th June, 2016.
VESSEL UNTO HONOUR?

Memorise
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from freshly lusts which war against the soul.
- 1 Peter 2:11.

Read: 1 Peter 2:5-11.
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

Message
When we realise the extent to which God can go to cleanse humanity from the pollution of the devil, then we will realise that God is not interested in quantity but in spiritual quality. During the time of Noah, God wiped off the people from the earth because of their sins, but spared Noah and his family. Hence, salvation is a personal thing and if you are going to be a vessel unto honour, you must be ready to stand alone and do that which is right in the sight of God. Sodom and Gomorrah did not escape the righteous judgement of God because they had fallen far beyond the point where they could turn back from their evil ways, they had no desire whatsoever to turn from their evil ways and return to their Maker.

Those who are vessels unto honour will always live because Christ is alive in them. They have a living hope because the Living Word dwells in them. As vessels unto honour, you must not allow the nature of rebellion to find expression in you because you are the Lord’s own. You have direct access to God, because you have been separated from this world and unto Him.

This is why we must always focus our attention on Jesus for direction in every aspect of our lives, so that we can be effective weapons in His hand. We must continue to spread the love of Jesus in our communities and beyond. We must awaken people to their spiritual needs because we have been called out of darkness into the light of God. God gives every one of us the opportunity to be useful in His plans on earth. The responsibilities are on us to determine the extent to which we will do exploits for the Lord. We must immediately respond to the prompting and instructions of the Lord before it is too late.

As we see all challenges confronting our world on a daily basis, there is the need for all Christians to come into a higher level of uncompromising commitment to the Shepherd of our souls. There is the need to connect with God in intimacy, so that we can have access to revelations of things to come. All those things which can easily distract us from reaching the ultimate height of God for our lives must be prevented.

“Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which doth easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”
Hebrews 12:1.

As vessels unto honour, you must be ready to pay the price to be true disciples of Jesus. Others can, but you cannot, because you have been separated unto God for good works.

Prayer Point
Father, help me to abide in You throughout my lifetime in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 5th June, 2016.
GOD OF MIRACLES (I).

Memorise
And I knew that thou hearest me always but because of the people which stand by I said it that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
- John 11:42.

Read: John 11:41-45.
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. (KJV).

Message
There is something unique about the words that Jesus spoke while here on earth. They carried unusual power.

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”
John 6:63.

During His earthly ministry, His words always led to supernatural miracles. The moment He spoke to His Father, His Father brought back to life everything that was already dead. Anytime Jesus taught, the power of His Father was always present to heal the people from sicknesses and infirmities.

The God of miracles is the answer of all the impossibilities in your life. The moment you have faith in His Word, you can be sure it will be accorded to you as you have believed. Miracles are deliberate acts of God which He uses in beautifying the lives of His children. If you want to have access to your own miracle, you need to initiate it through faith. When you are connected to the God of miracles, you will begin to operate in the supernatural and command results in all you lay your hands upon. When you abide in Him and He abides in you, even the miracles you did not ask for will start to overtake you.

God is committed to doing what you ask Him as long as you are rooted in Him. The moment you ask Him for a particular miracle, even if you ask for what is not available at that moment, He is committed to creating it for your sake. Nothing could withstand all the miracles Jesus asked for because He asked His Father with all authority and boldness. Whenever you please God and you live in obedience to His Word, you can come to Him boldly and lay your requests before Him. Boldness is a sign that you trust what He is capable of doing.

As a child of destiny, you are designed to take charge and not allow the enemy to dominate you. Poverty and sickness should not have a place in your life because your Father is the Author of all miracles. I decree into your life today; the long awaited miracle which you have been expecting from the Lord shall be made manifest to you speedily in Jesus’ name. What must you do to maintain your status in the miraculous? You need to embrace a life of purity. Jesus had access to the miraculous because there was no sin in Him. You need to be consecrated to maintain your position in Christ. Never allow the bondage of this world to tie you down.

Action Point
Ask God for something big that will cause men to wonder.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 6th June, 2016.
GOD OF MIRACLES (II).

Memorise
And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
- John 6:2.

Read: John 9:1-9.
1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.(KJV)

Message
We live in a physical environment that is governed by physical laws. However, miracles are said to happen when physical laws are set aside for the manifestations of the supernatural laws of God. There are certain situations that have been set aside as platforms for the supernatural manifestation of the power and glory of God in the lives of His children.
“Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” - John 9:3.

A woman once came to me saying that her daughter in America was about to be delivered of a baby, but there were complications; the baby could not be delivered normally, and if she was to undergo a caesarean section, she would die. I prayed on two hankies for her and she took them to America. One of the hankies got lost in the hospital; of course it was the devil at work. She then tied the second one round the hand of her daughter. That day, the doctor decided that he would operate on her the following morning, but before the arrival of the doctor, the baby was delivered normally, to the glory of God. God is indeed a God of miracles. If you bring a dead child to Him, you will return with a living one. If you bring your sorrows to Him, you will leave rejoicing. When you bring sickness to Him, you will leave with healing. If your marriage is being threatened by divorce and you present it to Him, you will rejoice again.
When Jesus Christ was here on earth and Jairus’ daughter died, He was there to bring the girl back to life. When the son of the widow of Nain died, Jesus stood by and commanded the boy to arise. When Lazarus died, Jesus raised him up. When Jesus Himself died, He resurrected. The power of His resurrection will awaken everything dead in your life in Jesus’ name.

Jesus Christ knew that Lazarus was sick, when his sisters informed Him of their brother’s sickness, Jesus Christ responded by saying that his sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God. This is why you must never query God. He knows the end from the beginning and He has your best interest at heart. Jesus came for the sinners and not the righteous. It does not really matter what the extent of your sin is, Jesus is able to forgive you and cleanse you from all of them. And the moment He does this, you become a candidate of His miracles. The God of miracles will set before you an open door to sound health, wealth and prosperity in Jesus’ name. There is no miracle you need that is too hard for God.

Key Point
If you don’t follow after God, your miracle cannot be permanent.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 7th June, 2016.
GOD OF MIRACLES (III).

Memorise
And God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
- 1 Corinthians 12:28.

Read: Acts 2:22-24.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (KJV)

Message
The church is a spiritual evidence of the miracles of God. It is the Church that acts as the medium through which the miracles of God manifests to the world. Every individual in the Church of Jesus Christ has distinct functions. Many Christians today do not seem to be aware of the tremendous power they are endowed with once they become born again. Meanwhile, those who acknowledge, appreciate and use accordingly, the power given to them, experience miracles. Miracles from God cause the Church to grow. When there are genuine miracles, there is always an explosion of attendance, spiritual growth and commitment to the work of God. During one of our Holy Ghost services in Nigeria, the power of God was present and several miracles were happening around the altar. As a result, many people were standing up to catch a glimpse of what was responsible for the widespread excitement. There was a man in the congregation who was very short and could not see what was happening because others were taller and were blocking his view. Then with a strong desire, he whispered “Oh Lord, I wish I were taller”, and the Almighty God, who knows the voice of everyone, made him two inches taller. Ordinarily, this is not possible, but where God is involved, impossibilities become possible. This year, whatever looks impossible before you will receive the attention of Heaven in Jesus’ name.

We however, need to put away anything that can hinder the manifestation of the power of God in our Churches. The Holy Spirit must be given unhindered access to do His work of healing and of setting the captives free. Are you a pastor, a prophet, a teacher, an evangelist, or an apostle? You have been chosen by God to carry out the task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a purpose for your being gifted in the body of Christ. The manifestations of your call should not be the wearing of flamboyant dresses or globe-trotting. You are to move around with the anointing of healing the sick, setting the captives free, making the barren fruitful, and replacing sorrow with joy through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the Redeemed Christian Church of God annual convention of a particular year, the Lord asked me to pray over a piece of cloth and hold it, so that all that were barren could come out and touch it. I was amazed at the crowd that responded. They came out in their hundreds, and at a point, when I got tired of holding the cloth, I discontinued the session. Suddenly, a woman came out weeping profusely, saying it was when it got to her turn to touch the piece of cloth that I asked them to stop. Reluctantly, I asked the ushers to give the cloth to her. The following year, the same woman came to testify with her baby.

Prayer Point
Father, please make me a carrier of Your glory.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 8th June, 2016.
POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS.

Memorise
The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
- Proverbs 10:28.

Read: Acts 3:1-8.
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Message
Being positive is vital to our walk as Christians. To be positive is an expression of our confidence in the Almighty God and His Word. Hence, a positive expectation is an act motivated by the Word of God, it is proof that all will be well, an evidence that you are bigger than all your problems and circumstances, an assurance that today’s situation does not determine tomorrow’s glory, and that as long as you are connected to Jesus, all your stories will turn out to be great testimonies. You cannot achieve your goals in life if you are not optimistic. When you are positive about the outcome of every situation, what the devil meant for evil will always turn out good for you. Every outstanding event in a man’s life will always be as a result of his expectation in God. No wonder Jesus said in Mark 9:23-
“…If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”

Expectations help us to operate at a level where there is no impossibility in our dictionary. The crippled man in today’s Bible reading had been in that situation for a long time. Everyone who passed by the beautiful gate knew that there was a man there who was always begging for arms, but when his moment of change came, nothing could stop him from obtaining his miracle. I decree into the life of a user of this devotional believing God for the fruit of the womb, an end has come to your barrenness in Jesus’ name.

The crippled man was expecting money as usual, but he was given something that was much more than money. Even if you do not have enough faith, the power of God is not dependent upon your faith only.

God is committed to showing His glory in your life. Have you been trusting God for something and you feel that God is getting too late? Don’t worry, in His time, everything becomes beautiful. They that trust in the Lord can never be put to shame. For this reason, you have to ensure that when God is distributing His blessings, you are not exempted. There are people who cannot have a divine appointment with God because they are still living in sin. Have you lost your relationship with God? You have to come back to Him. He is a faithful Father who will not reward you according to your sins once you repent of them. The righteous look forward to the future, but there is no future for anyone who is still in sin. The wicked are always fearful because they know that they will reap the rewards of their sins. When one is obedient to the will of God, he becomes confident in what God is capable of doing with his life. Obedience brings the assurance of a glorious future, while disobedience to God brings an assurance of the wrath and anger of God. You will not be visited with the wrath of God in Jesus’ name.

Key Point
The end of a righteous man will always be peace.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 9th June, 2016.
ACTIVATING WONDERS (I).

Memorise
Then said Jesus unto him, except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
- John 4:48.

Read: John 2:1-10.
1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

Message
There is no better life than a life that is full of wonders. This is the kind of life that Jesus Christ truly reflected. At a point in your Christian race, the life of Christ begins to replace your natural life and the abilities of God are made manifest in your endeavours. As a believer, people should look at you and prefer to serve the God you serve as a result of the undeniable proof that they can visibly see.
“Saying, what shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.” Acts 4:16.

During the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the people marvelled at His manner of doctrine every time they had an opportunity to listen to Him at the synagogue. This is an example we should follow as children of God in our daily lives. People should be able to testify that the moment you gave your life to Christ, you become a supernatural being and the life of Christ was implanted in you.

There is the need to understand the potency of the power behind signs and wonders. The Name of Jesus is the only weapon that triggers wonders in the life of people. At the sight of His presence during the marriage at Cana in Galilee, they knew they could not be embarrassed. The Name of Jesus puts an end to all forms of harassment, lack and disgrace. When His Name is at work in your life, you can never be a victim of situations and circumstances. His Name is a seal of authority upon all our blessings.

The Name of Jesus is all you need to activate your miracles. The lame man at the beautiful gate was healed through that Name and he never returned to his past. When you apply the Name to your life, everything about you becomes new.

The Name of Jesus will cause doors that are shut against others to be opened to you. As you key into the power in that Name, the Lord will do to you the great things He has been doing in my life in Jesus’ name. This is why you cannot afford to be distanced from Him. One day, the Redeemed Christian Church of God choir was rehearsing for a major programme, I decided to go and inspect their level of preparedness. On sighting me, one of them screamed that her day had finally come. As the other members were queuing up, this lady dashed into my car and sat where I sat. She had been barren for a long time, but nine months after that day, she delivered her baby. The Name of Jesus sets free from sin and all forms of bondage.

Prayer Point
Father, please make me a candidate for Your signs and wonders this month in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 10th June, 2016.
ACTIVATING WONDERS (II).

Memorise
Jesus saith unto her, said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
- John 11:40.

Read: Acts 4:24-31.

Message
We live in a world where challenges and problems confront people on a daily basis. In my many years of ministering, I have sadly seen many lives wasted and destines destroyed by the devil and his agents. While some are looking up to God for healing, others are looking for deliverance from satanic afflictions, and some are struggling from self and sin. The Name of Jesus is a universal cure for all problems. If you believe in Jesus, no matter how hopeless your situation and condition may be, there will be a supernatural intervention in your life.

Every believer carries a measure of God’s glory. However, as we walk with God, we realise that the glory of God is in different phases, and God expects us to move from one level of glory to another consistently. In Christ, there is only a starting point but there is no end to the activation of His glory and wonders in our lives. All we need to do is believe Him and follow as He leads. Prayer precedes penetration into certain realms of God’s glory. Performing wonders is easy when the glory of God saturates our lives.

In one of our crusades several years ago in Lagos Nigeria, there was a young man born with only one testicle. As his parents were moving him from one place to another in search of a solution, they met a native doctor who ended up destroying the only testicle he had. Yet, he went ahead to get married when he became of age. He came to the crusade ground and the presence of God was so intense that he had a touch from God and discovered that he had been given two new testicles. By the time he came for his testimony, he was in the company of his pregnant wife. God is able to give a touch to anyone who desires a miracle. If you want your life to be full of wonders, it is important that you realize that being on the Lord’s side is the only way. With God, you cannot lose and without God, you cannot win.

All through the ages, the Name of Jesus has done great and marvellous things. If you are an unbeliever, then you will not be able to activate His wonders in your life. Happy are those who believe in Him, because nobody can alter or cancel His plans for their lives. It is the desire of God that you record His wonders on a daily basis in your life. If you truly believe in the Name of Jesus, you can move from one level of glory to a greater level of glory constantly. The Name of Jesus is full of wonders.

Prayer Point
Father, please activate Your wonders in my life.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 11th June, 2016.
SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS (I).

Memorise
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
- 2 Timothy 2:3.

Read: 2 Timothy 2:1-7.
1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.
7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Message
One of my sons once said 'for every new level there is a new devil'. This is very correct in the life of every believer. I always tell my children that if they are not relevant in the scheme of things, they cannot be a target to the devil. But, the moment you make up your mind to obey to God, to love God and to serve Him, you become a target for the enemies, both within and without. As a soldier of the Cross, you do not fight your battles with physical weapons because it is the nature of a battle that will determine your arsenal of weapons. As a good soldier of the Cross, you must be able to endure hardness in the race to heaven. You have to fight lawfully and follow those rules which characterise a righteous person.

There are many factors attacking the Christian Faith today. We cannot just continue to be passive; there is the need to defend the Christian Faith against modern and post-modern ideologies, so that we can all lay hold of eternal life. Any Christian who is timid and fearful cannot carry out the struggles of spiritual warfare.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
-Ephesians 6:11.

Those who were before us were able to stand strong and give a reason for the hope they had in Christ Jesus, we cannot but do same. Timothy as an evangelist, did not waste any opportunity, he constantly stood before men and confess his faith in Christ. Jesus Christ our master stood before Pontius Pilate and defended His Son-ship and Kingship. One of the ways to be a good soldier of the cross is to appreciate the works of the cross and live our lives to reflect the sacrifices made by Jesus. This we can achieve when we begin to live a life of purity and godly behaviour. We must follow the truth that has been received in Christ. The truth that set you free and gave you liberty must be passed on to others, so that they can experience what you experienced. This is why our pastors need to go back to the ancient landmark of sound apostolic teaching. There is a need for urgency on the part of the clergy to feed their flocks with the undiluted Word of life.

Hardship will come, Satan will launch all forms of attack against preaching of the gospel of Jesus, yet, we must not allow all these to divert our focus from our primary assignment as soldiers of the cross. Also, don't allow the affairs of this world to make you a victim in the battles of life. As a messenger of Jesus, you must do all that is within your power to please the owner of your life and be committed to the work of the Kingdom. It is my prayer that your enemies will miss whenever they target you in Jesus' name.

Action Point
Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.