,Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 4th April, 2016.
THE ELECT OF GOD.

Memorise
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry
day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
-Luke 18:7.

Read: Colossians 3:12-17.

Message
An elect is a chosen or preferred person. In Christian parlance, an elect is someone God, by His grace, has chosen to be qualified as righteous before Him. The Bible says:
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
-Romans 8:33-34.

It is a pleasant thing to be an elect of God, because He watches over His elect. He is not ashamed of them even among His holy angels, because they are doing Him proud in this pervert generation.
“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
-Hebrew 11:16.

In the light of the above scripture, therefore, the elect of God has both a moral and scriptural obligation to live in accordance to the commandments of God. The elect is more mindful of eternal life than the ephemeral things of this life. At times he suffers trials of cruel intimidation, marginalisation, and poverty because he cannot sell his conscience for a loaf of bread. This certainly made Jesus Christ assure us in Luke 18:7
“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”

The above assertion of Jesus Christ is pleasantly reassuring to the elect of God who has turned his back against all forms of godlessness and wickedness. The Almighty God will always be there for all His elects provided they cry to Him in the days of trouble (Psalms 50:15).

Beloved, are you an elect of God? If not, all it takes is for you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, repent of your sins and begin to live your life as approved by Jesus Christ in the gospels. I pray that the benefits of the elect shall be your portion in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Act upon John 3:3-5 and ask God to make you one of His elects.,

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 5th April, 2016.
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

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 all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
-Acts 1:8.

Read: John 7:37-39.
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Message
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is very important to every heaven-bound Christian for many reasons. The first thing that comes to mind is the personality of the Baptiser, that is, the Holy Spirit Himself. He is the third person in the Trinity. From the beginning, God has been in charge of everything that goes on in the universe including the redemption of man. The Holy Spirit, being the third person in the Trinity plays a major role, not only in the redemption process but also plays the role of preserving the believer after the salvation experience.
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
-Ephesians 4:30.

There are lots of spiritual virtues the Holy Spirit imparts on believers when they receive His baptism. These virtues are very fundamental to the Christian experience. For example, in our text for today, we read of the flow of rivers of living water, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Just as water is very important to the physical survival of man, so also is the Living water very important to the spiritual survival of man. A Christian gets spiritually dehydrated and consequently spiritually dead as a result of the lack of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why one wonders when some schools of thought say that the Holy Spirit baptism is an outdated Christian experience. It is not.
Another fundamental blessing which accrues from the baptism of the Holy Spirit is what we find in the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s memory verse. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, there can be no power for Christians to evangelise or witness about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. It would have been a different ball-game if the disciples of old were not empowered and emboldened by the coming of the Holy Spirit when they were apprehended by the Jewish leader:
“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. 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. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”
-Acts 4:31-33.

Beloved, do you think you are a weak Christian; afraid of coming out to exhibit your conviction that Jesus is Lord? Or, you are rising and falling because you cannot stand the wiles of the devil which are inevitable in this perverted generation? Are you being played with like a toy in the hands of demons? All you need is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To be baptised, however, requires your determination to please the Lord and live above sin. Pray earnestly for it and you will be baptised for power, refreshing and for a victorious Christian living.

Prayer Point
Lord Jesus, please send your Holy Spirit to me afresh, and get me refreshed and empowered today.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 6th April, 2016.
DEMON-INVITING HABIT.

Memorise
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.
-Ephesians 5:18.

Read: Proverbs 23:29-35.

Message
There are many avenues through which demons can possess an individual. One of them is alcoholism. Alcoholism is a subtle habit that introduces a man to demonic possession and/or introduces demons to the alcoholic. It is a volatile avenue, a broad avenue open to many categories of demons, violence, sexual immorality, pride, folly, to mention but a few. It is unfortunate that some believers are beginning to consider ‘moderation’ in the consumption of alcohol. It is this liberal approach to the handling of the issue of alcohol consumption that is increasing demonic operations in lives that are supposed to be Holy Spirit-filled. This is why Ephesians 5:18 says:

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

How does alcoholism invite demons? Our Bible text for today answers that in part: One of the symptoms of demonic possession is sorrow, and the text asks: “who hath sorrow?” and answers straightaway: “…they that go to seek mixed wine.” The scripture goes ahead to warn; “look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.” The demon of sorrow is put in motion to possess an alcoholic; and this is confirmed by the infallible Word of God. In addition, our text says:

“Thine eyes shall behold strange women….” Here the demon of sexual immorality is set in motion by alcoholism. A married man does not remember his marriage vows when put under the influence of alcohol. An alcoholic can sleep with the worst psychiatric patient. Alcohol promotes the sexual immorality of incest.

“And the firstborn said unto the young, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.”
Genesis 19:31-32.

The products of these incestuous acts were the hateful Moabites and the children of Ammon who later became sworn enemies of the children of Israel (2 Chronicles 20:1).

“….and thine heart shall utter perverse things.” Alcohol can turn you to a talkative or a blasphemer. Those who ordinarily may not speak perverse things momentarily become outspoken under the influence of the demon of alcohol. Beloved, if you have not considered alcohol as a medium of demon-possession till date, I advise you to give it a second thought, be faithful to yourself and abstain forthwith. Most of the woes that many people face can be traced to the demon of alcohol. The Word of God is forever settled; the earlier we live by its precepts, the better for us.

Action Point
Break yourself loose from the demon of alcohol and pray that all that the demon of alcohol has destroyed in your life be restored in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 7th April, 2016.
VICTORY IN HOLINESS.

Memorise
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
- Proverbs 14:34.

Read: Daniel 6:19-23.
19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.
20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!
22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Message
There is victory in holiness. This is a fact that many do not know of and their ignorance makes them continue to live as fake Christians. When the eyes of a child of God are opened to this revelation, he will not wait for any Pastor to preach so much before he begins to live righteously and faithfully to honour his Lord and Saviour. Our memory verse for today presents a two-edged sword of the truth: while righteousness exalts a nation, sin or unrighteousness brings reproach that comes in form of defeat (Proverbs 14:34).

The story of Daniel in the text for today is highly revealing. The first thing one should notice is that righteousness or holy living is not a hidden thing. It is something that the one who is living such a life can and must exhibit with every sense of humility. Daniel said: “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion’s mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” There is victory in holy living and Daniel confirmed this in Daniel 6:22.

To some people, the testimony of Daniel may sound arrogant, but the question is, was Daniel saying the truth when he said that he did no evil against the earthly kingdom and the kingdom of heaven? The outcome of the persecution gives the accurate answer. The Bible says:

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Hebrew 12:14.

At times, some Christians who do not believe in holiness feign humility by saying it is impossible for mere humans, to live holy. Like I always tell my children in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the fact that you are not living by the Bible does not mean others are not. The Bible says:
“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 3:7-8.

As a matter of fact, you are either holy or sinful and no sinner will make it to heaven. For this reason, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil in our lives. You are righteous by grace. This grace is why we must never boast because it is not you but Christ that lives in you. I encourage someone using this devotional to pray earnestly for the grace to live holy. Daniel triumphed over all his administrative and political enemies. They perished in his stead because of holiness! I pray for a reader of this devotional, the grace to live holy will come upon you today and you will henceforth live a daily victorious life in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me live a life of obedience to Your Word so that I may be holy unto You.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 9th April, 2016.
THE WISE & THE FOOLISH.

Memorise
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
- James 4:6.

Read: Isaiah 14:12-15.
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Message
According to Proverbs 16:18, destruction is the major ‘dividend’ of pride. It is interesting to note that pride was the root cause of the first rebellion both in heaven and on earth. It started with Lucifer, the son of the morning who later became the devil (Isaiah 14:12-15). He was a beautiful Archangel until pride brought him down.

When the devil discovered the easy way of falling into destruction (pride), he started using it to bring people down to his fallen state. This he successfully did with the first man and the first woman. The devil deceived them, telling them that when they ate the forbidden fruit, they would be as wise as God and they believed him.

“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.”
Genesis 3:6.

Unfortunately, because of their quest for wisdom that will equate them with their Maker, they fell, and the glory of the Lord which covered them departed leaving them Unclad and empty. Pride disgraces its owner beyond measure. The story of Pharaoh is a case study. It was pride that drowned his hosts in the Red Sea. One would expect that after the ten terrible plaques that God used to warn him, he would humble himself before the Most High. Rather, he maintained what he initially said: “Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2). Before he knew it, it was too late for him to repent. To escape the spirit of pride, you need to be genuinely born again so that the Spirit of Jesus many dwell in you.

If you are already a child of God, you need to be sanctified and allow the mind of Jesus Christ dwell in you richly:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…”
Philippians 2:5-7.

My prayer for someone using this devotional is that pride will not destroy you, your destiny and your loved ones in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Don’t pray for God to humble you; this is dangerous. Rather, pray that the gentle Holy Spirit should help you to voluntarily humble yourself before the Lord, so that He can exalt you.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 11th April, 2016.
THE NEW MAN (II).

Memorise
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
-Ephesians 4:24.

Read: Ephesians 4:22-25.
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Message
The Bible says;
“…they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”
-Romans 8:5.

This is why there is a need to put on the new man. As our memory verse states, we must put on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness. This is made possible through our reliance on the grace made available by Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.

“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.”
-1 Corinthians 15:47-48.

To put on a new man, we must accept the Lord from heaven. The reason is that He is the One that can quicken our mortal bodies and transform them to the original image of God in us which has been altered by sin. When one encounters Jesus Christ, his or her testimony will be like that of the apostles when he wrote:

“I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
-Galatians 2:20.

There is danger in living a life void of faith in the Son of God, because without faith no man can please the Lord. It is by faith that we know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It is by faith that we can run away from all appearances of evil. It was lack of faith in God that made Adam and Eve doubt the warning that God gave them concerning the forbidden fruit. Ever since then, this act of disobedience has remained a contagion within the human race. Are you among those who think the law of God has become outdated and so you break it with impunity? Repent today because tomorrow may be too late. Paul, an apostle, further wrote that we should walk in the Spirit so that we may not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Beloved, let us consider today’s memory verse as an express command from God, and let us put on, Jesus Christ, the perfect image of the Almighty Father.

Prayer Point
Father, let my life reflect the image of Your Son Jesus.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 12th April, 2016.
THE UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER.

Memorise
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
- Hebrews 13:8.

Read: Genesis 32:24-32.

Message
One thing every man, especially a child of God must always remember is that our God is the unchangeable changer. In the Genesis account of the beginning we see how the Unchangeable Changer effected miraculous changes without Himself being changed.
“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Genesis 1:2-3.

In Genesis 21, the Unchangeable Changer changed the unfruitful situation of Sarah to fruitfulness. He did the same in the case of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2, proving that what He did in the life of the father of faith, He could do in the life of his descendants also. This is why I know that someone using this devotional will encounter this Great Changer that cannot change. As He did for those who sought and called Him in the past, so will He do for you as you call upon Him today in Jesus’ name.

The Almighty God has changed numerous unpleasant situations for the better in the past. For example, He changed the slavery of the children of Israel to freedom (Exodus 13). Also, Jabez prayed that the Lord should change his situation for the better and the Unchangeable Changer heard him.

“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
1 Chronicles 4:9-10.

One of my daughters in Church heard the story of how my wife miraculously gave birth to our last two children naturally and decided to believe God for a natural child delivery. Like my wife did after three cesarean sections. The God who never changes did the same for that daughter of mine. I have good news for someone reading this devotional today, as Jesus performed miracles in those days, so He still does today.
I encourage you, beloved, to put your trust in Him and He will not let you down because He is the Unchangeable Changer. He will change your situation for the better and you will glorify Him in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please change my situation for the better from today in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 13th April, 2016.
THE SOVEREIGN GOD.

Memorise
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
- Isaiah 43:21.


Read: Daniel 5:20-21.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

Message
After king Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his kingly throne, his glory was taken away from him and he was disgraced to the point of eating grass like oxen, he came back to his senses to realise that the Most High God is the ultimate ruler in the kingdom of men. The problem with the king was that he got carried away with his achievements, thinking that they were the bye-products of his wisdom and physical power. This is the problem with many people like him through the ages. Any achievement that will not lead us back to the original Achiever could be very deadly. Jesus Christ spoke of a rich farmer who was boasting of his achievements in agriculture, only for his life to be taken away from him that same night.

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”
Luke 12:19-20.

Apostle James warned against being boastful without giving consideration to the sovereignty of God in James 4:13-15.

“Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city. and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
It is presumptuous for someone who does not know whether he will survive the next day to commence planning a programme that will take place in six months time. It is only the Almighty God that has the power to will and to do. One can see the cause of the calamity that befell kings Pharaoh and Herod.

In the case of King Herod, he took not only the glory that belonged to God but God’s sovereignty. The consequence was fatal because he was stricken by angel of the Lord and he was eaten up by worms immediately.

“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” Acts 12:21-23.

May the sovereignty of God be made positively manifest in our lives so that we can live in the supernatural from now on in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Always acknowledge the sovereignty of God in all you do so that you may be guided aright.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 14th April, 2016.
WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE.

Memorise
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
- Psalms 50:15.

Read: 1 Samuel 1:9-13.

Message
There is one thing that a child of God needs to know and do when he or she needs a miracle. This is to call upon the Lord in prayer. What is a miracle and why do we need it?
Simply explained, a miracle is the supernatural intervention of God in the affairs of men. This intervention basically alters the established laws of nature. At times, the devil manipulates some natural phenomena to deny human beings some basic things that make life pleasant. For example, when Jesus Christ was travelling in a ship with His disciples, the devil manipulated the wind against them so that they may suffer a shipwreck. The disciples went to Jesus Christ in the ship and cried for help. Matthew 8:26 says:
“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great clam.”

Some so-called children of God are so hypocritical that, even in the presence of the Lord, they still pretend as if all is well, whereas they have unimaginable issues with their spiritual, physical, material and financial needs. In the case of the disciples, they cried to Him for help; they told Him exactly how they felt about the tempest. The danger of death was imminent and the disciples did not pretend as if nothing was wrong. So, Jesus Christ responded to their cry and stilled the storm. I pray that as you cry to the Lord today, He will not just hear but also respond to your cry in Jesus’ name. The storms in your life will miraculously cease today in Jesus’ name.

In our Bible reading for today, we see what one must do when he or she needs a miracle. Hannah needed a miracle, but from year to year she had been going casually to Shiloh until that wonderful year when she realised she needed to do what she had not been doing before; she offered fervent and heart-rending prayers. She prayed so hard that she lost her voice and Eli thought she was drunk. At times when I see how some of my children pray at our periodic meetings at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria, I rejoice because the tempo of their prayers signifies that they are people who need urgent miracles.

“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore…now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.”
1 Samuel 1:10, 13.

The amazing thing about the above story is that Hannah was not even offended, when she was misunderstood by the high priest who was supposed to know when an individual was in serious communion with God. With joy also I always pray with my children when I see them praying desperately in need of miracles. My prayer is that as you pray to God today, your miracle will reach you sooner than you expect in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Tender your deepest heart desires to God today in faith.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 15th April, 2016.
LET GOD HELP YOU (I).

Memorise
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.
- Isaiah 1:19.

Read: Isaiah 1:18-20.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Message
There is one great barrier that stands between man and God; this barrier is sin. For thousands of years, man has struggled to get rid of this barrier, but all to no avail. However, God Almighty, in His infinite mercy decided to help man remove this barrier. Right from the Old Testament days, God has been offering individuals the olive leaf of reconciliation, but unfortunately many people have not responded to this gesture of love.
“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;”
-Proverbs 1:24-26.

This God that man blatantly sinned against in the Garden of Eden is the same God that is now inviting man back to His fellowship. He said:
“Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
-Isaiah 1:18.

During the earthly mission of Jesus Christ, He still made this pronouncement of love;
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
-Matthew 11:28-29.

I am appealing to a user of this devotional who has been struggling with the barrier of sin to stop struggling. You cannot help yourself; only Jesus Christ, can help you. All you need to do is to surrender your life to Him in genuine repentance and believe that He came to die for human race (1 John 3:8; Romans 5:8, 11). Beloved, let God help you solve your problem of sin today accept sin to be sin; don’t rationalise it but admit, confess and forsake it. It shall be well with you in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Father, have mercy on me and give me power over and above sin in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 16th April, 2016.
LET GOD HELP YOU (II).

Memorise
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.
-John 3:14.

Read: Numbers 21:7-9.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against theLord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Message
The coming of sin into the human race brought about a lot of calamity into human life. One of the calamities is sickness. As sin can be very contagious in effect, so can sickness too. The good news, however, is that the Almighty God is also ready to help the human race get over this. He promised the people He chose for Himself through their progenitor, Abraham, that He would spare them the agony of sickness and diseases:
“And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all that hate thee.”
-Deuteronomy 7:15

From time to time, the devil causes man to sin against God so that he may be destroyed by the One who created him, thus frustrating the divine love which God bestowed upon humankind. As if this is not enough, the devil goes ahead to deceive man not to accept the divine help that can rescue him from all his diseases. In the story we read in the Bible reading for today, the children of Israel sinned against the God of their fathers and God sent fiery serpents to kill them. After much plea by Moses, God decided to help them.

It is unfortunate that many refused to look and live when they were bitten by the fiery serpent. They did not allow God to help them (1 Corinthians 10:9). Jesus said, just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness and those who looked up to it were healed, so also whoever will allow God to help him will look up to Jesus for healing (John 3:14). The reason is that He came to pay for the sin of humanity and so, by His stripes we were healed (1 Peter 2:24). Beloved, what infirmities are you suffering from? Have you tried and suffered by the hands of physicians like the woman with the issue of blood? Come believing the Great Physician today. Jesus Christ will heal you as He did to the impotent man at Bethesda (John 5:1-9). For you to enjoy divine healing, however, you must belong to the Great Physician. The food meant for children cannot be given to dogs or slaves (Mark 7:26-30). Allow the Great Physician to help you today.

Prayer Point
Father, please heal my infirmities today in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 17th April, 2016.
ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.

Memorise
Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
-Deuteronomy 28:3.

Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-2.
1. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2. And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

Message
Jesus Christ said; “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). In other words, there are abundant blessings in the kingdom of God. It goes without saying that there is wisdom in seeking to please God above all other ambitions. The Almighty God revealed the secret of abundant blessings to His people in today’s scriptural reading; abundant blessing is embedded in perfect obedience to the Word of God.

Many people think that the moment they become Kingdom seekers, they will enter into a world of penury. This is the deceit of the devil which has unfortunately been believed through the ages. The devil has succeeded in making many people believe that unless they serve him, they cannot make it in life. He even had the audacity to attempt deceiving Jesus Christ during the temptations in the wilderness, but our Lord defeated him (Luke 4:5-7).

Beloved, I want to announce to you that there are abundant blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ; my life is a living testimony of this.

Before I gave my life to Christ, I used to borrow money from my own driver to fuel my car two weeks into a new month. It was when I gave my life to Christ that I began to know the true meaning of prosperity. Deuteronomy 8:18 says:
“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

The Psalmist says that unless the Lord builds a house, the builders build but in vain (Psalms 127:1). Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ also corroborates this when he wrote:
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”
1 Corinthians 3:6-7.

May the abundant blessing from the throne of God be your portion in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please let Your abundant blessings be my portion this season in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 18th April, 2016.
LESSONS FROM THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY.

Memorise
Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
-Mark 11:10.

Read: Matthew 21:1-9.
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Message
A lot of lessons can be deducted from the historic entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Right from verse two of our Bible text, we are exposed to revelations from the Lord’s actions. Jesus had not entered into the village, but He knew there was an ass tied; not alone but with its colt. We can see the omniscient attribute of Jesus Christ, like that of His Father. He said loose them, and bring them unto me. To soul winners, you are expected to loosen your converts before bringing them for the Master’s use. He said:
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 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 16:17-18.

We are not supposed to dialogue with the devil and his cohorts; all we need is to exercise authority (Luke 10:19). Since all these are written for fulfilment, we have a date with destiny to fulfil our divine mandate. As missionaries and soul winners, we must endeavour to go after our entire household to win them for Christ. It was not the ass alone but also its colt. The disciples decorated the ass and its colt for the use of the Master. Before our converts can be useful for the Master, we must work on them through the teaching of the Word. The Bible says:
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
-2 Timothy 4:2.

Another lesson from the story of the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem is the high praise of God through His beloved Son. Whoever will glorify God the Father must do that through the Son because God has given Him a Name that is above every other name.

Our Lord Himself said:
“….I am the way the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
-John 14:6.

He said,
“Behold I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.”
-Revelation 3:20.

If we do not shut Jesus out of our lives, we are bound to be happy like the inhabitants of Jerusalem in our Bible text for today. I implore someone reading this devotional; open your heart to Jesus, let Him have full control of your heart and you will find rest for your soul.

Prayer Point
Holy Father, take absolute control of my life today.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 19th April, 2016.
IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.

Memorise
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
- 1 Corinthians 11:24.

Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23-29.
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

Message
There is one significant and fundamental reason (among other important reasons) why the Holy Communion (The Lord’s Supper) was inaugurated by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us, shedding His blood to atone for our sins because it is written, “…and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22). Consequently, when Jesus Christ said we should observe the Holy Communion often in remembrance of Him, but it takes a deep level of wisdom to understand and remember what He went through for our redemption.

One important thing to note here is that Jesus Christ knew what He would go through to die for His friends. Having died for us, He surely doesn’t want His gesture of love to be forgotten by the people He did it for. We unfortunately often forget the passion of our Lord, which led to His ignoble death. This is why we do things that, by implication, necessitate our Lord’s going back to the cross frequently.
“If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
Hebrews 6:6.

Most people backslide because of their loss of memory about the agony of the death that the Saviour suffered in order to procure salvation for us. The Bible says:
“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”
1 Timothy 4:6.

What should we put ourselves in remembrance of? Paul, the apostle wrote:
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the death according to my gospel: it is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us".
2 Timothy 2:8; 11-12.

In an ideal situation, communion should be taken as frequently as possible in order to enable us remember the death of our Lord and the reason for it. The Bible says we should not be forgetful hearers but doers of the Word (James 1:25). When we gather for Holy Communion, everyone is compelled to carry out a self-examination so that he or she does not eat to damnation according to our Bible text for today. May the passion, suffering and death of Jesus Christ avail for us through eternity in Jesus name.

Action Point
Do you remember what Christ went through for you often enough?

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 20th April, 2016.
A BETRAYER?

Memorise
But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
- Luke 22:21.

Read: Luke 22:19-23.
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

Message
A betrayer is a covenant breaker and there is danger in being a covenant breaker (Romans 1:31). A betrayer is someone who knows the secret of the strong and or the weak point of an individual through an intimate relationship and leaks or exposes it to that individual's opponent. A typical example of a betrayer is Judas Iscariot. Reading the story of the betrayal of Jesus Christ will teach us many lessons.
Firstly, the fact that someone is close to you does not mean he or she cannot betray you. As a matter of fact, it is the closeness that fosters the idea of betrayal. Hardly could a casual acquaintance be guilty of betrayal because there is hardly any secret to divulge.
Secondly, a betrayal is a killer, betrayal is murderous.
“Yet stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.”
Acts 7:51-52.

The Bible describes a betrayer as someone who reveals secrets (Proverbs 11:13). Proverbs 26:22 says
“The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost part of the belly.”

Betrayal is not a Christian virtue. Before the Almighty God, it attracts a “capital punishment” as it is written:
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”
Matthew 18:6-7.

Beloved of God, let us not be caught-up with the spirit of the end-time as predicted by apostle Paul in his writings about the characteristics of the perilous times, when there will be blasphemers, boasters, trucebreakers, false accusers, despisers of godliness, traitors, and lovers of pleasures than lovers of God. I pray that as many as have been caught in these deadly habits shall be delivered today in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, deliver me from the spirit of betrayal; don’t let me end up like Judas Iscariot in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 21st April, 2016.
DENYING JESUS?

Memorise
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psalms 1:1.

Read: Luke 22:54-60.

Message
The company you keep determines who you are, what you do, and how you respond to situations in life. The story was told of a sparrow that got trapped together with ravens that were caught devouring a grain farmland. He pleaded with the farmer who owned the trap to release him. “Why should I release you”, the farmer asked. “Because I am not a raven but a sparrow that cannot devour your farm” the sparrow replied. “How come you were caught with the ravens?”, “I was only trying to enjoy their company” the raven replied. “So, you are being judged because of the company you were in” the farmer concluded.

The story in our Bible reading of today is pathetic. Many things could have been responsible for Peter’s denial of Jesus, however, let us look at some probable factors. Firstly; the Bible says when they brought Jesus into the high priest’s house; Peter followed Him, but afar off. It is dangerous to follow Jesus afar off. Moreover, because it was cold, Peter moved into the hall and sat down with those that were enjoying the warmth of the fire that was set. It is unfortunate today that some so-called believers are enjoying the fire or the warmth of sin in the bosom of strange men and women.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”
Psalms 1:1.

Peter, forgetting that he had the identity of a Galilean, sat in the midst of the residents of Jerusalem and his identity was found out. Many pretend as if they are not Christians, they easily conform to the comfort zones of this world. Whereas, the Bible says:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God.”
Romans 12:3.

Peter did not notice that his location was not good enough for him to maintain his obligation of discipleship to Jesus Christ. And when he was confronted about being a disciple of Jesus, he denied it to the point of swearing.

Beloved, let us learn from Peter’s mistakes, following Jesus from afar off is very dangerous to our spiritual life. We must not patronise spiritual unhealthy zones, no matter how attractive the place may be. We will be judged by the company we keep.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me never to deny you however tough the trial may be.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 22nd April, 2016.
GODLY SORROW?

Memorise
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
- 2 Corinthians 7:10.

Read: Luke 22:60-62.
60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Message
When Peter realized that he did not fulfil his promise to not deny Jesus Christ, the Bible says: “…he went out, and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75). This is what we call godly sorrow and it has its blessings.

When an individual is confronted with the reality of his sinful life and the certainty of hell, if he is not a reprobate, he will mourn of his woes. The best way to mourn for one’s sin is to confess and forsake them.

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have merchy. Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.”
Proverbs 28:13-14.

In our Bible reading for today, the Pharisee went to the temple, only to begin to eulogise himself about all his good deeds. The Publican, on the other hand, smote his heart and mourned for his sins. Some of us have been so self-conceited for too long a time that we have piled-up sins that are now standing in our ways to spiritual revival.

The Bible says:
“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven but smote upon his breast, saying God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one that exalted himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Luke 18:14-14.

Beloved of the Lord, let us examine ourselves and see where we are falling short of God’s grace for living holy. Let us repent genuinely, and come back to our first love. I pray that the Lord will revive you today in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, I need a revival of holiness, please revive me again.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 23rd April, 2016.
UNGODLY SORROW.

Memorise
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
- Luke 27:5.

Read: Matthew 27:3-8.
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

Message
The type of sorrow that Judas Iscariot experienced is undesirable. I pray that you will not experience such a sorrow in your life in Jesus’ name. We need to know why the sorrow that Peter experienced is seen as godly and why that of Judas Iscariot perceived as ungodly.

When a man thinks he can outsmart his creator, the results is usually ghastly, and it is only when that person has godly sorrow for his acts that he can be saved. Greed and materialistic tendencies can make a man think he can outsmart God. It is unfortunate that some so-called Christians are not spared of this monster called greed (or the love of material things.) The Bible says:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.
1 Timothy 6:6-8.

Judas Iscariot thought he could swindle the Jewish leaders by betraying Jesus, he thought Jesus could not be arrested because he had, before then, witnessed Him escaping from the hands of the Jews. However, he didn’t know that Christ escaped then because His time was not yet up.

“And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.”
Luke 4:28-30.

With the background knowledge of what Christ could do, he felt that once he had collected the money and showed them who He was, Christ would disappear and life would continue as usual. To his surprise, Christ surrendered Himself. The type of sorrow he had does not lead to repentance; rather, it leads to despair, frustration, and eventually suicide as seen in today’s memory verse.

Beloved, let us fear the Lord and abstain from all forms of greed and the love of money. These things drown men in destruction and perdition.

Prayer Point
Father, please don’t let the love of money drown me in Jesus name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 24th April, 2016.
IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS?

Memorise
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.
- Philippians 3:10.

Read: John 19:38-42;
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

Message
From the beginning of the New Testament Church, identifying with Jesus takes dogged determination. Jesus Himself said it in Mark 8:34;
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

In the above passage, Jesus Christ demands total commitment from His followers. Whoever will not totally put himself under the Lordship of Christ does not belong to him. John 8:31-32 says:
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continued in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

Identifying with Jesus is identifying with the Word from above. In the Bible reading for today, we read about two secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus who came forward to claim the body of Jesus for burial. This is noteworthy, because it must have taken very important personalities to go to the governor to demand the body of a ‘condemned criminal’. On the other hand, it must have taken someone who did not only love the so-called criminal but also believed in his innocence, to go through the trouble of asking for Christ’s body and burying it.

Identifying with Jesus has to do with believing and living by His ideals. Many so-called born-again Christians have become so nominal that the Word of God is of no effect to their lives any more. Some pastors have turned the Christian faith to a mere vocation. One wonders whether they mean to go to the same heaven that apostles like Paul worked hard for. Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples:
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
John 15:18-19.

Therefore beloved, let us take the yoke of Jesus Christ upon ourselves with all seriousness and steadfastness. We will all make it to heaven in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Decide to follow Jesus all the way in spite of the hospitality of the World around you.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 25th April, 2016.
BELATED OFFERING?

Memorise
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
- Luke 24:1.

Read: Luke 24:1-8.

Message
Some offerings are acceptable while some are not; some offerings are given at the right time while some are belatedly offered. On the morning of the resurrection, some people brought spices to the sepulchre of Jesus, meanwhile, a few days to His crucifixion, a woman anointed Jesus Christ’s feet with expensive ointment. This woman’s kind gesture was just in time.

“When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.”
- Matthew 26:10-12.

Incidentally, when Jesus Christ died, no one was there to perform the customary anointing before burial for Him. It was in lieu of this that certain disciples came on the resurrection morning that they may anoint Jesus in arrears. However, He had resurrected!

Beloved, there are many lessons to be learnt from this resurrection story; whenever the Holy Spirit asks you to do something, no matter how illogical it may sound, do it immediately. The reason is that if you do it later, it will be a belated offering or service. The disciples who came to anoint Jesus went back with their perfume because the Master was no longer in the grave. James, an apostle of Jesus Christ wrote:

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, 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.”
-James 2:14-16.

If I may answer the apostle; there can be no profit whatsoever. There could, however, be a loss of that person in need, and it may be a physical or spiritual loss as the fellow may die of hunger or backslide. In this same vein, whenever the Holy Spirit asks you to do something and doing that thing attracts criticisms from men, be undeterred, go ahead and do exactly as you were told. Your critics will soon realise that they were wrong to have criticised you. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us, and may we continue to obey Him as we journey from the world to our eternal home above.

Action Point
Listen to the Holy Spirit and do all that He asks you to do immediately.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 26th April, 2016.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY (I).

Memorise
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
- Proverbs 1:10.

Read: Genesis 3:1-5.
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Message
One of the earliest weapons of the devil against both the spiritual and physical well-being of man is enticement. He has, from time immemorial, been successfully using this weapon against humanity. The first time He used it was in the Garden of Eden.

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
- Genesis 3:4-6a.

As a matter of fact, the fruit was not better looking than other fruits of the garden, but the mental picture that the devil painted about it suggested to the woman that the fruit was better than the ones God had generously given them to eat. Today, there are many good things of life that God has provided for humanity and His children in particular, but the enticement of the enemy has robbed many people of the joy and contentment in God’s benevolence. For example; if a man goes about chasing a woman who is not his wife, he is deluded and enticed to think that the strange woman possesses something that his wife does not have. It is the lie of the devil when you think that a second marriage will give you the joy that you did not have in the first. Read this confession of the first polygamist in history:
“And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah… And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.”
- Genesis 4:19, 23.

Though we may not have the full details of Lamech’s lamentation in this passage, the fact remains that an increase in the number of his wives did not spare him from the agony that instigated this lament.

Beloved, in what areas have you been deceived through the enticement of the devil? I pray that the enticement will loosen its grip over you from today in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, when sinners come around to entice me, may I not consent in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 27th April, 2016.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY (II).

Memorise
O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
-Romans 7:24.

Read: Romans 7:18-25.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Message
The flesh is another deadly enemy of man. The flesh attacks the soul through its poisonous activities. These activities are listed in Galatians 5:19-21;

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The above listed activities of the flesh are deadly, primarily because they prevent a man from inheriting the kingdom of God. An enemy is not a serious one if it can only kill you, but cannot prevent you from making it to heaven.

Jesus Christ said:
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both souls and body in hell.”
-Matthew 10:28.

Consequently, the flesh and its activities are very dangerous, but Christians have become so complacent that they sit back and allow these activities drag them off the track of heaven. The Bible says:
“Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth into his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent… But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”
-Proverbs 6:28, 32.

The works of the flesh can be destroyed through only one means and that means is Jesus Christ. Beloved, I encourage you to give your life to Christ totally today, and do away with all works of the flesh.

Action Point
Read Colossians 3:5 and pray with it.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 28th April, 2016.
OVERCOMING TRIALS (I).

Memorise
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which he Lord hath promised to them that love him
-James 1:12.

Read: Proverbs 1:11-15.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Message
The irony of the spiritual realm is that the tempter is the prosecutor. The Bible says:
“And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceieveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” - Revelation 12:9-10.

The above scripture points to one bitter truth; trials and temptations are characteristics of life whether we believe it or not. It is, however, better to believe it because it is then we can preparedly overcome it. The Bible also confirms it by attaching a blessing to overcomers of temptation:
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
-James 1:12.

It takes genuine love for God to be able to overcome temptation. Joseph was able to overcome the temptation of sleeping with his master’s wife because of the love he had for God. This love was what produced his victory. He said:
“There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
-Genesis 39:9.

As said earlier, there will always be temptations as long as we are on this earth. Temptation is not a sin but falling into it is the sin. The bad thoughts that the devil flashes at you are not sins until you begin to hatch and execute them.

It is our resistance to temptation that makes us overcomers. The Bible says:
“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” -Hebrews 12:4.

My prayer for someone using this devotional is that you remain an overcomer over sin from now on in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, sanctify me wholly from every besetting sin by the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 29th April, 2016.
OVERCOMING TRIALS (II).

Memorise
Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
-James 4:7.

Read: James 4:7-10.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Message
Submitting to the perfect will of God is a great weapon against trials and temptations. It is wisdom for us to submit to the One who is our present help in time of trouble. Jesus Christ is our closest ally in the battle of life. This is why those who do not have Him as their personal Lord and Saviour are vulnerably disposed to sorrow, frustration and death.

For us to enjoy the support and the defence of our great Ally, Jesus Christ, Apostle James wrote to say that we should submit ourselves to God, resist the devil and then he will flee from us (James 4:7).

The Bible says that pride goes before a fall. Many people fall into temptation because of pride. This is why the scripture enjoins us to live soberly as we fight the good fight of faith.
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;
but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
-Romans 13:3.

Humility and sobriety are great instruments of defence in the face of temptation. We are encouraged to humble ourselves in the sight of God so that He can lift us up. Once we are lifted up above principalities and powers, no temptation can floor us, because the Almighty is our Ally. People easily fall prey to trials and temptations because of their failure to live soberly. Over two thousand years ago. Apostle James gave us a key to solving this problem. He wrote:

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death.”
-James 1:14-5.

To overcome trials and temptations, we must run to Jesus afresh today with sober hearts and humility. He will come to our aids, just on time.

Action Point
Examine your life; see where and how you have exposed yourself to trials and temptations and make amends with the blood of Jesus Christ.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 30th April, 2016.
THE LORD MY FORTRESS.

Memorise
And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer.
-2 Samuel 22:2.

Read: Psalms 91:1-8.
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Message
The experience of David concerning divine protection is worthy of study. In our memory verse for today, he said: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer”. Whoever experiences these attributes of God in his life can be rightly described as the inheritance of the Lord. The Psalmist further wrote.
“They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. Psalms 125:1.

One point to quickly note is that this Bible verse talks only to those who put their trust in the Lord, not those who have alternatives.
David trusted totally in the Lord and he was never disappointed, that’s why he made such statements as this;
“As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. Psalms 125:2.

In other words, the Lord builds walls of protection round about his people. This is ‘food for thought’ for double-minded people who are still in doubt of God’s ability to totally protect. Some people are even afraid of prosperity, because they feel they will be prone to attacks from their enemies if they get rich. They obviously do not know that the Almighty God that prospers is the One that protects as well.
“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence…Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day.” Psalms 91:3,5.

One is thrilled by the assurance with which the Psalmist tells us about the Lord’s protection over His people. David’s experiences, first with the lion and the bear, and later with Goliath, are testimonies that should make a doubter believe that our God is indeed Jehovah-Nissi.

I assure you that if you put your trust in the Lord, your protection is guaranteed. Our Lord never fails, He watches over his elect so that His name will not be blasphemed. Also, He fights on behalf of His elect so that they may not be discouraged by the battles of life.

My prayer is that the Rock of Ages will continue to protect you and your loved ones in the name of Jesus. However, ensure that you have no other god beside the Almighty God.

Action Point
Father, please deliver me from the nets of the fowlers in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 1st May, 2016.
THE MAN GOD USES.

Memorise
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
- 2 Timothy 2:20.

Read: 2 Timothy 2:19-21.
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Message
Today’s memory verse speaks of the availability of vessels of different makes; designs, and qualities to a great person. The choice of what vessel to use for any particular purpose is dependent on the master’s preference and the suitability of each vessel to the assignment at hand. So also, the man that God will use for any assignment must be found suitable for kingdom assignment. God is always in the business of searching for suitable resources that He can use to fulfil His purpose here on earth. Whenever He locates one, He proceeds with the preparation and training of the chosen for the assignment. Incidentally, the divine equipment usually employed for the preparation and training of the man that God will use is the cross. Many Christians are not fulfilling their purpose in life and ministry because they have consistently refused the required training for their assignments, and because they are not found to be suitable yet, their commissioning remains pending. May the Lord wake you up to the reality of your situation today, so that you can take your rightful place in the programme of heaven in Jesus’ name.

The man that God will use becomes completely transformed by going through the preparation process of God. The relationship that follows guarantees that the person’s mind, heart, will, and life now belongs to Jesus Christ, alone, he becomes reoriented with God and God’s kingdom. He is convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that he or she was created to please God and would begin to pursue godly purposes with all determination.

In the life of the man God uses, the words of 2 Corinthians 9:8 come to play;
“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”
Therefore, the man God uses is the person who has absolute trust, reliance, and faith in God. He relies on God as the source of all things; he is a man through whom God can do all things. He is fully aware of God’s agenda in the world, and he lives with a clear, God-given sense of direction toward fulfilling God’s purpose. The presence of God is with him always and he is always careful to keep his character and integrity in line with the Word of God.

The man God uses is able to bring incredible changes and blessings into the life of anyone that comes in contact with him, through him, people with broken spirits, unstable families, the poor, those with health challenges, the demon possessed, and the disenfranchised, can all find peace and prosperity with God. This is the whole essence of Christianity, and all it requires is our total submission to the preparation and training process. May the Lord give you the grace to pay the price for greatness in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please give me the grace to depend totally on You and completely submit myself to Your training in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 2nd May, 2016.
SPIRITUAL BODYGUARDS.

Memorise
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
- Psalms 91:1.

Read: Psalms 91:1-12.

Message
Bodyguards are specially trained security persons who usually protect very important people wherever they go. They are commonly sighted around government officials and members of their families. Because moguls, multi-millionaires, mega stars, and TV personalities enjoy going around with them. As a matter of fact, many will not be seen in public without their bodyguards because they don’t feel safe without them. However, bodyguards are limited in power, and the cost of having them is beyond the reach of the average person. The good news for Christians is that as we have bodyguards in this world, we also have spiritual bodyguards. They are automatically appointed to every child of God at the moment they become born again. They are invisible, they operate at a speed much faster than the speed of light, they have limitless power, and their services have been fully paid for through the blood of Jesus. That is why Psalms 91:1 says:
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

I once taught some of my children that when a child is born, what happens to the child depends on the available support system.
The stronger the support system, the more fortified that child is for success in life. Within our Father’s support system are angels. Psalms 91:10-13 says it is the duty of our Father’s angels to ensure no harm befalls us. The angels are instructed by God to go with us wherever we go. If the children of kings are going out, they don’t go alone. If they are going to school, they are chauffeur-driven, whereas, children of ordinary people trek even through the woods unaided. From this day, you shall go on angelic rides in Jesus’ name.

There is a testimony a brother shared concerning his trip by air. He said while airborne, the first two engines of the plane suddenly stopped. The pilot panicked, saying that if the third engine follows suit, the plane would crash. Then the third engine also stopped. The whole place was in pandemonium but this brother who was seated by the window turned to look through the window on his left and saw a huge angel smiling at him and whispering to him that he was carrying the plane. To the surprise of everybody else, the plane landed safely an hour later at the nearest airport. The brother saw three angels there. Nobody could explain how they managed to land except this brother. In the Bible, when Daniel was thrown into the den of lions, an angel went ahead of him and stopped their mouths. Similarly, when Peter was locked up in prison, an angel came to him, woke him up and led him out.

Prayer Point
Father, please don’t let me ever do anything that will drive my spiritual bodyguards away from me in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 3rd May, 2016.
LONG LIFE WITH PROSPERITY.

Memorise
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
-Exodus 20:12.

Read: Genesis 49:1-4.
1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Message
The gospel truth is that the Christian lifestyle is so powerful, and yet deceptively simple and easy. I used the word “deceptively” because the Christian life can be likened to a police man or a soldier in uniform. These people may have gone through some rigorous training in their preparation for the job; however, the power behind their operations is in the uniform that bears the nation’s emblem. A police officer or military personnel is therefore protected from assault and ill treatment for reasons beyond himself, and more so because he is on duty as an agent of the country. So also, a person that is born again is protected, supported, assisted, and backed up by the authority of heaven. More importantly, this special privilege is not earned through social status, popularity, hard work, financial status, or anything else. The only requirement is to accept Jesus as personal Lord and Saviour, and obediently submit to His authority in all things. For example, the Bible in Exodus 20:12 says:
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

This may seem very simple and easy, but unknown to many, great power is operating behind those words. This is the Word of God and anyone that will obey these words can expect to live a long life in prosperity.
If you are obedient to these words, not only should you expect to live long as a child of God, you can also expect to be fruitful and prosperous. Fruitfulness is a covenant benefit of God’s children. Deuteronomy 7:12-14 reveals that God expects you to be fruitful by the fruit of your body, in your business and livestock. This implies that, because you are blessed by God, everything associated with you will carry a mark of that blessing. This is why you should have great expectations regarding fruitfulness. Are you struggling with barrenness? In the name of Jesus Christ, there shall be no more barrenness in your life, in your body and in your business. From now on, you shall be fruitful spiritually, mentally, financially, materially, and in your body.

Similarly, according to Deuteronomy 28:11-12, believers can expect supernatural abundance from the Lord. Remember, expectations should go ahead of you before the blessings are delivered. If you expect nothing, do not be surprised when you get nothing. Those without expectations demonstrate that they do not know what they want. When you read about God’s powerful promises, expectations should rise up within you. The Lord says He will so bless you, that you will become a creditor to nations.

More so, this abundance is not limited to finance. God can bless the fruit of your brain so that you will be sought after by different educational institutions across the globe. The question is, are you born again? Are you in total obedience to the Word of God?

Prayer Point
Father, help me to be obedient to Your Word and bless me abundantly in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 4th May, 2016.
SUFFERING HATRED.

Memorise
Jesus said unto them, if God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
-John 8:42.

Read: John 15:17-21.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

Message
As the time of the departure of Jesus began to draw near, He started talking to His disciples about the things that will befall them the moment when he would depart, so that they would not be caught unawares. These series of talks are generally referred to as the ‘farewell discourse’. The Bible reading for today is one of the farewell discourses, it points to the fact that the disciples would suffer hatred. John 15:20 says:

“Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

Jesus said, if the world persecuted Him, then the disciples should expect a similar treatment in the hands of the people. Jesus told them that He was telling them ahead of time so that when these things began to happen, they would not be caught unawares. Jesus wanted His disciples to be fully ready for any eventuality.
What is the nature of the hatred that Jesus suffered in the hands of the people of the world? He was defamed, misrepresented, rejected unfairly, forsaken by friends and relatives, harassed, beaten, assaulted, abused, crucified and murdered. Jesus went further in John 15:21 to say:

“But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.”

The prophecy is not limited to the twelve apostles or those that were physically present with Him at that time. Jesus explained that this would be the fate of all that come after Him and live as true disciples. That the Church and people of God are presently operating under various kinds of attacks and persecution in many regions of the world is not news any longer. Christians are presently suffering untold hardships, insecurity, harassment, brutality, assaults, and murder. In fact, Jesus told the disciples that a time is coming that a person that kills a Christian would suppose that he is doing God a favour.
However, the Bible says we should count it all joy when we are faced with diverse temptations and persecutions, knowing that through such challenges, we become exercised, our spiritual muscles get toughened and built-up.

Prayer Point
Father, please give me the grace to remain adherent to You no matter what the devil throws my way.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 6th May, 2016.
PRACTICALITY OF FAITH.

Memorise
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
-Hebrews 11:1.

Read: James 2:14-23.

Message
Our memory verse for today provides the best explanation on the subject of faith. Practically, faith consists of taking God at His word and acting accordingly. The idea of being sure provides a conviction that what we hope for will happen, not because we can make it happen, but because God has said it will happen.

In John 6:57-58, our Lord Jesus Christ assures us that His flesh and blood releases divine life. As you drink the wine representing His blood, the spirit will quicken your body because the wine is equivalent to the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 compares the wine with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:11 says:

“But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you.”

This means that if curses are warring against your body, when you partake of the bread and wine, physical victory will be delivered to your body. Are you sick? Has your body been afflicted with terminal ailments? Seek the face of the Lord concerning that sickness, go in faith for the next Holy Communion and you will be healed. There is a user of this Devotional with a terminal ailment, as you release your faith and partake of the next Holy Communion, you will be delivered from that ailment in the name of Jesus.

Furthermore, in Luke 24:49, the Lord told His disciples to wait until the power came.

That is faith. Waiting on God is an act of faith.
While waiting, there would be several distractions and discouraging moments. The devil will bring people to mock you just like they mocked Noah while he was building the ark for a supposed rainfall that had never before been experienced. For as long as it takes God to fulfil His promises in your life, WAIT. Don’t get tired! Time spent in waiting on God to fulfil His Word is not wasted at all; it is counted to you as an act of righteousness. You are simply obeying God. Besides this, where to wait could also be very important. The Early Church was asked to wait in the city of Jerusalem. They did not know why, but God knew He had planned to send the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

Faith also provides a conviction of certainty for what we do not see. Just as physical eyesight provides evidence about visible things, faith provides evidence about the invisible. God has promised future blessings and eternal rewards. No one has seen these yet. Still, believers are certain that God will deliver on His promises, and we will one day see and experience these blessings and rewards. Faith proves the reality of what we cannot see. Faith enables Christians to live obediently in the light of what we know will come. “Faith provides a platform for hope and a perception into the reality of what would otherwise remain unseen” (Donald Guthrie).

Prayer Point
Father, please rekindle the fire of apostolic faith in me in the Name of Jesus.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 8th May, 2016.
IT SHALL BE WELL.

Memorise
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
-Psalms 30:5.

Read: Revelation 21:1-7.
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Message
‘It shall be well’ is a futuristic statement. It speaks about something that will happen later, a speculation about the future state of man. God appointed ministers of the Gospel as stewards of His mysteries. These ministers are saddled with the responsibility of ‘rightly dividing the Word of truth’, and distributing to everyone the right dose at the right time. It is also their duty to try to separate the precious from the vile, and to be God’s mouth-piece in all situations. In addition, they are commissioned to operate as God’s ambassadors in this world by delivering every message according to the mind of God, as documented in the Holy Bible. It is in this respect that prophet Isaiah spoke in Isaiah 3:10-11:
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked; it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.”

This passage reveals that there are two classes of people in the world- the righteous and the wicked. No matter how diverse men are, they must fall under one of these categories. Consequently, the Bible classifies the people that are born again, sanctified and living in obedience to the Word of God as righteous, and everyone else that refuses to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour as wicked. Therefore, no matter how wealthy, educated, and morally upright a person is, without Christ, they are wicked. Wickedness in this case is tantamount to the rejection of the work of salvation and the offer of peace and reconciliation freely extended to humanity. We may then say that the righteous are those who have been renewed in the spirit of their mind, and are following after biblical holiness. On the other hand, the wicked are those who are still in a carnal unregenerate state, unable to please God because of fleshly lusts. Ecclesiastes 8:12 says:
“Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:”

It is obvious from these passages that God has decided to make the righteous the focus of His love, favour, and blessings. God is saying that in spite of the negative circumstances around you presently, the present economic situation around the world, and the precarious political environment. It shall be well with the righteous. This is good news, however, it requires very serious consideration to decide where we belong. To which of these classes do you belong? Are you consciously living in obedience to God or are you living contrary to the Word of God? Answer these questions honestly and make a serious self assessment of your life. As you do this, I declare that it shall be well with you in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please give me the grace to live in Your righteousness daily in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 9th May, 2016.
JESUS FOLLOWER?

Memorise
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
-1 Corinthians 11:1.

Read: Philippians 3:17-21.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Message
A brief look at many contemporary Christian leadership books seem to be confusing the followers of Jesus with a perceived strategy to shape future leaders of the church, as though Church leaders are in a special category. It should be noted that all followers of Jesus are called to a life of discipleship.
It is not exactly correct to interprete the relationship of Jesus with His disciples as an effort to develop a leadership training school for the future movement. The Bible is very clear on the fact that the focus of Jesus was first of all, the renewal of Israel, the establishment of the kingdom of God, and the transformation of lives through healing, deliverance, miracles, signs, and wonders, witnessed by the people.

It is obvious that the function of the disciples within the Gospel narratives is not their exemplary leadership, but their role as models who braved the struggles that all followers of Jesus are destined to face. The disciples humanity, world view, character, and lifestyle, were openly displayed as an example for future disciples to follow. Jesus in Mark 8:34-35 says:

“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”

In one of Jesus’ popular sayings, he said to His disciples, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). This verse address issues of power, authority, and human dignity. Though all these are central to any discussion of leadership but the power of the text is in how it undermines notions of greatness and how a leader must use power on behalf of all members of the community. The modern teachings on Christian leadership have been redefined to mean that the servant and followers (present day Christians) have become greater than their masters and leaders (Jesus Christ). In response to this, Matthew 10:24 says:
“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.”

All Christians must realize that a disciple cannot be above his master as a servant cannot be above his Lord. To be a Christian is to imbibe the discipline and humility of a servant. In addition to this important prerequisite for discipleship we might add the attributes of humility, gentleness, justice, and love. These were the contents for the discipleship training that Jesus gave to His disciples. Subsequently, deacons, elders, overseer/bishops, and believers are all expected to live out in very tangible ways, the lifestyle that honours God and is exemplary for the people of God. Followers of Jesus are to adopt this attitude toward life in general. The lifestyle of a Christian should be clearly different and morally superior to that of the world. The concept of Jesus on Christian leadership is firmly built on follower-ship, service, humility, obedience, and loyalty. If you want to follow Jesus acceptably, you must align your views on leadership to incorporate the ideals of Jesus Christ.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to pay the price of leadership. Help me to imbibe the ideals of Master Jesus.

Hymn 14: Onward Christian Soldiers.