Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 20th September, 2016.
THE OLDEST WORKMAN OF GOD.

Memorise
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 1:1.

Read: Proverbs 8:22-35.
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.

Message
The very first indication of God’s work in creation is recorded in the book of Genesis chapter one. The oldest workman of God would therefore be referring to a character involved in the activities at the beginning of all things. Proverbs 8:22-23 hints as fellows:

“The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Or ever the earth was.”

And John 1:1-3 says,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

The oldest worker of God in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:3), is a personality having neither beginning of days nor end of life. He is without father, without mother, no descendants; He lives in eternity and abides forever. The Bible says that the Almighty God possessed Jesus in the very beginning, before His works of old. This is a mystery. He was with God in the beginning of creation and all things were made by Him, whether visible or invisible, physical or spiritual. Psalms 19:1-2 says:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge.”

His excellent knowledge and perfect wisdom is visibly evident everywhere in creation. The Heavens declared His glory, and His perfect creativity is revealed in nature; the beautiful landscape, waterfalls, mountains, valleys, and all the rivers in their places; the beautiful flowers and birds that sing, all the small and great animals of the earth, and the abundant life under the seas; the moon, the stars and the heavenly hosts, the appointed seasons, all these are wonders of His creation. Also by Him, God established the clouds above, and strengthened the fountains of the deep. He decreed to the sea, that the waters should not pass the set boundary when he appointed the foundations of the earth. Our Lord Jesus is great in power and excellent in glory, may His name be praised forever. Let somebody shout Hallelujah.

Prayer Point
Father, thank You for a beautiful world, and a magnificent universe.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 21st September, 2016.
SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS.

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

Read: 2 Timothy 2:1-4.
1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Message
The word ‘soldier’ appears in the Bible quite frequently, along with a number of synonymous terms. A soldier is a person involved in military activity, one who is specially trained for war. In Bible days, the phrase ‘men who drew the sword,’ was commonly used to identify a soldier’s primary function as a combatant and to symbolise warfare in general. Ephesians 6:11-17, is a Bible reference comparing the weapons of a fully armed Roman soldier to that of a Christian’s spiritual armour. In recruiting earthly soldiers, some are chosen while others who are unfit are dropped. The fact that you are born again shows that you have scaled through the first selection hurdle. The next thing is to prove that you are a good solider of Jesus Christ. Why? There are bad soldiers of the Cross. There are many supposed soldiers in God’s army who are no better than earthly civilians. In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul enjoins fellow Heavenly soldiers to fight the good fight of faith. We have been called into a fight. It is a fight that is based on your faith in Christ. 2 Timothy 2:4 says:

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

The chosen is also expected to be a soldier. Therefore, if you cannot fight to resist and terminate Satan’s operation in your life, family or church, you are a civilian not a soldier. If you cannot fight for God’s promise to be fulfilled in your life and circumstances, you are a civilian, not a soldier. Can you imagine a soldier who is armed and at the battle front drops his weapons, only to plead with fellow soldiers to assist him in shooting at his enemies? That is a civilian solider! In the Christian faith, there are many civilian soldiers. If you keep relying on others to pray for you, you are a civilian solider. If you pay prayer contractors to go to Prayer Mountains on your behalf while you are asleep at home, you are a civilian soldier.

Civilian soldier make God nauseous. If you are a soldier of the Cross, you must endure hardness. If because of little trials- delayed conception, no money, or some persecution, you decide to call it quits with your faith in Christ, you become a deserter, not a soldier. Soldiers are tough and able to go through tough and difficult terrains. What would stop civilians cannot stop soldiers. They are armed, disciplined and operate according to the orders of their superiors. They are faithful to their oath to defend and kill identified enemies of the kingdom. They fight, putting their lives on the line. The big question that every Christian must answer with all sincerity is, are you a soldier of the cross, a deserter, or a civilian?

Prayer Point
Father, I am determined to be a soldier of the cross, please help my resolve to stand for you and the Gospel in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 22nd September, 2016.
DEMON POSSESSED?

Memorise
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
- Acts 10:38.

Read: 1 Samuel 16:14-23.
14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lordis with him.
19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.
23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Message
The use of the term “demon possessed” in the Bible is always in reference to a person operating under the influence of a demon or evil spirit. The Bible describes demons as evil, spiritual beings or malevolent forces that are opposed to God, and are in the habit of influencing human beings to disobey God. However, demons always bow in the presence of our God. If you study how demons related with Jesus Christ and His disciples in the Bible, you will observe that they recognized God’s presence in Jesus Christ and His disciples and they surrendered without much argument. I have always told my children that if we have enough of His presence in us, demons will flee when they sight us, how much more when we command them to go. In Mark 5:1-6, when Jesus stepped on the shores of the Gadarenes, a very notorious; heavily demon-possessed mad man immediately reported to Him even before He said a word.

As a matter of fact, until you carry a higher level of His presence in your life, you may not realize the activities of demons in your environment. Believe it or not, they are everywhere, performing their negative assignments. But as God increases His presence in your life, there will be commotion because demons recognise the presence of God and they can’t be at rest in His presence. Even in church, while God’s anointed Word is being taught powerfully, demons will not be able to withstand the power in the Word, this happened when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Mark 1:12-26. One day, Paul and his co-labourers in God’s vineyard were on their way to a prayer meeting when the spirit of divination in a young lady became restless because of God’s presence in them. If only you carry a higher level of His presence, the demons around you will manifest from wherever they are hiding. Ask God for more of His presence upon you.

Furthermore, every encounter with the Word releases a measure of Truth that sets free, and just as the level of bondage varies in the lives of the captive, so also, the dose of Truth needed to bring total liberation varies. If you can expose yourself to more and more of the Word and allow the light of God’s Word to shine on you, captivity will give way and you will be free. God desires your absolute freedom (John 8:36). Yet, beyond this, Jesus wants to empower you to set other captives free (Mark 16:17). What level of freedom are you experiencing? Everything that has taken you captive shall release you now in Jesus’ name. Your deliverance shall be permanent and you shall become a means of liberation to others in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please let Your presence and the power of Your Word fill my life completely in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 23rd September, 2016.
THE SURE SOLUTION.

Memorise: Pray without ceasing.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Read: James 5:13-16.
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Message
Prayer is a means of communicating with God, it is primarily offered by addressing God directly in the name of Jesus. Prayer may include petition, entreaty, supplication, thanksgiving, praise, hymns, and lament. The Bible stresses the importance of prayer and commends a life of prayer that is characterized by simplicity of expression, sincerity of heart and trust in God’s ability. It is important to note that prayer plays a vital role in our quest to access more of God’s glory. It is a ladder we can climb to enter into God’s presence. The more you pray, the more of His presence you will encounter, leading you into more of His glory. At the mount of Transfiguration, when the Lord moved His prayer gear to a higher level, He saw Himself in the presence of His Father and His clothes shone with God’s glory (Luke 9:29).

After this experience, Jesus returned to the domains of men, empowered to gain victory over men, demons and challenges that came His way. Prayer is the sure answer and the ultimate solution to all problems and challenges of life. God commanded us to pray in Jeremiah 33:3 by saying:
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Through the instrumentality of prayer, there is no problem too big that cannot be solved; the issue is: many people are too lazy to pray their way into God’s presence to enable them access the level of glory they require to reign over Satan, situations, circumstances and their fears. Wake up! Rise up in prayer and begin to pray your way into His presence today! Bear in mind the evil judgment and all manners of calamities always befall those that do not pray. God wants His children to develop the habit of praying always, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says: “Pray without ceasing”; Romans 12:12 talks about “…Continuing instant in prayer”; and Luke 18:1 says, “….men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Children of God have no excuse for operating a prayer-less life. James 4:2 says:
“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”

The Word of God makes it very clear that the failure of many among the people of God is not due to laziness, lack of ambition, or poor preparation, but to a lack of prayer. According to 2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray…”

Many personal problems of individual Christians and some corporate challenges in the Body of Christ will turn to testimonies if any God’s people will pray.

Prayer Point
Father, please rekindle the fire of prayer in my life in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 24th September, 2016.
THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE.

Memorise
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
- Hosea 4:6.

Read: Proverbs 1:20-29.
20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

Message
Knowledge can be defined in two major ways; first, as an acquaintance with the body of truths, facts, or principles accumulated in the course of time from study or investigation. On the other hand, knowledge can also be defined as the illumination of the mind, especially by the Word of God, leading to delight and increased pleasure in God. It should be noted that whenever the Bible talks about knowledge and knowing, it is usually in the sense of knowledge as an illumination of the mind by the Word of God. Biblical knowledge is a combination of scientific, philosophical, psychological, and spiritual knowledge; and this kind of knowledge is superior to any other.

In reference to the knowledge of the Word of God Hosea 4:6 says:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

As I have always said, knowledge is power because it is a major factor that controls the process of decision making and therefore ultimately determines the course of life. It is the level of your knowledge about any particular subject that determines your ability to make the right decisions about the subject. It is in this light that Proverbs 1:29 says those who despise or detest knowledge do so at their risk. Every Christian needs to know that dependence on worldly knowledge may lead to failure, but godly knowledge guarantees success.

Do you know that if you know more about God and His Word, it will affect you in making error-proof choices and decisions? That is why Proverbs 1:23 says,
“Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

The elements you need in taking those crucial decisions are contained in the Bible, prophetic utterances of genuine men of God and what He would like to say directly to you. How much time have you given to studying at His feet? Some think it is a waste of time to undertake personal Bible study while others are sleeping at midnight. No. You are gaining time. At the end, you will realize you spent far less time and effort in reaching your goal than the one who never cared to give priority to God’s Word.

Prayer Point
Father, please give me enlightenment and understanding by Your Word in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 25th September, 2016.
ARE YOU A FRAUDSTER?

Memorise
Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are His delight.
- Proverbs 12:22.

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

Message
A fraudster is a dishonest person. Someone with a disposition to tell lies, cheat or steal. Dishonesty is contrary to the will and nature of God, and so should not be found among the people of God. The Bible teaches that any prosperity obtained from deceit, fraud and lies will be short lived. Initially, it will appear as an increase but later it will leave you plundered. Some believers exploit fellow believers. This is a great evil because any wrong you do to your brother or sister in Christ is done to the Lord. Today, many people find it difficult to tell the truth. For instance, when asked to go and buy something for the church, they will not rest until they make profit for themselves. Some of those who ‘maintain’ church equipments will present certain equipment as write offs, receive money for another one only to refurbish that which was condemned. They then go on to use it either for themselves or put it out for sale. Who owns the equipment? Who owns the church? Who do you think you are deceiving; the pastor, administrator or Christ? Bread of deceit loads your system with gravel! Each time you deceive the church authority to make money for yourself, you give yourself wounds that may never heal.

Jeremiah 17:11 puts it this way:
“As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.”

A particular brother received a contract for electrical works in the building of a church. While bidding for it, he presented certain standard of cables and materials but after he was awarded the contract, he bought sub-standard materials in order to make more profit. Nobody knew. About two years after, the building was on fire as a result of the poor materials used. Meanwhile, the contractor had died before his secret deal came to light. A number of people believed that his deception killed him. Don’t kill yourself; don’t die before your time! God cannot bless you if you deceive Him or His servants. Some people deliberately supply inferior goods to the church so that when they get spoilt, they will be recalled to re-supply such items. This is fraud! Remember Ananias and Sapphira lied about the offering they gave but never survived it! Neither will any who follows their evil path. Are you fraudulent, dishonest, or crafty? Be warned, the end result could be highly disappointing.

Proverbs 23:5 describes this as an exercise in futility.
“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven”

Prayer Point
Father, please destroy every seed of dishonesty and fraud in my life in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 26th September, 2016.
THE HERITAGE OF THE LORD.

Memorise
And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
- Exodus 2:9.

Read: Psalms 127:3-5.
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Message
The Bible presents the nation of Israel and the Church of God as the chief objects of God’s fatherly love.  All of humanity have the privilege of becoming God’s children through faith and are then encouraged by the Scripture to imitate their heavenly Father in their daily living. However, as I have always maintained, you can choose to be anything you want before the Almighty God. You can be just a creature, a dog or a cow. You can go beyond being a mere creature to becoming a servant. Being a servant gives you more personal access to God. But you could go yet another step to becoming a son of God. Sons have tremendous opportunities that servants do not have. As a son of God, you become a co-heir with Christ. That means all that God has jointly belongs to Jesus and you. Besides, John 8:35 says sons abide in the house forever.

No wonder David in Psalms 23:6 says:
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

He could say so because he had a Father-son relationship with the Lord. For such sons, even after leaving planet earth, Jesus promised to prepare His Father’s house for them to stay throughout eternity (John 14:1-3). Sons have eternal right to God’s house. Are you a son of God?

If you abide in God’s house, you would automatically flourish. Psalms 92:13 says;
“Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.”

Beyond being rich or wealthy, you can flourish. Age will not erode your opportunities or harvests. In fact, the older you are, the more flourishing you become. This is not for those who merely visit God’s house. It is not for servants but for sons. Some people endure going into God’s house or presence. If they were asked to come for a big contract at 9 am, they will be there by 7 am. But if invited to meet with the King of kings for 8 am, they will stroll into church by 10 am. This attitude hinders people from attaining the heights they were created to achieve. If you find it difficult to stay in God’s presence, you can be sure you cannot have access into His Heavenly home. Those who will enter Heaven must desire to enter that city not made with hands (Hebrew 11:10, 16). It far excels the best of planet earth to the extent that it is simply incomparable. Do you qualify for Heaven? To what extent do you long for Heaven? How much do you crave to be in God’s presence? How much do you enjoy worshipping the Lord?

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to make it to Heaven and to abide in You forever in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 27th September, 2016.
THE GREAT PROVIDER.

Memorise
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:19.

Read: Mark 6:35-42.
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.

Message
The Almighty God is well known as ‘The Lord who provides’. God is the provider and supplier of the needs of all creation, but He gives special attention to His own people. Psalms 145:16 says:
“Thou openest thine hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing. He provides for all people.”

Our God is a gracious Father, He does not only provide the needs of His children, He also protects their interest. He crowns His children with glory, and as a Consuming Fire, burns anyone that messes around with their royalty and honour. Three of God’s children, crowned by God with glory, found themselves in such a situation one day. A king, who virtually ruled the world of their day, thought too highly of himself and wanted to rubbish their glory. He dispatched some hefty men to tie them and hurl them into a burning fiery furnace. At the end, the men he sent were roasted by the fire he set up, while the Consuming Fire was with His children inside the furnace to protect them and His glory upon them. They eventually walked majestically out of the furnace into promotion and increased glory (Daniel 3:1-30). This season, any plan to touch God’s glory on your life shall be destroyed. Every fire the enemy kindles against you and your family shall devour that enemy in Jesus’ name.

You need to know the worth of your Heavenly Father so that you can tap into His resources. The lifestyle of a child is determined by the status of the father and the resources controlled by the father. Philippians 4:19 says:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

If your father has a bicycle and you need to get to school, he will let you ride on it. If he has no means of transportation, you will trek. If he has a rickety car, you will ride in it, with passers-by looking with pity at its occupants. But if your father has an exotic car, you will ride in it and be admired by onlookers. Psalms 24:1 says the earth and everything in it belongs to our Father. Haggai 2:8 says He owns all the gold and silvers. Psalms 50:10 says He owns all the cattle upon a thousand hills. John 14:3 says in His Heavenly estate there are many mansions. No wonder Philippians 4:19 say my Daddy will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory. Needs are met by available resources. Since He has all things, then all your needs shall be met. Call upon the Great Provider and start tapping into the unlimited resources of your Heavenly Father by faith today.

Prayer Point
Father, You are the Great Provider, please meet all my needs in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 28th September, 2016.
NO STOPPING, NO WAITING.

Memorise
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
- Galatians 6:9.

Read: Philippians 3:13-17.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Message
Patience and long-suffering are indispensable virtues for all believers in Christ. In the first place, the race we are called into can only be run through patience because it is a marathon. Also, there is hardly any promise of God that can be fulfilled in the life of believers without the combination of faith and patience (Hebrews 6:12). As indispensable as faith is to a Christian, so also is patience. No wonder it is listed as part of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. Do you know that when your faith is being tried, God uses that trial to generate patience in you? This implies that the longer the period of trial, the greater your level of patience. But, when you fail to handle a particular trial of faith the way you should, it will not generate the level of patience that it should. For this reason, many who have gone through trials complaining saw God as an opposition, and therefore grumbled against Him. In the process, some even abandon the faith.

This attitude is contrary to the Word of God as recorded in Hebrews 6:12:
“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Children of God must learn not to be weary in well doing because God has promised us a bountiful harvest if we faint not. We must completely trust in His superior wisdom to decide the timing of our blessings. For instance, He knows the end of every line of action even at the beginning of that action. This is why you must trust His sense of judgement at all times, because His decisions are not limited to what your eyes can see today but also what may happen tomorrow. Many years ago, while we lived in a part of Lagos that harboured several drug addicts and reckless drivers, my children asked me to buy them a bicycle. When I declined, they failed to understand. But after we relocated from that part of Lagos some years later, without a repeat of that request, I bought them the bicycle. If I had obliged their request the first time, they might not be alive today. God still deals with us based on what He knows about us today and tomorrow. Be sure that the Lord will not give you the blessing you are not prepared for, lest it destroys you.

Whenever an expected blessing is delayed or when faced with difficulties, long-suffering is required to remain composed. Even when the situation appears hopeless, just take time to read and study the Bible, asking God to give you a word for that situation. Grab whatever God says, obey and follow-up with action, then wait for the result, and you will never be disappointed.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to patiently wait for Your perfect timing in all things in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 29th September, 2016.
THE SURE REFUGE.

Memorise
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: The righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
- Proverbs 18:10.

Read: Philippians 2:9-11.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Message
Refuge is used in the Bible as a reference to a secure shelter or a place of protection from danger or distress. A refuge is a stronghold that is commonly used for retreat, healing and renewal. Ultimately, refuge is a common metaphor for God in the Bible.
2 Samuel 22:3 says:

“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, My saviour; thou savest me from violence.”

In effect, God is our fortress, a strong tower, a rock of defence, our shield, a shade of protection, and a shelter in the time of storm. He is Mighty to deliver, Mighty to save, the Mighty man in battle and the Lord of hosts. What a father does goes a long way in affecting the life of a child. Our Heavenly Father does not only neutralize weapons designed against His children, He also protects them from harm. Here is a story I have shared severally: In the 50’s while I was still very young, we had mining activities going on in my village and the roads were very narrow. Nigeria was still under colonial rule then. Normally, white men came in a jeep to collect the gold that the miners got. They were so powerful in those days that the villagers believed that if they killed your child, you have to tell them “thank you” so that you will not be sent to prison; they were dreaded. One day, my sister and I were returning from the farm when we suddenly heard the sound of a jeep coming at top speed. My sister immediately grabbed my hand and we both jumped out of its way, landing in an empty mine pit. We barely escaped the jeep but before we could heave a sigh of relief, we found ourselves before a snake. Because our Father can preserve lives, I lived to tell the story. In Luke 10:19, God empowered all believers in Christ over snakes, scorpions, power of the enemy, and over demonic agents and all their activities. I prophecy in the Name that is above all other names, God will protect you and defend everything that is yours this season in Jesus’ name. Psalms 20:7-8 says;
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: But we are risen, and stand upright.”

The Word of God is trustworthy, reliable and dependable. Whatever you may be passing through, trust in God and call upon His name today, He will give you peace all round.

Prayer Point
Father, thank You for being my hiding place and my refuge, please keep me secure for the rest of my life in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 30th September, 2016.
GRACE, NOT DISGRACE.

Memorise
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
- Romans 9:33.

Read: Psalms 23:1-6.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Message
Grace is the favour of God to human beings. It is the demonstration of God’s goodwill towards humankind in the person of Jesus Christ, and the effects of that goodwill in human lives. The word is rarely found in the Old Testament but employed frequently in the New Testament, leading some to declare the New Testament period as the dispensation of grace. The Christian life is completely dependent upon the grace of God. God’s grace compensates for human weaknesses in that God shows Himself gracious in His dealings with human beings.

John 1:16-17 says:
“And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

God’s grace is abundant (Romans 5:17). This grace is not only abundant but can be exceeding in one’s life (2 Corinthians 9:14). Grace is one way God makes up for our short comings. Grace covers our human frailties. Through grace, God uses our very limited strength and resources to do the impossible. This He does by adding His own strength and resources to ours. With grace, you lack, limitations, and defects are fully covered. When you have exceeding grace, it means God’s provision far exceeds your need.  Grace is in action at those times that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray in accordance with God’s will when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). When you have prayed, fasted and tried without measuring up to standard, then it is time to fall back on His grace. Grace can be accessed at varying measures. To some people, grace may be unavailable, to some, only a little, while some will have it in abundance, and for some others, grace will outnumber their needs. What level of grace do you have access to? If you want to access extreme levels of grace, do not frustrate God’s grace that is currently available upon you, do not waste it and do not become a storage tower of grace, but rather, be a channel of grace. Always use grace for the purpose it is given to you. Be gracious to others. Be generous. Live a holy life.

2 Corinthians 6:1 says:
“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”

God does not wish that we receive His grace in vain; He wants us to be progressive by growing in grace. God wants us to share His grace with others for them to taste and see that the Lord is good. May His glory fill the earth, that His name may be praised forever more.

Prayer Point
Father, let Your grace be sufficient for me. Please Lord; make me a distributor of Your grace.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 1st October, 2016.
THE BLESSING OF SOLITUDE (1).

Memorise
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
-Matthew 14:23.

Read: Genesis 32:23-30.
23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Message
One of the characteristics of the eagle that that we learn from the School of Disciples of the Redeemed Christian Church of God is its lonely lifestyle. We learn the virtues of a solitary lifestyle because more often than not, the crowd could be distracting. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in our memory verse for today, demonstrated the need to withdraw and be alone with God periodically. The Bible says in Matthew 14:23:
"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."

What was Jesus doing alone? He was having fellowship with His Father and probably the angels were ministering to Him as we read in Matthew 4:11.
In our text for today, Jacob was facing a frightening situation and he needed to sought some things out with his Maker. So, he decided to be alone after discharging his family to go before him. What he was doing could be assumed in the light of verses 9 to verses 26. There are many lessons we can learn from this story: Firstly, to be alone with God we must separate ourselves from the crowd. Secondly, to be alone with God requires denying ourselves the luxury of family fellowship and affection. Jacob parted with his family including the wife he laboured to have for fourteen years. The only time the Bible allows a temporary separation between the husband and the wife is when it comes to being alone with God. The Bible says:
"Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency". 1 Corinthians 7:5.

The third lesson we can learn from this story is that solitary living is of no use if you cannot get the best out of it. Jacob did not just isolate himself from the crowd, he had a nice and meaningful time with his Maker, and he did not miss out the essence when he said: "...I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." (Genesis 32:26). I always pity people when they come for big meetings like the Holy Ghost service, Festival of Life, Holy Ghost Congress, etc. and they sleep all through the programme, even while the prayers are going on. These people left the luxury of their beds and comfortable houses, only to come here and waste their time in the presence of the Lord. Jacob did not do this; he went for the best from his God. Another lesson we can learn here is that as a result of this separation unto God, Jacob's terrible past was erased and he was mightily blessed. Finally in this story, we learn that we don't need the details of how God will perform our desperately needed miracles. All we need is faith to believe whatever the Lord says concerning us, either in his Word or through prophetic ultrances from His genuine prophets. Jacob asked for the name of the man with whom he was wrestling and the man said that knowing his name was not necessary; all he needed was miracles and blessings, so he Blessed him. This is a mighty reward of solitary living; being alone with God pays a lot. As you choose to separate yourself unto the Lord and away from the world, I pray that the blessings of the Lord shall characterise your separated life in Jesus' name.

Action Point:
Decide to dedicate some solitary time for prayer and have meaningful fellowship with your Maker.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 2nd October, 2016.
THE BLESSING OF SOLITUDE (11).

Memorise
Elias was a man subject subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
- James 5:17.

Read: 1 Kings 19:9-18.
9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

Message
Other blessings of solitary living include divine authority, divine revelation and divine direction. In our memory verse for today, we read that Elijah was a man who possessed divine authority that controlled the weather. He commanded rain to cease and it was so; when he felt it was time to release the rain, he commanded it to start falling and it was so!

The Bible says in 1 Kings 17:1
“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

This did not come by careless and flamboyant living. This authority came as a result of solitary living and a separated life. We can understand this by what God said to Elijah in 1 Kings 18:1
“And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.”

It took instruction from God before Elijah could show himself to Ahab. He had been in solitary confinement ever since he made the proclamation of the drought. Some Christian ministers would want to be seen everywhere, at every public function and yet they want authority, they want divine revelation and direction. They dine and wine with the elites in the society and yet they want to exercise divine authority. It does not work like that. Elijah said, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand…” Children of God, pastors, where are you standing? Before God or in the crowd?

In the reading of today’s Bible text, it is amazing to know that not only spiritual but also physical encouragement came to Elijah during his solitary time with God. Through this divine physical provision, the Bible says that he travelled for forty days and forty nights without eating anything else. One lesson we must quickly grasp here is that God is interested in our physical and spiritual well-being. It is a pity that some Christians spiritualise so many things at the detriment of their physical well-being. Imagine God saying, “Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” This divine consideration came because Elijah took time to be alone with God. One other lesson we must learn is that still in his solitude. Elijah was visited by God and he was able to lodge his complaint against the society he was living in and consequently he was told what to do. We receive divine instruction when we are alone with God. Our misconceptions about life situations will receive clarification and better understanding when we are alone with God.

The Bible says:
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.”
Psalm 25:14.

Unknown to Elijah that he was not the only prophet standing for God, he wanted to die. However, he was told that God Himself had preserved seven thousand prophets who had not corrupted themselves! What a revelation and a lesson. Never think you are the only one keeping the bound of holiness, there are others unknown to you. So don’t give in to the deceit of Satan. God will never change and He will never lower His standards. God bless you as you continue with God in holiness.    

Prayer Point
Father, the grace to be separated unto You, not following the multitude, please give to me.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 3rd October, 2016.
THE BLESSING OF SOLITUDE (III).

Memorise
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward pasts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
- Psalm 51:6.

Read: Daniel 2:16-19.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

Message
It takes withdrawing from the crowd to be able to hear the message that will not only save you from evil, but will take you to the next level of stardom. An adage says: “He that is afraid of being alone will die in the crowd unnoticed.” The Psalmist says that the Lord makes him to be wise “in the hidden part”
(Psalms 51:6).

In today’s reading, we learn a lot from the withdrawal approach of Daniel and his friends. The king had a dream that he could not remember, not to talk of interpreting. All the wise men of Babylon and the dream-interpreting astrologers could neither figure it out nor give interpretation to it. So, their lives were put at stake including those of Daniel and his friends. When the news got to Daniel and his colleagues, he demanded for some time to seek the face of their God. Daniel and his companions went into the secret place of the Most High and sought His face for the revelation of the dream of the king.

The Bible says:
“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29.

There are lots of lessons we can learn from this story. The first that readily comes to mind is the fact that we must always find time to be in God’s presence, because He desires our fellowship. You can be sure that God will always present you with a gift whether you are a guest to Him in His sanctuary or you play host to Him when you invite him to come into your life. An example of someone who was a guest to Him in His sanctuary was Hannah who withdrew from the crowded festivities at Shiloh.

Her gift was a bouncing baby boy, Samuel (1 Samuel 1:9-18). When God comes visiting you in your lonely condition, He comes with gifts that money cannot buy. When Abraham decided to be alone with God, coming out from his extended family, he hosted the Almighty God through His angelic representatives and what he got in return was a child of promise (Genesis 18:1-14). Another lesson in this story is that we must learn how to trust God for good knowledge. The Almighty is the custodian of good knowledge and He gives it to those who diligently seek it. The Bible says:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
James 1:17.

It is wisdom, therefore, that we seek God wherever and whenever. He may be found. Incidentally, from time immemorial, God is not always in the midst of the crowd. This is corroborated by the adage which says: “One with God is a majority”. Beloved, seek God today, not in the crowd, but in your personal and quiet life.

Action Point
Choose a place where you will not be distracted for your daily personal fellowship with God.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 5th October, 2016.
THIEVES IN THE SANCTUARY (I).

Memorise
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour; working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Ephesians 4:28.

Read: Malachi 3:8-9.
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Message
One sad thing going on among the children of God is that some are stealing from the sanctuary of God and the people concerned are doing it with impunity.

There are many ways a person can steal from the sanctuary of God. The most common way to almost every Bible reading Christian is when you deny God one-tenth of your income, Malachi 3:8 says:

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”

When someone eats all his income without giving back one out of ten of it, the fellow is stealing from the sanctuary, because the tithe belongs to the sanctuary of God.

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10

Another way of stealing from the sanctuary is by refusing to give your first-fruit to the Lord as He requested from His covenant people in Deuteronomy 26:2:

“That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.”

Some people will argue that the ordinance of the first fruit belongs to the Old Testament era. I have always asked them about the numerous promises of God in the Old Testament which they often quote and claim to their advantage. For example, I asked some of them who took me up on whether the promise of being “the head and not the tail” isn’t found in the New Testament. Or “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Which is also in the book of Matthew. The truth of the matter is that the scriptures which are favourable to the flesh are easily quoted and claimed. Those that take the steam out of their so called personal freedom and finances are pushed to the background. The first fruit is the property of the Almighty God in His sanctuary. We must give it to Him through the custodians of the genuine sanctuary of God. I pray for someone using this devotional; the Holy Spirit will convince you of the truth about tithes, offerings and first fruit.

Prayer Point
Father, help me to abstain from stealing from Your sanctuary, and help me to perform the required restitution for the damage I have done to Your honour, when I denied You of Your tithes, offerings and first fruits.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 7th October, 2016.
THE LORD; MY HEALER.

Memorise
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1 Peter 2:24.

Read: Isaiah 53:1-5.
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Message
The title of today’s devotional requires deep thought. The Lord is asking us to personalise this truth today. The reason is not far-fetched; the healing virtue of Jesus Christ is very potent and available for YOU.

In today’s Bible reading, we are reassured that Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Healer because He paid for our healing with His Blood. Apart from reassuring us, the Bible passage also draws our attention to some other truths; not believing that God heals His ailing people is an ancient unbelief that is meant to subject humans to perpetual suffering. In the book of Numbers 21:6-9, the serpents sent to the Israelites as a result of their sins had bitten them, God then directed Moses to make and lift up a serpent for whoever was bitten to look upon for healing; as many as looked lived. This is type of healing God provides through our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 3:14-15, Jesus Christ said:

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

The power and secret of sickness and diseases which ultimately leads to death is hidden in sin. This is the reason why Jesus Christ often first of all attacked sin in the lives of the people He thereafter healed (Matthew 9:2-6). Healing is easily procured when the sick’s sins are forgiven him.

This is why the Psalmist says:
“Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”
Psalms 32:1.

He is our unfailing Healer because He paid the dues for our healing, in that He atoned for the cause of sicknesses and diseases (Matthew 26:28).
To access divine healing, therefore, we must have a covenant relationship with the Healer, because by His stripes only, can we be healed. In other words, by the atonement of Jesus Christ, our healing is forever settled. To have a covenant relationship with the Healer, therefore, we must respond to His call to repentance, and surrender the totality of our lives for Him to control. The body that has been dedicated to Jesus Christ shall be spared the sicknesses that make people miserable. When we give our lives to Christ, the next thing to do is to graduate to the level of belief that, henceforth, Jesus Christ will be our Healer. We now become candidates for divine healing and we can graduate to the level of enjoying divine health.

Action Point
Make sure your salvation is genuine by re-examining yourself to ensure that you have faith in the healing power of Christ.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 8th October, 2016.
DIVINE PROVISION.

Memorise
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:19.

Read: Matthew 17:24-27.
24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?
26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.
27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Message
Divine provision is in play when you know that what you have is not by your strength, power or ability. For example, when you work like a rat and you get the wages of an elephant without being fraudulent, you can be sure that the blessing is from above. On the contrary, when a man works like an elephant and all he can show for his labour is the wages of a rat, you can be sure that the fellow needs divine provision. The reason for the last scenario is the fall of man which earned him a curse associated with poverty and suffering. As a matter of fact, every man, particularly a child of God, needs divine provision to be able to make ends meet. This is the reason Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, told the Church at Philippi that God will supply all their needs according to His riches in glory through Jesus Christ, who has taken care of the sin that brought hardship and insufficiency to the life of man.

Divine provision begins with the provision God made for the atonement of our sins. God gave His only begotten Son as provision for our sins. John 3:16-17 says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Having settled the problem of sin, the Lord now makes available to us the abundance of His riches, The death of Jesus Christ cancelled the curse that subjected us to a life of penury and made available to us divine provision. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says:
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

He demonstrated this by the thousands he fed with that incredibly small meal which He multiplied just so that the need of the people will be met. Also, in the Bible reading for today, divine provision came forth to meet His personal need and that of Peter from the mouth of a fish. I pray for someone reading this devotional today; the Almighty will cause His divine provision to come upon you and meet you at the point of your needs in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, I present my needs to you today, please meet them all in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 9th October, 2016.
I MUST DECREASE.

Memorise
He must increase, but I must decrease.
- John 3:30.

Read: John 3:25-30.
25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Message
For Jesus Christ to be fully formed in us, we must learn the secret of reducing our carnal nature to the level of divine approval. In Colossians 3:5-6, Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ said:

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate, affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.”

When a person is born, he is born loaded with traits that are in enmity with God and consequently brings His wrath. Another apostle of Christ lists some things that make a typical fallen man; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life (1 John 2:15). These are the sins into which the first man and woman fell and we inherited. We must get rid of them if we want Christ to be fully formed in us. The pride of life is a subtle and complex sin for many reasons.

Firstly, the proud will never accept that he is proud; this makes the sin very complex until the power of regeneration comes upon the individual. He surrenders his life to Christ for total deliverance. It takes the direct opposite of pride to go to Calvary and confess one’s sins. Moreover, it takes an acceptance of his actions as sinful before the fellow can confess them. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke on this matter when He told the story of the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18:9-14:

“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 everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

In the Bible reading for today, John the Baptist teaches us some lessons, in spite of his position as a prophet, he knew his limitation; he knew his boundary. He pointed his audience to the original Messiah. From his proclamation, we got the title for today’s devotional reading: Jesus must increase while we must decrease. Our carnal man must be mortified so that Jesus Christ can increase in us, and gradually, we shall be transformed to conform to the image of the Son of the living God. Beloved, I want to encourage you to make a decision to decrease, that Jesus may increase. Let the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 characterise your lifestyle.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to be transformed to the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ my Saviour.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 10th October, 2016.
FAITH LIKE A CHILD’S?

Memorise
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
-Matthew 18:3.

Read: Matthew 18:1-6.
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 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.

Message
The child-like faith is what everybody requires, not only to make it to heaven but also to enjoy his or her days on the earth. If we do not believe this because it sounds illogical, we must believer it because Jesus said it. What is then required of us is to pray for the kind of faith that is comparable with that of a little child. The first thing about a little child is that he is very trusting. In my living room several years ago, there used to be a portrait of a little child looking so innocent with the inscription; “No Problem”. The faith that will enable us not to see problems but see only God who specialises in solving problems is the best for us.

Another characteristic trait of little children is that they forgive easily. Unlike adults who keep malice, children forgive and forget the wrong done to them almost immediately after it’s done. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32
“And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Children fulfil his Biblical injunction freely. Children could be very generous with their things except in some unusual occasions. Without knowing the spiritual implication of their actions, children are tender hearted with their peers. This is exactly what God wants from us. In Colossians 3:12-13, the Bible also says:

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another and forgive one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

There are many blessings we will access from the throne of God our Father if we can begin to take after children. For example, if we freely forgive those who wrong us like a child will do, our prayers will receive quick answers from God. In Mark 11:25, Jesus Christ said:

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

This instruction that comes from our Lord is simply saying that before we pray, we must first forgive! We can see the reason many of our prayers are not answered; we refuse to forgive. I pray that a user of this devotional will find grace to forgive and be kind hearted in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please help my faith and transform me to be able to forgive freely and be tender hearted in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 11th October, 2016.
THE BELIEVER’S AUTHORITY (I).

Memorise
Then He called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
- Luke 9:1

Read: Luke 9:1-6.
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
4 And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.

Message
A believer’s power and authority are two potent legacies that are highly irresistible beyond any man’s imagination. However, it is unfortunate that many children of God do not recognize them. This is the reason why the devil batters them on every side. As a result of this ignorance, the victor becomes a victim of circumstances. I pray for someone using this devotional; you will never be a victim of circumstances in Jesus’ name.

Power is the ability to perform a function and this is what Jesus Christ has made available to all His genuine disciples. Authority is more valuable than power because you can have the ability to do something, but if you don’t have the authority, you may not be able to. For example, with the power of the gun, you can hunt wildlife in the jungle, but if you are not licensed to hunt wildlife in the jungle and you do, you may be jailed. In John 5:25-27 the Bible says:
“Verily verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgement also, because he is the Son of man.”

Interestingly, according to today’s memory verse, this power and the authority to perform have been given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ:
“Then He called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.”

When a (so called) child of God is now caught in situations that are unbecoming of a saint and he then says “it is the work of the devil!” such a believer does not know the authority he has. The power to live above sin is made available through the work of redemption that Jesus Christ wrought at Calvary. The Bible says in 1 John 3:8:

“He that commiteth 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.”

When you come to Jesus Christ and you believe that He came to save you from the power of sin, He will not only forgive you, but will also give you the power to go and sin no more (John 8:11). This is the assurance that we have; that the grace of Jesus Christ will deliver us from the dominion of sin (Romans 6:14). My prayer is that you will not be beaten by the power of sin in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
I prophesy to my life: I will no longer be a victim of sin, but a victor in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 12th October, 2016.
THE BELIEVER’S AUTHORITY (II).

Memorise
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
- Luke 10:19.

Read: Luke 10:17-20.
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Message
As it was pointed out yesterday, the power and authority which Jesus Christ has made available to believers cannot be imagined by natural minds. Some people subject themselves to life-long bondage because they are looking for power and protection outside Jesus.

Hebrews 2:14-15 says:
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

One of my spiritual children testified that it was the grace of Jesus Christ that prevented him from entangling himself in occultism. Before he met the Lord, he had determined to join as many secret societies as could be found on the earth, to ensure his security. Fortunately for him, he met the Lord and he is now exercising the authority of a believer.

Beloved, the believer’s authority is yours if you genuinely accept Jesus Christ. This authority was given to us without measure. Our Lord said He has given to us authority over all the powers of the enemy and that nothing will by any means hurt us. When we rely on this, we will live our lives in peace even in the midst of a storm. Our Lord Jesus Christ is in the boat, it will not capsize. However, we must use the authority to our advantage. The story was told of a man who inherited magical powers to ward off evil and dispel whoever might want to harm him on a journey which he set for himself. As he started on the journey, he sighted robbers, taking the song to be true of the man, ran away for their lives. And that was how the woman saved the day for her husband. The lesson we should learn from this story is that, though the authority to conquer the devil and his cohorts are available, unless we exercise it in holy boldness, we remain as powerless as though it isn’t available. To exercise authority over sickness, demonic oppression, poverty and all unpleasant situations, we need to be believers indeed by being born again through faith in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Also, we need to live according to the Word of God. We must be doers of the Word because it is the authority of the Word that we honour that can help us in times of trouble.

Action Point
Begin to exercise faith in the Son of the Living God, and you will experience the supernatural.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 13th October, 2016.
DIVINE PARTNERSHIP.

Memorise
Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
- Psalms 41:1.

Read: Psalms 41:1-3.
1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
2 The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

Message
What is the link between divine partnership and consideration of the poor? As we may know, divine partnership has to do with partnering with the Almighty God. What is the connection between being in the same business with God and our attitude towards the poor? In our Bible reading for today, we discover that when we remember and help the poor, the Lord will deliver us from trouble. The reason is that the Almighty God watches over the poor and listens to their cry. When you respond to the cry of the poor, you are responding on behalf of their Maker who will in return replenish your pocket.

The Bible says in Proverbs 19:17:
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”

Another thing that will happen to someone in divine partnership is that the fellow shall be preserved. The tendency is high and it is common to many cultures that the poor live at the mercy of the rich.

In Isaiah 3:14, the Bible says:
“The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.”

So, when someone decides to take care of the poor instead of maltreating them, the Lord will preserve the fellow so that he can continue the good work. The one who panthers with God in taking care of the poor earns longevity for himself. The Lord promised in His Word that whoever spares the poor of violence shall live. The Bible says that the poor shall never cease out of the land, therefore, He commanded us to remember the poor and the needy (Deuteronomy 15:4-11). When we partner with God in taking care of the poor, the Lord will bless us mightily beyond our wildest imagination.

Another blessing which accrues from partnering with God via taking care of the poor, is that the Lord promised to deliver us from the will of our enemies. Every right thinking fellow will do all things possible to keep a dutiful servant alive. Divine healing is the portion of whoever will take it upon himself to care for the poor on behalf of God. The Lord promised to visit the caretakers of the poor on their sick beds if at all they become sick; and when He visits, healing is guaranteed. The Lord also promised to make your bed for you if you will remember the poor and meet him at the point of his or her need. Beloved, there are many ways whereby we can partner with God; caring for the poor is one. We can learn a lesson from developed countries that take care of the poor. They are more comfortable than those countries which have no plan for the poor in the land. This is a food for thought for developing countries.

Action Point
Draw up a charity plan for the poor around you and prayerfully embark on helping them in your own little way.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 14th October, 2016.
PROVEN WEAPON?

Memorise
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
- Proverbs 18:10.

Read: 1 Samuel 17:38-47.
38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

Message
One unfortunate thing about the spiritual warfare of this end-time is that many warriors of the Cross use weapons that have not been proven. As a result, they either die on the battlefield or become prisoners of spiritual wars.
Many of us are familiar with the story of David and Goliath, but it is possible that we missed one or two lessons in the story. As we continue to read and mediate on this popular story, we can gain insights into more reasons why the story was recorded for us to learn from. The first lesson we can learn is the fact that king Saul, as bad as his state of spirituality might have been as at that time was very concerned about the safety of the young man who was proving to be a “dare devil”. He put on David the weapons of his own defence. The question is; if this armour could help, how come the original owner did not use it to free his nation from the threat of the giant? We can quickly learn that it is a curse to be under a weak or discouraged leader. What saved the day was that David realised that the battle was not just a physical battle. So, he quickly turned spiritual in his approach to the battle with, (humanly speaking) the most ridiculous weapon of war.  In fact, Goliath himself felt that the battle had turned to a comic drama.
1 Samuel 17:42-43.

“And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.”

Another lesson, particularly from the above scripture is that in spite of the disdainful weapon that David was carrying, Goliath still employed his spiritual allies; he cursed David by his gods. How I wish that all children of God will realise that it is not the grammar of the language they use that will do the work of conversion; it is by the Spirit of our God. Human methods have never worked in the history of the Church, men and women of God who succeeded in the ministry were those who allowed the Spirit rather than self might, power or administrative acumen to lead in their ministries. David was a better match for this warrior who was fighting through the spirit of divination and sorcery. He said: “…Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”

The end of the story was victory for Israel and great defeat for the Philistines. David used the weapon he had proven and found to be true; the name of the Lord.

Action Point
Use the Name of the Lord to confront the battles you are facing today and you will see them crumble before you. The Name is lethal.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 15th October, 2016.
WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?

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

Read: Philippians 3:14-19.
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
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.

Message
One thing that thrills me about the Bible is that it is a library of books that confirms that there is no new thing under the heaven. Everything good, bad and ugly have happened before and they are written so that we can learn from them. We have had many leaders in both secular and religious history; we still have leaders in the present age. The question is; who is your role model? Show me your model and I can tell you who you are. In the Bible reading for today, we read about someone who was bold enough to tell his audience to follow him because he was a follower of the Greater Master, Jesus. He went further to tell the Philippians what he did with his life:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14

In his effort to please his Master and Lord, the apostle said that those things which were gain to him, he counted as nothing so that he may win Christ and His righteousness. He aspired to become like Jesus Christ to the point of no return. He said in Philippians 3:10

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

We can learn many things from the life of this apostle: If we look at the dramatic change that followed his encounter with Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus, we cannot help but ask whether we plan to go to the same heaven with this soldier of the Cross. His memoirs are clearly written in 2 Corinthians 11 and 12. He spoke in part about the price of not only his discipleship but also of his apostleship, as he talked of a thorn in his flesh that buffeted him and then concluded in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 by saying:

“And he said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Beloved, who is your role model? We have living role models in the present age; those that are sold to the righteousness attainable only in Christ, those who have not corrupted themselves with the affairs of this life. Their lifestyles may not be amiable but if we follow them, our heavenly destination is guaranteed. Paul, the apostle under study, warned us thus in Philippians 3:17
“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.”

The reason he gave was that many, even as early as the first century Church did not walk uprightly. As it was in the beginning so it is now. Therefore, beloved, watch out for good role models and pattern your life after them as they do after Christ.

Action Point
Look among Christian leaders and find out those living according to Christ’s doctrine. Follow their footsteps.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 16th October, 2016.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS (I).

Memorise
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love.
- Revelation 2:4.

Read: Revelations 2:1-5.
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Message
Many people think of a high level of sin and crime when we talk of backsliding, whereas to backslide does not require going into heinous sins as some erroneously think. What is backsliding? Simply defined, backsliding is failure to do the good things you were doing before. James 4:17 says:

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

It becomes a serious matter when you have started doing a good work and you stop doing it; that is backsliding in its practical form. This was the situation in the Church at Ephesus. The Lord commended their labour, their patience and their zero tolerance for evil. The Lord also knew how careful they were in scrutinizing and distinguishing between true and false apostles. In other words, they did not take any message in the Name of the Lord if they were not persuaded in the Holy Ghost about its authenticity. They held fast the faith, labouring to defend it without compromise. However, the Lord had something against them; they had left their first love. As a Christian, where is your first love? Is it still intact or have you left it for the theology of relativism? Is the end justifying the means of your livelihood? Your Church is swelling up in attendance after you compromised the faith. Those who you could not tolerate on God’s altar are those that are frequently invited. Those singers that you could never allow near God’s sanctuary are those who now frequently “minister” in songs to your congregation. Where is your first love? The Master in Revelation 2:5 is saying:

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove they candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

In the past, Christians didn’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly. They didn’t stand where sinners stood, and they didn’t sit at the forum of the scornful (Psalms 1:1). Nowadays, Christians promote and applaud jesting and ungodly jokes. We seem to have forgotten that not only doers will be punished but also those who love the doers. Romans 1:28, 32 says:

“…Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Beloved, we should never allow our love for Christ go cold. Let us go back to our first love and be ready to suffer fleshy loss so that we can ultimately win Christ.

Prayer Point
Father, please forgive me in anyway I have backslide and restore me to my first love for You and Your Kingdom.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 17th October, 2016.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS (II).

Memorise
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
- Revelation 2:29.

Read: Revelation 2:8-11.
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Message
The Almighty Father knows all that we do, nothing we do is hidden from Him. This should make us rejoice because it means that our Master knows our works, (assuming that our works are good) and He will appreciate and commend us for them. In other words, even if people don’t appreciate us or if they misunderstood us, God never misunderstands. In Revelation 2:9, the Lord sent a message of goodwill to the Church in Smyrna:

“I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

There are beautiful things to note from the above scripture: Jesus knows about the tribulation we are passing through. Little wonder one of the saints of old wrote a hymn titled: “There’s not a Friend like the Lowly Jesus.” The Chorus reads:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one!

Another interesting thing about today’s Bible reading is the courage that the Master gave to the Church in Smyrna. He said: “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer….be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Beloved, this is a message from Jesus, the Lover of your soul. Before this time, in John 16:33, Jesus made a categorical statement void of ambiguity.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus further assured us of the great reward of escaping the second death if we will strive to overcome (Revelation 2:11). May the Lord help us to overcome in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, strengthen my inner man so that I may stand strong till the very end.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 18th October, 2016.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS (III).

Memorise
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
- 1 Timothy 4:1.

Read: Revelation 2:12-17.
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Message
In the Bible reading, Jesus Christ commended the Church in Pergamos, reassuring them that nothing about them is hidden from Him. The interesting thing about this Church is that in spite of the nearness of the Church to the seat of Satan, they still held on to the Name of Jesus Christ, they never denied their faith even in the face of terrible persecution. However, Jesus Christ had a serious allegation against them. They tolerated in their midst those who were holding on to and practising false doctrines. This is a food for thought for Christians of the 21st century.

In this end-time, we compromise a lot of the apostolic orthodox in the name of civilization and fundamental human rights. We have forgotten that just as God is not a democrat, He is also not a human activist. He has His set of rules that we must abide by, however, we compromise this divine standard because we think we can through that, win these blasphemers into the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, because we have tolerated them so much, they now see themselves as Christians too, setting worldly standard for the Church as they dangle their wealth at the saints.

Will Jesus not hate such a compromise in the name of magnanimity when it becomes a stumbling block to the saints? The saints are living their first love because of the doctrine of Balaam. This compromise spoiled the good works of the Church in Pergamos. In Revelations 2:16, Jesus warned the Church:

“Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

One major revelation in this passage is that the message of repentance was preached to the Church in Pergamos. We are hereby encouraged to heed this warning too, so that we can overcome these temptations through genuine repentance. When we overcome, our reward will be the hidden manna and a testimonial of perfection written on precious stone.

Beloved, do not be deceived by your longevity in Church. God knows your works and He will reward you accordingly.

Prayer Point
Father, help me to disassociate myself from worldly pollution.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 19th October, 2016.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS (IV).

Memorise
This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless…
- 1 Timothy 3:1-2a.

Read: Revelations 2:18-24.
18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

Message
It is amazing and at the same time fearful to realise that the Almighty God takes note of the so-called minor misses of the Church as seen in today’s Bible reading. God is mindful of those who occupy His altar and He will hold in contempt, not only those who climb the altar with profanity but also those who allow them to climb.

In Revelation 2:20, God said:
“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”

The first lesson to be learnt from today’s reading is in verse 18. The One that is assessing the Church in Thyatira has eyes like unto a flame of fire! In other words, He sees everything done in secret and in public. Absolutely nothing is hidden from Him.

Psalms 139:11-12 says:
“If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the light shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

As we have mentioned over and over, the Almighty God knows the details of our service. This should always be a consolation to us, especially when it seems our services in the Church are not being appreciated. Know this, your Father in heaven who sees in secret will always reward you in the open. If you are a Deacon and you labour for the church like the General Overseer, it will amaze you that the reward of a General Overseer will pursue, overtake and stay with you. David was fighting like the commander-in-chief of the hosts of Israel and God rewarded him handsomely in many respects even before he was crowned. The greatest lesson with a strong warning is that your service is not perfect when it is laden with immorality and any form of evil. A Church is in danger when she allows profanity to take over the sanctuary. The Lord is warning someone using this devotional that has been using service to cover up his or her immorality and greed. Please, repent today and stop polluting the sanctuary of the Lord. The consequence of your defiant attitude to this warning are severe as seen in Revelation 2:22-23. May the Almighty God have mercy in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, wherever I have been missing it in my service to You, please help me make amends.

Howoheye:
Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 19th October, 2016.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS (IV).

Memorise
This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless…
- 1 Timothy 3:1-2a.

It's amazing that blameless character is not a common feature among many of the leaders of the Church today.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 20th October, 2016.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS (V).

Memorise
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
- Matthew 26:41.

Read: Revelation 3:1-6.
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Message
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the most practical personality that has ever lived on the earth. This should not be surprising, since He is both God and man; He came to show us the way to live a victorious and fulfilled life. He affirmed that He came that we may have life and to have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

In the Lord’s letter to the Church at Sardis, He told the Church that they were living in self-delusion; that they thought they were vibrant and full of life, whereas, they were half dead and something must be done urgently to preserve the remaining half of their lives, because their works were not perfect before God. They were to watch and pray to rejuvenate their spirituality. Our compassionate Lord, who would not want anyone, particularly those who have confessed Him as Lord to perish is here in today’s reading appealing to and warning the Church to remember how they started and hold fast the Word of truth. One lesson here is that God is not interested in the death of a backslider but that the backslider should repent and be saved.

“Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” Jeremiah 3:14

Another interesting lesson we must learn from today’s reading is that the Almighty God knows the state and details of our lives, both spiritually and physically. In spite of the indictment of the imperfect works of the Church at Sardis, the Lord still revealed the truth that not all the members of the Church were corrupt.
“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.”
Revelations 3:4.

The accurate judge said that there are names (though few) that are worthy! I pray that you will be declared worthy in Jesus’ name. However, you have to watch over your soul in this pervert generation and pray always if you will be worthy at the end of the age. Moreover, the Lord promised that He would judge individuals in the church, according to each person’s deeds. There shall be no collective responsibility when it comes to spiritual accountability.

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father; neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”
Ezekiel 18:20.

Action Point
Since the Lord knows your works; take a self-examination of yourself and see where you need to repent, watch and pray for restoration.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 21st October, 2016.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS (VI).

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

Read: Revelation 3:7-11.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Message
Another exciting thing about the Almighty God is that He is the most generous employer of labour. He pays the best wages in history. This is reason Apostle Paul admonishes us in today’s memory verse to always abound in the work of the Lord because He will definitely pay us wages beyond our imagination. The disciples asked Jesus Christ what they should do that they might work the works of God? He answered them: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:28-29). You may not appreciate the ability to believe that the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon you, until you discover the outcome of those who died as a result of unbelief (Hebrews 3:12-19). God celebrates those who exercise faith in Him; this is why without faith we cannot please Him (Hebrews 11:6). In the message of Jesus Christ to the Church in Philadelphia, it is written:

“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou has a little strength, and hast kept my work, and hast not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8.

One serious point to note is that there are many practical unbelievers in Christ, playing empty religion. They do not believe in the Name of Jesus Christ and He knows their works! How do we explain this? The Bible says that He shall be called Jesus because He shall save His people from their sins. This category of Church goers do not believe that through His Name we can receive deliverance from sins. They deny the possibility of living above the power of sin, and so their slogan is “let us sin the more that we may enjoy the grace the more”. Against this background Apostle Paul wrote:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”
Romans 6:1-2.

Beloved, in the light of these, do you believe in the saving name of Jesus? Are you ready to keep His Word? He has promised that the agents of Satan shall not do you any harm. Rather, they would bow before you and acknowledge the fact that you are a beloved of the Lord. He promised:

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Revelations 3:10.

Action Point
Find out the areas where you have been exercising unbelief and repent today.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 22nd October, 2016.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS (VII).

Memorise
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
- Mark 8:36.

Read: Revelation 3:14-19.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy unclothedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Message
The Lord in many pages of the Bible warns against the lust of this material world. We are enjoined to set our affections on heavenly things, so that we may not be draw into the perdition of covetousness. Jesus Christ in today’s memory verse asks:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Mark 8:36

Also in today’s Bible reading, our Lord accused the Church in Laodicea of lukewarmness. They were neither hot nor cold. What could have been responsible for this spiritual state of the Church in Laodicea? They were carried away by their physical and material prosperity. Service became funfair and the clergy became time-serving.

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17.

We must learn from the experience of the Loadicean Church, the material prosperity could be very dangerous if not properly managed by children of God. A man finds it easy to keep vigils in his mosquito or bug infested room, since mosquito or bug bites will not allow him to sleep anyway. However, the moment his situation changes for the better. He now owns a decent apartment with maximum comfort; it becomes difficult to pray at night. Also, when a man does not have enough food to eat, fasting may be easy, because he can only afford to eat once daily anyway. Those born with silver spoons or living in the developed world may find such situations unbelievable, but this was my experience in my trying days, when my regular meal was just one finger of plantain a day. In those days, I dared not eat two fingers of plantain, or else I will have to fast the following day. It takes the grace of God and strong determination to fast when your storehouse is full of assorted foods. King Solomon made a prayer request that we should consider:

“Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”
Proverbs 30:7-9.

God called on Adam after he had sold himself to Satan and fallen for the three main temptations in history; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. In response, he said he was hiding because he had realised that he was naked. He was right. Riches without God is unclothedness in the spirit. Beloved, don’t be deceived, only Jesus Christ can satisfy; nothing and no one else can.

Prayer Point
Father, please set me on fire for You so that I may remain hot until Your Second Coming.