OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3RD 2017

THEME: UPTURNING BLESSINGS

Memorise:

And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. Joshua 6:18

Read: Malachi 2:1-6

2:1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

2:2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

2:3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.

2:4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

2:5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

Message:

God can bless you by pronouncing a blessing on you, canceling a curse or even turning a curse into blessing. It is important to establish at this point that no man can change your blessings into a curse - not even the one through whom the blessing was pronounced. Once the blessing is pronounced, it cannot be taken back. We see a manifestation of this truth in Genesis 27:30-37. After Esau returned from his father’s errand and realized his brother had stolen his blessing by impersonating him, he went to his father and said, “Daddy, what have you done?” Isaac, his father, replied, "I am sorry son, I have already blessed him and he remains blessed. I didn’t know I was blessing the wrong fellow, but I can’t change the blessing now. He is already blessed!" In the Name that is above all names, every blessing that has been pronounced on you and your family shall come to pass! Your blessing shall never be reversed in Jesus’ Name! Every plan of the wicked to upturn your blessings shall fail and meet with disappointment!

However, God can change blessing into a curse. In 1 Samuel 2:30, God told Eli, “With my mouth, I said that you and your father’s house would stand before Me forever, but now, because of what you have done, I have changed My mind”, and with the same mouth, God cursed Eli and his descendants forever. In that scripture, the Lord revealed that honouring Him is very crucial. If you want Him to fulfill His promises and beautiful prophecies to you and your family, you must be prepared to honour Him. God will only honour those who honour Him. I have often told those brethren who attend our monthly Divine Encounter programme that when God asks you to give Him your first fruits, it is not because He is in need. It is simply a way of you honouring Him. Proverbs 3:9-10 says,

“Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Have you been faithful in paying your first fruit? If you pay it faithfully, He will definitely keep His word by bringing His promises to fulfillment in your life. If however, you cannot meet his conditions, do not waste your time claiming the promises. God is a responsible God, and He is the Father of responsible children. If you ignore the commands of your earthly father, it doesn’t show you are responsible. It works the same way with God.

Action Point:
Pray that your blessing will never become a curse.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Peter 1-3
1 John 1
Hosea 11


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING



1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

Refrain:

3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

Refrain:

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

Refrain:

5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

Refrain:

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday November 7, 2017

SEEING JESUS PURIFIES

Memorise : And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. - Malachi 3:3

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:15-18

3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.


MESSAGE :

When you see Jesus, everything blocking your vision will give way. At the time I came into ministry, we served God selflessly. Nobody had to promise any of us a house, car, position or title. We just loved God and we were ready to serve Him no matter the cost. We were ready to take the shame and suffering that came along with our service.

Furthermore, when we suffered, we did not grumble or complain because our focus was on Jesus. This is where our focus should also be today.

In Mark 10:17-22, a young man came to Jesus to find out what he needed to do in order to make Heaven. The Lord told him to go and sell all that he had and give to the poor, and then he should take up his cross and follow Him. This was too much for him to bear, and so he went away grieved. He thought he had met all the requirements but the Lord told him what he lacked which he never knew of.

Beloved, when you see Jesus, you will realize what is lacking in your life that you never thought about. When you see Jesus, you will be able to see yourself more clearly and deeply. Jesus is the mirror through which you see yourself for who you really are.

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6

It was after Isaiah saw the Lord that he realized he had been inviting God’s judgment on himself as well as on the people. He did not know that his lips, which he thought anointed, were also unclean (Isaiah 6:1-7). He saw his true picture and he cried out to God for help. When you see the Lord, it will change your prayer point, and you will begin to pray more appropriately.

Isaiah cried for help and God sent an angel to touch his lips with a coal of fire from the altar to purify his lips. Malachi 3:2-a3 says the sons of Levi must be purified by fire. This is why servants of God should not be afraid of trials. When you go through trying times, it is likely that God wants you to be purified. He wants to take out the dirt and anything that will not allow you to truly manifest the grace of God that is upon your life. It takes you seeing Jesus to know how dirty or unclean you really are.

Seeing your true state through Him will motivate you to call on Him for help.

KEY POINT :
Looking at Jesus, the perfect eternal mirror makes you see yourself in the realities of eternity.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Job 5-8;
Joel 1


HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER 

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

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

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

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 8TH 2017

THEME: WHEN THE BEST COMES LAST

Memorise:

But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Matthew 19:30

Read: Genesis 1:26-31

1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Message:

A look at the creation story as recorded in Genesis Chapter 1 shows that man, the most important of God’s creation, was created on the sixth day. He was the last of God’s creation, even though he was the most significant. After man was created, God then rested from His work. One vital lesson here is that being first may not always mean being the most important, while being the last may not always mean that you’re the least important. Further reinforcing this truth, Jesus said:

“And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.” Luke 13:30

This is good news to us all. Are you the last child of your family and consequently you’ve believed yourself to be the least? You are simply short-changing yourself! Joseph was the 11th of 12 brothers but he was the one who became a father to them all. Concerning Joseph, it is written:

“And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.” Genesis 50:18

There are many children who were born last in their families that are presently graced with the gift of becoming the light that every other member of their families looks up to. From today, you will come to the limelight in Jesus’ Name! The lord will lift you up. However, you need to drop every faulty mindset you have now.

Moreover, another lesson here is that God can reserve the best for the last. When men have exhausted all their efforts and failed, God can show up and intervene in that particular situation. At the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, Jesus waited for the wine to run out before He supplied a more superior wine (John 2:1-10). Sometimes when God wants to assist us in certain situations, we shove Him aside, telling Him we are mature and can help ourselves. He therefore steps aside and allows us to exhaust our abilities. If you are wise, you will agree with God early enough so that you do not have to waste so much effort in the long run. Yes, you can have the best towards the end! Indeed, do you know that God has reserved the prosperity of some people till they are in their late forties and above? Probably because He wants them to first mature spiritually, mentally and physically, knowing that after maturing, such people will be able to easily cooperate with Him over how He wants the blessing used. Whatever stage your life may be in right now, don’t discount yourself. It’s not over until God says so.

Key Point:
Whether you arrive now or later, what is important is that you manifest at your appointed time.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Job 9-12
Joel 2:1-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: HOW GREAT THOU ART

1. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

2. When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

[Chorus]

3. And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

[Chorus]

4. When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then shall I bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"

[Chorus]

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday November 9, 2017

YOU WILL FACE MOCKERS.

Memorise : And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. - 2 Kings 2:3

Read: 2Kings 2:1-3

2:1 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2:2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.


MESSAGE :

God allows you to go through test before giving a prize. Unfortunately, some people do well for a while, but when it comes to the crucial tests of life, they fail. May you never fail in the tests of life in Jesus’ Name!

One lesson that is evident in today’s Bible reading is that to get to your higher glory, you may meet with discouragers, mockers, and dream killers. Even the Lord Jesus Christ faced mockers in His own family. Most members of His family did not even believe in Him until after His resurrection (John 7:5, Acts 1:14). In John 7:4, they scoffed at Him saying:

“For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.”

Some people will not want you to dare that great height because they have tried it several times and failed. They cannot stand you achieving what they could not achieve. Some others will mock you just to discourage you and weaken your faith.

Beloved, a lot of the distractions you will encounter from people on your way to the higher glory God has for you will be borne out of envy. Just look at what Elisha went through with the sons of the prophets on his way to his promotion. Regardless of their motives, every ministry of discouragers and mockers organized against the fulfillment of your destiny shall fail and be completely frustrated this season!

Moreover, it is glaring that there is so much work to be done for you to enter your higher glory. In other words, higher glory is not meant for everyone. It is especially not for the idle or lazy folks. It is not for procrastinators. Higher glory is not for wishful thinkers. It is for those who are diligent. It is for those who work extra hard, those who can burn the midnight oil. It is for those who can make sacrifices and be focused on the set goal until it is realized.

Are you prepared for this? I pray that you will be successful in all the assignments you need to perform in order to enter your greater glory in Jesus’ Name! It is not just enough to work hard: you must also be ready and be able to take up more or higher responsibilities. Some people limit themselves in this area.

Are you capable of handling higher assignments? If you are wise, while you are on a particular level, you can open yourself to learn more things – particularly those things above your current level. You must be teachable. Are you willing to learn? 

KEY POINT :
Learning should be continuous. After graduating from formal school, you should enrol yourself in the school of self-development.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Job 13-16;
Joel 2:18-32   


HYMN 7:   OH JESUS I HAVE PROMISED

1.       O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

2.       Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

3.       O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end—
Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

4.       Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me, my Savior and my Friend.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY NOVEMBER 13TH 2017

THEME: FASTING PREPARES THE GROUND


Memorise:

And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Acts 13:3

Read: Acts 13:1-3

13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Message:

Just before He began His earthly ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ embarked on a 40-day fast. According to Matthew 4:1-2, He was led by the Holy Spirit into this exercise. Do you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you? Has He ever led you to do some fasting before? If He has, did you simply obey Him, or did you make excuses as to why you couldn’t fast? From the experience of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can see that fasting is necessary to equip us for the work of the ministry. When God commits a specific assignment into your hands, do you make out time to seek His face through fasting and prayer, or do you just jump into the assignment without necessarily seeking His direction, assistance, wisdom, protection and grace to succeed on the assignment? If you seek Him for assistance, it shows you realize your limitations and recognize that it is only through His power you can succeed in the assignment. In any case, Jesus clearly told us that we cannot do anything the way it should be done without Him (John 15:5). If we fail to seek His face, it shows we have confidence in ourselves, believing that we do not need Him to help us on the job. Beloved, you cannot do any divine assignment the way you are expected to do it without the backing of the One who sent you. From today, never embark on any assignment, be it spiritual or secular, without seeking God’s face in fasting and prayer!

In addition, when people are being prepared for the work of the ministry, prayer and fasting are needed to equip them spiritually. This was practiced in the early church. Acts 13:3 says,
“And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

When some prophets and teachers gathered themselves together to minister to God, the Holy Spirit selected Paul and Barnabas from their midst, to take the gospel to other nations. What did they do after this? They took time to pray and fast with them before releasing them to go and do the work. Even today, fasting is still needed to equip the various levels of the Church workforce. From the level of foundational classes for young converts and above, we should encourage praying and fasting as a means of equipping the saints for the assignments ahead of them.

Action Point:
Any good thing that you are to embark on must first be subjected to prayer and fasting.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Job 30-32
Amos 3:3-4:3


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

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

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

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

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL
DATE: TUESDAY 14TH NOVEMBER 2017
TOPIC: VESSELS: HOW PREPARED?
Memorise:
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepare unto every good work. 2nd Timothy 2:21
Read: 2nd Timothy 2:19-21 (KJV)
2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

MESSAGE:
In Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah saw the Lord and this opened his eyes to see himself the way he truly was before God. As the brightness of God’s presence illuminated every aspect of his life, he had no choice but to seek divine assistance, and as he cried for help, God sent an angel to purify his unclean lips with a coal of fire. When you see Jesus, you become a candidate for purification. Purification is essential because without being purged by God, your faithfulness will be hampered (John 15:2). In other words, the more God refines you, the more likely He will use you for greater works. Many of us quote John 14:12 and claim that because we believe in Jesus, we automatically qualify for greater works. However, the truth is, there can be no greater works without divine refinement. God does not use unclean vessels for His work. If He has chosen you for an assignment and you come to the realisation of how unfit you are for the work, it is because He wants you to be challenged, and He also wants you to ask for His purging and cleansing.
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earthly; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”
2nd Timothy 2:20
It is not enough to be a vessel unto God. You should ensure that you are a vessel used for honourable purposes. Beyond this, 2nd Timothy 2:21 tells us that being purified is crucial to being used of God, and that although God may have His ways of purifying us, we also have a personal responsibility to purge ourselves. You have to put in considerable effort to purge yourself. Those carnal habits you have must go! Anger and malice must go! Little lies must go! Get rid of hypocrisy! Fruitfulness in soul-winning must go! The more you purge yourself, the more you will be a candidate for more and greater works. Don’t ever think that there is no more work to be done in the Kingdom. There is so much work yet to be done, and although the labourers are increasing in number, those purified and set apart for God’s use are few. Are you prepared to make yourself ready for God’s use? There are a few believers who have purged themselves and are prepared for any assignment God has for them; God will use such vessels to do just about anything, even as He bypasses many other vessels that are not pure enough for His use. Do all you can to be a pure and prepared vessel for God!
Key Point
Purity makes a vessel usable for any assignment.
Bible in one year: Job 33-35, Amos 4:4-13, Hymn: Sing hymn 6
BY PASTOR E.A.ADEBOYE

HYMN 6
DEEPER, DEEPER
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Chorus:
3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Chorus:
4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Chorus:
5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Chorus.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 15TH 2017

THEME: TIME FOR CONSULTATION

Memorise:

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1:26



Read: Genesis 1:26-27

1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Message:

From the creation story, the fact that man was the last of God’s creation, though he is the most significant, indicates that God can give you the very best at the end. From this we understand that the end of believers is glorious. No wonder Ecclesiastes 7:8 says,

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

You might have started on a shaky note, but I want to assure you that you will end up being well established. Your faith may be very weak now, but it will become great faith at the end. Never judge your future by the limitation of your present! God will help you overcome those obstacles and limitations, and He will safely take you to your glorious end. Indeed, Job 8:7 says you might have started small but you will end with great increase, provided you sustain a blossoming relationship with God.


In addition, we observe from the account of creation in Genesis chapter 1 that when God was making all other things, He did not call a council meeting, but when it came to the creation of man, a council meeting of the Godhead was called. They all had to be in agreement for man to be created. The implication of this is that to get the best from God, man must be in total unity and alignment with Him. Also, we will be wise to follow the pattern demonstrated by the Godhead in all our decisions. Some issues are more sensitive and volatile than others. There is a time to take a unilateral decision on issues, and there is also a time to consult widely and take a joint decision. Lastly, when it comes to the issue of human management, you would need to go to God for help. Why? Human beings are the most difficult resources to handle. They are very diverse in thought, knowledge and understanding, and so their responses to issues are so divergent and vast. Human beings are also unreliable; it’s no wonder, Jesus did not commit Himself to any man. John 2:24-25 says,

“But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

If you will succeed in leading men and women, you must involve God to a large extent. How well are you managing fellow men?

Key Point:
To effectively lead men, you must be connected to the One who made man.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Job 36-38
Amos 5:1-17


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: ON THE HILL FAR AWAY

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

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

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY NOVERMBER 23RD 2017

THEME: CHRIST OUR REST

MEMORISE:
Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Isaiah 3:10

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:19-20
1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

MESSAGE
There is a time to work and a time for rest. Everyone who labors very hard always looks forward to a time of rest. Rest is so crucial that even God Himself rested after spending six days creating the heavens and the earth. It is therefore not a mistake that God programmed sleep into our body system. He knows that after we have worked hard and are tired, we would need to rest the body in order to get back on our feet. Psalm 127:2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”
Good sleep is indeed a blessing from God. However, rest for the body is not as important as the rest needed by the soul. If your mind is seriously troubled over an issue, even when you lie down on your bed, you will be unable to sleep. The only place to find rest for your soul is in Christ. No wonder He made a call for you to enter into His rest in Matthew 11:28-30. Have you been worried or troubled lately? Receive rest today in Jesus’ Name!
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings”. Isaiah 3:10
One major reason why you as a true believer should be at rest is because of God’s promises. According to our Bible reading, the promises of our God are very reliable. Romans 3:4 says that even if all men are liars, this cannot compel our God to be a liar like them; He will always remain true. Therefore, if He says your tomorrow will be alright, take it as a report card that you are getting even before sitting for the examination. If He said it, He will surely do it. God’s word has integrity. Based on His words that cannot fail, I know my tomorrow will be alright. Irrespective of the raging storm, I will simply rest in Him. Beloved, let Jesus Christ be the One you lean on. Who or what you lean upon in the time of trouble is very important. If you lean on human beings, they will most likely compound your situation because every human being is prone to failure due to so many factors within and outside their control. In contrast, if you lean on human being, they will most likely compound your situation because every human being is prone to failure due to so many factors within and outside their control. In contrast, if you lean on the Eternal Rock of Ages, you can be reassured of true rest, joy and peace.

ACTION POINT:
Take every issue that is bothering your soul before the throne of grace today. Ask Jesus, the giver of rest, to give rest to your soul.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 38-43, Jonah 4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS
1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday November 24, 2017

OBEDIENCE MUST BE TOTAL       

Memorise : For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. - 1 Samuel 15:23

Read: 1 Samuel 15:16-24

15:16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lordhath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?

15:18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

15:19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?

15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

15:24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.


MESSAGE :

In our walk with God, total obedience is the key to success. If you will walk with God, then you must be prepared to obey Him completely. If you decide to obey some instructions, delay your obedience to some or even flout some others, you will definitely have problems with God.

If you doubt this, ask King Saul. From His experience, we can see that partial obedience is the same thing as full disobedience before God. Saul was sent on a mission by God with specific instructions which were clearly spelt out to him with these words in 1 Samuel 15:3:

“Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”

But when he got to the point of executing the instructions of God, he obeyed some, ignored some and outright disobeyed some. 1 Samuel 15:9 says,

“But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”

He ignored and disobeyed some of God’s instructions because he wanted to remain in the good books of his soldier. What was the end result of this act? He was rejected and abandoned on the throne, while God chose a replacement for him. May God never reject you!

A further lesson here is that it’s not everyone rejected by God that He dethrones immediately. After Saul’s rejection, he was still on the throne for years, while God was already relating with David as king. During this period, how did Saul rule over the kingdom? As a lunatic of course! Today, like Saul, many leaders and pastors have been abandoned by God in the position they occupy. Although such people still maintain the status quo, the power to help them succeed is no longer available to them. Never be carried away by anyone occupying any position.

It is only God who knows those who are standing and those He has rejected on their thrones! Are you in obedience? Do you obey God completely? Beloved, obey every instruction you are given by God completely, and you can be certain that all will be well with you.

KEY POINT :
Disobedience robs you of the spiritual standing you require to succeed in your walk with God to a place of higher glory.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Psalm 44-49;
Micah 1


HYMN 14:   TAKE MY LIFE

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

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

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

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 29TH 2017

THEME: REALITIES OF SELFISHNESS

Memorise:

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 2 Timothy 3:2

Read: Mark 12:28-31

12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Message:

On the 22nd of this month, we saw that those Christians who always want everything to revolve around them and who always want to be in charge are yet to be broken. Another sign of not being broken is selfishness. The Holy spirit, speaking through Paul, has forewarned the Church of God that selfishness will be the hallmark of sins committed during the last days. 2 Timothy 3:2 says,

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

Selfishness is all about falling in love with oneself to a point where everyone and everything else is second place. The height of selfishness is when you love yourself to the point of idolizing yourself; this is a form of idolatry, the Holy Spirit reveals one class of such people in Philippians 3:19, where He said:

“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”

It’s unfortunate that a lot of selfish people are mounting the pulpit of God today, parading themselves as ministers of the gospel. Such people do not serve the God of Heaven, but rather they serve their own stomachs. The goal and desires of selfish people revolve around the mundane things of this world. They can never be heavenly-minded.

Selfishness negates God’s eternal word in Mark 12:30 which says:

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

God says you should love Him with all you have, but selfishness says “No, how can I love you when I have not even loved myself enough.” If you are a lover of self, you will always run into problems with God. To obey divine instructions and commands, you will often be required to displease yourself, and that is what a selfish person cannot do. If you are selfish, you will find it almost impossible to please God. A selfish person will hear messages on tithing but will find it difficult to tithe. Why? He would be calculating what he would lose if he gives up the tithe, and what he stands to gain from keeping those funds. A selfish person has no understanding of spiritual things. Are you controlled by love for God or by selfishness?

Key Point:
As a young convert, you are to focus more on yourself in prayer. However, as you grow in the Lord, you are to focus more on others.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 73-77
Micah 6:9-7:7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER DEEPER

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

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

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

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL.
THURSDAY 30th NOVEMBER, 2017.
OVERCOMING LIKE JESUS.

Memorise
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Revelation 3:21.

Read: Revelation 3:21-22
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Message
Man’s surest source of rest is Jesus Christ because He never breaks His promises (Matthew 11:28-29, 2 Corinthians 1:20). In John 16:33, He assures us that as long as we are in this world, tribulations and problems will come, but because He successfully overcome them, He will see us through if we put our trust in Him. Therefore, because He overcame and we are following in His footsteps, we are also bound to overcome. Are you struggling with sin and expressing doubts on whether you can ever overcome like Jesus did? Fear not and do not doubt! You can overcome that besetting sin! The truth with such sin is that the one who keeps falling into them has not truly made up his or her mind to stop them. The Bible declares that sin shall not have dominion over you, and God cannot lie (Romans 6:14). If you are therefore falling into sin and you probe yourself a little deeper, you will find some level of tolerance for that sin, or some excuse you always give for that sin, or even some iota of likeness for that sin. If the devil can find any of these in you, he will celebrate, knowing that any of these can keep you perpetually at the bus stop of that sin. If you are serious about stopping a bad habit, you will have zero-tolerance for it.



“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
Revelation 3:21.

God does not have double standards in the criteria He uses for allowing people into Heaven, or for giving them rewards for work done on earth. Jesus Christ is God’s standard. So if you will enter into eternal rest in Heaven, you must meet with God’s standard as exemplified by Jesus Christ. If you will be rewarded by God in heaven, Jesus says you must be prepared to overcome the same way He overcame while He was here on earth. You can run the Christian race without stress when you follow in His steps. Have you taken pains to study the life of Jesus? Have you noted how He responded to temptations, sin, enemies, friends, difficulties, lack, needs, challenges in ministry, and betrayal by associates? God expects you to respond as Jesus did in all these situations. If you do so, you will be granted access to the privileges reserved for overcomers in Heaven.

Key Point:
You cannot overcome if you fail to study Jesus Christ and respond to situations the way He did.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 78-80
Micah 7:8-20

HYMN 2: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS
1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 4TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME: WORTH CELEBRATING


MEMORISE:

Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20


READ: Luke 10:17-20

10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

10:19 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.

10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.


MESSAGE:

If you are sure of your salvation from sin, you need to be grateful to God. The reason is that there is nothing else in the whole wide world that can transform a sinner into a saint other than the Name of Jesus and the power of His Blood. Acts 4:12 says,

” Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

No hero from any country can save you; neither can any prophet from any age or dispensation deliver you. No amount of money can buy you out of Hell, and no level of good works or moral uprightness can redeem you either. Only faith in the Name of Jesus and faith in the cleansing power of His Blood can save you. Thank God that Jesus fully paid the price of our redemption! If He had only paid in part, you can be sure that no one would have been saved today, going by Satan’s antecedents. However, Jesus fully paid for our redemption – Hallelujah! To show that the price has been paid in full, shortly before He died on the cross, He publicly declared “It is finished”. (John 19:30). Therefore, you ought to daily thank God for your salvation. How often do you appreciate Him for saving your soul?


Today, many believers celebrate their birthdays, graduation from school, promotion at the office, appointments, winning big contracts and other major achievements in life, but many of these people forget to even say “Thank You Jesus for the salvation of my soul”. This is the benefit that should give you the greatest joy! After the 70 disciples sent out by the Lord for evangelism returned with fantastic testimonies of the success of their outing, the Lord shocked them by telling them that they were rejoicing over what was not the main issue. He then told them what the object of their joy should be:

“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20

Your salvation from sin is far more important than any other achievements you have on earth. Great is the value that God and the whole of heaven place on it. You should therefore thank God for it every day of your life; it is well worth it.


KEY POINT:

If you knew the severity of eternal hell, you would treasure the salvation of your soul and thank God always for it.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 102-105
Habakkuk 1:1-2:1


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: HOW SWEET THE NAME OF JESUS

1 How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.


2 It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary rest.


3 Jesus, my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King;
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.


4 Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art
I'll praise Thee as I ought.

5 Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath;
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 5TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME: KNOWLEDGE DELIVERS


MEMORISE:

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverb 4:7

READ: Daniel 2:46-49

2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.

2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

2:48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

2:49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

MESSAGE:

The Scriptures declare that wisdom is a major asset we must acquire (Proverb 4:7). To get wisdom, you have to first lay its foundation stones with knowledge. What you know can determine your position in life. It was what Joseph knew, together with the ability to interpret dreams that God used to move him from prison to the throne (Genesis 41:1-44). In other words, the stop-gap between you and your place of destiny is knowledge. Can you truthfully say that you know enough to get you to your place of destiny? If your answer is in the negative, then start acquiring knowledge today. In many corporate organizations, preference is given to those who have acquired more knowledge than others. This is why there is a tendency to select employees with higher degrees for higher positions in these organizations. So don’t just remain stagnant in knowledge, acquire more of it! Enroll for higher degrees and relevant online or offline training programmes to position yourself for a more successful career ahead of time. What you know can promote you and bring you before kings.

Furthermore, what you know can deliver you from death. No wonder the Lord, in Hosea 4:6a, said:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:”

It was the information Daniel and his colleagues received from God that delivered them and the rest of the wise men of Babylon from death. In other words, what you don’t know can kill you. Ignorance is not just a disease but a killer – a worse killer than some diseases. Ignorance is a terrible destroyer! Lack of knowledge can lead to a lot of wasteful spending. For example, if a person doesn’t know the importance of maintaining good hygiene, he or she will fall sick often and waste money on treatments that could have been avoided. Do you know that many people are being taken advantage of by the devil because they do not know their rights and privileges in God’s kingdom? They do not know that they have been healed by the stripes of Jesus, and so they continue in sickness. If you fail to know that Jesus has paid the price for you to be rich, you will remain in poverty and even celebrate it like some people do today. What do you know?

ACTION POINT:
If you do not yet have a degree and you are less than 60years, consider enrolling for one.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 106-107
Habakkuk 2:2-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

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

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

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

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

WEDNESDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2017.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

MEMORISE:

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. Habakkuk 2:1

READ: Habakkuk 2:1-3

2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

2:2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

MESSAGE:

The power of vision is one very crucial lesson we can learn from Elisha’s unshakable focus when his master was about to be taken up to heaven (2 kings 2:1-15). Vision gives direction. What you see is what you attain, and what you focus on determines what comes to you in life. You can never rise above your vision. While speaking to Abraham concerning His promise that Abraham’s descendants would inherit the land of Canaan, the Lord plainly told him that what he would possess would be determined by the extent of his vision. Genesis 13:15 says,

“For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”

People have often said that what the mind can conceive can be achieved. What can you see? What can you picture or envision concerning your future? For your mind to be able to see clearly, you have to be born again and have a recreated spirit which is capable of seeing things the way God sees them (Romans 12:2).

In addition, what you focus on is equally very important. This is because what you focus on expands and fills your sight. Your focus affects you significantly, shapes your life and determines what you attract to yourself. The sons of the prophets in all three locations Elijah visited before his rapture to heaven focused on loss. They focused on the fact that their national prophet would soon be raptured, and they would soon be without their leader. Consequently, that was exactly what they got. On the other hand, Elisha focused on his singular goal of receiving a double portion of the Spirit of his master, Elijah, and he got it. We have a way of attracting what we focus on. What or who is your focus? Hebrews 12:1 says we should look unto Jesus. In other words, it says we should make Jesus Christ our focus. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 3:18 says,

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

When we focus on Jesus, we will begin to change from what we are into what He is. Focusing on Jesus is a major change medium that will definitely make us what we ought to be. Until you focus on Him, you will unknowingly be focusing on other things, individuals or even yourself. What is your focus today?

ACTION POINT:
Catalogue what you spend your time doing in a day, and this will give you a good indication of what your focus really is.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 108-112
Habakkuk 3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: OH JESUS I HAVE PROMISED

1. O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end—
Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me, my Saviour and my Friend.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 7TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME: ERODING GOD’S HONOUR?

MEMORISE:

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Malachi 1:6

READ: Malachi 1:6-8

1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

1:7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.

1:8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.

MESSAGE:

For your prayer to be a sweet savour before the Almighty God, you must be prepared not only to praise Him but also to honour His Name. You cannot truly claim to belong to God without reverencing or honouring His Name. This is why the Lord posed this crucial question to us in Malachi 1:6:

“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?”

If you look at the two types of relationships referenced in the above Scripture passage, you will agree with me that the lower member of each relationship owes a type of honour to the higher member. A son owes his father a higher degree of honour and respect borne out of love. Also, a servant owes his master some degree of fear, honour and regard, as the master is the source of the servant’s livelihood. As a result of these, a father can demand honour of his son, just as a master can demand honour of his servant. However, when it comes to our relationship with God, many people who claim to be God’s children, prefer to relate with God without giving Him the honour due to His Name. Unsurprisingly, this is unacceptable to the One to whom all honour is due.

Today, the Lord is asking, “where is my honour?” In other words, there are many honour-thieves in the Christian fold. Are you an honour-thief? If you call on God’s Name without giving it the high regards it deserves, you are an honour-thief. If you fail the materials test, by offering to God a defective gift or a gift that does not befit His status as the King of kings, nor reflect the levels of blessings on your life, you are an honour-thief. If you treat His assignments or handle His work with anything less than the honour due to Him, you are an honour-thief. If your lifestyle makes people look down on your God, you are an honour-thief. If you offer torn currency notes to God, when you know you cannot even use such to pay for things, you are an honour-thief. Do you honour God in all you do?

ACTION POINT:
Carefully come up with 5-10 ways of honouring God. Go ahead and implement them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 113-118
Zephaniah 1


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: ON THE HILL FAR AWAY



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

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

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

FRIDAY 8TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME:
HOW CONCEALED ARE SECRETS?

MEMORISE:
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:13

READ:
Hebrews 4:11-14

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

MESSAGE:
The way a child of God relates with sin is indicative of the level of brokenness he or she has attained. An unbroken fellow tries to cover up sin. He or she tries to play smart with sin, particularly when its repercussions are not immediately apparent. In Proverbs 28:13, the Holy Spirit has this message for such people:

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

If you fall into sin and the most important thing to you at that moment is that no one should know what you have done, it is because you are not broken. In any case, to what extent can you truly hide sin? For how long can you cover up your evil deeds? Can you hide your sins from God? Hebrews 4:13 answers this:

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Thinking that you can hide away you sins from God is living in a fool’s paradise. This can be compared to the proverbial ostrich which buries its head in the sand to hide from predators, not realizing that its body is still visible to its enemy and vulnerable to attack.

Not only are your sins never hidden from God, they are equally not hidden from the saints in Heaven. Hebrews chapter 11 provides a list of saints that ran this race ahead of us and are now in Heaven. Hebrews 12:1 calls them a “cloud of witnesses”. These brethren know and can see all we are doing. Someone who was privileged to visit Heaven and return to earth said that there is a curtain in heaven that anyone there can pull and the fellow will be able to monitor the activities of anybody here on earth. Another brother who also had that same privilege spoke of how saints in Heaven gather together in a place like a stadium, where they watch earthly saints facing crucial trials of their faith. When a saint being watched compromises, they shout in disappointment, just like when your favorite football team concedes a goal. In contrast, when a person stands for his or her faith in Christ, they shout with excitement. Be aware that that you are being watched. If only you can imagine the number of eyes monitoring you, you would be conscious of the fact that nothing you do is hidden!

KEY POINT:
The next time you are tempted to sin in secret, just imagine multiple eyes peering at you from every corner of enclosure you are in.

AUTHOR:
PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6:
DEEPER DEEPER

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

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

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL.
SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER, 2017.
STOP THE PRETENCE.

MEMORISE:
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:                                                                    - - 1 Timothy 1:5

READ: 1Timothy 1:5-9.
1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers.

MESSAGE
Salvation through Christ is such a great experience, but the devil in his characteristic manner has introduced counterfeits into people’s lives. The consequence of processing a counterfeit salvation experience is a life of pretense. To guard against this wile of the devil, the holy spirit in 1 timothy 1:5, admonishes us thus:

“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”

While God wants us to show love to all, he equally cares about the source of this love. The source of a thing goes a long way in determining its quality and value. You cannot bring something good out of an evil heart. If you do, that good thing is already tainted. For instance, even though you see lots of food in a dunghill, you will not go to eat from there. God is therefore saying that you should do away with pretense and hypocrisy, because they taint whatever good works you are doing. He is saying that if you will show Him love, make sacrifices for His sake, or give to his cause, such actions must come out of a pure heart, with a good conscience and done with sincerity; otherwise, the doer of these works may not get any reward.

Are you saved? Is your salvation genuine or false? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says if you are saved, old things are passed away. This means that if you were stealing before, after experiencing salvation, you will stop stealing. You cannot continue to stealing and still lay claim to salvation. While my father-in-the-lord was alive, if you claimed to be saved, he would ask you these questions: “what were you saved from? What were you doing before that you no longer do now?” today, people claim they are saved, and yet they still steal, lie or fornicate. What kind of salvation is that? In one of my missionary trips outside Nigeria, a man came to me and said, “Sir, I heard that you are a prophet of God and that your prophesies are deadly accurate.” “Is that so?” I replied and further added, ‘I am not a prophet but a pastor, but I do hear from God once in a while.” He then asked me to tell him his future. I asked him if he was born again and washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and His response was “No”. So I said to him, “Your future will be terrible.” Alarmed, he said, “How do you know? You don’t even know my name, and you have not even prayed!” I told him there was no need for that because Isaiah 3:11 says “Woe to the wicked!” on the other hand, if you are saved, your tomorrow will be alright. Are you saved? Did you genuinely give your life to Jesus Christ on a particular day? If not, do it today!

KEY POINT:
The afterlife has no room for pretense. It’s all about reality and truth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 120-134
Zephaniah 2:13-3:8

HYMN 6: DEEPER DEEPER.
1.      Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

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

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL.
SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER, 2017.
STOP THE PRETENCE.

MEMORISE:
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
- 1 Timothy 1:5

READ: 1Timothy 1:5-9.
1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers.

MESSAGE
Salvation through Christ is such a great experience, but the devil in his characteristic manner has introduced counterfeits into people’s lives. The consequence of processing a counterfeit salvation experience is a life of pretense. To guard against this wile of the devil, the holy spirit in 1 timothy 1:5, admonishes us thus:

“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”

While God wants us to show love to all, he equally cares about the source of this love. The source of a thing goes a long way in determining its quality and value. You cannot bring something good out of an evil heart. If you do, that good thing is already tainted. For instance, even though you see lots of food in a dunghill, you will not go to eat from there. God is therefore saying that you should do away with pretense and hypocrisy, because they taint whatever good works you are doing. He is saying that if you will show Him love, make sacrifices for His sake, or give to his cause, such actions must come out of a pure heart, with a good conscience and done with sincerity; otherwise, the doer of these works may not get any reward.

Are you saved? Is your salvation genuine or false? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says if you are saved, old things are passed away. This means that if you were stealing before, after experiencing salvation, you will stop stealing. You cannot continue to stealing and still lay claim to salvation. While my father-in-the-lord was alive, if you claimed to be saved, he would ask you these questions: “what were you saved from? What were you doing before that you no longer do now?” today, people claim they are saved, and yet they still steal, lie or fornicate. What kind of salvation is that? In one of my missionary trips outside Nigeria, a man came to me and said, “Sir, I heard that you are a prophet of God and that your prophesies are deadly accurate.” “Is that so?” I replied and further added, ‘I am not a prophet but a pastor, but I do hear from God once in a while.” He then asked me to tell him his future. I asked him if he was born again and washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and His response was “No”. So I said to him, “Your future will be terrible.” Alarmed, he said, “How do you know? You don’t even know my name, and you have not even prayed!” I told him there was no need for that because Isaiah 3:11 says “Woe to the wicked!” on the other hand, if you are saved, your tomorrow will be alright. Are you saved? Did you genuinely give your life to Jesus Christ on a particular day? If not, do it today!

KEY POINT:
The afterlife has no room for pretense. It’s all about reality and truth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 120-134
Zephaniah 2:13-3:8

HYMN 6: DEEPER DEEPER.
1.      Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

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

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

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

Refrain:

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL.
MONDAY 11TH DECEMBER 2017
A SACRIFICE OF LOVE.

MEMORISE:
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 116:17

READ: Psalm 116:17-19.
116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

116:18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

116:19 In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

MESSAGE:
If you have been washed in the precious blood of the lamb, thanking God for the salvation of your soul is something you need to do daily for the rest of your life. Some people throw parties to celebrate milestones and achievements in different areas of life, but Jesus said that what should give us the greatest joy is the fact that we are saved and have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Luke 10:20). That your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life is a great testimony that you should regularly thank God for whenever you pray.

However, giving thanks to god is not always a very easy thing to do, particularly if you have been going through a spate of negative and very sad events or experiences. In such situations, thanking God requires sacrifice. Our God loves sacrifices- particularly a sacrifice of thanksgiving. No wonder the Psalmist says thus in Psalm 116:17

“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.”

When you offer thanksgiving to god at a time when every situation is your life is saying that He doesn’t deserve it or that He has forsaken you, it is sacrificial.

Similarly, your thanksgiving is sacrificial when you thank God even when he has not granted your request. This is an expression of faith. Sacrificial thanksgiving glorifies God and proves to Him that your faith is Christ has spiritual substance. Do you know that most people remember to thank God only when they believe He has “earned it’? Such people live by a personal philosophy which says “whenever God does something for me, only then will I give Him thanks in return.” Such an attitude is simply calculative and myopic. There are so many things God does for us every day which we take for granted as normal everyday occurrence, but the truth is, nothing is ever really “normal”, and every day comes with its challenges. Those who give God a sacrifice of thanksgiving do so because they choose to. They choose to see things from God’s perspective, which makes them see reasons why they ought to be grateful to God, even when other people cannot see any reason why.

ACTION POINT:
Apply the lessons learnt in today’s study to offer God a sacrificial thanksgiving today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 142-150
Haggai 1:1-11

HYMN 8: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Refrain:

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

Refrain:

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL..
DATE: WEDNESDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2017.
THEME: ALL SECRETS SHALL BE UNCOVERED

MEMORIZE:

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” Romans 2:16

READ: Luke 12:1-3(KJV)

12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

MESSAGE:
Those who attempt to hide their sins or cover up their errors fail to realize that nothing can be hidden from God, the heavenly saints and even from God’s angels. A child of God who indulges in hypocritical lifestyle is yet to be broken in spirit. Do you realize that God can expose the secret deeds of anybody He chooses to (Daniel 2:47)? If He has not revealed yours, it is not because you are smart, but because He is still giving you some time of grace to make amends. In the early Church, the secret conspiracy of a couple was revealed by the Holy Spirit, and this led to their death (Acts 5:1-11). No matter how deep that secret deed is buried, it can still exposed at anytime.

In addition, a day is coming when everyone’s secret will be made public before a staggering crowd of every person that has ever inhabited the earth all through the ages. This will happen at the Great White Throne Judgment, where everyone who ever lived on earth will be divinely summoned, and stand before the Almighty God to face their final judgment and thereafter receive their eternal sentence (Revelation 20:11-15). On that great and terrible day, the past will be harmonized with the present to determine the eternal future of everyone. Before the greatest screen, every life will be reviewed before everyone, and then comes sentence. The only people who will not be judged at that universal judgment are those who were saved and washed in the Blood of Jesus, and who must have sustained their faith in Christ until they died or were ruptured. On that day, these saints will be part of the judges who will sit over the rest of the people from all nations, colour, tribe and tongues (1st Corinthians 6:2). On that day, would anyone still have a secret? No wonder Jesus said that there is nothing done in secret that shall not be exposed, and nothing said in private that shall not be broadcast from the mountain top. How prepared are you to face the judgment of God? How long will you continue to live in secret sin? Repent today and live in holiness and prepare for the Lord’s return.

Key Point:
Calling yourself a Christian (light) but living in secret sin (darkness) is a hypocritical life. Are you not tired of this?.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Revelation 3-6, Haggai 2:10-23

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A ADEBOYE

Hymn 6
HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER DEEPER
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

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

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

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 14TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME: PAUL WAS TRULY YOKED.

MEMORISE:
Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 21:13

READ: Acts 21:7-14

21:7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

21:8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.

21:11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

21:12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

21:14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.


MESSAGE:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:29

In the above scripture, Jesus mentions two profound things that will give rest to our souls, one of which is that we should take on His easy yoke. What is His yoke? It is that cross of self-denial we are required to carry as we follow Him. This refers to works such as these, which are integral to the Christian life: making sacrifices, giving, service, investment of time to pray and study God’s word, and soul-winning. One person who carried the yoke of Jesus was Paul. He understood what it means to be made by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16). When he met Christ on his way to Damascus and he surrendered to Him, from then onwards, he never turned back. He joyfully sacrificed all his earthly achievements and recognition so as to pursue one goal in life: to know Jesus (Philippians 3:! He worked like no one else did. He traveled extensively across the globe just to serve his Saviour, risking his life over and again in the process. When it was revealed that he would be bound and afflicted if he went to Jerusalem, with the brethren passionately pleading that he should not go, he responded with these words in Acts 21:13:

“...What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Have you taken on the yoke of Christ to the extent that you can go anywhere, do anything and give up anything for Him?

In addition, Jesus said we must be ready to learn of Him. Jesus Christ can be likened to a well of knowledge that we cannot exhaust in our lifetime. Beloved, there is so much to know about Him. Have you ever wondered how the Holy Spirit gives you insight into a particular scripture, and by the following day, week or month, when you take up that same verse, you still receive a deeper revelation from it? Do you know that the Holy Spirit can give you deep insights into a verse of scripture from which you can produce 10 or more solid books from? Although Paul knew so much about Jesus, when he compared what he knew with what he was yet to know, he realized that he knew very little. For this reason, he made it his life’s goal to know Him. Do you know so much about Jesus and boast over this? Repent now, and commit to learning more of Him everyday till you meet Him in glory.

KEY POINT:
Those who went before us have left a great legacy for us; what legacy are we leaving behind for our children regarding the Christian faith?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Revelation 7-10
Zachariah 1:1-17


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: TAKE MY LIFE

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



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

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

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL..

DATE: SATURDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2017.

THEME: WHAT OF YOUR VOWS?

MEMORIZE:

“Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” Ecclesiastes 5:5

Read: Ecclesiastes 5:1-6 (KJV)

5:1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

5:4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

5:5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

5:6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

MESSAGE:
The institution of marriage is largely misunderstood and consequently abused by a lot of people in today’s word. Marriage was designed by God for the good of the partners involved. He designed it as an institution where they can complement each other, enjoy life on earth, and reproduce their kind to replenish the earth. In contrast to what is sadly the norm in the world today, marriage is a covenant relationship that is of a permanent nature. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself stated this in Matthew 19:6 when he said:

“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God Hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”

Contrary to God’s expectations, the marital vow that is supposed to be very scared is fast becoming a recitation that is violated at will. How many married people ever reflect on the vows they exchange at the altar to see if the current state of their lives has not deviated from it? Marriage is a very serious covenant relationship. God expects the partners involved in it to keep the pledge they made to each other in the presence of many witnesses. Are you married? How faithful have you been in keeping your marital vows?

As children of God, we should not be surprise by the current sorry state of the institution of marriage in the world today. The Holy Spirit told us ahead of time that unfaithfulness to vows will form part of the unrighteousness of men in such times as this, When in Romans 1:31 He describe the characteristics of people in the last days as follow:

“Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, Implacable, unmerciful:”

In 2nd Timothy 3:3-4, He also indicates to us that a sign by which we will know we are in the last days is when we see men increasingly becoming traitors and trucebreakers (i.e. implacable). Are you breaking any of the promises you made in your marriage vows? Are you the type that cannot be appeased? Do you find it difficult to forgive your spouse whenever there is a form of misunderstanding in your relationship? If you have any of those traits, it shows that you are not walking in the love of God. Are you are unmerciful to your spouse? How can you receive mercy from God when you cannot even show it to your own spouse? At the altar, you promise to take care of your spouse; are you doing so today? You promise to use all your worldly goods to make life easier for your spouse, but is that what you are doing today? You promise to leave everyone else and belong to your spouse forever; is that so? Are you secretly dating someone else? If you have fallen out of line, repent and keep your vows from today!

Action point:
Every vow made shall be accounted for someday. Never break your vows!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Revelation 14-16, Zechariah 3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

Hymn 16
GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES

Verse 1:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

Verse 2:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyful with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

Verse 3:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

Verse 4:

God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 18TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME: AVOID DEFILEMENT!

MEMORISE:

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:27

READ: Isaiah 52:11-12

52:11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.

52:12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward.

MESSAGE:

It is the great desire of the wonder-working God to work wonders through His children. However, for you to be a partaker of the manifestation of this desire, you must be prepared to pay the price. Nothing good comes cheap. Anything that is cheap is obviously of low quality and value. If you are interested in working wonders as a worker in God’s vineyard, you must be prepared to be a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). You must be ready to say, “Lord, for the rest of my life, feel free to do whatever You want with me.” In addition, to work wonders, you must have clean hands. Isaiah 52 : 11 says,

“Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.”

Your hands must be free from defilement at home, at work, when nobody is watching, and everywhere else. Many years ago, while I was still lecturing in the university, I wrote a personal letter, and as I reached out to take one of the official envelopes assigned to me, the Lord said, “You wrote a personal letter, but that envelop is for official use.” I replied, “Lord, how much is an envelope?” and He said to me, “If it is so cheap, go and buy you own.” If you want to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, or if you want to lay hands on demon-possessed individuals and have the demons obey your voice, then it cannot be with hands that have been stealing, defrauding or writing false reports.
Moreover, you need to be in constant touch with God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

says that you should pray without ceasing.

One way to do this is by regularly praying in tongues like Paul (1 Corinthians 14:18). You can also keep in touch with God by constantly thanking him. I tell you, Jesus would like that. I heard the testimony of a man who on his 50th birthday said all he wanted to do was to say ‘Thank You” to Jesus at least 50 times. I said that was a beautiful idea which had never crossed my mind. How old are you now? When you want to pray, say thank You Jesus the number of times corresponding with your age, and you will be amazed at what could happen through this. Do you want to be a worker of signs and wonders? Are you ready to pay the price?

PRAYER POINT:

Father, by Your power, keep me from being defiled, every day of my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Revelation 20-22
Zachariah 5:5-6:15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: ON HILL FAR AWAY

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

TUESDAY 19TH DECEMBER 2017.
STUDENT FOR LIFE!

MEMORISE:
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: Proverbs 1:5

READ: Proverbs 1:1-6.
1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

1:3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

MESSAGE:
“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” Proverbs 1:5

According to the above scripture, knowledge is good, although not all knowledge is necessary for the children of God. It also states that only a wise fellow will benefit from what he hears. If you are taught something but you fail to act on it, you are at a great disadvantage compared to those who were not exposed to such information at all. Why? Jesus says that on the last day, it is the word of God that will judge us. In other words, any sound teaching from God’s word that you heard but fail to act upon will stand against you on the last day. This means that just as the word of God can liberate a person, that same word can also condemn him or her. May you not be condemned by what you have heard in Jesus’ Name! This is why you need to live your life by every word of God or teaching from the Bible you have received.

From Proverbs 1:5, we also learn that if knowledge is given its rightful position in your life, what you are taught will provoke you to desire more knowledge. In other words, if you are wise, you will always remain a student throughout your life, because one revelation of God’s word will prompt you to search for another in an unending chain. In this regard, believers are expected to be like professionals who need to constantly update their knowledge. Are you always seeking to know more? Do you find time to read good, inspiring books? It is popularly said that leaders are readers. If you fail to read and learn from the experiences and wealth of knowledge of others, you will only be left with the stale information that you have inside you. Therefore, seek knowledge from today! For you to lead in your group, you ought to know what others do not know. According to Ecclesiastics 9:18, winning a war is not only dependent on the nature of the weapons available to you, but more on what you know and your ability to apply what you know to the situation at hand. If there is one area every believer in Christ should work on, it is to know God more. How well are you doing in this area?

KEY POINT:
It is either you are current and relevant, or you become stale and abandoned. Its your choice to make!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Proverbs 1-4
Zachariah 7:1-8:8.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: HOW SWEET THE NAME OF JESUS.

1. How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds,
And drives away our fear.

2. It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary rest,

3. O Jesus, Shepherd, Guardian, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King;
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring,

4. How weak the effort of my heart,
How cold my warmest thought;
But when I see you as you are,
I’ll praise you as I ought.

5. Till then I would your love proclaim
With every fleeting breath;
And may the music of your name
Refresh my soul in death.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL.
WED. 20TH DECEMBER 2017.
A MATTER OF CHOICE.

Memorize
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
- Psalm 35:27.

READ: Genesis 32:3-6.
32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

32:4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

32:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and women servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Message
If you measure life by the experiences of some people, you will live far from your God-given purpose and barely scratch the surface. Some people are alive but only just surviving from day to day. In Luke 13:11-17, the woman who was bound for 18 years did not die, but she was merely surviving and not living. Also, the man with the unclean spirit in Mark 1:23-26 was continually going to church, and yet he was inhabited by an unclean spirit. It was even in the synagogue that the Lord met him. Although he was living, he was the captive of a demonic spirit. What of Naaman who appeared to be a distinguished and successful man, and yet he had a problem that no man could solve (2 Kings 5:1)? Just like the individuals in all these examples, many people today are barely surviving, and are not living life as purposed by God for them. God not only wants you to live life, He also wants you to enjoy the abundant life that He gives (John 10:10). Are you not tired of “managing”, struggling to survive, and living from hand to mouth? If you are truly tired, the Lord will make a way for you.

God is interested in the overflow of His blessings upon your life. He does not just want you to be healed; he also wants His healing virtue to flow through you to others. He wants you to be free from captivity, and beyond this, He also wants you to set the captives free. God does not want you just to be rich but also to lend to nations. He wants you to be so prosperous that when nations cannot balance their budgets, they will come and pay you a visit. God wants you to bring great joy to your family, community, city and nation. However, no matter how much He wants the overflow for you, He will respect what you want for yourself. He cannot force an overflow of His blessing on you when you want so little of it. There are different levels of greatness, and your choice of the type of life you want for yourself has a role to play in determining how great you become. Let us see the example of Esau. Yes, he sold his birthright, but as a seed of Abraham, he was so blessed from the remnant of blessing pronounced on him that he had 400 bodyguards. How many bodyguards do ministers, senators, state governors or even presidents have today? So you would agree that Esau was not doing badly. However, compared to Jacob his brother, who became a great nation, the difference is definitely clear. Do you want to merely survive, or do you want to be truly blessed with the overflowing portion of God’s blessings? The choice is yours!

PRAYER POINT:
Father, I am tired of just managing to survive. I choose the overflow of Your blessings. Please release it to me and my family now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Proverbs 5-8
Zachariah 8:9-23

HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS.
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
Refrain:

3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
Refrain:

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
Refrain:

5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.
Refrain:

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday December 21, 2017

ASHAMED OF YOUR FAITH?

Memorise : For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

Read : Philippians 1:20-21

1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
 

MESSAGE:


Do you desire and seek rest for your soul? There is a rest in Jesus Christ that you can never find elsewhere. To access this rest, you must be ready to receive His yoke by denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him daily. (Matthew 11:29).

To find rest for your soul, you must reach a point where you are no longer ashamed of Jesus Christ. You must conquer shame or be dead to it with regard to your faith in Christ Jesus. To this end, Paul said this to us, from his experience:

“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”  Philippians 1:20

Are you still ashamed to publicly declare your faith in Christ? Do you allow people to intimidate you concerning your faith in Christ Jesus? Get out of that pit of shame today and let everyone who cares to know be informed that you are a true child of God! Let your lifestyle support your confession and copy Jesus in all that you do!

A confirmation that you have conquered shame with respect to your faith in Christ is that you would be bold to face anyone, anywhere and say to them that you are for Jesus Christ. If you are not bold, it is because you are infested with fear. If you have fear inside you and you are not a baby Christian, please check your life for sin. Why? Proverbs 28:1 says,

“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

Sin always brings in some degree of fear to a person’s life. There is a relationship between sin and fear. In the same vein, there is a relationship between righteousness and boldness (confidence). When you live your life transparently in righteousness, you will be bold and courageous. You will also be able to muster increasing levels of faith. If you do not have faith in your prayers being answered, it could indicate the presence of sin in your life.

Sin kills expectations and hope. When you live to please God, your expectations will be strong and your hope will be strong. Check your life today. If you are lacking in boldness, faith, hope and expectation, there just might be some sins you haven’t confessed lurking around the corner.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, grant me boldness to declare my faith in every situation I find myself in this world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Proverbs 9-12;
Zachariah 9
                                                                                          
HYMN 1: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

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

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

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

4.  When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 29TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME: EXCELLENT SERVICE OR EYE-SERVICE?

MEMORISE:
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; Ephesians 6:6

READ: Ephesians 6:5-8

6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

MESSAGE:

“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

God’s expectation concerning your service towards His Kingdom and your service in your workplace is that in both cases, you serve with the mindset of one serving God and not man. He expects you to render excellent service and to serve without hypocrisy. One mark of hypocritical service is the desire to please men rather than God. A hypocritical worker is more concerned about entering and remaining in the good books of his or her superiors but really does not care whether God is pleased or not. You will commonly find eye-service in such people. Eye-service is service rendered only when the employer is watching. Eye-service is unacceptable to God, especially in His vineyard, and for this reason, the Holy Spirit warns us against it in Ephesian 6:6 saying,

“Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”

In the sight of God, a fellow given to eye-service is a hypocrite. When such people do some work for God, it is not from their heart. They are not bothered about the work being done in line with God’s will. All they are concerned about is being seen to be ‘doing something’ by their superiors. They love to be praised by their pastor or superior as being dutiful, diligent and supportive, but is that the record that God has of them?


If you love the praise of men more than the commendation of God, you do not yet know what it is to serve the Lord. The truth is, work or service rendered with eye-service will definitely miss heaven’s mark, and runs the risk of losing heaven’s rewards! How faithful are you to God and His work? Also, how faithful are you to your employer and the objectives of your job? Eye-service is characterized by deception, lies and pretense. If you work in this way, your service is unto the leader whose favour you seek and not unto Christ. You cannot serve Jesus Christ and still have the target to please men. Colossians 3:22 says your service should be backed by the fear of God. If you truly love and fear God, you will serve Him and do whatever He asks you to do, whether your superiors are there or not. If you still see traces of eye-service in your life, repent and turn a new leaf today.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, deliver your Church from eye-service and inspire us to serve you truly.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ecclesiastes 8-10
Malachi 2:1-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 14: TAKE MY LIFE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

SATURDAY 30TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME: OF SEASON.

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

READ: James 5:1-6.
5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

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

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

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

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

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

MESSAGE:
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

It is clear from the above scripture that in God’s timetable, there is a time for everything. Life is split into different seasons. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; there is also a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastics 3:4). One lesson here is that every man is expected to go through the ups and downs of life. In order words, if you go through a weeping season, you will equally go through a laughing season. If you have experienced a season of mourning, you will also experience a season of dancing. However, if all you experience is the down seasons, something is most likely wrong somewhere. The forces of darkness, together with their human agents, often do what they can to manipulate their victims so that they never experience the good seasons of life. Every evil plot against you that is geared towards separating you from your good seasons shall come to naught in Jesus’ Name!

“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Luke 16:25

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

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

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

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

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

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

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

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

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

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