OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2017

THEME: IN NEED OF TENDER LOVING CARE


Memorize:
“Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” 1 Corinthians 8:13


Read: 1 Corinthians 8:8-13

8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

 
Message:

God redeems us from the unfruitful works of darkness through His mercy and grace. When people become newly saved, though they have genuinely surrendered their lives to God and are committed to going all the way in pleasing Him, they are often not immediately well grounded in the things of God. These young converts need special care and attention from mature believers. It is the responsibility of those who have grown deeper in Christ to encourage those who are making efforts to have their faith established in Him. As their predecessor in the faith, young converts are watching and following you as an example. They must be followed up with love and shown good examples of how to live out their faith in Christ. As an older believer, you must show them compassion and understanding, remembering that Christ came to save us all because of His compassion for us. Matured believers have certain roles to play by deliberately denying themselves of certain things that are lawful but not helpful to the growth of these young converts. Like Paul who became all things to all people so that he might win many to Christ, mature believers must also be willing to become all things for the sake of those they want to establish in the knowledge of the truth. 1 Corinthians 9:22 says,

“To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.


If you are grounded in Christ, you are not to use your liberty to harm those who are growing in the faith. Some of these people have already experienced a lot of disappointments outside the Church of God. Some of them have been defrauded, while some others have been unduly taken advantage of because of their vulnerability. Some lost precious things before coming to the knowledge of Christ. The moment they give their lives to Christ, they are full of great expectations because they’ve heard that the Name of the Lord is a strong tower. They believe the brethren will care for them, unlike what they experienced in the hands of unbelievers. We must therefore do all that is within our power not to make them regret their decision to come to Christ, which will be the case if we don’t extend hands of love to them. We must not give them occasion to stumble; neither should we allow them to stray by our actions. We must avoid all circumstances that will grieve our fellow brethren and ensure that the word of God remains our standard in our dealings with them. Let us be careful not to offend the weak ones or lay a stumbling block on their way, because we are going to be accountable to God for all those he brings across our path.

 
Prayer Point:
Father, deliver me from errors that will cause others to stumble. 


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Romans 11-13
Daniel 2:46-3:7                                                                                                                          


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

 
HYMN 1: MAY 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!

God bless you Sir

��� *LET US PRAY* ���

.. _*WEDNESDAY, October 04, 2017*_

*PRAYER POINTS* :- _IN NEED OF TENDER LOVING CARE._

1. *THANKSGIVINGS* .

2. *INTERCESSIONS/SUPPLICATIONS.*

3. *PRAYERS FROM OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL:*

----- Father, i thank you because *YOU ARE A CARING GOD.*

*_---- Father, I thank you for saving me and for the salvation of my soul....._*

*_---- Father, I thank you for the grace to be alive, today;......_*

----- *_Father, I thank You for Your tender loving care over me........_*

----- *_Father, from today, give me the grace to also tenderly care for others, in Jesus’ Name......_*

----- *_Father, please deliver me from errors that will cause others to stumble, in Jesus' Name......_*

*_Father, please grant unto me the grace to be exemplary in character to be worthy of emulation, in Jesus' Name......_*

----- *_Father, from today, please instill in me genuine love for the brethren, in Jesus' Name......_*

4. *PERSONAL PRAYERS REQUESTS:*
-- (John 16:23 - 24,
-- LUKE 18:1,
-- MATT 7:7 - 8 )......

---- FATHER, I thank you for the answers, for in *JESUS WONDERFUL* Name I have Prayed.

Prayer Points on Today's Open Heavens: (Wednesday, October 4th, 2017) - IN NEED OF TENDER LOVING CARE 1.Thank you, Father, for delivering me from the unfruitful works of darkness, by your mercy and grace. 2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus' name. 3.Father, deliver me from errors that will cause others to stumble, in Jesus' name. 4.Father, give me the grace never to lord it over your flock, or be too unnecessarily hard on them, in Jesus' name. 5.Father, empower me to nurture and regularly follow up on new converts, until they are able to stand, in Jesus' name. 6.Father, make me a perfect example, in character and in faith, for the weak and vulnerable in Christ to follow, in Jesus' name. 7.Father, let me never give up on weak and vulnerable new converts, who are struggling to understand their new faith, in Christ, in Jesus' name. 8.Father, help me to show love and compassion to babies in Christ; to correct them in love and to encourage them to grow in faith, in Jesus' name. 9.Father, give me the grace to relate with new converts on the basis of the standard of your word and let me never cause anyone of them to regret becoming a Christian, in Jesus' name. 10.Holy Spirit, please, bring to my remembrance all the weak and vulnerable in Christ that l have persecuted and caused to stumble; that l may, by your grace, go after them for divine restoration, in Jesus' name. 11.Father, when l shall stand before your judgement throne, to give account of my stewardship over the souls committed into my hands, please, let me not be found wanting, in Jesus' name. 12.Your Personal petitions. ( Philippians 4:6) 13.In Jesus' name I pray. (John 14:13-14; 15:16) 14.Thank you Father for answered prayers. (1 Thessalonians 5:18). # GodBlessOurNation

Prayer Points on Today's Open Heavens: (Wednesday, October 4th, 2017) - IN NEED OF TENDER LOVING CARE

1.Thank you, Father, for delivering me from the unfruitful works of darkness, by your mercy and grace.

2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus' name.

3.Father, deliver me from errors that will cause others to stumble, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, give me the grace never to lord it over your flock, or be too unnecessarily hard on them, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, empower me to nurture and regularly follow up on new converts, until they are able to stand, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, make me a perfect example, in character and in faith, for the weak and vulnerable in Christ to follow, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, let me never give up on weak and vulnerable new converts, who are struggling to understand their new faith, in Christ, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, help me to show love and compassion to babies in Christ; to correct them in love and to encourage them to grow in faith, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, give me the grace to relate with new converts on the basis of the standard of your word and let me never cause anyone of them to regret becoming a Christian, in Jesus' name.

10.Holy Spirit, please, bring to my remembrance all the weak and vulnerable in Christ that l have persecuted and caused to stumble; that l may, by your grace, go after them for divine restoration, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, when l shall stand before your judgement throne, to give account of my stewardship over the souls committed into my hands, please, let me not be found wanting, in Jesus' name.

12.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)
13.In Jesus' name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).
#GodBlessOurNation