₦airaland Forum

FortifiedCity:
There is this very young and beautiful married woman. She told me she is 28 years. She's been pregnant once. I assisted her brother get a small job lately. Before then, anytime i see her on the road, we greet. If she wanted to buy something, I'll pay with a clean heart and walk away. Ever since then, she's shown me her appreciation in words. Somehow we started talking on whatsapp lately. She gave me her number.

But now, she's telling me that she prefers keeping guys as friends. In fact she has offered to come and cook for me today but I told her I am not around. I was very open to her that her being so close might tempt me to touch her that it's better she stays far from me or we talk whenever we see on the road. I told her this to scare her away from coming close but it's not working.

She says that me telling her that will not make her be free but she still insists that she'd come to my house. She said she'd like to be free with me, jumping on my bed and playing around but she just likes me as a friend.

Is it wrong to be a close friend with a married woman?
Please guys what do you think?

Broda, not run, but flee all appearances of evil

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT'S MANUAL

LESSON FIVE

SUNDAY, 1ST OCTOBER 2017

TOPIC: THE SANCTIFIED LIFE

MEMORY VERSE: ‘’And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1Thessalonians 5:23

BIBLE PASSAGE: John 17:9-23

INTRODUCTION:
In the Old Testament, sanctification frequently denotes the ceremonial or ritual consecration of any person or thing to God. Thus, the Hebrews as a people were holy unto the Lord, through the covenant with its rites and atoning sacrifices (Exodus 31:13). Sanctification is the second work of grace after salvation that every believer must experience. The understanding of the concept, process and practice of sanctification shall be dealt with in this lesson with the help of the Holy Spirit.

LESSON OUTLINES
Sanctification: concept and process
Practices and benefits of sanctification

SANCTIFICATION: CONCEPT AND PROCESS
To sanctify means to make holy, or to set apart for God (Genesis 2:3; Exodus 19:23). In a doctrinal sense, sanctification is the making, truly and perfectly, holy what was before defiled and sinful. It is a progressive work of divine grace upon the soul justified by the love of Christ. The believer is gradually cleansed from the corruption of his nature (John 15:3), and is at length presented “unspotted before the throne of God with exceeding joy” (Jude 24). The Holy Spirit performs this work in connection with the providence and word of God (John 14:26; 17:17; 2Thessalonians 2:13; 1Peter 1:2). Every Christian should seek to be holy even as God is holy (1Peter 1:15-16). The ultimate sanctification of every believer in Christ is a covenant mercy purchased on the cross. He, who saves us from the penalty of sin, also saves us from its power and to prepare for Heaven every willing and yielding believer.

PRACTICES AND BENEFITS OF SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Romans 6:13; 2Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 3:10; 1John 4:7; 1Corinthians 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1Corinthians 6:11; 2Thessalonians 2:13). Faith is instrumental in securing sanctification, inasmuch as it secures union to Christ (Galatians 2:20), and brings the believer into living contact with the truth (John 8:32).
The more holy a man is, the more humble, self-renouncing, self-abhorring, and the more sensitive to every sin he becomes, and the more closely he clings to Christ.

CONCLUSION:
Are you sanctified? Are you ready for sanctification? Can you pay the price? We pray that you answer these questions correctly. The choice is yours.

QUESTIONS
What is sanctification?
How can it be experienced?

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Sunday October 1, 2017

THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD


Memorise : Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

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

6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

6:8 By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.


MESSAGE :

Over the years, I have observed that the more powerful some people become, the more wicked they turn out to be. When they are not yet in a position of authority, they will appear to be humble, but once they have a little taste of power, they act as if they are God. This is what makes my Father very different: He is a merciful God.

In spite of all His power and majesty, He remains merciful. Having experienced God’s mercy, David thus wrote in Psalm 40:1-2:

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

God is so full of mercy, and there is no one who cannot benefit from His mercy. When powerful people know that no one can query them, they do whatever they like. God is however different! Even though He is the Almighty God and He is all powerful, yet His mercy endures forever. Every time you call upon Him, you can be sure His grace will speak for you. Ephesians 2:4 says

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”

God’s grace grants us access to the things we don’t deserve. There are many of us who are what we are only by His grace. If not for His grace, some of us would not be alive today. If not for His grace, some of us would have no roof over our heads. If not for His grace, how would some of us have anyone willing to help us? There are many opportunities we have misused in the past, and yet we have not lived to regret this because of His grace. If not for His mercy, some of us wouldn’t have recovered from the consequences of our past time.

Can you imagine a person like Saul, who persecuted the church of God, becoming a mighty apostle of the gospel? If I were God, I would not have saved His soul, especially when I think of the extent of damage he single-handedly caused the Body of Christ. I then suddenly realized that I also was once in sin like him. When grace and mercy are at work in a person’s life, he will begin to make his boast in the Lord. Can you imagine Paul saying he had wronged no one (2 Corinthians 7:2)? He could say this because the grace and mercy of God had washed away all his past misdeeds. When mercy is at work, every sinner has a future, and when grace is speaking, every saint has no past.

God is telling you today that He can have mercy on you. All you need to do is to make up your mind that all the days of your life, you will continue to fear Him and walk in His ways.


PRAYER POINT:
Father, let Your mercy and grace never depart from my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Romans 4-6;
Daniel 2:1-16                                                                                                            
HYMN 8: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

1. 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.

Refrain:
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!

2. 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]

3. 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 HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday September 29, 2017

DELAYED PROVISION            
Memorise : The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.- Psalm 145:15

Read: Daniel 10:7-13

10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

10:9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

10:10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.


MESSAGE :

More often than not, when a man receives provision before he or she has need for it, wastage occurs. Such a fellow will entertain expenditures that are focused more on unnecessary wants rather than on needs. This is why such an individual needs wisdom, guidance and lots of self-denial or self-control. May you not waste your provisions in Jesus’ Name!

However, provision could also come at the time of need. This type of arrangement is preferred by some people because it eradicates the likelihood of waste. According to Psalm 46:5; when God is your refuge, He will always show up at the right time. He is never late! I pray that whatever assistance you need will locate you as soon as the need arises in Jesus’ Name.

In quite a number of situations, provision comes much after the day of need. This is totally unacceptable because the purpose for which the provision is needed is already defeated. Provision long after need is almost as bad as total denial.

When help, assistance or provision is not available in the time of need, it will result in disappointment, feeling of rejection, shame and disgrace, painful loss or even death. Do you know that many people who died in some ghastly accident could have survived if only they received help at the time of the incident? There are some who survived for a few hours but later gave up the ghost because they did not receive medical attention at the hour of need.

John 10:10; talks of Satan’s evil mission to steal, kill and destroy. One way he does this is by delaying provision or help from reaching people in need. In today’s Bible reading, following his petition to Heaven during a fast, an answer was sent to Daniel, but it was delayed by the Prince of Persia for 21 days. Daniel should have received the answer on the first day, but it was delayed for that whole period.


Every force of delay, sent to set back your provision or help beyond the time of need, shall be frustrated, disgraced and paralyzed in Jesus’s Name!

Whatever was programmed to reach you late shall arrive on time; you shall not be disappointed! That yoke of delay over your expectations is destroyed now! The Lord will sort you out speedily in Jesus’ Name!

KEY POINT :
One challenge of the rich is that because they have enough to meet their needs, even for the next 10, 20 or more years, their confidence is usually in their money and not in God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Esther 8-10;
Ezekiel 48:21-35                                            
                                   
HYMN 4:  THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR

1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favour,
All, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
All must be well.

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
All, all is well.
Happy still in God confiding;
Fruitful if in Christ abiding;
Steadfast through the Spirit's guiding:
All must be well.

3 We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well.
On our Father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying;
Or in living or in dying;
All must be well.

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday September 28, 2017

HEED THIS INVITATION 

Memorise: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. - John 7:37

Read: John 7:37-39

7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)


MESSAGE :

“How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?” Deuteronomy 32:30

Although praying corporately is good, it should never be regarded as a substitute to a vibrant personal prayer life. Some people quote the above scripture to justify remaining at the level of corporate prayers, and as a result they consider efforts towards personal prayers to be a waste. It is not a wasted effort! God wants to relate with us individually and develop a personal relationship with us, just as much as He wants to relate with us as a group. For this reason, in Isaiah 51:2, He said this to us:

“Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone,and blessed him, and increased him.”  

Even when we are in a group meeting, God still wants to maintain a personal link with each of us. God is a personal God. When two brothers came to give an offering to God, the Lord related with them individually (Genesis 4:3-10). How often do you spend time alone with God?

 Moreover, there are great benefits that come from staying alone with God. If we look at the example of the widow of the prophet in 2nd Kings 4:1-7, we can see some of the benefits of individual prayers. When she was asked to shut the door on herself, several things happened to her, one of which is that she went in empty but came out full. She took several empty vessels with her into the room, and all the vessels were filled up.

Even today, as you personally separate yourself to access the Throne of Grace, your empty vessels will be made full.

In today’s Bible reading, while attending the feast of the Jews, the Lord made a call. Although it was made publicly, it was a personal call. He said anyone who was thirsty could come to Him and be filled.

If you can cultivate your personal relationship with God by creating regular time to be in His presence, you will always be filled, even when you enter His presence empty.

Today, the Lord is sending you an invitation to come into His presence and He will fill you up. Your emptiness can be completely swallowed up as you spend personal time with Him. Are you ready to have your emptiness filled? How hungry are you? It is your level of hunger and thirst for Him that will determine how filled you will get, So, how hungry or thirsty are you today?

ACTION POINT :
Identify things that are working against your ability to spend time alone with God and prayerfully deal with them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Esther 4-7;
Ezekiel 48:8-20


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.

Him own don durn

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday September 27, 2017

PRINCIPLES, NOT TEARS       

Memorise : For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven heaven.   Psalm 119:89

Read: Genesis 13:14-18


13:14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.

 
MESSAGE :

If your giving reflects a financial status below the level God has placed you on, this would amount to demoting yourself. A wise fellow would rather promote himself or herself by giving beyond the level of his or her current financial status, so that God will upgrade him or her to that level. Some people look at me with envy, thinking that God is partial. No, He is not! God is not a respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of principles. When Peter realized this truth in Acts 10:34-35, He said:

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”

When you simply do what I do and follow the Bible principles that I follow, you will get the results that I get. I am not boasting, but if you think it is boasting, then I am simply boasting in the Lord. My God is not a God that is ruled by emotions. He is not moved by your tears or by you rolling on the ground. If there is something He expects you to do in accordance with his word, but you leave it and begin to cry your eyes out or roll on the ground for days and weeks, at the end of the day, He will still be waiting for you to do what He expected of you before he fulfills His promise to you. So the earlier you obey God, the sooner His intervention will come. Some people think they can manipulate God with their tricks. No they can’t. God would rather wait for you to obey, even if it takes years, before releasing a desired blessing.

Unfortunately, some people out of stubbornness are making God wait almost their entire life time!

“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:" Genesis 12:1

When God called Abraham and gave him some promises, He also gave him three conditions he had to meet to access those promises. Abraham met two of these conditions, but he considered one of them not to be as important. He took Lot, his kindred, along with him. Probably he believed that his family would consider him a wicked fellow if he left his late brother’s son behind.

For as long as he did not fulfill the condition of leaving his entire kindred, God also refused to fulfill His promises. This continued until Abraham began to feel the consequences of not separating from his relatives as instructed by God. It was after he obeyed and separated from Lot that God resumed discussions with him concerning His promises.

Abraham lost 13years to disobedience! Don’t be so wise in your own sight. Obey God today!

KEY POINT :
Noise, acrobatics and tears do not move God: simple obedience does.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Esther 1-3;
Ezekiel 47:13-48:7

 
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.

o    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.

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.

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.

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Monday September 25, 2017

NO SKIPPING DETAILS          

Memorise : For
precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: - Isaiah 28:10

Read: 2 Kings 4:1-7

4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

MESSAGE :

To avoid financial storm, you need to be careful note all the elements of a divine instruction. God is a God of details. When He gives you a recipe to solve a particular problem, He expects you to leave no details out.

In today’s Bible reading, to solve the serious debt problem of the widow of the prophet, Elisha asked her to borrow vessels from all her neighbors, shut the door behind her and pour out her remaining pot of oil into all available vessels. If she had altered the any element of this instruction, it would definitely have affected the result she got. Some people received certain divine instructions and thereafter determine which to obey and which to discard. No! all the details must be observe! Do you know that if the widow had borrowed the vessels but refused to shut her door, the oil would not have flowed?

Beloved, always pay close attention to whatever instructions you receive from God. When it comes to sowing for instance, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says,

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

From the details of this scripture, it is not just sowing that will get you your expected returns, but rather sowing bountifully and cheerfully.

Today, many people have chosen to forget these details on sowing, and this accounts for the financial storms in their lives. On tithing, it is not enough to tithe, but to bring in all the tithes. After completing my PhD research, I recalled I still had part of my research grant with the university. So I went to my Head of department (HoD) adding to draw out of it to bind my thesis. He refused to release it to me, and when I insisted, he sent me out of his office. With no other funds available, I wondered how to get the money is needed. A little past midnight, someone came knocking on my door. He said he could not sleep, and so he came to return the money I had loaned him five years earlier.

Although I had forgotten this money, God had not. He paid me the exact amount I needed. After binding the thesis, I was scared, wondering if my HoD would accept it and give me a good score. So on the following Sunday, I paid my tithe, and on Monday, when I submitted my thesis to him, he was impressed and offered to personally take it to the external examiner. He also waited on the examiner until he finished his job in three days instead of six months.

After this, my PhD grant was paid, and it became useful pocket money for me. You cannot tell the extent God will go to satisfy those who are totally obedient.

ACTION POINT :
Ask God to lead our youths aright in their choice of life partner.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Nehemiah 10-11;
Exodus 46:13-24


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.

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL

LESSON FOUR

SUNDAY, 24TH SEPTEMBER 2017

TOPIC: SALVATION EXPERIENCE

MEMORY VERSE: ‘’For the grace of God bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." - Titus 2:11

BIBLE PASSAGE: John 3:3-8

INTRODUCTION:
The Hebrew and Greek words translated 'Salvation' are 'yashuwah' and 'soteria' respectively. This word is used for the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians (Exodus 14:13), and for deliverance generally from evil or danger. In the New Testament, it is specially used with reference to the great deliverance from the guilt and the pollution of sin wrought out by Jesus Christ, "the great salvation" (Hebrews 2:3).

LESSON OUTLINES
1. Description of salvation
2. Instant and ultimate salvation

DESCRIPTION OF SALVATION
Simply put, it is to be born again, which in turn means going back to our origin. It is to have everything changed with an incorruptible seed planted in us (1Peter 1:23). It is that which changes the son of man to a son of God (John 1:11-12; Romans 8:15), thus becoming the partaker of the divine nature (2Peter 1:3-4). This implies that we are expected to experience: divine health because the same blood flowing in the vine flows also in the branches, divine vitality since Jesus is alive, we shall live too (John 14:19; John 10:10), the same power for the same works and even greater ones too (John 14:12).
It also means becoming a new creature which automatically follows that all things must become new (2Corinthians 5:17). All sins are gone (1John 1:7). Yokes are destroyed and now replaced with a peculiar nature (1Peter 2:9). Such are now members of God's family (1John 3:9), that will not sin but with a new culture of love, unity, prayer, joy, faith, power and greatness (John 13:35; Ephesians 2:.

INSTANT AND ULTIMATE SALVATION
After hearing the salvation message (Romans 10:17), the individual becomes saved through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He confesses his sins, ask for mercy/
forgiveness and accepts Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord (Romans 10:10; Acts 4:12; 16:31). This is absolutely the work of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is the instant salvation. However, it is only those who endure to the end that will be saved (Matthew 10:22, 2Peter 1:10-11). This is the ultimate salvation. In between the instant and the ultimate salvation, there is a race to run and battles to fight: storms, mockery, false accusation, temptations, persecution, trials of faith, etc (1Corinthains 9:24-27; Hebrews 12:1-4; 2Timothy 2:3-5; John 16:33).
Therefore, there is the need to constantly work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). We must put on the whole armour of God to be able to stand to the end (Ephesians 6:12-18). As much as the instant salvation is grace, the ultimate involves some work. Those seeking for ultimate salvation must therefore be watchful (1Peter 5:, prayerful (Matthew 26:41), patient (Hebrews 12:1) and run lawfully (2Timothy 2:5), confessing victory all the way.

CONCLUSION:
Today's lesson must have unveiled some foundational truths about salvation to us. It is only wise to give allowance to the Holy Spirit to help relay this aspect of spiritual foundation to glory. Why not pray and decide for Jesus Christ today.

QUESTIONS
1. Define salvation.
2. What types of salvation exist?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: THE IMPORTANT FACTOR

Memorise:
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18

Read: Matthew 6:31-34

6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Message:
First thing first, so the saying goes. As a believer in Christ, when you come before God’s presence, the most important person is not you but Him. Also, unlike most of us believe, at God’s Throne of Grace, the most important thing is not you request, but rather the worship you offer to Him. If you fail to get this right, and you fail to adjust your approach and attitude to reflect this truth, you will always have issues with God. Do you know that every time you approach God’s presence, it is like facing a test? Believe it or not, when you come before God, there are two crucial people at the meeting: God and you. One of these two must take pre-eminence. Similarly, God has a need and you also have a need; one of these two needs; one of these two needs must be more important.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

This scripture tells us about a divine order that must be followed.

It also talks about God’s need and man’s need. It tells us that God has already provided for all man’s needs. In other words, God already has all you would need at any time in your life. For you to receive them, all that He requires from you is to simply meet His needs. Give Him what He wants. Put Him first and your needs last. Give Him quality thanks, praise and worship. When you follow Heaven’s protocol, you will easily receive a favorable answer to your requests. God expects you to come before His presence with thanksgiving, praise and worship, leaving your request as the last thing. Do you know that one way to know how important something really is to you is to measure the amount of time you give to it? When you pray for one hour and you use 50 minutes of the time presenting your request, you are telling God that you and your request are more important than him and His desires. How do you think this makes God feel? In any case, He has already expressed His thoughts about this in 1 Samuel 2:30, where He said:

“for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

Also, what you focus on becomes magnified. If you focus on your problems, they will be enlarged. But if you focus on God and what He wants, He will be magnified to the extent that your problems will fade into insignificance. By the time you eventually remember them, you would discover that they have been swallowed up by His Almightiness, leaving you with the answer to your prayers.

Key Point:
If you make God your priority, He will make you His priority.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 9 Ezekiel 46:1-12

AUTHOR: PST E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3:
HOW GREAT THOU ART

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.

Refrain:
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!

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.

Refrain:

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.

Refrain:

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!"

Refrain:

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday September 23, 2017

RESISTING GOD?         

Memorise : Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? - 1 Corinthians 10:22

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:21-23

10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

10:22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

 
MESSAGE :

Colossian 1:16 tells us that all visible and invisible things were created by God and for God. You were created to make God happy by following His will, plan and purpose for your life. However, when you take the path of self-government and go contrary to the purpose for which you were created, that is rebellion. Lucifer and several angels decided to walk out of God’s original plan, and they became who we now refer to as Satan and demons (Isaiah 14:12-16, Revelation 12:7-9).

Anyone who follows self-government today will also end up where the devil and his demons are. The truth is, if you fail God, you fail yourself. Therefore, pleasing God is the real path to true self-fulfillment, lasting peace and joy. I tell you the truth, living on earth without conforming to God’s original blueprint for your life makes you waste that life. Without God, life is not worth living.

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:4

We are not here on earth by our power or design. We were created and placed here to satisfy God’s eternal plan and purpose for our lives. Even when Jesus was here, in all that He did, He did not try to please Himself but His Father (John 8:29, John 5:30). Now that He has chosen us to be His soldiers, we cannot afford to please ourselves. When He gives us an assignment, we must do it exactly as He wants it done, or risk going against Him. In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul was given an assignment by God to go and utterly wipe out the Amalekites. He went out to fulfill it but made slight changes to the instructions. In the end, he failed God and failed himself. He lost his kingdom because he could not totally comply with God’s will.

Today, for this same reason, many people are close to completely losing their place in God’s divine plan. A king who resisted God had to go on a seven-year trip into insanity, and he lost his throne for that period (Daniel 4). Similarly, another king who said that God’s word should not be heard was eaten alive by worms (Acts 12:1-24).

If these great kings could not resist or withstand God, do you think you can? If you are wise, you will totally submit to His will today. God has a problem with the so-called obedience of a good number of His children. Although He is speaking to them, they are not listening to Him; rather they are more interested in hearing themselves. Hence, He has almost grounded them in all areas. Thinking it’s the devil at fault, such people are wrongly praying against agents of darkness.

It is time to do nothing short of God’s total will in all your ways!
 
KEY POINT :
Those who resist God are fighting a battle they can never win.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Nehemiah 7-8;
Ezekiel 45:10-25
                                                                             
HYMN 6:  THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR

1. Through the love of God our Saviour,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favour,
All, all is well:
Precious is the blood that healed us;
Perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched
forth to shield us;
All must be well.

2. Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Christ hath purchased full salvation,
All, all is well:
Happy still in God confiding;
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding;
Holy, through the Spirit's guiding;
All must be well.

3. We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well:
On our Father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Then in living or in dying,
All must be well.

Realhommie:
Just how is he losing it please Everyone has a right to his/her opinion you should know that, just as you have yours about him now. He's a public figure and i like how he keeps bringing up these issues to our consciousness and for public debate..



@Topic, this tithing of thing confuses me a lot as Christian. It doesn't really augur well with me, i practice it but don't really believe in it. I need to be convinced/convicted beyond reasonable doubt.

pls dnt get yourself confused. i The bible is a mirror and a teacher, there is everything u needed to knw inside.
i want to believe the period these tithe issue was quoted in d bible, was the era of trade by batter. And beside, these tithe are used to propagate the gospel and also used to pay the pple that help in spreading the gospels, like the pastors, missionaries, etc

Lagosparty:
I already created a thread to that effect.

pls copy me the thread link

oh God, why are the youngs dying in their prime? May her.gentle soul RiP

Lagosparty:
Doesn't work the way you described it. Sorry to burst your bubble.

really?

Nice one

This guy is loosing it gradually, but he knows it not.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: WHEN YOU ARE BLESSED

Memorise:
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Hebrews 11:20

Read: Genesis 27:20-29

27:20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.

27:21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

27:22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

27:23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

27:24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

27:25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.

27:26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27:27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

27:29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

Message:

A blessing is an invitation to all the forces in Heaven, on earth and underneath the earth to cooperate with an individual and assist him or her to succeed. When Isaac pronounced a blessing on Jacob in today’s Bible reading, he summoned the dew of heaven, the land and all the forces on earth to be of assistance to Jacob. As a result of this blessing, Jacob became exceedingly great. Hear what Genesis 30:43 says about his greatness:

“ And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”

How about his brother Esau? Genesis 27:38-40 says after Jacob had stolen the cream of the blessing from him. Esau came to ask for the remnant. What was the result of this “remnant”? From Genesis 32:3-6, we understand that this remnant got him so blessed that he could afford to retain the services of 400 personal bodyguards. If you become so rich that you require 400 men to go with you wherever you go, that is something remarkable. I can recall the first time a president visited us at the Redemption Camp; he came with an entourage of 250 people. So imagine how blessed Esau was for him to have had 400 people in his entourage! I believe he was really blessed.

Moreover, let me add here that after a blessing is pronounced on you, it may not be obvious how the blessing will be fulfilled. Most times, it may not even make sense. You may not even be able to afford a bicycle now, and a blessing may be pronounced on you that a time will come when you will need a Boeing 747 to airlift those who will accompany you whenever you are travelling. It may not make sense to you, but that is what a blessing can do. I often say that I am where I am today by the grace of God and by the blessings of my mother. Any time I did something that pleased her, she would bless me. She would say, “You this boy, you will call one person, and two hundred people will respond.” I didn’t know what she meant back then, and I didn’t know how it would happen, but I always said “Amen”. Today, by the grace of God, I can say this has become reality. Have you provoked the blessing of your biological parents? Have you provoked the blessing of your spiritual parents? Most importantly, have you provoked a blessing from God?

Action Point:
When a blessing is pronounced on you, simply sustain a conducive atmosphere for its fulfillment, and it will surely come to pass.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Nehemiah 4-6
Ezekiel 44:28-45:9

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.

NO, APC loves u

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday September 21, 2017

ABBA, FATHER

Memorise : And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. -Galatians 4:6

Read: Romans 8:14-16

8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:


MESSAGE :

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray by approaching God as our Father. He said

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”  Matthew 6:9

Why did He not say “Our God”, “Our Maker” or “Our Deliverer”? It is because God wants us to have a definite, personal relationship with Him. Of all the relationships we could possibly have with God, the father-son relationship is one of the greatest.

In Mark 14:36, when the Lord Jesus was facing His greatest challenge - dying on the cross of Calvary - He addressed God as “Abba, Father”, which in other words is “My Daddy”. This level of closeness with God is not exclusive to Jesus Christ alone. Romans 8:15 says,

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

If you compare this scripture with Galatians 4:6, you will realize that both the Holy spirit and our Lord Jesus Christ have made it possible for us to share the same kind of closeness with the Father that Jesus had. Therefore, we too can unashamedly call God, “My daddy”. If only you know how God longs to have such intimacy with you!

Intimacy with God is something you cannot do without if you are to fulfill God’s plan for your life. There is a time of need that everyone will face, which will require each of us to draw on our relationship with God. Those who have God as their creator will approach Him as “My Creator”, while those who serve Him will approach Him as “My God”. In such times, those who are intimate with Him will call Him “My Daddy”. You can be sure that one carries more weight that the others. How would you want to approach God? Would you want to approach Him as a distant Creator, as God of the universe or as your personal Father? The choice is yours.

When you develop a good relationship with God, He will indeed be a father to you by acting as the fountain from which you came forth (Genesis 2:7). David understood this and he experienced a very intimate level of closeness with God. This is the reason why in Psalm 23, he could testify of enjoying that which a father provides: food, sleep, water, protection, guidance, security, goodness and mercy.

These all will be yours today in Jesus’ Name! Do everything possible to build your intimacy with God!

PRAYER POINT :
Father, draw me close to You like never before.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Nehemiah 1-3;
Ezekiel 44:15-27                                                                                 
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 20TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: GIVE FIRST       


Memorise:
I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:6


Read: 1 Chronicles 16:2-3, Acts 20:35

16:2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.

16:3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.

Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.


Message:

Generous divine provision is the benefit of those in the sheepfold of the Great Shepherd. God prepares a table of abundance for His sheep (Psalm 23:5). No wonder David in Psalm 13:6 said:

“I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”

This scripture is a personal testimony of David. After God had blessed him beyond measure, he began to testify of God’s goodness through songs. If you carefully study the life of David, you will discover that the secret of his prosperity lay in the principles he lived by. One of such principles is demonstrated in today’s Bible reading: he believed giving to be the key to receiving. Can you imagine a man giving a loaf of bread to every citizen of a country? This was what David did, and he even gave much more! We often wonder why most of us are not flowing in God’s abundance, even though God has resources to cater for more than we could ever need. One likely reason for this is that we do not strictly follow divine financial principles. Jesus, in Luke 6:38, said:

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Let us draw a few lessons from this. Firstly, if you ever want to receive, it is your duty to first give. If you fail to sow, you would be deceiving yourself to expect a harvest. Many of us refuse to give, and yet we continue to pray, fast and do all other things right. If you want to receive, first give. It is important to note that God will never owe anyone. If you give, you will receive a harvest, no matter how long it takes, as long as the seed is not uprooted.


However, the way the harvest comes and when it will come are issues that may not be too clear to you. For instance, you may be expecting your harvest for a particular seed in form of physical cash, not knowing that God has already given it to you as a harvest of peace in the time of trouble, or as protection when the enemy came calling. Sometimes, you cannot tell how the harvest of a given seed will come, although if you key into the Holy Spirit, He can sometimes reveal to you that a particular harvest you receive was from a particular seed you sowed. Moreover, God who knows our needs should be given the freedom to determine when and how our harvest should come. Just make sure that a lifestyle of giving and sowing seeds is an indelible part of you. Do you give to His servants? Do you give to the needy? How often do you give?


Action Point:
Giving is an act. Giving is also a spirit. Pray that God will give you the spirit of giving.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ezra 9-10
Ezekiel 44:1-14

                                                                                                                     
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 Saviour 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 honour 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 [truncated by WhatsApp]

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday September 19, 2017

THE GROUND IS NOT FOR YOU      


Memorise : For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.- Proverbs 24:16

Read: Luke 22:31-34

22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

22:32 But I hav(e prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

22:34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.


MESSAGE :

It’s a fact of life that we are all susceptible to making mistakes. However, when we make mistakes, we must have the strength of character to admit our mistakes and also to resolve never to repeat them again (Proverb 28:13).

A child learning to walk will stand up, take a step or two and fall down again. You will observe however that in spite of these falls, he or she does not give up trying. The child will repeatedly make attempts at walking, and in the process of time, that child will not only walk, he or she will also run, leap and jump, all without falling to the ground like before. Do not turn a mistake into your final destination.

Can you believe that because some people made a mistake in their faith in Christ, they gave up the race entirely and decided to die there? That is most unfortunate! Some people cannot forgive themselves for their denying Jesus at a very crucial moment when their faith was tested, or for falling into a particular sin that they have been preaching against all along. Such people need to learn from the example of Apostle Peter, who thrice denied Christ. The Lord had to make him realize that it was not over yet. That same Peter was the one who later led the other disciples in defending their faith in Christ and in propagating the Good News of the gospel around the world.
 
“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.” Micah 7:8

One lesson from this scripture is that the fact that you slipped and fell does not mean that the enemy has won the battle over your life. He hasn’t. It also says that there is the possibility of a comeback.

From where you fell, you shall arise in Jesus’ Name. Your rise shall be more formidable! You may say that your case is a bad one because you have fallen so many times and you therefore concluded that it was better to stop trying. Oh, how wrong you are! Proverb 24:16 says it is possible for the righteous man to fall seven times and still rise. To fall seven times simply refers to the possibility of falling to a point of experiencing what most people will call the final or ultimate fall. Yet, even at that, if you are a child of God, the Lord says that you should not give up hope. Make another attempt at reconciling with the Lord, confess your weakness to Him, and ask for His help. He will lift you up and He will sustain you afterwards.

So are you still on the floor? Arise now!

KEY POINT :
Falling and rising in the Christian faith does not make you a failure; it only shows that you are at the babyhood stage of maturity and would need to trust Jesus Christ the more.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Ezra 7-8;
Ezekiel 43:13-27                                                      
HYMN 4:  THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR

1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favour,
All, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
All must be well.

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
All, all is well.
Happy still in God confiding;
Fruitful if in Christ abiding;
Steadfast through the Spirit's guiding:
All must be well.

3 We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well.
On our Father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying;
Or in living or in dying;
All must be well.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: RESTITUTION: EVIDENCE OF SALVATION II      


Memorise:
Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. Acts 23:5

 
Read: Acts 23:1-5

23:1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

23:2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

23:3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

23:4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?

23:5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.


Message:

A sign that confirms whether or not you have experienced genuine salvation is your willingness to make restitution with your fellow men. When you are genuinely saved, the Spirit of Jesus Christ in you will motivate you to right your wrongs and undo your evil deeds. An elderly judge once attended one of our meetings at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja (Lagos), and gave his life to Christ. On his way home after the programme, he just could not contain himself. There was a person he quarreled with several years before, and he had a burning urge to resolve the dispute; so right from the venue of the programme, he went straight to the house of the person in order to settle the matter. Did you say you are saved, but you still hold grudges, have bitterness and manifest an unforgiving spirit? Please examine yourself to be sure you are truly in Christ.

 
Similarly, there was a particular king in Ogun State, Nigeria. For several months, I went to preach to him and he would tell me “Before your mother married your father, I have been going to church.” He would show me a Bible that Queen Victoria gave to his grandfather. Repeatedly, I said to him, “Your royal highness, that is not what I am talking about. I am asking you to repent of your sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ.” Then one day, he yielded and gave his life to Jesus. By that time, he had not seen his wife for years, due to a disagreement they had. Within days of giving his life to Christ, he promptly contacted her, and they resolved their differences. You cannot be genuinely saved and refused to restitute.


In what areas would you need to make restitution today? If you stole anything from anybody, return it or pay for its replacement if it’s lost. If you bore false witness against somebody, go and uncover the truth. Have you fraudulently acquired your academic certificate? Go and restitute. If you have stolen another person’s passport and impersonate the fellow, using the passport to move around, go and restitute. Are you a second or third wife to a man, or have you married two or more wives? You are living in adultery. Make restitution! Have you received payment for a contract you did not execute? Go and return the money! Have you been falsifying records and stealing money through that? Go and restitute. If you have tough cases, seek counseling from a pastor in a true Bible-believing church. Also, ask God to help you. If you really want to obey God, He will definitely make a way for you.


Key Point:
Salvation straightens your crooked paths with God, while restitution straightens your crooked path with men.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ezra 4-6
Ezekiel 42:15-43:12

                                                                                                               
 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.

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL

LESSON THREE

SUNDAY, 17TH SEPTEMBER 2017

TOPIC: THE SECRET PLACE

MEMORY VERSE: ‘’He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." - Psalm 91:1

BIBLE PASSAGE: Psalm 91:1-16

INTRODUCTION:
The term "secret place" comes from the Hebrew word "cether" which means "to hide or be concealed". Other words for secret place include shelter, covering, or a dwelling place. One who abides in the secret place of God dwells in an ascended place of rest, lifted up above principalities and powers. It is a place of protection from trouble; where God surrounds you with deliverance (Psalm 32:7). It is a place of His holy concealment in all things, where God reveals heavenly secrets to you.

LESSON OUTLINES
1. How to enter the secret place
2. Benefits of being in God's secret place

HOW TO ENTER THE SECRET PLACE
We can gain access into God's secret place through a life of holiness (Psalm 15:1-5), praise, thanksgiving and prayer of faith (Psalm 100:3-4; Jeremiah 33:3). We must walk away from the clamour and enticements of the world (1John 2:15). Our hearts must be quiet before Him as we allow Him investigate those inner thoughts we reveal to no one else (Isaiah 30:15; Psalm 139:2). To connect with God, we must avoid distractions (Matthew 6:6; Mark 1:35). We cannot join God in His secret place unless we are willing to be transparent and honest with Him (Psalm 69:5; 139:7). We must not dwell with the ungodly (Psalm 1:1; 2Corinthians 6:17). A consecrated and sanctified life is a prerequisite to gaining access into God's secret place (Leviticus 20:7; Psalm 24:3-4).

BENEFITS OF BEING IN GOD'S SECRET PLACE
The benefits of dwelling in God's secret place include:
1. Closer fellowship with God (James 4:.
2. Living a holy life becomes possible (Isaiah 6:1-5).
3. Self-assessment of our faith will be enhanced (2Corinthians 13:5).
4. Fruit of the spirit takes root and grows (Galatians 5:22).
5. Our gaze is focused on Christ and things of eternal value (Matthew 6:19-21; Hebrews 12:2).
6. Divine protection and deliverance (Proverbs 18:10; Psalm 91:13-14).
7. Divine authority and attention (1Kings 17:1).

CONCLUSION:
God wants us to dwell in His secret place; not to visit. In God's secret place, no evil can come near us.

QUESTIONS
1. How can a believer enter into God's secret place?
2. What are the benefits of dwelling in the secret place?

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Sunday September 17, 2017

WORSHIP FIRST, REQUEST LAST      

Memorise : Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.- Psalm100:4

Read: Mark 5:21-24

5:21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

5:23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

5:24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.


MESSAGE :

How you approach a house will determine whether you will be welcomed or chased out. If you approach the door and knock, you will be attended to as a lady or a gentleman, but if you decide to break through the window, you will surely be taken for a burglar, thief or robber and met with severe resistance. Your approach matters! In the same vein, to enter into God’s presence, you must follow heaven’s protocol. The Holy Spirit in Psalm 100:4 revealed this protocol when He said:

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

If you want to be welcomed into God’s presence and have your requests granted, don’t just crash in, follow heaven’s protocol! Let your heart and mouth be full of thanks for all God has done for you, your family and loved ones. When you approach God, let Him first hear your thanksgiving. Let this be followed by quality praise and worship. Let your request come last, and let the time you use in making your request be shorter than the time you spent giving thanks, praise and worship. Whenever you violate this order, you do damage to your requests and hurt your relationship with the Lover of your soul - the Almighty God Himself.
 
Moreover, you may want to ask: why must I approach God with reverence, thanksgiving and praise? It is because worshippers always get what they want. In Matthew 8:1-3; a leper approached Jesus, fell at His feet and worship Him, even before he made his request. In the end, he was cleansed. What of the mad man of Gadara whose story is recorded in Mark 5:1-15? As mad as he was, after approaching Jesus, he knew enough to fall down at His feet to worship Him. For this reason, even without verbalizing his desire to be delivered from the demonic siege he was under, Jesus set him free. Effective worship works wonders! Jarius was a top leader in Israel, and yet, when his daughter was seriously sick and he approached Jesus, he forgot his position, power and wealth, fell at the Master’s feet and worshipped Him.

Also, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons came to the Lord expressing her need, the Lord ignored her; but when she began to worship Him, the tide turned (Matthew 15:21-28).

From today, follow heaven’s protocol in approaching God and you will get your heart’s desires.  
 
KEY POINT :
Presenting your request before worshipping God is like placing the cart before the horse.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ezra 1-3
Ezekiel 42:1-14                                                                             
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 Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour 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.

Refrain 

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.

Refrain 

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!"

Refrain

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday September 16, 2017

YOU CAN AVOID WASTAGE

Memorise : For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.- Proverbs 24:6

Read: Luke 15:11-16

15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.


MESSAGE :

In life, some people experience provision before they ever need it, while some get provision just in the nick of time. Some others only get the provision they need after the time the need is past. One Bible character who experienced provision before need is the prodigal son in today’s Bible reading. All he would ever need was already provided for and safely kept by his father. Nevertheless, what was his response to his father’s wisdom and grace? He foolishly asked for all that was his, and he wastefully spent it all. Luke 15:13 says,

“And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”

May you never waste God’s provision for your life! There are so many people who engage in wasteful spending. There are some people God has blessed with the funds to buy a piece of land, which they can develop as God enables them, but they use the provision to acquire a flashy car or attempt to live “big” while they are still in rented apartment. This amounts to foolishness. There are some youths who get some big money from legitimate ventures, but because they had no financial intelligence and never sought counsel, they wasted it and struggled thereafter.

“If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. Ecclesiastes 10:10

To manage financial provision, you need wisdom. In fact, the Scripture above says that you can get results from a cutlass whether it is sharp or blunt; the difference is that wisdom helps you make the best decisions to obtain the best results. If you have financial wisdom, you would avoid wasteful spending and increase whatever you have.

Do you have financial resources beyond what you need for the moment? Ask God for wisdom to manage it. Also, ask for guidance. Follow the counsel in today’s memory verse: ask those who know better. Ask from experienced fund managers and people skilled in financial investments. More importantly, find out from God, the Provider of that provision, what the purpose of the provision is. If you can diligently ask Him, He will guide you on how to spend it in such a way as to guarantee repeated provision.

You do not need to spend on every item you see or like. Humbly surrender your desires to God and let Him reign over them.

KEY POINT :
You can completely avoid wastage when you submit your finances to Jesus asking Him for direction and approval of your budget.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
2 Chronicles 35-36;
Ezekiel 41:12-26

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 HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday September 15, 2017

A DIVINE CURSE     

Memorise : Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. - Malachi 3:9

Read : Mark 11:12-14; 20-21

11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

11:13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

11:14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

11:21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.


MESSAGE :

When you go through the Scriptures and see the effect of a divine curse on those who were cursed, you would do just about anything to avoid a curse from God. Although a curse from one man to another can have terrible effects, if spiritual help is sought from someone operating at a higher level that the source of the curse, such curses are terminated.

It’s a dilemma however, if the source of a curse is God. There would be no one to run to in such cases. When God cursed the ground after the fall of Adam, from that moment until now, the earth has not been yielding produce to its full potential. Wait until you see what this same ground can produce after the curse is lifted during the millennial reign of Christ!

Similarly, when God cursed Cain, it had a terrible effect on him (Genesis 4:9-15). Cain was supposed to be the first born of the whole earth, but when he was cursed, he became a vagabond. Virtually everyone he met desired to kill him, even without offending them. No wonder he cried to God for clemency. Genesis 4:13-14 says,

“And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.”

Moreover, in today’s Bible reading, Jesus cursed a fig tree which appeared to have fruit but had only leaves. By the following morning, the tree had completely withered from its very roots. When God places a curse, it begins to operate from the root upwards. I once visited the capital of a state in Nigeria some years ago. This state had a lot of mighty rivers, yet the state capital had no pipe-borne water. Surprised, I made some inquiries on why this was so, and I was told, “Sir, there is a tree in the center of the capital that should not be uprooted. They even had to build a road around it. As long as the tree remains, nothing good happens to this town.” I said “Is that so?” then I quietly added, “No problem, we are here.” I then cursed the tree in the name of the Lord. That very night, there was a storm in the town and by the following morning, the tree was uprooted completely.

Any evil tree tying down your progress is cursed today in the Name of Jesus! I command it to dry up and be uprooted in Jesus’ Name!

Are you under a divine curse? Immediately run to the cross of Calvary in repentance and make your way right with God, and thereafter, seek His face for mercy. May you find favor in His sight today!

ACTION POINT :
Examine yourself to see if you have brought a divine curse upon yourself and your family by your actions, and immediately return to God in repentance and restitution.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
2 Chronicles 33-34;
Ezekiel 40:48-41:11

                                        
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 HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday September 14, 2017

HE DESERVES YOUR THANKS    
 
Memorise : O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. - Psalm136:2
 
Read: Psalm121:3-5

121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

121:5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.


MESSAGE :

It is very important for you to give God thanks always. One reason why this is necessary is because there are several battles God fights for you that you know nothing about. Some people are so conservative when it comes to giving God thanks. They think they are clever, and so they only give God thanks when they believe He has earned it. In other words, they only thank God when He has done something very “tangible” for them.

If however it appears that He has not done anything for them, they hold back on offering thanks to Him. Such people may think they are smart, but they are not. When you are asleep, do you know the various battles waged against you by the enemies of your soul? How can you fight for yourself in a realm you are oblivious of or when you are asleep?
 
Many years ago, while still lecturing at the University of Ilorin (Kwara State, Nigeria), I had an experience that left its mark on my mind. In those days, I could travel from one end of the university campus to the other end within fifteen minutes. After my morning lectures, I could leave the campus, return home for lunch, and rest a while before returning for evening lectures. I was also the pastor of our church parish over there, and so people kept coming in and out of our living room. After my meal one afternoon, I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes so that I could get some rest. As I lay down I put my two hands together on my head and closed my eyes. Suddenly, someone entered the room, held my two hands with one hand and held my two legs with the other hand and tried to kiss me. At first, I thought it was my wife, but then it dawned on me that whoever could hold me up this way must be a very tall fellow. I therefore opened my eyes and the creature disappeared. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I asked myself what this was. Eventually, I pushed the incident aside. Intending to drive back to the campus, I got into the car, but all of a sudden I had a running stomach and began to vomit. I virtually crawled from the car into the toilet. Then I began to ask, “How could this happen to me?” God’s response was, “Son, I just wanted you to see a little of the battles I fight for you, which you know nothing about.” 

For you to sleep peacefully every day, God does not sleep. He continues to watch over you. Why don’t you become really generous in thanking the Almighty God, who alone deserves all your thanks?

PRAYER POINT :
Father, thank You for all You do for me, particularly for the battles You fight on my behalf which I know nothing about.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Chronicles 31-32
Ezekiel 40:35-47                                                                             
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 Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour 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.

Refrain 

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.

Refrain 

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!"

Refrain

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: GIVING DETERMINES PROMOTION   


Memorise:

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee. Deuteronomy 16:17           


Read: Deuteronomy 16:16-17

16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty:

16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.

 
Message:

When God commanded all males in Israel to appear before Him in today’s Bible reading, he specifically instructed that they should not come before Him empty-handed. He also instructed that whatever they brought to Him must be a reflection of the level of blessings they had received from Him. Based on these two parameters, can you say you have followed the divine pattern when you appear before God? Today, when God’s people assemble before Him, many of them do not care about what they bring as an offering, as long as they bring something. Do you know that God cares about this? For this reason, 2Corinthians 8:12 says,

“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”


One year, during our annual thanksgiving service for pastors and ministers of our church, I told them that God expects them to bring an offering that reflects how much He has blessed them individually. Then I asked them this question: “Brethren, do you know that many of us demote ourselves by the offering we give?” They appeared surprised to hear this. So I further explained that God knows us individually, and He knows the level to which He has blessed each one of us. He knows those whom He has taken to a level that can conveniently give Him N1000 at each offering. He also knows those who can afford to give N500 and those who are unable to give more than N100. If you are in the category of N1000 but give N500 per offering, you are indirectly saying to God, “Dear Lord, you made a mistake placing me in the category of givers of N1000. You should have left me in the category of givers of N500”. Then the Lord will reply, “I thought I promoted you, but if you want to demote yourself, no problem.”This is why some people are experiencing financial dryness. You are the one who told God that the level He placed you at is too high and that he should take you lower. I shared with my children that at the beginning of every year, I draw up a budget stating what I want to earn as my income for the year. Then I tell God that this is where I was last year but this is where I want to be by the year's end. Thereafter, I start giving to reflect my expectations based on my target. I promote myself by giving beyond my present level, and I can tell you in unmistaken terms that God has never failed me, not even once. Before the end of the year, I would have already surpassed the limit I set for myself. How has it been with your life of giving? Make necessary adjustments today and key into your joy.


Key Point:
Giving at a level that matches the financial status of your expectations is a way to compel God to supernaturally upgrade you to that expected level.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Chronicles 29-30
Ezekiel 40:20-34

 
 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.

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.

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!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: LITTLE REQUESTS LIMIT GOD


Memorise:

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 1 John 3:22

Read: James 1:5-6

1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:


Message:

The Lord Jesus Christ instructed us to ask until our joy is full (John 16:24). Due to a lack of faith in God’s ability to meet our needs, many of us ask for crumbs, and by doing so, we insult or dishonour God. Are you one of such people? During one of our special programmes sometimes ago, while in my prayer room, God took me up on this issue. He reminded me of an incident that happened several years before then, when I went to London to prepare our Sunday School manual. After finishing it, I still had three days to go before my flight is due, but I had completely run out of money. The kind of ticket I paid for on that trip was a cheap one and so it did not allow for rescheduling of dates. I felt I could go without food for three days but could not avoid buying certain materials, books and tapes that I needed. These would cost me £50 and I had no money. So I said, “Daddy, it would be good if I could get £50” Shortly after, my phone rang and I picked it up. The fellow on the line said, “Biyi”. I told him there was nobody with that name there. He asked, “Is that not so and so number?” As we talked, he got to know who I was and he screamed. He called out to his brother with excitement, telling him that he was speaking with me. Obviously, they had been discussing how they could see me and now I was on the phone with them. Eventually, they came over, we talked, and as they were leaving, they gave me £50. As soon as they left, I said, “Daddy, if I knew it would be this easy, I would have asked for £100!”

As I went upstairs in the apartment I was staying at, I rejoiced over the 50pounds I had just received. Just then, the doorbell rang, and then it rang a second time. By this time, it was night already. Before I got to the door, the fellow at the door had slipped an envelope through the door into the room and left. I picked it up, opened it and realized it had come from a man I had known for a long time. He was a very wealthy man who was also very stingy. He had never given me a dime before. In the envelope was £50 and a note saying, “I just felt like giving you some money.” As I went towards the bedroom, I told God that if I had known this second £50 would come, I would have asked for another £50! That night, before I slept, another £50 came. Then I became afraid and told God I was joking and did not want to offend Him. In my prayer room, the Lord told me I had been a foolish boy. “If you asked me for £50 and I could provide it, why didn’t you ask for £5000?” Are you trying to help God conserve His resources when you ask? He doesn’t need your help! Ask, and ask big! Don’t limit Him.

Key Point:
If the over seven billion inhabitants of the earth were to ask their best from God, they still could not exhaust a drop of His resources.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Chronicles 26-28
Ezekiel 40:5-19


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 Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour 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.

Refrain

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.

Refrain

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!"

Refrain

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER 2017

THEME: RESTITUTION: EVIDENCE OF SALVATION I


Memorise:

And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. Luke 19:8

Read: Luke 19:1-10

19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

19:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

19:6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

19:7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Message:

When you are genuinely saved, you will desire to find what you can do for the Lord Jesus Christ. There will be a strong desire in your heart to reciprocate the Saviour's gesture of love. Is it so with you? When I newly got born again, there were quite a few people around me who got saved at about the same time also. We all had certain characteristics in common, one of which was: anytime there was work to be done for God, we volunteered. We did it joyfully, spending our money, time and energy. Unfortunately, when you ask some people who claim to be born again to do some work in the house of God today, they will charge you double the job’s worth, while some unbelievers would just give you a normal bill. Such people need to seek genuine salvation!

Moreover, another sign of genuine conversion is the desire to right your wrongs. True salvation yearns for restitution. Nobody will experience genuine salvation without asking questions such as these: How much of my past iniquity can I correct? How much can I salvage of the damage I have done? These questions will come from your heart even without being taught the doctrine of restitution. This happened to Zacchaeus in today’s Bible reading. Immediately Jesus entered his house, Zacchaeus responded to His love with these words in Luke 19:8:

“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”

Zacchaeus, even without being instructed, decided to give 50% of his wealth to the poor, and offered to return four times whatever he had taken from any man by false accusations. This pleased the Lord. Indeed, restitution pleases God. When you restore whatever you have stolen, and whenever you right your wrongs, it becomes a testimony to the genuineness of your repentance. When you make restitution to people you offended or cheated, it softens the ground for you to eventually present the message of the gospel to them. If you hold back what you stole, even after you claim to have been saved, you will retain the enmity of those you defrauded, and because of you, they may never respond to the message of salvation. Is there any pending restitution you need to make? Go ahead and right your wrongs. For controversial and very weighty cases, please seek counseling before going ahead.

Key Point:

The practice of restitution gives you a clear conscience before God and man.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Chronicles 24-25
Ezekiel 39:21-40:4

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.