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OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday June 24, 2017

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN

Memorise : The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.- Job 15:20

Read: Genesis 3:8-19

3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was Unclad; and I hid myself.

3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast Unclad? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gravest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.


MESSAGE :

Sin can bring unimaginable consequences upon the sinner. Some years ago, I visited the maximum security prison at Kirikiri, Lagos, where I met a man who had been condemned to death. For 27 years, he had waited for the day the executioner would come for his head. While we discussed, I trembled at the repercussion of sin. He said to me, ''Even if I am released now, where do I start from, having wasted 27 years of my life?'' Do you expect such a man to be joyful during all that period of waiting? No way! He must have been sad for 27 years! Psalm 16:4 says,

''Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.''

According to this scripture, sin and sorrow go hand in hand. If you are living in sin, you cannot be separated from sorrow. If you enjoy sinning, you will be compelled to enjoy sorrow as well. If you are always sorrowful, examine your ways: it is possible your life of sorrow is the product of a sinful life.

Similarly, sin is linked with pain, struggle and tears. Job 15:20 says,

"The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.''

This scripture simply means that if you sin and continue in it, get ready to suffer for a long time, possibly throughout life. These repercussions of sin did not just start today; they have been there from the beginning. In today's Bible reading, after Adam and Eve sinned, the serpent was cursed above all other creatures and lost its legs. For the woman, the process of conception and childbirth became an issue of life and death, while the ground was cursed for man's sake. Since then, it has been a struggle for man to enter into his harvest.

Before you take out your harvest from the fields, you have to sweat, suffer, weed out what you did not sow, and so on. Are you going through a lot of struggle, pain and tears over your efforts to move to the next level? First crosscheck your life to find out if these are caused by sin. If there is sin, confess it to God, ask for forgiveness and beat a fast retreat. Follow after the path of righteousness, because righteousness will ensure sorrow stays far from your life.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, in any way I have brought sorrow into my life because of sin, have mercy on me and deliver me today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 19;
Jeremiah 51:59-52:11


HYMN 11: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday June 23, 2017

BECOMING A WONDER

Memorise : Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.-
Psalm 77:14

Read: Psalm 77:11-15

77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

77:14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

77:15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.


MESSAGE :

God is a wonder and He does great wonders. I pray that He will perform wonders in your own life, so that you can testify that you have experienced His wonder-working power, in Jesus' Name. Beyond this however, do you know that God can turn you into a wonder? For instance, look at the mad man of Gadara, He was so mad that all hope was lost concerning his recovery; but when Jesus touched his life, he was seen not only in his right senses, but also decently dressed and even evangelising the goodness of the Lord. Many people who saw him were amazed and had their doubts as to whether he was the same person who once terrorised the community (Mark 5:20). He became a wonder!

Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, also became a wonder and a tourist attraction after he was raised from the dead. John 12:9 says this about him :

''Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead."

Several years ago, during a particular Holy Ghost Service we held at the National Stadium, Surulere (Lagos), there was a man with a huge growth attached to his neck sitting beside a particular woman. The growth was so huge that it overshadowed his face. While the programme was on, the woman sitting beside him kept peeping at the protruding growth. During the sermon, the word of God came that there was someone in attendance with a huge growth around the neck and that it had gone. On hearing this, the woman sitting next to this man immediately turned to look at him and it was as if the growth suddenly grew wings, flew away and disappeared, This woman was so amazed at this wonder that after the programme was over, she had already trekked from the stadium to Palmgrove, a distance of about 5km, before she remembered that she had left her car parked in the parking lot inside the stadium.

When God turns you into a wonder, even sceptics will find it difficult to doubt your testimony because it will be so profound. Also, your life will become a perpetual signpost for God's Name to be glorified.
Are you in dire need of a miracle? Beyond that need, ask God to make you a living wonder for the glory of His Name.

This season, as the Lord turns you into a wonder, the same mouths that have mocked you and challenged your God will become the instruments for spreading your testimony and for reverencing your God! Worship the Almighty God who alone can make you a wonder.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, today, make me a positive wonder to my generation, so that they can come to know You.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 17-18;
Jeremiah 51:45-58


HYMN 5: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

1. The great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus.

Refrain:
Sweetest note in seraph song,
Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.

2. Your many sins are all forgiv’n,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;
Go on your way in peace to heav’n,
And wear a crown with Jesus.
[Refrain]

3. All glory to the dying Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Saviour’s Name,
I love the Name of Jesus.
[Refrain]

4. His Name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other name but Jesus;
Oh, how my soul delights to hear
The charming Name of Jesus.
[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday June 22, 2017

WHO IS BEHIND THIS ROADBLOCK?

Memorise : Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.- Psalm 26:2

Read : Numbers 22:22-31

22:22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

22:23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and wem into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

22:24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

22:25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

22:26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

22:27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

22:29 And Balaam said umo the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: l would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would l kill thee.

22:30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.


MESSAGE :

''Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him."
Psalm 68:1

The above scripture is one of those very popular passages in the psalms. When a baby Christian hears it, he will say ''Amen!''. Some adult Christians have even turned it into a song. A mature believer in Christ, I mean a real bone-cracker, will however react differently. When he or she hears this passage being quoted, the first thing he or she will do is to carry out a brief self-examination and introspectively ask: ''I hope l am not one of those enemies?'' In other words, he is not in a hurry to say amen. ln 2 Samuel 12:1-7, after Prophet Nathan told King David the story of an oppressive act committed in his kingdom, the king rose up in fury and decreed, ''That fellow must die.'' Then the prophet replied, ''You are the man, O king''.

Be very careful how you judge others because Matthew 7:2 says,

''For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.''

If only some people were merciful while judging others, they too would have been shown mercy when they were going through their own judgment.

Beloved, before you cry to God to arise and let His enemies be scattered, first find out if you are not that enemy. Have you even tried to find out whether God is the one fighting you? ln today's Bible reading, God had told Prophet Balaam not to go and curse His people. Nevertheless, when Balak invited him to curse the children of Israel and promised him a lot of money, he disobeyed God. God therefore sent an angel to block his way. The donkey he rode on saw the angel and stopped, but because his own eyes were blinded by covetousness, he could not see the angel.

What will you do if you find yourself in this scenario? You perceive something is blocking your way but you do not know what exactly it is, and you say, 'You demon standing between me and my destiny, move!'' You get a response saying, ''I am not a demon but an angel'' You then insist and say, "No problem, whatever you are, move out of my way!'' He then asks, ''ln whose name?'' You say ''In the Name of Jesus Christ'', and the response is, ''Oh, He is the One who asked me to block your way!'' What would you do?

Today, many people are busy fighting non-existent forces of darkness that they believe are blocking their way. Go back to God and find out who is really blocking your way in order to pray correctly.

KEY POINT :
Many children of God are doing God's work their own way and refusing to do it God's way. God is therefore grinding them to a halt!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 15-16;
Jeremiah 51:27-44


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 will be well;
Precious is the blood that healed us, 
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us, 
All will be well.

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

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

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday June 21, 2017

WHY HUNGER?

Memorise : My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: - Psalm 63:5

Read: Proverbs 19:23-24

19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

19:24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.


MESSAGE :

One of our benefits as the sheep of the Great Shepherd is the assurance of provision. If you are a sheep of Jesus, you will definitely be fed and hunger wilI be alien to you. Psalm 37:3 says,

''Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”

If God has promised that we shall be fed, why then are some of us hungry and even starving today? Several factors are responsible for this, first of which is that some people have erroneously mistaken poverty for righteousness and wealth for sinfulness.

Some people have chosen to be poor so as to make Heaven. This is a fallacy! Do you know that so many poor people on earth, after suffering here, end up in Hell, whereas many believing Christians who were rich on earth continue to swim in eternal riches in Heaven? The choice is yours. Do not choose what will destroy but what will deliver you. Abraham was rich on earth, died and continued to live in God's abundance in Heaven. What is your choice? If you are still holding onto such negative beliefs or stereotypes, then you need to have a change of mindset.

Also, some believers are hungry today because they have violated God's financial principles. For instance, if you are not faithfully paying your tithe, you are inviting devourers to drive you into hunger. If you fail to pay your first fruits, you will be giving the enemy legal grounds to contest your job, open doors or breakthrough, and this could lead to hunger. Similarly, when you eat up the seeds you are meant to sow after every provision that comes to you, you will lose the harvest that could keep you from starving tomorrow.

Some believers are in hunger as a result of reckless spending. They want to spend everything they have in one day. lf you eat up a month's provision in one week, you may have to spend the remaining weeks in hunger. In addition, some believers do not really trust in God but in the quality of their certificate, wisdom, knowledge and skill. This attitude has resulted in God stepping aside from their affairs in order to make them realise how little they can achieve by their limited strength. Hence, such people have ended up in disappointment and lack.

Beyond this, others are in hunger because of laziness, as they have refused to take up opportunities to gather wealth. Lack and poverty may also be as a result of satanic manipulation and control. Are you hungry? Is it caused by your actions or inactions?

Arise and put things in order today and turn away from hunger and lack!

KEY POINT :
The child of a billionaire cannot be starving for what to eat. You are the child of the richest person in the universe. You should not lack any good thing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 12-14;
Jeremiah 51:12-26


HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS 

1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the 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 have His way.
[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday June 20, 2017

EVANGELISM: BE MORE PROACTIVE

Memorise :Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:- Proverbs 24:3

Read: Acts 5:12-16

5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

5:13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.

5:14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women)

5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

5:16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.


MESSAGE :

Soul winning can trigger the miraculous, as seen in the lives of the apostles. If you really want signs and wonders to attend to your life and ministry, you must be prepared to declare Jesus Christ at every opportunity you have, and if you lack such opportunities, you must be prepared to create them. In our Bible reading for today, it is recorded that through the hands of the apostles, several miracles were performed. This was a generic statement affecting all the apostles because they were all preaching the word of God (Acts 5:12). After this generic statement was made, Peter was singled out. Concerning him, it was said that he did not need to lay hands before miracles took place; rather, even his shadow was conducting deliverance and healing services while he was busy moving from place to place.

Why was this so? How did Peter excel in signs and wonders? lt was because he took advantage of every opportunity he had to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He could face any crowd and declare his faith in Jesus Christ to them (See Acts 2 & Acts 3). God saw this attitude and was quite impressed, and He said, ''Since you are unstoppable in declaring My word, signs and wonders will never cease in your life."

Can you take the act of witnessing to such limits as you have never been before? In various life endeavours, several Christians plan, set goals and targets, and come up with strategies to accomplish them, but when it comes to soul-winning they don't do any of these. As a marketer, you devise plans on how to reach out to a larger segment of the market and on how to get a larger market share for your products. That is how it should be for soul-winning too. What is your plan or strategy for winning more souls to Christ this year? For many individuals, couples or families, there is no plan for evangelism. No specific number of converts is being targeted daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. Due to this lack of planning, some people cannot boast of five converts in 12 months. What a shame! Several opportunities that God gave us to win souls have been lost to lack of planning. If you set a monthly target of winning 20 souls, you will take every opportunity that comes your way more seriously and exploit them in order to achieve your target.

Success in evangelism can never be attained without a plan. Repent today and become more proactive in evangelism. Come up with a plan for the year and prayerfully pursue it. It shall be achieved in Jesus' Name.

ACTION POINT :
Draw up a one-year evangelism plan stating the number of souls to be won daily, weekly and monthly, and prayerfully execute it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 10-11;
Jeremiah 50:44-51:11


HYMN 13: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.
[Refrain]

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.
[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Monday June 19, 2017

LUST PULLS ITS VICTIM

Memorise : But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.- James 1:14

Read: James 1:12-16

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

1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.


MESSAGE :

Many people have been taken captive in different ways. Some have become captives of war, while some others have fallen prey to traps set by the enemy. May God deliver us from satanic booby traps! However, you really need to exercise caution if you do not want to fall prey to the devil. Watch those things you take pleasure in because sooner rather than later, they can become the very things the tempter will use in enticing you! Today‘s memory verse tells us that temptations start with us: they emanate from what we secretly or openly long for.

Some people nurse some unvoiced thoughts and ideas and do not really care whether those thoughts agree with the standard of Philippians 4:8. This standard states :

''....whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things''

For nonchalant Christians, the devil soon sets them up to reveal exactly what is in their heart, and thereafter they are confronted with temptations. An example here is Esau, who loved good food. He loved eating so much that the devil decided to use food to secure the loss of his destiny, and he fell for it. If you secretly admire the opposite sex, the devil will find out about it someday, and before long, you will be battling with sexual lust or some other form of immorality.

Men are drawn by their own lustful thoughts. Lust pulls the one lusting into further sin. Do everything possible to avoid lust because before you know it, it will bring you into the pit of sin. If you lust after money, before long, you will find yourself in a situation where you will be tempted to sell out on your salvation or betray someone who is close to you in exchange for money, like Judas lscariot and Joseph's brothers did.

What do you secretly lust after? If you ignore it, you will later regret it by the time the tempter is through with you. This is the time to prayerfully check and cut off any seemingly harmless pull from lust. Where there is a pull, it continues until there is a build-up. When the build-up has become formidable, it will become too difflcult to resist its compelling force to sin. Therefore, do everything possible to love only those things that are good, and feed your mind on the word of God. Also, avoid the tendency for a build up by resisting the subtle lure of lust.

Prayerfully keep your thoughts in check and closely monitor what you allow into your heart.

ACTION POINT :
To prevent sexual sins, covetousness, murders and the likes, stop it at the thought stage. Don't allow it move from thought to lust.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 9;
Jeremiah 50:31-43


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]

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL

LESSON FORTY-TWO

SUNDAY, 18TH JUNE 2017

TOPIC: MEANINGFUL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

MEMORY VERSE: ‘’And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart" - Acts 2:46

BIBLE PASSAGE: Acts 2:44-47

INTRODUCTION:
A tree cannot make a forest, neither a soldier make up an army. There has always been a crucial need for relational interaction among Christians alike. For fellowship to be meaningful and beneficial, it must go beyond the realms of preaching, teaching, fasting, studying, praise/worship and other spiritual activities. It must be full of deep felt concern and care for the emotional and physical wellbeing of one another in the household of God. Effective fellowship is putting oneself in the shoes of others to feel what they are passing through (Romans 12:15).

LESSON OUTLINES
1. Meaning of Christian fellowship
2. Benefits of Christian fellowship

MEANING OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship means spending time together in sharing of personal experiences and learning from them (Psalm 133:1-3). Christians are enjoined to have fellowship with God and also with one another (Hebrews 10:25).
However, Christian interation should transcend the confines of spirituality. It should extend to all areas of human physical, emotional and physiological needs (Acts 2:42-46).
Through genuine fellowship, Christians will understand each other's strengths and weaknesses rather than being judgmental (Romans 14:1, 13).
Believers must support one another when rejoicing or facing challenges (Proverbs 27:17). All these must be done without selfish or ulterior motives but in line with the will of God (Colossians 3:23).

BENEFITS OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Some of the benefits of Christian fellowship are summarised thus:
a. It is an atmosphere to share personal day to day experiences and learn from each other (Proverbs 27:17).
b. It allows for personal growth and accountability (Ephesians 4:15).
c. It helps one to receive and render support for crucial family needs e.g. childcare, job opportunities, business ideas and important information (Galatians 6:10).
d. It brings about effective mentoring to avert worldly influence (1Timothy 6:20).
e. It provides ample support and encouragement in times of
adversity (Galatians 6:2).
f. It creates opportunity for joy, mutual comfort, unity, encouragement and peace (2Corinthians 13:11).
g. It brings about answers to ones prayers and the prayer of
others (1Thessalonians 3:11-13).

CONCLUSION:
Christian fellowship is crucial to both spiritual and physiological growth of the church. The household of God should be a safe haven for support and encouragement in times of need. Hence, all efforts must be geared to making adequate provisions for the spiritual as well as the physical needs for the worshippers within the confines of the church.

QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the meaning of Christian fellowship.
2. Mention at least five benefits of
Christian fellowship.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 18TH JUNE 2017

THEME: lT`S WHAT YOU TOLERATE

Memorise:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 1 Peter 5:9

Read: Matthew 8:14-15

8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
8:15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

MESSAGE
When Jesus came to Peter's house in today's Bible reading, He met his mother-in-Iaw down with a fever. He touched her and she was healed instantly, and she then began to attend to their needs. This clearly tells us that Jesus does not tolerate sickness in our bodies. However, the question is, do you tolerate sickness? Some people are tolerant of things they should not accept. Tolerating sickness is telling that sickness that it is welcome in your body. Some people tolerate certain sicknesses that are traced to certain natural conditions. For instance, when a woman is pregnant, people expect her to go through morning sickness. While this is mild for some people, it can be very tough for some others. Nevertheless, if you know your rights as a spiritual Hebrew woman and stand in faith against any form of ill health, you will receive strength to go through pregnancy in good health and not in sickness. To do so, you must be strong in faith and tell sickness that it is not welcome because you have no room or space for it. 1 Timothy 2:15 says,
''Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety."

In other words, if you are truly a godly woman, you should not be taken down by the dangers of childbirth that affect ungodly women. Stand in faith and live holy, and your conception and delivery will be most pleasant!
In the same vein, some sicknesses are attributed to old age. An elderly man who was still quite active suddenly got up one day and realised he had difficulty walking. He tried some self-medication to no avail, and so he was taken to the hospital. The doctor examined him and told him his sickness was as a result of old age. He was advised to just manage it with certain medicines. There are some people whose eyesight fail them due to old age, even as early as 60 years old. For a child of God, you can stand in faith, resist such sicknesses and enjoy good health all through your life. At 120 years old, when it was time to go to be with the Lord, Moses still retained the strength of his youth (Deuteronomy 34:7). Caleb also retained his strength at 85 years old (Joshua 14:10-11). If you stand in faith, what affects others will not be able to affect you. If you refuse to resist these sicknesses, you will become a victim just like everyone else. The choice is yours.

Key Point:
If Jesus has carried your pains and sorrows according to Isaiah 53:4, why are you still accepting to carry them?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Judges 7-8
Jeremiah 50:17-30

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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 will be well;
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us,
All will be well.

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

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

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday June 17, 2017

SIN: SO DESTRUCTIVE

Memorise : There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. - Proverbs 14:12

Read: John 5:2-14

5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

5:11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

5:12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

5:13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. 


MESSAGE :

As harmless as sin may appear sometimes, we should not be deceived, knowing how destructive it can be. Every act of sin comes with a sentence of death (Romans 6:23). If you do not want to die through separation from God, sin is something you must flee from. 2 Timothy 2:19 says,

''Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

If you are living in sin, God cannot call you His. If you want Him to identify with you, then you must deliberately separate yourself from sin. If you are truly born again, you cannot continue in sin (Romans 6:1-2). Sin is not as trivial as people suggest; it is deadly! May God completely deliver you from the reins of sin!

Moreover, sin is a carrier of death (1 Corinthians 15:56). If you live in sin, death sets in. The death that sin brings can affect every facet of your life. Take for instance the impotent man who had been sick for 38 years, who was kept by the sheep market pool. During his second encounter with Jesus, after he had been healed, the Lord told him something fundamental in John 5:14:

''Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

From this statement, we know that the sin(s) this man committed brought on the paralysing sickness he suffered for 38 years. He contracted this illness as a result of sin and had to relocate from his house, family and friends to live in a colony of the sick. He tried 38 times to receive his healing, without success. Sin, through this sickness, devoured his life.

Assuming he was meant to live for 70 years, what would be left after losing 38 years to sickness? Sin separated him from what God had originally planned for his life and made him completely useless to himself and everyone else. He was stagnant and in bondage for 38 years! As a result of his sin, he was forsaken by his friends and loved ones. Sin is so terrible!

Do you know that many believers are in a mess today, but instead of first looking inwards to discover if they caused it by their sins, they begin to look out for external culprits: an enemy, witch or wizard that may not even exist.

Are you in a terrible state? Examine yourself and find out if your sin is the cause; thereafter turn to God, repent and surrender your life to Jesus.

ACTION POINT :
Examine every long-running issue in your life to determine if sin is the cause and take appropriate action on it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 5-6;
Jeremiah 50:4-16


HYMN 11: l HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
no turning back, no turning back.

2. Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I'II carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'Il carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'Il carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. The world behind me,
The cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me,
The cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday June 16, 2017

EXPERIENCING WONDERS

Memorise : Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? - Exodus 15:11

Read: Daniel 6:21-28

6:21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

6:23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

6:24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

6:25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

6:26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

6:27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

6:28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.


MESSAGE :

Our God is not only a wonder, He also works wonders! After the Lord performed wonders by parting the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel sang a new song to the Lord in Exodus 15:11 saying :

"Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"

Also, after God miraculously delivered Daniel from the lions' den, King Darius passed a decree that in every domain of his kingdom, this awesome God must be feared and revered. In Daniel 6:27, he said,

"He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.''

The God that King Darius spoke of is still the same today. He is full of wonders. No wonder He is called Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). Are you in need of a miracle, sign or wonder? Call upon this great God and He will surely deliver you. He can still do great wonders in your life today.

You need to come to terms with the reality that God can perform wonders in your own life. In other words, you too can be a beneficiary of His wonders. It is a known fact that a person can be rich and yet be stingy. Where I come from, when talking to a rich and arrogant man, it is common for people to say, 'Yes, I know you are rich, but you are not the one feeding me.'' In other words, "your wealth is of no benefit to me, so go and perish with your money." God can be a God of wonders who also does wonders, but if He has not done wonders in your own life, His ability may seem like fairy tales to you.

In Genesis 18:9-14, He met a 90 year-old woman and said: ''I know you are 90, and I know your monthly cycle stopped several years ago, but you are going to have a son.'' The woman replied, ''I don't believe you!'' God said, ''It doesn't matter whether you believe or not; I am the Wonder-Working God, and I will go ahead to do what I just promised'' A year later, she had her baby. God's wonder-working ability became real to her.

Beloved, you are the next candidate to benefit from this Wonderful God! This season, the God of wonders shall show up in your situation and turn things around! You shall experience the reality of His wonderful power. Call on Him today, and He will answer you.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, as You did for Daniel, perform an outstanding miracle in my life that will compel nations of the world to amend their laws in honour of You.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 3-4;
Jeremiah 49:28-50:3


HYMN 3: HOW GREAT THOU ART

1. O Lord my God!
When I’m in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands hath made;
I see the stars,
I heard the rolling thunder
Thy pow'r 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 tress;
When I look down,
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook,
And feel the gentle breeze. 

Chorus

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

Chorus

4. When Christ shall come,
With shout of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration,
And then proclaim
“My God, how great Thou art!”

Him tym don reach so nothing fit change am

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday June 15, 2017

ONE SOUND, TWO MESSAGES

Memorise : And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; - Psalm 105:44

Read: 2 Kings 7:1-11

7:1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of flne flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

7:3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

7:4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

7:5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

7:6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come
upon us.

7:7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and
fled for their life.

7:8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

7:9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

7:10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

7:11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.


MESSAGE :

A sound from Heaven is all you need to turn a very hopeless situation into a glorious one. We have an example of this in today's Bible reading. One lesson here is that whenever things deteriorate to their worst level, know that a turning point is around the corner. Don't cry, just worship God and thank Him in the midst of the difficulty, asking Him to show you what to do to turn things around.

Also, from this story, we see that God can release one sound from Heaven and while His children hear something positive, their enemies would hear something else. Things were so bad in Samaria because there was no more food, to the extent that some women began to eat their own children to survive.

Have things gone so bad for you that to afford a meal you would have to sell some of your property? There is a user of this Devotional, because things have gone so bad, you have virtually sold all your properties in order to survive. The Lord is turning your situation around now. Within the next 90 days, all the things you have sold shall be replaced with better ones. When this comes to pass in your life, endeavour to testify of it before the congregation of God's people.

It was in the midst of hopelessness that a sound came from heaven through Elisha, declaring that within 24 hours, abundance would replace lack. Literarily speaking, it meant that within 24 hours, there would be so much food that it would be almost free. Responding to that prophecy which they didn't even hear, some four lepers decided to take their chances by going to the camp of the besieging army to see if they would pity them and give them some food. As they went, the noise from their feet was taken up to Heaven, amplified and released into the camp of the enemy.

So what happened? While God's people heard that abundance would swallow up their acute lack within 24 hours, the enemies heard the sound of a very mighty army coming to surround them and wipe them out completely. They fled immediately and left behind everything they had, which became available to God's people almost free. This season, all your enemies holding back your blessings shall hear a sound from Heaven and leave you and everything that is yours alone!

I speak abundance into your life now in Jesus' Name! If there is any siege that has surrounded your life for so long, hindering your progress, I command it to be lifted now in Jesus' Name. Receive freedom to expand your coast from today in Jesus' Mighty Name. lt is well with you!

PRAYER POINT :
Father, as You speak peace to me, speak trouble and war to my enemies.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Judges 1-2;
Jeremiah 49:14-27


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 will be well;
Precious is the blood that healed us, 
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us, 
All will be well.

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

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

Candyking:
the thing is I just can't believe that a man would want to kill his wife

. Though not intntional, d devil has now intervened

Candyking:
lol so you don't believe the man?

Lol. u sef go believe dat kain lie

who thuggery epp

so, argument don develope hands wey him dey take push, slap or blow person.

Abeg find another lie

Its like devil has stolen the conscience of many pple.
I pray, same be meted out to him

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday June 14, 2017

ENTERING HIS REST

Memorise : Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.- Hebrew 4:11

Read: Hebrews 4:7-11

4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.


MESSAGE :

Psalm 23:1-6 is a very powerful psalm which speaks of the relationship between the sheep and the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. God's sheep enjoy many benefits, one of which is the entitlement to rest. lf you are a bona fide sheep of Jesus Christ, His rest is made available to you. When the Psalmist says "He makes me to lie down", he simply speaks about entering into God's rest. The rest that the Good Shepherd offers His sheep can be at several levels. Some people are labouring so hard in search of the salvation of their soul. They want to be free from sin, and yet the more they labour to be free, the more entangled they find themselves. If only they can come to Jesus today, they will find the salvation they have been seeking. Jesus Christ is the final destination for everyone who genuinely desires salvation.

Another kind of rest that the Good Shepherd offers is bodily rest. Ordinarily, after a hard days work, by the time you hit the bed, you should fall fast asleep. However, do you know that there are people who find it so difficult to sleep? They stare at the ceiling all night until the following morning. This continues for days, weeks or even months. Psalm 127:2 says if you are beloved of God, you will surely have rest through sleep.

Do you suffer from insomnia? Has it been so difficult for you to get a good night's sleep? That sleeplessness is terminated today! From now on, you shall access God's rest in Jesus' Name!

In addition, the Good Shepherd offers rest to those who labour continuously without rest. Matthew 11:28 says,

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

One way the devil has led some people into their untimely death is by heaping so many problems, burdens, debts and heavy responsibilities on them which they cannot carry, thereby frustrating their efforts to enter into financial freedom. The more they labour, the further they drift from success. lf you are in that situation, do not give up or think of ending your life. Just come to Jesus with all your heart and He will give you rest.

Finally, todays Bible reading talks about the eternal rest that we have access to as sheep of the Great Shepherd. Nobody can enter Heaven except through Jesus Christ. If you are saved and you continue to follow Jesus, obeying Him every step of the way, you will surely enter into His rest. Are you qualified to enter His rest?

KEY POINT :
To enter into rest in any area of life, faith in Jesus Christ, the Giver of rest, is required.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Joshua 23-24;
Jeremiah 48:45-49:13


HYMN 2: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

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

Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge-
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield you;
You wilt find a solace there.

when dem tell u to stop taking oshogbo weed, u no go hear, see wetin u don cause for urself now

Though its very wrong for him to have hit u, but u shldnt be taken a critical decision such as family planning on ur own. it shld have been with his permission after discussion

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday June 13, 2017

SOUL-WINNING AND SIGNS

Memorise : For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! - 1 Corinthians 9:16

Read: Acts 8:5-8

8:5 Then Philip wem down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

8:8 And there was greatjoy in that city.


MESSAGE :

During a time of famine, the Lord instructed Elijah to go to Kerith Brook, stay there and a raven would continuously bring him food there (1 Kings 17:2-6). He said, 'Yes sir' and obeyed. He did not hesitate or question God. He did not even ask God to show him where ravens ever brought food to anyone in the Bible. He obeyed instantly.

Instant obedience is strong evidence of faith. Anyone who would work signs and wonders in these last days must be a man or woman of faith. Do you have enough trust in God to the extent of obeying Him without hesitation?

Moreover, in addition to faith, the fellow who wants to operate in the miraculous must be an incurable witness for Christ. He or she must be a soul-winner. In today's Bible reading, Philip did not wait for Peter to come and conduct a crusade in Samaria. He went there himself because he believed in God's command to go out and preach the gospel. People who are diligent in soul-winning usually have their prayers answered speedily.

People often ask me what l do to get God to answer my prayers speedily aside from living holy. I tell them soul-winning and instant obedience. Even if you are going to kill me, I will still share the gospel of Jesus Christ with you. I do not look at faces to determine who I witness to or not. lf l am attending an occasion and you make the mistake of giving me the microphone, you will hear about Jesus.

Some years ago, I received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Ibadan. lt was a serious gathering with eminent personalities of the political elite, traditional title holders and academicians all gracefully adorned in their beautiful gowns. At some point, they gave me the microphone and told me l had just five minutes to say something. l thanked them for honouring me and quickly added that I could not have received this honour but for Jesus. I further said that there is an honour waiting for some people in Heaven and that if they do not give their lives to Jesus, although they can be honoured here on earth, they will lose the honour of Heaven. I then gave an altar call. Beloved, witnessing for Jesus is our assignment wherever we go. Talk about Jesus everywhere you go and He will repay you with signs and wonders.

When last did you win a soul to Christ? How many souls have you won to the Lord since the beginning of this year? You were saved and chosen for this reason. Are you fulfilling God's purpose of winning the souls of the lost?

KEY POINT :
As God works with evangelists, He will always confirm their words with signs and wonders in order to convince unbelievers. That's a key to the miraculous.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Joshua 22;
Jeremiah 48:28-44


HYMN 13: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.
[Refrain]

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.
[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Monday June 12, 2017

DON'T BE A PREY!

Memorise : Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.- Proverbs 7:23

Read: Proverbs 7:7-23

7:7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

7:9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

7:11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

7:12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

7:13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

7:14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

7:15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and l have found thee.

7:16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

7:19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

7:20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

7:21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

7:22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

7:23 Tlll a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.


MESSAGE :

A negative experience many people have had to contend with is captivity. Captivity can mean bondage, slavery, imprisonment, detention or a lack of freedom. Captivity also comes in various forms. It can occur as a consequence of being captured in a battle, like it happened to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 1:1-7).

In this particular case, King Nebuchadnezzar invaded the nation of Israel and carried away some of the people into captivity. From that moment, these captives became slaves in a foreign land. Similarly, some people enter into captivity by falling into a trap set by the enemy. For instance, in Judges 16:14-15, the lords of the Philistines used a beautiful woman as bait for Samson. Today, there are several 'hunters' of destiny and life all around, setting all kinds of traps to get their prey. May you never be one of their victims!

One common trap people fall into today is the trap of adultery and fornication. The devil has several agents and means to use as bait, and believe it or not, he catches a lot of prey. He may use beautiful ladies like he did to Samson. Today's Bible reading describes how a prostitute sets a trap and catches her victim. She could use her seductive attire which reveals her curves and exposes sensitive parts of her body. She could also use her sweet flattering words, seductive make-up, perfumes or gait just to get her prey. When he finally yields, she leads him like an ox to the slaughter slab. Proverbs 7:23 says

''Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.”

Anyone being lured or enticed into lust should realise that it can never really be for his or her own good.

Today, several female students have become easy prey for sugar daddies and evil Hot lecturers because they erroneously think that they are getting something of value in return. How much can a man pay you to allow him to destroy your destiny or kill you? What score will a lecturer award you in exchange for your life? The victims of lust, immorality and adultery are really trading their precious lives for pittance.

Are you in the captivity of adultery, thinking it benefits you because you are getting rapid promotion in your place of work? Don't be deceived! You are truly paying with your life! Repent, come to Jesus and cut off all hunters from your life! Break that relationship if your partner is pressurising you for sex as a basis for friendship. It is not worth it!

Ask God to deliver you from every trap of the devil.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, deliver all our children, teens and youths from sexual immorality.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Joshua 20-21;
Jeremiah 48:9-27


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]

FHQ ABUJA- JUNE 11TH, 2017:
PRESS BRIEFING
PARADE OF SUSPECTS
PARADE OF MOST WANTED, VICIOUS AND HIGHLY NOTORIOUS KIDNAP FOR RANSOM GANG LEADER CHUKWUDI DUMEME ONUAMADIKE a.k.a EVANS AND SIX (6) OF HIS COMMANDERS BY CSP JIMOH MOSHOOD, FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,
FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA AT LAGOS STATE POLICE COMMAND 0N 11TH JUNE, 2017.
· ARREST OF MOST WANTED, VICIOUS AND HIGHLY NOTORIOUS KIDNAP FOR RANSOM GANG LEADER AND SIX OF HIS COMMANDERS
SUSPECTS
1. CHUKWUDI DUMEME ONUAMADIKE a.k.a EVANS
2. NWOSU CHIKODI CHUKWUMA AKA SUDO 42YRS, 3RD IN COMMAND
3. SUOYO PAUL AKA NWANA 42YRS
4. FELIX CHINEMEREM 36YRS
5. IKENNA EMEKA 28YRS
6. UCHECHUKWU AMADI
7. OGECHI AMADI
ARMS AND AMMUNITIONS RECOVERED
(i) FIVE (5) AK 47 RIFLES
(ii) ONE (1) AK-49 RIFLE
(iii) TWO (2) DOUBLE BARREL LONG
(iv) TWO ‘2’ ENGLISH PISTOLS
(v) FIFTY-NINE (59) AK-47 MAGAZINE WITH AMMUNITION
(vi) ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TWO (1,272) LIVE AMMUNITION OF AK-47 (9mm)
(vii) FIVE (5) DIFFERENT PLATE NUMBERS
(viii) Other weapons are being recovered as I speak with you from different criminal hideouts of the different states.
VICTIMS
1. MBARIKATTA WILLIAM UBOMA
2. PAUL COLE, Director with Ocean Glory Commodities, Apapa,
3. MOHAMMED JAMAL, a Lebanese
4. KINGSLEY NWOKENTA
5. ANTHONY OZOANIDOBI
6. LEO ABRAHAM
7. OJUKWU COSMAS
8. JAMES UDUJI
9. CHIEF RAYMOND OKOYE
10. UCHE OKOROAFOR
11. ELIAS UKACHUKWU
12. FRANCIS UMEH
13. DANATUS DUNU
The Joint Special Forces led by the Intelligence Response Team, the Lagos State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit and Technical and Intelligent Unit of the Force under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State on the 10th of June, 2017 swooped and raided the criminal fortress of CHUKWUDI DUMEME ONUAMADIKE a.k.a EVANS, a native of Nnewi in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State who is the vicious leader of a highly organized kidnap for ransom syndicate and criminal gang terrorizing and responsible for several kidnap of notable/prominent Nigerians in Lagos State, including the Western, Eastern, South-South and some Northern States. He has his gangs active and spread across these mentioned states.
2. After anintense gun battle between that lasted several hours, CHUKWUDI DUMEME ONUAMADIKE and his gang were overpowered by the Superior Fire Power of the Joint Special Forces and he was arrested at MAGODO ESTATE, IKEJA AREA OF LAGOS STATE.
3. CHUKWUDI DUMEME ONUAMADIKE a.k.a EVANS was first declared wanted in August, 2013 when he masterminded the attempted kidnap of CHIEF VINCENT OBIANUDO, the owner of Young Shall Grow Motors in Festac, Lagos, where a Policeman attached to the victim foiled the attack and killed three ‘3’ of Evans gang members but also lost his life in the process. Some of Evans gang members were subsequently arrested, but he regrouped after with several gangs and became more vicious and unleashes terror in the mentioned States of the Federation.
4. EVANS and his gangs keep their victim kidnapped in Lagos Area at House No. 21 Prophet Asaye Close New Igando, Lagos State until the ransom is paid to him. Ransom money are paid to him in Millions of Dollars, some victims are kept for upward of six to seven months until the last penny is paid. He never reduces his tagged ransom money. None of his gang members know his house.
5. MODUS OPERADI OF EVANS
In every kidnap attack he has a separate armed group that kidnapped victim with him and has another armed group who takes over the victim to their hideouts and prevent them from escaping. The members of the two ‘2’ groups don’t know each other. They complied with Evans instructions.
EVANS, and the dreaded vampire who died during a gun duel with the Police Special Forces led by IRT and Imo State Police Command in a forest in River State early this year are axis of evil in kidnappings in Southern Nigeria States and some Northern State. Thisis a huge success for the Nigeria Police Force. The Force will build on this success and continue to prevent kidnap cases and criminality generally in the country, and ensure prompt detection of those crimes that cannot be prevented, and also ensure that perpetrators are arrested, investigated and prosecuted.
6. PROPERTIES OWNS BY CHUKWUDI DUMEME ONUAMADIKE a.k.a EVANS: He has two (2) Mansions in Magodo GRA Phase 2 worth about three million naira (N300,000,000). He also has two (2) House in the Highbrow area of Accra City in Ghana among many other properties such as exotic cars, expensive watches, Jewelries e.t.c, he bought from the ransom.
7. EVANS KIDNAPPING EXPLOITS IN LAGOS INCLUDES;
a. Mbarikatta William Uboma, 35, kidnapped June 16th, 2012 at about 11.am on his arrival from Hungary while he was close to his house. He was in his Toyota Car 2010 model in company of his brother to drop him at his house when a Passat car emerged from nowhere and blocked his car. They blindfolded him and forcefully abducted him to an unknown destination. They later demanded a ransom of N10M. However, N2M was later paid while they collected other personal accessories. He was finally dropped at Okota on the third day.
b. Paul Cole, 34, from Ohafia in Abia State. A Director with Ocean Glory Commodities, Apapa, kidnapped August 3rd, 2012 at Festac Town together with his General Manager, Jude Ugoje and another staff, PiriyeGogo, and taken to an unknown destination. They demanded for N10M. On August 6th 2012, they collected N5M ransom at Maza-maza area of Lagos State.
c. Mohammed Jamal, 22, a Lebanese, kidnapped on August 19, 2012 at Ajah by three armed men, taken away blindfolded. N7M ransom was later paid at Ojo Barracks.
d. Kingsley Nwokenta, 34, kidnapped September 19, 2012 after he left Lebanana Bar in Festac at Mile two under bridge. Later, paid N1.5M ransom while they made away with his black Toyota Venza and other accessories.
e. Anthony Ozoanidobi, 41, kidnapped in October 10th 2012 along Marwa road Satellite Town. Ransom of N1.5M paid after which he was released at Apple Junction, Amuwo-Odofin.
f. Leo Abraham 58, kidnapped August 20, 2012. Paid ransom of N5M and was later released along Badagry road, Lagos.
g. OjukwuCosmas, 45, sells Toyota parts at Aspanda Trade Fair, Kidnapped January 21, 2016 at Festac Town. It was not clear when and how he was released.
h. James Uduji; kidnapped close to his house at 7th Avenue Festac late last year. Held for 6 six weeks. Paid $1M.
i. Chief Raymond Okoye – Odu- Na –Ichida, kidnapped 2015. Paid $1M as ransom, held captive for 2months
j. UcheOkoroafor, trader at Alaba, kidnapped 2015, held captive for three (3) months, paid $1M.
k. Elias Ukachukwu kidnapped November 2015. Paid $1M. Date of release unknown but it was gathered that his abductors were insisting on another $1M claiming family members were rude to them during negotiation.
l. Francis Umeh also a spare parts dealer at Aspanda, kidnapped July 2016 at RajiRasaki Estate, released after two months in captivity.
m. The last Victim is MrDanatusDunu he kidnapped in Ilupeju February 2017 and fortunately the man escaped from the Igando House where Evans kept him with his boys last month.
7. EVANS GANGMEMBERS:
i. Felix Chinemerem 36yrs Native of ArichukwuOhafia LGA of Abia State second in command of Evans.
ii. NwosuChikodiChukwuma aka Sudo 42yrs, 3rd in Command to Evans. He has over 20yrs experience in Armed robbery and about 8yr experience in Kidnapping.
iii. UchechukwuAmadi Native of Anambra State longtime Evans Boy and head of the detention Camp in Igando.
iv. OgechiAmadi is the woman who rented the house and cooks for the Kidnappers and their victims in the camp.
v. Suoyo Paul aka Nwana 42yrs Native of Bayelsa States Gangmember and Supplier of Rifles and Ammunitions to Evans.
vi. IkennaEmeka 28yrs Native of Anambra State.
8. During interrogation and preliminary investigation, Evans and his Gangs confessed to all the kidnappings linked to them and make confessional statements to the various roles they played in the commission of the crimes. They will be charged to court on completion of investigation.
CSP JIMOH MOSHOOD
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS,
ABUJA.
https://mobile.facebook.com/ngpolice/posts/1578071092234944?_rdc=1&_rdr

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL

LESSON FORTY-ONE

SUNDAY, 11TH JUNE 2017

TOPIC: AVOIDING
GENERATIONAL DEPARTURE

MEMORY VERSE: ‘’Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set" - Proverbs 22:28

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1Samuel 2:12-17

INTRODUCTION:
God has laid down principles for children upbringing which must not be departed from (2Timothy 2:19). The anger of God kindles upon children who disobey God (Ephesians 5:6; Eccles 10:. The role of parents is therefore crucial to the fulfillment of God's plan and purpose for His children (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). While there are records of children raised in godly ways who remained on that narrow path, the Bible also has records of those who departed from the path of truth.

LESSON OUTLINES

1. Children that departed from godly upbringing
2. How to avoid generational departure

CHILDREN THAT DEPARTED FROM GODLY UPBRINGING

Biblical examples of children that departed from godly ways include:
1. Samson (Judges 13:3-5; 14:1-3, 8-9; 16:16-17).
2. Hophni and Phinehas; sons of Eli (1Samuel 2:12-17, 22; 4:11).
3. Solomon (1Kings 11:4-7; Eccles 1:1; 2:10-11).
4. Nadab and Abitur; sons of Aaron (Leviticus 10:1; Numbers 26:61).
5. Demas (2Timothy 4:10).

HOW TO AVOID GENERATIONAL DEPARTURE

In other to keep our children on the path of righteousness, parents have the following obligations to fulfil:
1. Love God fervently (Deuteronomy 6:4-6). Have a deep personal relationship with God. You cannot pass on to your children what you do not possess (John 14:21; 15:10; 1John 5:3).
2. Teach your children diligently about God (Deuteronomy 6:7-9). If God's Word is on your heart continually, then you will be talking about it constantly with your children (Proverbs 4:3-4, Ephesians 6:4).
3. You need to answer your children's questions about God and the Christian life (Deuteronomy 6:20-25; 1Peter 3:15).
4. Focus on obeying and pleasing God only (Deuteronomy 6:17-18) and also train your children, in agreement with your spouse, to please God in all their endeavours.
5. Live out/model godly lifestyle before children (James 5:12; Matthew 5:16-17; Titus 2:7; 1Peter 5:3).
6. Discipline your children in love (Hebrews 12:6; Proverbs 3:11-12).
7. Inculcate emotional stability but do not indulge your children (Proverbs 19:18; Colossians 3:21).

CONCLUSION:
We should pray and seek God's direction in training our children that they would love God wholeheartedly. If you want to raise godly children, you must love God fervently, teach your children about Him diligently and live out a godly life for them to see.

QUESTIONS
1. Mention four biblical examples of children who departed from godly ways.
2. State five obligations of parents to keep their children on godly path.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY 11TH JUNE 2017
THEME: ACCEPTED TIME
Memorise:
(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.)
2 Corinthians 6:2
Read: 2 Corinthians 6:1-2
1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
1:2 (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.)
MESSAGE
God is never late for any appointment. He is always on time. Looking at the experiences of different people in the Bible, this has been shown to be true over and over again. For the man who had been sick for 38 years, when his appointed time finally came and the once-in-a-year miracle platform God had put in place could not meet his need, Jesus personally picked him out from the crowd and healed him by His own will (John 5:1-6). Also, when the appointed time came for the woman who had been bent over for 18 years, the Lord healed her without her asking for it (Luke 13:10-13). Habakkuk 2:3 says,
"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
One thing you should learn from this is that God has a timetable, and His timetable may be completely different from yours. He has a set time for every event in the lives of His children. It is like setting an alarm clock to a particular time; when the alarm rings, God will address the issues at stake.
Another lesson worth learning is that until God's appointed time for a particular matter to be addressed dawns, God may appear silent on the issue, even when He has all the facts and figures of the situation at His disposal. lf He knows what an individual is going through, and He chooses to watch carefully and quietly, He may just be doing so in order to see how the fellow will respond to the situation. Would he stand in faith and resist the devil, or give up his faith and cling to doubt, fear and unbelief? Would he draw nearer to God or go further away from Him? Would he down tools and stop serving God, or would he continue serving God in the midst of no divine response to his problems? When God keeps quiet at such times, He may want to test your faith to see how elastic it is. lt may be very frustrating when God is silent on an issue, but never get to the point of thinking or believing that He does not know what you are going through. He knows it better than you do. He sees what you see and what you don't see within the circumstance. Just trust in Him and hold on to Him in faith. Love Him more, worship Him more, serve Him more and keep trusting Him more. In the end, you will be victorious.
Prayer Point:
Father, give me grace to endure till my appointed time, and when it dawns, let me see the manifestation of my good expectations.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 18-19
Jeremiah 47:1-48:8
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
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 will be well;
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us,
All will be well.
2. Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Ours is such a full salvation,
All will be well.
Happy when in God confiding,
Fruitful if in Christ abiding,
Holy through the Spirit's guiding,
All will be well.
3. We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All will be well;
On our Father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying
In our living, in our dying,
All will be well.

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday June 10, 2017

SIN BRINGS DEATH

Memorise : And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. -Matthew 1:21

Read: Matthew 1:18-21

1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.


MESSAGE :

Todays memory verse clearly states that the reason why Jesus Christ came to this world was to save His people from sin. Many people fail to realise the horrors of sin, hence they toy with it. If only they knew how terrible sin is, they would maintain a great distance from it.

Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. This "death" is not limited to physical death but also extends to every area of life. Do you know that sin can lead to physical death?
Going by the laws of many countries today, if a man is convicted of killing a fellow human being, he might have to pay with his own life. In this case, the sin of murder has led to physical death.

Beyond physical death, sin can also bring about material death, marital death, spiritual death, and more. Do you know that for failing to comply with the divine commandment on tithes and offering, some people who once enjoyed a boom in their businesses have had to face dryness of the worst kind - almost to the point of begging for food? This is how sin can bring about material and financial death. It can also attract emotional death.

A man or woman cheating on his or her spouse wi|| bring about emotional death in that relationship. ln any way you have attracted death to yourself, may the mercy of God intercept judgment and turn its sword away from you in Jesus' Name!

As far as God is concerned, there is only one penalty for sin, and that is death (Ezekiel 18:20). lt is important to note here that this death is separation from God. If you were brought before the judgment throne of God, accused of just one act of sin, you would not be made to face a sentence of three months, one year or even five years imprisonment; God'sjudgement for every size of sin is the same - death.

Today, we categorise sin according to our understanding. We call some sins "high crimes" while some others are seen as harmless. However, whether a sin is so light or so "innocent" that everyone approves of it does not matter to God. All sins fall short of His standard and are all punishable by death. We are created to live our lives fully connected to God, but when sin comes in, it separates us from our only Source and Sustainer. If the Blood of Jesus is not applied to wash away a person's sins, the drift away from God continues until physical death occurs and the fellow is forever banished to Hell.

In what way is your sinful lifestyle bringing death upon you today? Rise up and run to the cross of Jesus Christ, asking for forgiveness of sins and cleansing by His Blood. Invite Him to come into your heart, and thereafter keep a great distance from sin.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, in Your mercy, reverse every form of death I have brought upon myself.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Joshua 15-17;
Jeremiah 46:13-28


HYMN 11: l HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
no turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

My cross I'II carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'Il carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'Il carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me,
The cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me,
The cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

He is a man of the pple. fit for the job. humility and brain combined in one. God bless you Sir.

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday June 9, 2017

GOD: A WONDER

Memorise : For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.- Isaiah 57:15

Read: Isaiah 57:15-16

57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

57:16 For l will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.


MESSAGE :

"Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Exodus 15:11

One amazing thing you need to know about our God is that He is a wonder! For example, In 1 John 4:8, the Bible says that God is love, and yet in Hebrews 12:29, the same Bible says this God is a consuming fire! When you hear that God is love, you will think of embracing Him, but just then, you also hear that He is a consuming fire and you freeze, asking yourself if you want to embrace fire!

Another wonder of God has to do with His size or form. The Scriptures say God is so big that the heaven and the heavens of heaven cannot contain Him (1 Kings 8:27). It also says that Heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool, meaning that as He sits in Heaven His legs touch the earth (Isaiah 66:1). Just imagine how great and long those legs are! What of His arms? The Bible says His arms are everlasting and so long that they can reach any distance (Deuteronomy 33:27).

When you try to picture how super-massive this God is, then you will begin to wonder how such a God can become small enough to reside inside of you. 1 John 4:4 says,

"Ye are of God little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

God is truly awesome and a wonder we cannot comprehend. As massive as God is, He can still relate with us at our tiny, very little level. As high as He is, He can still reach down to those who are lowly placed or have a heart of humility. In fact, from the height of heights, God is able to see those who are of a humble spirit, and He relates with them while ignoring the proud. Are you like God? Is the position you occupy not distancing you from those who are not as fortunate or as privileged as you are?

If you are truly of God, your privileged status will not hinder you from reaching out to those who are impoverished. Recently, the wife of one of the richest men on earth visited an African country and identified with the poorest people there by trekking a good distance to fetch water like the poor women there. She carried a bucket of water on her head and trekked all the way back. She also joined in washing the dishes in a very poor neighbourhood.

That is a minute example of what Jesus did by leaving His heavenly throne and becoming a man (Philippians 2:5-9) Can you leave your throne to reach out to the lowly?

KEY POINT :
lf you have truly encountered Jesus Christ, there is nobody that you cannot relate with.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Joshua 12-14;
Jeremiah 45:1-46:12


HYMN 3: HOW GREAT THOU ART

1. O lord my God!
When I’m in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands hath made;
I see the stars,
I heard the rolling thunder
Thy pow'r throughout
The universe displayed

Chorus
Then sing 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 tress;
When I look down,
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook,
And feel the gentle breeze. 

Chorus

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

Chorus

4. When Christ shall come,
With shout of acclamation,
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration,
And then proclaim
“My God, how great Thou art!”

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday June 8, 2017

WHY GOD SOMETIMES DELAYS

Memorise : And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; - Genesis 2:21

Read: Genesis 2:21-22

2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.


MESSAGE :

From experience, we know of a truth that God answers prayers. lt is also common knowledge among those who walk with God that on several occasions, despite consistent prayers, God may take His time before intervening in a given situation. In fact, in some cases, He may allow the situation to deteriorate to its extreme limits before He steps in.

This was the experience of Mary and Martha, sisters to Lazarus (John 11:1-6). Why would God wait until you are completely helpless before He turns things around? It could be because He does not want you to tamper with what He is about to do. When a doctor wants to perform an operation, he puts his patient to sleep. When God was about to form Eve out of Adam, He put him into a deep sleep. Genesis 2:21 says,

"And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof."

Do you know that God still likes to do some great things without any contribution or interference from us? Sometimes, He may allow us to get to a point of helplessness before He moves in to begin His work. He wants you to be absolutely surrendered to Him so that when He begins to do what He wants to do, you will not consider your own ideas. If you are ever so self-willed, you may need to visit the bus stop of helplessness repeatedly, but if you are completely yielded to Him, this may not occur too often in your life. How submissive are you to God?

Similarly, God may take His time before coming to your aid because it is in those extreme moments that prayers are said from the depth of the soul (1 Samuel 1:15). When you are totally helpless, you will pray from your heart and not from your head.

In Matthew 15:21-28, when the woman whose daughter was grievously tormented of the devil came to Jesus asking for help, the Lord ignored her, and the disciples asked that she be sent away because she was too noisy. The woman simply said, "You haven't heard any noise yet. Whether you like it or not, I am not leaving here without my miracle." Then the Lord said to her, "I cannot give the children's bread to dogs." She said, "Fine, l agree l am a dog, but this dog is going to get her miracle today." Since she had no alternative, she knew she had reached her last bus stop, and she refused to give up.

People who are totally helpless pray a different kind of prayer compared to those who have alternatives. Whatever your needs may be today, as you ask God, He will answer you in Jesus' Name.

Have you reached your final bus stop? ls Jesus Christ your last hope, or do you have other alternatives?

ACTION POINT :
Some delays are in your best interest. Ask God to make every delay to work in your favour.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Joshua 10-11;
Jeremiah 44:20-30


HYMN 1: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

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

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

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

4.When life’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday June 7, 2017

PLEASE GOD AND NOT SELF

Memorise : Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.- John 4:34

Read: 2 Timothy 3:1-5

3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

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

3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are
good,

3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.


MESSAGE :

From Matthew 6:10, we understand that man was created to do God's will on earth so that he can ultimately continue doing so when he gets to Heaven. Although God has a plan for everyone He created, He will not force us to do anything against our will, because He created us as free moral agents with the power of choice. After Adam sinned, he lost God's glory and began to pursue a life of self-will (Romans 3:23).

This self-will has ultimately led to self-centeredness in mankind. When you study the vices that the Holy Spirit forewarned us will be rife in the last days, you will discover that one common theme summarises them all: selfishness.

In the world of instant gratification and individualism that we live in today, it is either you are God-centred or self-centred. It is either you consider how an event will benefit God's Kingdom or how you will personally benefit from it. If you are a lover of self, it will be difficult for you to really please God. Why? Your service will be plastic and superficial, having no depth in the things of the Kingdom. A self-centred individual cannot make sacrifices for God.
All he or she is interested in is personal convenience, whether in service, worship or giving. lf such a fellow gives a big donation to any kingdom project, you will discover that the motive behind the giving is to have it announced for the sake of his or her ego.

A self-centred fellow lives in rebellion against God. He loves pleasure a lot because it delights him. Samson lived such a selfish life, even as a leader of God's people. He could not be controlled by his parents because selfish people are in charge of their own lives, not God or anyone else. His parents warned him against marrying an unbeliever, but he refused. He went ahead because she satisfied the lust of his eyes and that of his flesh (Judges 14:1-3). Your choices in life must be God-centred.

Jesus is our perfect example. While on earth, He was mainly preoccupied with doing His Father's will (John 4:34). Anytime His personal desire clashed with that of His Father, just like it happened at the Garden of Gethsemane, He subordinated His will to God's will (Luke 22:41-42).

What kind of life are you living? Are you going about pleasing yourself or making God happy in all that you do?

PRAYER POINT :
Father, in all that I do, help me always remember to please You and not myself.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Joshua 8:9;
Jeremiah 44:11-19


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]

This is very wrong, and shld be condemned in totality