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RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL
LESSON THIRTY-FOUR
SUNDAY, 23RD APRIL 2017
TOPIC: BIBLICAL COVENANTS
MEMORY VERSE: ‘’Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah." - Jeremiah 31:31
BIBLE PASSAGE: Jeremiah 31:31-34
INTRODUCTION:
Covenants are important features of the Bible's teaching. Seven specific covenants are revealed on the Scripture. These seven covenants fall into three categories - conditional, unconditional and general. Conditional covenants are based on certain obligations and prerequisites; if the requirements are not fulfilled, the covenant is broken. Unconditional covenants are made with no strings attached and will be kept regardless of one party's fidelity or infidelity. General covenants are not specific to one people group and can involve a wide range of people.
LESSON OUTLINES
1. The biblical covenants of old
2. The new covenant
THE BIBLICAL COVENANTS OF OLD
The general covenants of old are:
1. Adam's Covenant. This covenant is in two parts. The Edenic covenant found in Genesis 1:26-30; 2:16-17, which outlined man's responsibility toward creation and God's directive regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The second part of the Adamic covenant includes the curses pronounced against mankind for the sin of Adam and Eve as well as God's future provision for man's redemption (Genesis 3:15).
2. Noahic Covenant. This was made between God and Noah following the departure of Noah, his family and the animals from the ark (Genesis 9:11). This covenant included a sign of God's faithfulness to keep it - the rainbow.
The unconditional covenants are:
1. Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God promised many things to Abraham. He personally promised that He would make Abraham's name great (Genesis 12:1-3), that Abraham would have numerous physical descendants (Genesis 13:16), and that he would be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4-5). God also made promises regarding a nation called Israel. Another provision in the Abrahamic Covenant is that the families of the world will be blessed through the physical line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). This is a reference to the Messiah, who would come from the line of Abraham.
2. Palestinian Covenant. God promised to scatter Israel if they disobeyed Him, then to restore them at a later time to their land (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). This covenant has been fulfilled twice, with the Babylonian Captivity and subsequent rebuilding of Jerusalem under Cyrus the Great; and with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, followed by the reinstatement of the nation of Israel in 1948.
3. Davidic Covenant. God promised to bless David's family line and assured an everlasting kingdom (2Samuel 7:8-16). Jesus is from the family line of David (Luke 1:32-33) and, as the Son of David (Mark 10:47), is the fulfillment of this covenant.
The Mosaic Covenant was a conditional covenant. It is found in Deut. 11, 28. It promised the Israelites a blessing for obedience and a curse for disobedience. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and the rest of the law are parts of the Mosaic covenant. Much of the Old Testament chronicles the fulfillment of this cycle of judgment for sin and later blessing when God's people repented and returned to God.
THE NEW COVENANT
This covenant, found in (Jeremiah 31:31-34), promised that God would forgive sin and have a close, unbroken relationship with His people. Under this new covenant, Jesus died in place of sinners, (Hebrews 9:23-28; John 1:29; Matthew 26:26-30). His blood would truly remove the sins of all who place their faith in Him (1John 1:9). It is a better covenant (Hebrews 8:6-13). It is a covenant of hope (Hebrews 7:18-19) and it is an everlasting one (Hebrews 13:20). It is a covenant of eternal inheritance, (Hebrews 2:8-9) that is, Christ's offer to forgive our sins and bring us to God through His sacrificial death. It is new in application because it is written in our hearts and minds. It offers a new way to forgiveness through faith.
CONCLUSION:
Have you entered into this new covenant and started walking in the better way?
QUESTIONS
1. Mention the seven specific covenants in the Bible.
2. Explain the importance of the new covenant.

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Sunday April 23, 2017

A FRUIT-BEARING TREE?

Memorise : Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.- John 15:2

Read: Luke 13:6-9

13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

13:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.


MESSAGE :

Fruit-bearing is a necessity for every child of God. When the Scripture in Deuteronomy 7:14 says none shall be barren, this promise fundamentally extends to soul-winning and all other activities that populate the Kingdom of God. Our Heavenly Father is delighted when we in partnership with the Holy Spirit turn the hearts of men away from their wicked ways to the way of righteousness. For this reason, He reserved a special promise for such people in Daniel 12:3 :

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

The obligation to bear fruit becomes more critical when we consider what our Lord Jesus Christ said in today's memory verse. He said He would take away every branch in Him that does not bear fruit. Nothing can be more serious than that. I pray that you will never be alienated from the Lord Jesus Christ in Jesus' Name.

Moreover, today's Bible reading amplifies the fruit-bearing responsibilities of the children of God. The parable it references was equally given by our Lord Jesus Christ. The "certain man" in the parable is no other person than God, the Father. The vinedresser is no other person than Jesus Christ, the compassionate Advocate who makes intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). He is the one pleading on behalf of fruitless trees in God’s vineyard, which is the world. The danger of an endless wait for a tree in God’s vineyard to bear fruit is made clear in Luke 13:8-9, which says :

"And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."

Are you bearing fruits? Another pertinent question is, what type of fruits are you bearing? For a sinner, he or she must bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:. For believers, we must win souls into the Kingdom, thus fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). More importantly for believers, we must also bear the fruit of the Spirit:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness , goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

ACTION POINT :
Draw a soul-winning plan for yourself and your family and sincerely follow it up in your neighbourhood. Also, pray that your converts will manifest the fruits of repentance and the fruit of the Spirit.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Numbers 14-15;
Jeremiah 18:19-19:9


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 HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 22ND APRIL 2017

THEME: PROSPERITY WITHOUT SORROW

Memorise:

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

Read: Deuteronomy 8:10-18

8:10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
8:11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
8:12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
8:13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
8:14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
8:15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
8:16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
8:17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

MESSAGE

Many children of God dread prosperity because of the challenges associated with it, particularly when it relates to material prosperity. The reason for this attitude can be put down to either ignorance of the word of God concerning prosperity, or ignorance of the need for the children of God to prosper, if they would not live at the mercy of the ungodly. The Bible in Proverbs 22:7 says,
“The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
In our Bible reading today, we discover some truths about Gods purpose concerning the prosperity of His people. Deuteronomy 8:18 says,
"But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day."

God gives power and opportunities to His children to get wealth for one singular reason: to prove Himself faithful to His word. In other words, the issue of God’s children becoming wealthy is not about them but about God and His infallible word. This is why those who pick and choose what they feel is suitable for them in the word of God are losers; God cannot be mocked. Such people want the blessings of Abraham, but do not want to keep the covenant that Abraham kept with God. Jesus in John 8:30d said;
"If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham"

Beloved, I have good news for you: God is interested in the prosperity of His people (3 John 2). Not only is God interested in your prosperity, He also gives you the power to make wealth and to prosper. Furthermore, the prosperity from God is without negative repercussions and sorrow. The Lord who prospers is the same Lord who protects. He will not give you a car that will become a death trap. He will not give you a child that will break your heart. If you believe this, you will see the glory of God.

Finally, in order to receive the prosperity that is devoid of sorrow, you must ensure that the prosperity you are seeking is from the Almighty God. This suggests to us that there is a counterfeit prosperity which puts its beneficiaries in tight jackets of regret and sorrow. The devil is the giver of counterfeits, but Jesus is the true source of eternal blessings. You can never regret being prospered by His benevolence because He paid the price for your prosperity in full. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says,
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Key Point:
Stop cutting corners. At God’s own time and in God's own way, He will prosper you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 12-13
Jeremiah 18:1-18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING

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

Chorus:
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.
[Chorus]

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

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!
[Chorus]

thesicilian:
I don' believe the girl's parents. I think they actually accepted money from the mentally deranged man after discovering the pregnancy. If not, why is it the school that reported the case to the police, and not the parents?

I believe u. when they knew she was raped, why didn't they wait, until she became pregnant and the sch. reported, they are now crying fowl

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday April 21, 2017

CURE FOR BACKSLIDING

Memorise : Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; - Acts 3:19

Read: Jeremiah 3:11-15

3:11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

3:12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and | will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and lwill not keep anger forever.

3:13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

3:14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and | will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and l will bring you to Zion:

3:15 And lwill give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.


MESSAGE :

Backsliding is such a terrible condition that any child of God who backslides must quickly seek for restoration. The danger with backsliding is that a backslider may perish with his or her enemies like Samson did, or lose all he or she had gained in God like Judas lscariot (Judges 16:30, Acts 1:16-20). The good news is that God has provided a remedy for backsliding.

ln today's Bible reading, we see the loving God calling and inviting backsliding Israel back to Himself. This is a pointer to the fact that God wants to restore all backsliders.

"Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every tree and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for l am married unto you: and l will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:" Jeremiah 3:13-14

The above verses of Scripture contain the cure for backsliding. Restoration for the backslider starts with an acknowledgment of sins and a contrite return to God. In other words, the cure to backsliding lies in genuine repentance. Repentance is a complete turnaround from one's sins with a determination never to return to those sins any more. This was what Samson failed to do throughout his twenty years of being judge over lsrael. To make matters worse, he always ascribed his victory and achievement to his strength. Hear what he said after one of his victories in Judges 15:16 :

"...With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.”

There is no record of him giving glory to God even once. When he should have prayed for mercy, he prayed a wrong prayer, asking God to strengthen him one more time, so that he could avenge his eyes! Due to the mercy of God, and because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, God still granted him his request, and he died with his enemies (Romans 1 1 :29, Judges 16:28-30).

ln Acts 3:19, we see some of the great benefits of repentance. These include forgiveness, the blotting out of sins and the experience of a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

Beloved, are you in a backslidden state? I encourage you to return to God through the Lord Jesus Christ today. Read 1 John 2:1-2 for a better understanding of your heritage in Christ. As you do these, the joy of salvation and the victory over sin will be restored to you.

ACTION POINT :
Pray for restoration if you a backslider. If by His grace you are still standing, pray that you will not backslide, and also pray for all backsliders in the Body of Christ that you know.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Numbers 10-11;
Jeremiah 17:14-27


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.

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday April 19, 2017

BACKSLIDER-IN-HEART I

Memorise : The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. - Proverbs 14:14

Read: Judges 14:1 -3

14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.


MESSAGE :

Backsliding is not an event but a gradual process that occurs over a period of time until it gets to a noticeable stage. At that stage, people will begin to say an individual has backslidden, but what they fail to realise is that it did not start at that point. Backsliding begins in the heart. When a believer becomes filled with his or her own ways, that believer has begun to backslide. That person would always be right in his or her own sight, and others would be wrong. Such a person would no longer take advice from anybody, becoming a loner.

ln today's Bible reading, we see the case of Samson, an anointed Nazirite to the Lord, who began to backslide right from his heart. The way today's Bible reading begins is significant: "And Samson went down...". When a person begins to go down, may the Lord have mercy on him or her. As he went down, he saw an abomination that enticed him: a Philistine woman. He came to his father and mother to tell them of his intention to marry the Philistine woman. His parents counselled him against this abominable desire, but regardless of their warning, Samson said "Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well."

When a child of God begins to nurse the idea of getting engaged to an unbeliever, no doubt, he or she has started backsliding in the heart. An unbeliever should not be an attractive option for a genuine child of God. A female child of God should flnd it repugnant for a smoker or drunkard to become her husband;
after all, such a person will get intimate with her after wedlock with smoky lips or a mouth saturated with alcohol.

A Christian brother should also see it as degrading to be married to a lady operating under the influence of the spirit of Jezebel — knowing full well how Jezebel destroyed her husband (Ephesians 2:2, 1 Kings 21 :25). You are influenced by the environment you live in and the people you are intimate with. An unbelieving woman or man will act as a weight around your neck, dragging you down to the pit of hell. The different abominable things going on in the world are enough to deter a genuine child of God from marrying a person who is not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Such a person is not restrained from doing whatever the devil suggests to his or her heart and does not share the same standard of the word of God as a moral compass for life.

Today, we hear of wives sleeping with drivers andtheses domestic staff, and we also hear of husbands sleeping with housemaids and their wife's sisters -things that are abominable in the sight of God. Do you know that an unbeliever might not flnd these things abominable? lt is a terrible thing to be associated with an "uncircumcised Philistine" in these end times. Beware of backsliding!

PRAYER POINT :
Father, completely destroy the works of the devil in my life and in Your Church.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Numbers 7;
Jeremiah 16:1-13


HYMN 16: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES!

God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master's will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday April 18, 2017

AN IGNORANT PRAYER

Memorise : Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7

Read: 1 Samuel 15:17-22

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

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

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

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

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

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


MESSAGE :

I have always admonished believers never to pray that God should humble them; this is an ignorant prayer. The truth is that God has given everyone the capacity to choose whatever he or she wants to do, and He will not interfere with our choices. For this reason, every man is responsible for his or her actions. Why is this so? This is because man, unlike other creatures, was created as an agent of free will. The Bible in Deuteronomy 30:19 says :

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"

The above passage of Scripture explains God's attitude to man's fall in the Garden of Eden. Although He had instructed Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, He did not try to stop them when they did eat it, even though He is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. His righteous nature would not allow Him to hold back the free will He had already given to them. However, they lived to bear the consequences of their choice to disobey God. In our Bible reading today, King Saul momentarily forgot the low estate he occupied before he was made the king of Israel. His forgetfulness caused him to think that he could flout the instructions given to him by the King of kings. He decided to listen to his human counsellors, and he began to rationalise the instructions God gave him. King Saul therefore became swollen-headed,
and Prophet Samuel who anointed him as king became "old school" and "old fashioned" in his eyes.

To him, there should be no 'waste‘,' after all, why destroy valuable fatted cows? Moreover, great kings would begin to pay tribute to him for sparing their lives. Contrast this attitude against his humble demeanour before he became king. He himself had once said in 1 Samuel 9:21:

"...Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?"

Remembering this, Prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:17 said :

"...When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?"

May the Lord deliver his children from pride in Jesus' Name. Our approach to humility should be to heed the counsel of submission in today's memory verse; the reason being that if we do not humble ourselves voluntarily and God has to do it, one could end up like King Saul, whom the Lord rejected from being king over His people (1 Samuel 15:26). May that not be your portion in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, I submit myself to Your Lordship. I will seek what You want, and what You hate, I will hate. Help me to stay true to this commitment in Jesus Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Numbers 5-6;
Jeremiah 15:10-21


Hymn 9: ON THE HILL FAR AWAY

On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:

So I'II cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where his glory forever I'll share.

[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Monday April 17, 2017

RULED BY MAMMON?

Memorise : For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. - 1 Timothy 6:10

Read: 1 Timothy 6:6-11

6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.


MESSAGE :

A crafty and complex form of idolatry in our world today, which has been around for a long while, and yet seems to go unnoticed by most people, is the reverence and premium place given to the god of money (Mammon) in the hearts of mankind. Our Lord Jesus Christ was very clear when He stated what the first and greatest commandment was in Matthew 22:36 :

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

When our love, which should be given to God exclusively, is diverted to money, we err from the faith and expose ourselves to dissatisfaction and many sorrows. The Bible in Ecclesiastes 5:10 says,

"He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity."

I am sometimes puzzled as to why people run after vanity. In some countries of the world, government offlcials embezzle billions from their sovereign wealth and cart their loot away to foreign lands. Some of these officials have become even "richer" than their country by this act. One wonders what they would do with all this stolen money. Nothing reasonable for sure! For such people, money has become their god, and so they worship it to the extent that the more they acquire, the more difflcult it becomes for them to spend. Find out from some so-called rich people, they flnd it difficult to spend their millions. They eat like paupers because money is their god.

In today's Bible reading, the Holy Spirit offers us a way out of Mammon's bondage. He said :

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Beloved and fellow pilgrims, our stay here on earth is too short for us to run after Mammon. Let us follow the Master intimately, because He is the only One that would always stand by us, even after we close our eyes in death.

Mammon would change servants immediately the fellow who worships him breathes his or her last breath. Let us be wise and follow after godliness.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, please fill my heart with godliness and contentment. Grant me the grace to love You more than anything else in this world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Numbers 4;
Jeremiah 15:1-9


Hymn 9: ON THE HILL FAR AWAY

1. On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

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

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

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

4. To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where his glory forever I'll share.
[Refrain]

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL
LESSON THIRTY-THREE
SUNDAY, 16TH APRIL 2017
TOPIC: COVENANT: DEFINITION AND PURPOSE
MEMORY VERSE: ‘’And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you." - Genesis 9:9
BIBLE PASSAGE: Genesis 9:9-17
INTRODUCTION:
The word "Testamentum" is often used in Latin to express the Hebrew word which signifies covenant. The word covenant in the Hebrew language is "Berith". The corresponding Greek word is "Diatheke" (where one of the parties is infinitely superior to the other, as in a covenant between God and man) Genesis 15:1-21. The Greek term "Suntheke" is a word for a covenant between two equals (Joshua 9:6, 15). It is not a New Testament word. "Diatheke" is the term the New Testament employs to translate either covenant or testament. The reason is obvious; God made no covenant with man as man's equal.
LESSON OUTLINES
1. Definition and examples
2. Understanding the purpose of covenant
DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES
A covenant is a contract or agreement between two or more parties. It is a solemn promise made binding by an oath, which may be either verbal or symbolic. It is a solemn agreement binding on all parties to fulfil obligations. Where one of the parties is infinitely superior to the other, as in a covenant between God and man, God's covenant assumes the nature of a promise (Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Galatians 3:15-18). In the Bible, God made promissory covenant with various people at various times. God made a covenant with Noah, Abraham and David (Genesis 9:8-9; 17:4-5; Psalm 89:3-4). While these are "covenants of promise" made alone by God. The Bible makes a distinction between covenants of promise and covenants of law. The children of Ephraim refused to keep God's covenant by refusing to walk in His law (Psalm 78:9-10).
UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE OF COVENANT
Covenant is how God first decided to deal with mankind (Hebrew 13:20). Covenant is how God has chosen to communicate to us, to redeem us, and to guarantee us eternal life in Jesus. These truths, revealed in the Bible, are the basis of Christianity. Because we can rely on God's word for eternity, we can take great comfort in His covenant promising us eternal life in His Son (John 5:39). Understanding covenant helps us to know our responsibilities to God as well as His to us (Deuteronomy 28:1). It also helps us to better appreciate the symbols used by God in covenant ratification; the Lord's Supper and Baptism (1Corinthians 11:24-26; Romans 6:4). Through covenant, God establishes a deep relationship with His people so that they could live in a way that glorifies Him (Romans 15:9; 1Corinthians 6:20).
CONCLUSION:
In divine covenant, man has nothing to do with making the covenant but to accept and enjoy its benefits or reject it and suffer consequences.
QUESTIONS
1. Explain what you understand by covenant.
2. Mention three purposes of covenant.

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Sunday April 16, 2017

GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT

Memorise : And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.- Ephesians 4:30

Read: Acts 5:1-6

5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.


MESSAGE :

One of the attributes of the Holy Spirit that confirms to us that He is a person is that He can be grieved. Indeed, the Holy Spirit can be abused to the point of being grieved. At this point, He can decide to show His Almightiness like the other two personalities of the Godhead. This is the reason why Apostle Paul admonished us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30).

There are many reasons why it is dangerous to grieve the Holy Spirit. One of such reasons is located in today's memory verse. We are sealed unto the day of redemption by the precious Holy Spirit in our lives. This seal serves as a covering that shields us from the activities of Satan and his cohorts. If you make your Covering annoyed to the extent that He deserts you, in that case you will be left without a shield protecting you against evil spirits. This is very dangerous because we cannot pass through this world of evil as pilgrims without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Another reason why it is dangerous to grieve the Holy Spirit is that His wrath could be very devastating. The story in today's Bible text confirms that no man can withstand His wrath.

Ananias and Sapphira his wife grieved the Holy Spirit and they were punished by death. What did they do to grieve the Holy Spirit? They lied to Him. Many so-called believers would regard this as a "simple lie", but it was enough to grieve the Holy Spirit, and He struck them dead. Cooperating with a liar can also grieve the Holy Spirit as in the case of Sapphira, Ananias' wife. It is dangerous to keep company with liars because the same punishment meted out to the original liar would be received by the accomplice.

In times past, Christians used to be persecuted in various establishments because they would not cooperate with liars who would get to work at 10 a.m. but register 7 a.m. as their resumption time. Today, some
Christians are doing worse, even in Church offlces.

Rebelling against the Lordship of the Holy Spirit over your life is another way through which He can be grieved. When you get to a point where you refuse to take instructions from the voice of the Holy Spirit within you, then you have rebelled against His Lordship. The Bible in Isaiah 63:10 says,

"But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."

Beloved, let us heed the admonition of Paul and desist from grieving the Holy Spirit by all means.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, please pardon me in any way I have grieved Your Holy Spirit, and give me the grace never to do so again until I see you in glory.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Numbers 3;
Jeremiah 14:13-22


HYMN 15: THE COMFORTER HAS COME

O spread the tidings 'round,
Wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts
And human woes abound.
Let every Christian tongue
Proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

Refrain:

The Comforter has come!
The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav'n,
The Father's promise giv'n,
O spread the tidings 'round,
Wherever man is found:
The Comforter has come!

The long, long night is past;
The morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail
And fury of the blast,
As o'er the golden hills
The day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!

[Refrain]

Lo, the great King of kings,
With healing in His wings,
To every captive soul
A full deliv'rance brings;
And thro' the vacant cells
The song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come!

[Refrain]

O boundless love divine!
How shall this tongue of mine
To wond'ring mortals tell
The matchless grace divine -
That I, a child of hell,
Should in His image shine?
The Comforter has come!

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday April 15, 2017

AND HE SPENT ALL

Memorise : There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.- Proverbs 11:24

Read: Luke 15:11-14

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

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

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

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


MESSAGE :

Many people do not know that the act of giving has principles that must be followed in order to get rewarded for it by God. Due to their ignorance, such people have become discouraged from giving because they had given in times past without getting the results which they rightfully expected. The truth of the matter is: giving has principles, and unless you follow these principles, you will have no result for your giving. For example, if you sow your corn or wheat on the sea, you will definitely get nothing. Therefore, we must learn the principles of giving in order to have the desired results for our giving. God will never owe any man; He gave us His word of assurance on this in Hebrews 6:10 :

"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

However, you must know the type of ground you sow your seed into. For example, it is an exercise in futility to sow your seed into a church ministry where the more money comes in, the more women the leader acquires to his pleasure. Also, when you give to a ministry which you know diverts your seeds into private estates and into taking care of the body instead of using it for winning souls, do not expect any reward from God. Apart from being selective of the type of causes you give to, you must also learn to give intelligently.

ln today's Bible reading, the prodigal son took all that he had, left the environment of accountability and spent everything recklessly. The result of his wild lifestyle
is glaring in Luke 15:14 :

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

It is an established truth that giving brings blessings upon the giver (Proverbs 11:24a). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself established this in His teachings (Luke 6:38). However, there is another truth we also need to pay close attention to in Proverbs 11:24b, which says :

"...and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty"

In other words, though we are not expected to "spend all", we must not fall into the error of conserving more than is necessary. This is the word of God. Those who live a lifestyle of spending their all always become a nuisance to the body of Christ through excessive borrowing. Learn from the story of the seven years of plenty and the strategy of conservation given by Joseph against the succeeding seven years of famine (Genesis 41 :33-36). Also, learn from the ants how to manage your resources prudently (Proverbs 6:6-.

May God give you wisdom along this line, so that you can spend and give wisely.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, give me wisdom to manage the resources You have entrusted to my hands.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Numbers 1-2;
Jeremiah 14:1-12


HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING

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

Chorus:

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops 'round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

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

[Chorus]

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

[Chorus]

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!

[Chorus]

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday April 14, 2017

CHANGE YOUR WAYS

Memorise : Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: - Matthew 3:8

Read: Acts 3:13-19

3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorif|ed his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

3:16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

3:18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfllled.

3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord


MESSAGE :

Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, hypocrisy has been a character trait of mankind. For this reason, God has continuously reached out to man with the message of living a changed life. The Mosaic Law was all about making the Israelites live a life that was different from that of all the other nations around them, a life of change which conforms to God's expectation. At different points in time, when they erred from the Mosaic Law, God still sent prophets to them with the message of change. One of such prophets was Ezekiel. Speaking through him, the Lord demanded that His people repent and change from their hypocritical ways (Ezekiel 14:6).

The Lord also spoke through Prophet Ezekiel about the change of life He would bring about by the regeneration of the human spirit through Christ (Ezekiel 36:25-27). When this prophecy was to be fulfllled, the Lord sent John the Baptist to preach the baptism of repentance. However, John discovered that some people were just coming religiously for baptism without any intention of changing their ways, and he had this to say to them :

"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." Matthew 3:8-9

The apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ also had the message of change forming the central theme of the gospel they preached. In spite of the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders, the apostles did not mince words in declaring heaven's demand for a change of life to the people of their day. Peter in Acts 3:19 boldly declared thus :

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord,"

It is sad, however, that many modern-day preachers have deleted the message of change from their sermons because they would not want to be "offensive" to modern minds. What such preachers fail to realise is that the message of change is the only hope for the world. The message of change brings repentance, and repentance brings times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

I therefore beseech you to effect the necessary changes befltting of a Christian pilgrim in your life today. Remember, tomorrow may be too late!

PRAYER POINT :
Father, grant me the grace to change my crooked ways, and give me the strength of character to walk with You on the straight and narrow path all the days of my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 26-27;
Jeremiah 13:15-27


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.

:Pwow! a beg make somebody help me calculate whistle blower share of dis mula

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday April 13, 2017

l WILL PAY YOU YOUR WAGES

Memorise : Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.- Psalm 127:3

Read: Exodus 2:1-9

2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

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


MESSAGE :

Many people who are blessed with the gift of children are not conscious of the fact that children are the heritage of the Lord, meaning that God is their rightful owner, and they are gifts from Him. This is why an adage from my village says "Rich people cannot flnd children to buy in the market." What money cannot buy can only be obtained from the Almighty God. What then should be the attitude of parents to these priceless gifts?

The answer can be seen in the story of the birth, adoption and upbringing of Moses, the child who later became the mouthpiece of the Almighty God. Moses was born at a time when Pharaoh had commanded that every newborn male child should be immediately killed. His mother tried to hide him for three months, but when he could no longer be hidden, she decided to drop him off by the bank of River Nile. Pharaoh's daughter picked him up from there and adopted him as her own. By God's providence, the princess gave Moses to a nurse who happened to be his mother. Hear what the princess said to her:

"Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it." Exodus 2:9b

There are many lessons we can learn from this story. By adoption, Moses was the child of Pharaoh's daughter, but she gave him over to a nurse to nurture him for her. This mirrors God's divine arrangement, whereby He, being the owner of children, hands them over to parents to nurture them for Him. ln other words, just as the princess told Moses' mother, "nurse this child for me", God is also saying to parents, "nurse this child for Me." The princess also told Moses' mother that she would pay her wages for a job well done. God is equally telling parents that if they properly nurture children for Him and not for themselves, He will reward them well.

lt is unfortunate that many parents are nursing God's heritage for themselves or the devil; hence, they are getting their wages from the flesh or from the devil. This is the reason why many children have turned out to be a curse to their parents - breaking their hearts because the parents nursed the children for themselves and not for the Lord.

On the other hand, godly parents who train their children to fear the Lord are paid the wages of peace of mind from God at old age. The children of such parents prosper under the grace of Jesus, which they have been exposed to from infancy, and they are battle axes in the hands of their original Owner, the Almighty God.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, give me wisdom to nurse the children You have divinely placed in my care, and may I not miss my reward for nursing them according to Your counsel

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 25;
Jeremiah 13:1-14

HYMN I6: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES!

God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master's will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday April 12, 2017

DIVINE VISITATION II

Memorise : Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people - Luke 1:68

Read: Jeremiah 29:10-11

29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

29:11 For I know the thoughts that l think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.


MESSAGE :

''And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people." Luke 7:14-1 6

The account of events in the above passage of Scripture is indicative of what a divine visitation looks like. Divine visitation with its attendant supernatural occurrences brings joy to the heart of those visited. I pray that God will visit you today and your joy shall be full in Jesus' Name.

In our Bible text today, Prophet Jeremiah gave a revelation concerning the future deliverance of Israel from bondage. He prophesied that this would be realised by the power of divine visitation. When God comes visiting, He comes with deliverance from bondage and servitude like He did when He visited the children of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 4:31). When the children of Israel, because of their spiritual decadence found themselves in Babylonian bondage again, His love for His friend, Abraham their father, compelled Him to promise another divine visitation. In Jeremiah 29:10, He sent His word to them in Babylon saying :

"For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place."

Also, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied under the influence of the Holy Spirit about the coming of redemption to Israel through yet another divine visitation (Luke 1:68). Divine visitation brought salvation to mankind, when God personally came in the form of man to dwell among us, suffered, died and rose again so that we may obtain salvation (1 Timothy 3:16). Beloved, do you want a divine visitation of salvation? Jesus Christ says this to you today :

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, | will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

Open the door of your heart to him today, accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour, and He will come in right away and give you the gift of salvation.

PRAYER POINT :
Lord Jesus, please visit me today, make Your abode in my life and give me Your gift of salvation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 23-24;
Jeremiah 12


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.

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday April 11, 2017

DIVINE VISITATION I

Memorise : And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. - Genesis 21 :1

Read: Genesis 18:1-10

18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

18:3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

18:5 And l will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

18:6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of flne meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

18:7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

18:9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.


MESSAGE :

Our God is a benevolent God; when He visits an individual, He does not come empty-handed. lf you are privileged to receive a visitation from Him, you can be sure you are in for pleasant surprises. My prayer for you is that God in His infinite mercy will visit you today in Jesus' Name.

When Abraham entertained three strange men in his tent, little did he know that they were messengers of the benevolent God. Take a closer look at all the effort Abraham put in just to entertain visitors he could ordinarily have regarded as casual passersby. Genesis 18:6-7 says,

"And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it."

From this passage, it is obvious that Abraham engaged his entire household in making these visitors comfortable.

There are many lessons you can learn from Abraham's experience which will make it possible for you to enjoy the blessing of receiving a divine visitation. First, you must be hospitable if you want to experience a divine visitation. Concerning this, the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 13:2 says,

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

God visits those who share His attribute of generosity. God is so generous that He gave His only begotten Son as a ransom for our sins. Consequently, He became the Father of millions of people who were once alienated from Him. Secondly, when you are showing generosity or hospitality, you must do it willingly, and not as if you are being constrained to do it. The angelic visitors would not have waited if they had noticed unwillingness in Abraham, his wife or his men in receiving them. It was after the strange visitors had eaten their fill that they delivered the message they brought from God. Angels don't eat human food, so how come these ones ate the food Abraham served them (Genesis 18: This can only be explained by the sovereignty of the Almighty God. They were transformed and given a human nature in order to be able to eat, so as to teach us valuable lessons.

One of these lessons is that when God requests for your tithe, offerings or your first-fruits, it is because He wants to set you up for a divine visitation in your business or chosen career. Be wise!

PRAYER POINT :
Father, please visit me with Your awesome presence today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 21:22;
Jeremiah 11:9-23


HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING

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

Chorus:

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.

[Chorus]

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

[Chorus]

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!

[Chorus]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 10TH APRIL 2017

THEME: THE KING IS COMING

Memorise:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Read: Acts 1:9-11

1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

MESSAGE

One of the reasons why there is spiritual decadence in the Church today is the loss of focus on the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus knew this would happen and for this reason, He gave us the parable of a king who went on a journey to a far country, leaving behind his servants to work and await his return (Luke 19:12-27). Our King is coming back to be the Judge of both the living and the dead. As a preview of the nature of the judgement He will declare against those who rejected His Lordship over their lives, Luke 19:27 says,
"But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me."

Beloved, this will not be your portion in Jesus' Name. However, you must always remember that our King is coming, and you must also remember what He is coming to do. This attitude will guide you on how to comport yourself in readiness for His return. Do not be deceived by the error of those who claim that Jesus Christ will not come again or that He has already come in the spirit. These are all lies of the devil. The angels who addressed the early disciples after Jesus was taken up to Heaven said this to them in Acts 1:11:
"...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
You can therefore rest assured in your heart that Jesus will surely come back. Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming to put the devil where he belongs (Revelation 20:10). All the angels that fell along with the devil, referred to as demons, will also partake of the eternal damnation that will befall him (Matthew 25:41). Our King is also coming to give rewards to every believer according to his or her works. The Lord in Revelation 22:12 says,
"And, behold, l come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

Beloved of God, ensure you are one of those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If your name is already there, work hard to receive commendation and a good reward from the Master. lf you labour for the expansion of God's Kingdom through evangelism and witnessing or through giving and intersession, you can be sure you will not miss your reward when the King returns.

Prayer Point:

Father, at the second coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, may l not be put to shame. Please give me the grace to be watchful as I live according to your word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Leviticus 19-20
Jeremiah 10:17-11:8
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Refrain:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
ln Thy precious, holy Word.
Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
[Refrain]

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

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

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 THIRTY-TWO
SUNDAY, 9TH APRIL 2017
TOPIC: KEYS TO SIGNS AND WONDERS
MEMORY VERSE: ‘’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." - Acts 5:12
BIBLE PASSAGE: Mark 16:17-18
INTRODUCTION:
Every door has a key that unlocks it. So also signs and wonders have keys that open them (Isaiah 22:22). Whatever God does is for a purpose and there is also time of signs and wonders (Eccles 3:1). This is the essence of today's lesson. May signs and wonders be our experience even as we learn at the feet of Jesus Christ
LESSON OUTLINES
1. Signs and wonders described
2. Keys to signs and wonders
SIGNS AND WONDERS DESCRIBED
A sign is a token, proof or indication of a remarkable event that witnesses to supernatural interventions (Exodus 3:12; Isaiah 7:14).
A wonder is the product of.a miracle which causes great astonishment (Mark 2:10-12; Acts 3:6-10). The Lord Jesus Christ assures every believer in Him of signs and wonders (John 14:12). Satan, through evil spirits, torments mankind and he is responsible for all sorts of abnormal behavior (Mark 5:2-5). Thanks to God who through our Lord Jesus Christ came not only to expose demonic activities but also to give us victory over them (1Corinthians 15:57; 1John 3:8b). Some people will not believe the gospel until they see signs and wonders (John 4:48; Acts 5:12-14). God confirms the calling of His ministers with signs and wonders (Psalm 104:4; Mark 16:17-18).
KEYS TO SIGNS AND WONDERS
A believer can both enjoy and manifest signs and wonders. The first key to enjoying signs and wonders is great expectation that is established on the integrity and the will of God (Matthew 9:20-22; Numbers 23:19). Other keys include: total obedience (John 2:5; 1Kings 17:13-16), lifestyle of praise and worship (Acts 16:25-26; 2Chronicles 20:21-23), prayer of faith (Matthew 8:8-13; James 5:14-15), humility (2Kings 5:10-14), sharing testimonies (1Samuel 17:34-37), giving (2Kings 4:10-17), and persistence (Matthew 15:22-28).
To manifest signs and wonders, a believer must do the following in addition to the keys mentioned above:
1. Totally yield his body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God (Romans 12:1; 2Timothy 2:20-21). This implies a life of consecration unto the Lord.
2. Serve God wholeheartedly (1Corinthians 15:10; Acts 19:11-12).
3. Absolute compliance to divine instruction (Exodus 17:6).
4. Soul winning (Mark 16:15, 17-18).
5. Deep fellowship with the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5,
CONCLUSION:
Keys are of no value when not used. Hence, doors remain shut. You need to apply these keys in order to enjoy and manifest signs and wonders.
QUESTIONS
1. What are signs and wonders?
2. How can you unlock the door to signs and wonders?

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL

Sunday April 9, 2017

THE PRICE OF DISCIPLESHIP

Memorise : Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall f|nd rest unto your souls.- Matthew 11:29

Read: Luke 9:23-26

9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

MESSAGE :

After giving your life to Christ, you need to go further in your walk with God by becoming a disciple. Many children of God these days don't know that discipleship has a price. They don't even know that Jesus Christ, the Master, has a yoke that they must share with Him. The early disciples, with great difflculty,
got to understand this truth on the eve of the crucifixion. While agonising over the inevitable death on the Cross, Jesus Christ asked the disciples to pray and watch along with Him, but instead, they slept. Matthew 26:40-41 says :

"And he cometh unto the disciples, and flndeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

We are so blessed to have a Master who knows our frame. He knows that the flesh is weak, even though the spirit is willing. Our willingness to share in His yoke qualifles us to be His disciples. Today, many people don't want to be taught this aspect of the gospel. They prefer the doctrine of relativism, which teaches that the end justiers the means. Those things that the Lord Jesus Christ abhorred are being courted by some so-called believers today. This should not be so!

In our Bible reading today, Jesus Christ gives a vivid description of the price we must pay to be true disciples of His. ln Luke 9:23-24, He said :

"...lf any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

This is the price of discipleship. There are many so-called "disciples" today who are far from being disciples. Many cannot even deny their ungodly friends, not to talk of denying themselves. They hold tenaciously to the world contrary to the word in 1 John 2:15-17 which says :

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

Beloved, are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ or do you want to be one? Ponder on these things and don't deceive yourself. Always remember what the Holy Spirit said to us in 2 Timothy 2:12 :

"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us."

PRAYER POINT :
Father, the grace to follow You in spirit and in truth, please give to me today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 17-18;
Jeremiah 10:1 -16


HYMN 14: TAKE MY LIFE

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

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee,
Swift and beautiful for thee.

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

Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as thou shalt choose,
Every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine;
lt shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
lt shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, | pour
At thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee,
Ever, only, all for thee.

its so so sad and painful. may her gentle soul RiP

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday April 8, 2017

OBLIVIOUS TO YOUR TRUE STATE?

Memorise : But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. - 1 Timothy 5:6

Read: Revelation 3:14-19

3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou Wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, | will spue thee out of my mouth.

3:17 Because thou sayest, l am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and Unclad:

3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the flre, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy unclothedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.


MESSAGE :

It is amazing that many people are suffering today but they do not realise it. is it even possible to suffer without knowing it? Of course, it is! The Bible passage in our memory verse points to one of such scenarios. A prostitute and his or her clients think they are enjoying life by indulging in indiscriminate sex and getting paid for it, but in the sight of God, they are dead. The reality of the word of God will knock on their door the day the doctor announces their HIV status. A drunkard also is one who is "suffering and smiling".

The Bible gives a vivid description of the pitiable state ofa drunkard in Proverbs 23:31-35. It is also possible for people who profess to belong to God to be oblivious of their true state in the sight of God. For this reason, we must always look at ourselves through the mirror of God's word, and wait on the Lord in the place of prayer to hear what His opinion of us is.

In today's Bible text, we see the verdict of our Lord Jesus Christ on the state of the Church of the Laodiceans. After the Lord x-rayed their spiritual life, their self-delusion became apparent for all to see. He gave His assessment in Revelation 3:17:
"Because thou sayest, l am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and Unclad:"

This is food for thought for those churches in these last days which major on the so-called "prosperity gospel" to the detriment of the spiritual well-being of their congregation. Such churches are actually miserable, poor, blind and Unclad — they are suffering without knowing it. In Acts 3, Peter and John were going for a prayer meeting at the temple, and a lame man looked up to them in expectation of receiving alms from them. Pay close attention to these words of Peter to him in Acts 3:6:

"...Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."

The lame man walked because the early disciples were rich in the things of God, even though they were poor in material things. Today, many churches have silver and gold, but they no longer have the effective use of the Name of Jesus Christ.

Beloved, let us go back to our flrst love, rather than groping in the darkness of self-delusion that we are flne. Many problems that were alien to the early Church are now common place in the modern Church. Ministers of the gospel are being carried here and there for healing. May God have mercy on us.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, open my eyes to see where I have missed it, and help me to retrace my steps back to You, the Lover of my soul.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 15-16; 
Jeremiah 9:12-26


HYMN 9: ON THE HILL FAR AWAY

On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I'II cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where his glory forever I'll share.

[Refrain]

Blogtrovert:
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not petty, but advert opportunity. u wldnt want to know d sales volume Increase rate at dis period

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday April 7, 2017

THERE IS A PRICE TO PAY

Memorise : Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.- Matthew 17:21

Read: 1 Samuel 1:9-11

1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affiiction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then l will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.


MESSAGE : 

Most good things in life come at a cost. Many children of God may flnd it HARD to accept this truth, but it doesn't change its reality. The reason why some children of God may not want to accept this reality of life is that our salvation is freely given to us. They would reason that since the precious salvation of our souls is free, other precious things of the kingdom should also be without a cost. They forget that although salvation is free for us, it came at the expense of the precious Blood of Jesus, shed through His gruesome death on the cross.

The fact that it is given to us for free does not mean it was freely acquired by the Giver. Just as a child should not think the bread he is eating freely from his father's table is actually free — as the father would have laboured for the money with which the bread was purchased — believers also should not think that it cost the Father nothing to give His only begotten Son for the redemption of our souls.

When Jesus Christ was healing the sick and delivering those that were oppressed by demons during His earthly ministry, the disciples wanted to perform the same feat. They were however disappointed when they discovered that they could not do what the Master was doing. They therefore asked Him
why they could not cast a demon out (Matthew 17:19). Here is the Master's response to them in Matthew 17:20-21:
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

From this response, we understand that you cannot be eating three square meals with snacks in between and expect demons to obey your every command. Years ago, my children in Britain asked me to begin conducting a monthly Festival of Life Service in the UK. I declined, the reason being that | could not minister at a Festival of Life Service without making adequate spiritual preparations. Hannah, Samuel's mother, knew that God needed a priest to replace Eli, and so she promised God that if He gave her a son, she would give the boy back to Him. God immediately granted her request because she was ready to pay a price for what she wanted. Beloved, what is the motive
behind your request? If it is to glorify God, be sure you will have it today.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, grant me the grace to constantly mortify the deeds of the body through fasting and prayer, so that Your Spirit may operate freely without hindrance in my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 14;
Jeremiah 8:18-9:11


HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

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

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

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday April 6, 2017

THE POOR IN SPIRIT

Memorise : Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

Read: Luke 18:9-14

18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his housejustifled rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humble the himself shall be exalted.


MESSAGE :

Some people believe that the poor are automatic candidates for making heaven; hence they see them as being blessed. Nothing could be further from the truth. This error is derived from a wrong interpretation of the scripture in today's memory verse. No matter how poor you are, if you are not reconciled with your Maker, the Kingdom of heaven is a mere illusion for you. Whereas, you may be as rich as Father Abraham himself was, and when you die, you will still make heaven. Revelation 19:5 says,

"And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great."

Irrespective of whether you are rich or poor, once you meet the condition for admission into the Kingdom of God, you will be granted access. What is this condition? Revelations 21:27 gives us insight into this :

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

The question then is this: What type of "poor" was Jesus referring to in Matthew 5:3? It is the poor in spirit, and not the poor in wealth or riches. Who then are the poor in spirit? They are those who realise their spiritual insufficiency as touching the requirements of God with regards to righteousness, and they have a thirst in their spirit to overcome this inadequacy. This thirst will metamorphose into a search for God and for His mercy. The Almighty God is always waiting to receive such people, and He leads them on the path of righteousness through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Like the publican in today's Bible reading, the poor in spirit have no righteousness of their own, and hence, they
cry for the mercy of God. The "rich in spirit" on the other hand will never cry for God's mercy; they will always rely on their own righteousness. Of such is the Pharisee in our Bible text. Concerning the poor in spirit (the publican), Jesus Christ said "this man went down to his house justifled rather the other the other."

Therefore, for anyone to enter into the Kingdom of heaven, such a fellow must first humble himself or herself at the Cross of Jesus Christ, confess his or her sins, forsake them with a promise never to return to them again, and then ask for grace to live a life that is pleasing to God Almighty (1 John 1:9).

PRAYER POINT :
Father, l humble myself before Your throne of grace today; please forgive my spiritual pride and take me to Your side by Your mercy. At the end of my life, let me reign with you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 13;
Jeremiah 8:4-17
 

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

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

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

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday April 5th, 2017

DIVINE HEALING

Memorise : For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.- Matthew 9:21

Read: Luke 13:11-16

13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

13:12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

13:13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

13:14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, there are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?


MESSAGE :

As children of God living in times of advanced technological developments, one truth we must never lose consciousness of is that God is still in the business of healing people. Some may want to ask why God still cares about healing people, since He has endowed humanity with laudable insights into the causes and cures of various sicknesses and diseases. The answer is not far-fetched: there are sicknesses that are not of physical origin; rather, they are demonic all inflicted. Orthodox medicine is incapable of healing such sicknesses.

Although orthodox medicine will always have a name for every sickness or disease it is confronted with, the truth of the matter is, some of these afflictions have their operations being supervised from the pit of Hell. Today's Bible text tells the story of a woman who was bound by the spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Jesus Christ ministered deliverance to her, and He set her loose from that bondage of sickness. We might not have known the source of her infirmity, but for the opposition voiced against her being healed on the Sabbath day. Jesus, in His response to the objections raised, revealed the source of this woman's infirmity to be Satan. ln Luke 13:16 He said :

"And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?"

Nevertheless, the good news is: irrespective of whether a sickness stems from demonic or physical sources, the Almighty God is still interested in healing His people of all ailments afflicting them, especially those who believe in what He is capable of doing.

In Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord Himself challenges us with this question :

"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?"

By this, He is telling us that since He created the human body, He cannot be incapable of fixing any problem that may arise within it. Automobile manufacturers cannot be incapable of fixing problems emanating from their inventions. In the worst case scenario, they will replace a problematic part of an automobile, and the whole system will bounce back to life. Even if automobile manufacturers cannot fix the problems of their inventions, the Almighty God can fix His. There is no sickness too small to attract God's attention; neither is there any sickness too big to intimidate Him. The onus is on you to develop the living faith that will attract His healing hands to perform the needed miracle on you.

My prayer for you is that your body will receive divine healing today in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, please lay Your healing hands on me and heal all my infirmities.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 10-12;
Jeremiah 7:27-8:3

 

HYMN 5: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

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.

Your many sins are all forgiven,
Oh! hear the voice of Jesus;
Go on your way in peace to heaven,
and wear a crown with Jesus.
[Refrain]

All glory to the risen Lamb!
l now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Savior's name,
| love the name of Jesus.

[Refrain]

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]

Racade:
Thanks, God bless u.

Amen

samsanyus:
You are life saver this morning. I used this manual this morning. I forgot my hard-copy at home. God bless you.

Amen

StevenOke:
Fantastic,keep it up.

tnx Sir

Racade:
God will help you. Please keep it up. You are blessed in Jesus name.

Amen

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday April 4, 2017

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW COVENANT III

Memorise : He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. - Matthew 19:8

Read: Matthew 5:31-32

5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.


MESSAGE :

The paradigm shifts introduced by the Lord Jesus Christ ever since He came to reveal the perfect will of the Father to us are indeed numerous. One of these is in the area of divorce and remarriage. The Jewish leaders hated the teachings of Jesus and the change He came to introduce; for this reason, they wanted him dead fast! Indeed, no man ever spoke like Jesus did. The amazing thing is that these leaders believed they were doing the will of God by killing Him. John 11:49-50 says,

"And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not."

Just like these Jewish leaders of yesteryears, some church leaders and pastors today try to justify their error in the area of divorce and remarriage, thinking that they are doing what is expedient for themselves or for the parties concerned. In our Bible reading for today, in opposition to the accepted standard of His time, Jesus revealed the perfect will of God concerning this. Hear what He said :

"But l say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." Matthew 5:32

In Matthew 19:3-10, when Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees on the issue of divorce as applied from the time of Moses, they were shocked to learn His standpoint on this matter. Jesus revealed to them that they had been living under the permissive will of God in this area (Matthew 19:, and He also reinforced what He had already said about divorce and remarriage in His Sermon on the Mount.

Just as so many people are perplexed by this teaching today, even the disciples of Jesus were also perplexed by it (Matthew 19:10). However, that is the verdict of the new covenant. We have to accept the standard the Master has set and walk in it.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what Jesus Christ is saying to those who want to enjoy the provision of the new covenant in His Blood.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, help me to meet up to the standard of the requirements of the new covenant, and bless me through it, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Leviticus 8-9;
Jeremiah 7:8-26


HYMN 9: ON THE HILL FAR AWAY

1. On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

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

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

[Refrain]

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

[Refrain]

4. To that old rugged cross
I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he'll call me some day
To my home far away,
Where his glory forever I'll share.

[Refrain]

Hipsymoi:
That should be their first and middle names I guess

your guesting no work Jor, abi them no get parents?

the op and his Master are both comedians