₦airaland Forum

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2017
THEME: STILL KEEPING OLD PALS?
Memorise:
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24
Read: Ephesians 4:17-24 (KJV)
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
MESSAGE:
An encounter with Jesus Christ is such a powerful experience that it can bring about a change of name (Mark 3:16). This change of name indicates a change of destiny. His power of transformation changes you from a sinner to a saint (Romans 1:7). There is no greater change than that of a changed life made possible by the redeeming power in the blood of Jesus Christ. If you were known as a night crawler before encountering Jesus, you will become known as a more responsible person after encountering Him. The truth is, if you really encounter Jesus Christ, you will lose most of your old friends because it would be difficult for them to relate with the new you. They won’t understand you anymore, because you won’t talk the way you used to talk, drink like you used to drink or even dress the way they dress. Following a definite encounter with the person of Jesus Christ, what you like and hate will change, so much so that if you fail to leave your old friends, they will be the ones to desert you. If you say you are born again, and all of your old pals still feel comfortable around you, your salvation is most likely not genuine.
Before I became born again, I had many friends, some of whom were sailors. When they returned from their trips, they brought me assorted alcoholic drinks. Therefore, when my friends wanted to drink alcohol, they would visit me because they knew I would have a lot in store. They sometimes said they could not pass by the house of the king without saying hello to the king. I never knew I was king of alcohol in those days. However, after my conversion, when my old friends visited me, I would offer them soft drinks. They would protest, saying that I already knew the choice alcoholic drinks they normally enjoyed, but I simply told them that I did not stock such anymore. Consequently, I lost most of my friends, but today, God has given me like-minded, godly people as replacements. Have you truly encountered Jesus? What changes have you noticed in your life? Are you still keeping all your old friends, or have they observed the changes in your life and dumped you? Sometimes, some people are afraid of losing their old friends, and as a result, they do everything to hide their new found faith from them. This is unacceptable in the Kingdom of God. The reality is that if you have met Jesus, you are linked to the greatest Friend anyone could ever have. You should be proud of that and let all your friends know about it. If you are ashamed of Him here on earth, He too will be ashamed to talk about you in Heaven (Mark 8:38).
Action Point:
Some people have bars in their houses. If you are truly saved, such bars should not accommodate any alcoholic drinks. Get rid of that alcohol!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 4-6, and Isaiah 59:16-60:7
AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 11: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS
1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
2. Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
3. My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
4. The world behind me,
The cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me,
The cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Monday March 13, 2017

CONSPIRACY & FORNICATION

Memorise : Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.- 1 Corinthians 6:18

Read: Job 5:12-14, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

5:12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

5:13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

5:14 They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.


MESSAGE :

A conspiracy can be defined as a secret plan by a group of persons to do something unlawful or mischievous. Whenever you agree or partner with one or more persons to do something against God’s express word or will, you are guilty of conspiracy. The attitude of the Holy Spirit towards conspiracy is clear from His judgement against Ananias and Sapphira, who conspired to test Him with their lie (Acts 5:1-11). Ahithophel and Absalom also engaged in conspiracy against the Lord’s anointed, King David (2 Samuel 15:12). They paid for this sin with their lives, and they both died similar deaths through hanging (2 Samuel 17:23, 2 Samuel 18:9-14). Do you know that many people still conspire to lie to the Holy Spirit today? When auditors are visiting some churches, their pastors will connive with accountants to present doctored records. On arrival, when the auditor asks the accountant if the books presented are the actual financial records, they would affirm that they are. That is conspiring to lie to the Holy Spirit!

Those who engage in conspiracy often die together, just like it happened to Ananias and Sapphira, Absalom and Ahithophel, and Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 26:9-10). This is where married couples need to be extremely cautions. If your spouse is going the way of destruction, never follow him or her. Do all you can to deliver him, but if the fellow refuses, let him or her take the evil step alone. Are you engaged in a conspiracy to defraud your employer or government? It’s time to pull out of such schemes and repent.

In like manner, the Holy Spirit hates adultery and fornication. Why? It is because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are His dwelling place. Adultery separates God from His temple. It keeps God outside His throne in your heart. Some people erroneously think that they can fornicate without affecting the presence of the Holy Spirit in them. No way! How can you expect the Holy Spirit, whose personality is defined by holiness, to dwell in a body yielded to filthiness? The Bible in James 4:4 says,

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Fornication strips the glory of God away from you and clothes you in rags and shame. There is nothing glorious about sexual sin. It never adds anything to you; rather, it always takes away your prized possessions. Repent and flee fornication daily!

Whatever separates God from you is something to resist by all means!

ACTION POINT :
Confess and repent of any form of conspiracy or sexual sins you are involved in. Break away from every form of relationship that facilitates these.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Exodus 1-3;
Isaiah 58:13-59:15


HYMN 9: ON THE HILL 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'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it 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 the 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 TWENTY-EIGHT
SUNDAY, 12TH MARCH 2017
TOPIC: MANAGING GRACE
MEMORY VERSE:
‘’But grow in grace, and knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." - 2Peter 3:18
BIBLE PASSAGE: 2Peter 1:2-7
INTRODUCTION:
The grace of God is available to everyone (Ephesians 4:7). Grace is not just available for salvation (Titus 2:11), but also for the total well-being of those who receive it (2Corinthians 9:. However, what you do with the grace of God available to you will determine who and what you become in life (1Corinthians 15:10). It is important for every believer to embrace the grace of God and run with it (Ephesians 3:. We shall, therefore, be considering what grace can do in the life of the recipient as well as what the recipient can do with or against grace.
LESSON OUTLINES
1. What can grace do?
2. What can one do with or against grace?
WHAT CAN GRACE DO?
Grace can do numerous things but for the purpose of this study, we shall mention a few. For instance:
1. Grace can save the world (Genesis 6:8, Titus 2:11)
2. Grace can make one God's elect (Romans 11:5-6)
3. Grace gives boldness (Romans 15:15)
4. Grace gives endurance (2Corinthians 12:9)
5. Grace imparts riches (Ephesians 2:7)
6. Grace brings hope (2Thessalonians 2:16)
7. Grace changes lives (1Corinthians 15:9-10)
WHAT CAN ONE DO WITH OR AGAINST GRACE?
Individuals can respond to grace in the following ways among others:
1. Receive it (James 4:6)
2. Work with it (2Peter 1:5-7; Colossians 1:29)
3. Continue or discontinue in it (Acts 13:43; 1Corinthians 15:58)
4. Minister it to others (1Peter 4:10)
5. Grow in it (2Peter 3:18)
There are also negative responses to grace by some individuals. Such actions against grace include:
1. Receiving it in vain (2Corinthians 6:1,3)
2. Frustrating it in one's life (Galatians 2:21)
3. Falling from it (Galatians 1:6)
4. Sinning in spite of it (Romans 6:1)
5. Turning it into filthiness (Jude 4)
CONCLUSION:
To manage grace is to accept and appropriate it for God's glory.
QUESTIONS
1. What can grace do for you?
2. What can you do with or against grace?

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Sunday March 12, 2017

HE LIFTS MATERIAL BURDENS 

Memorise : Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.- Mathew 11:28

Read : Luke 13:10-17

13:10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

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?

13:17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.


MESSAGE :

Burdens are loads imposed on a person by the wicked forces of this world or by circumstances of life. They come under certain categories, one of these being physical burdens. Physical burdens are exemplified by the case of Naaman who had an incurable disease ( 2 Kings 5:1 ). Also, the woman with a spirit of infirmity, who could not straighten herself for years, is another case in point ( Luke 13:11 ). No matter how much she tried, everywhere she went, she remained bent. Similarly, the man who had been at the pool of Bathseda for 38years had a physical burden ( John 5:2-9 ). Do you have a physical burden? Are you physically handicapped? Jesus Christ will lift your physical burdens today! You shall experience a turn around in Jesus Name!

Burdens could also be material in nature. The widow of Zarephath was carrying a material burden ( 1 Kings 17:8-16 ). Things used to be good for her, but her situation deteriorated to the point where she had only one meal to her credit. In addition, the heavily indebted widow of 2 kings 4:1-7 was plagued by debts left by her late husband. The creditors came calling and threatened to enslave her son's. Thank God she knew the right place to run to. She cried to the prophet, who was connected to the burden Bearer, and the tide turned for her and children. What about the wedding feast in John 2:1-11? They thought they had everything in place, but midway through the celebration, they ran out wine. They called on the Burden Bearer and He supplied what was lacking.

A very wealth man with a fleet of 14 cars once picked a quarrel with his wife, and she threatens that by the time she was done with him, he would be trekking about the street of Lagos, Nigeria. The man laughed it off, not knowing the kind of woman he has as wife. Not long after, his business began to nose-dive, and things because so bad that at a point, he had only one car left with 50 kobo in his pocket. Then he reasoned with himself, "if I buy petrol with this money I will starve, and if I spend the money on food, then I would trek in fulfilment of my wife's evil decree". That was when he decided to run to Jesus Christ for help, and the Lord turned things around for him. By the time he was sharing this testimony, he was dedicating two new houses on same day.

What material burden see you carrying presently? If you run to Jesus, He will help you carry it. Through Him all material burdens can be lifted! 

KEY POINT :
Over the ages, Jesus Christ has borne the burden of many. If you can fully come to Him, He will readily help you to carry the load that you cannot bear. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 48-50;
Isaiah 58:1-12



HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR 

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

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.

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

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday March 11, 2017

WHEN HIS VOICE THUNDERS 

Memorise : For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.- Isaiah 30:31

Read: Psalm 29:3-9

29:3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.

29:4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

29:5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

29:6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

29:7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.

29:8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

29:9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.


MESSAGE :

"But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” Matthew 8:27

Are you currently in a state of perplexity? Does it seem as if the devil has vowed to sink the boat of your life? I have good news for you: he is only joking. Why? One reason why the boat of your life cannot sink is because all the elements, wind, storm and waves working against your boat were created by God, and they must hear His voice and obey Him. The disciples could not believe their eyes when they saw the manifestation of this. Jesus spoke to the contrary wind and the waves of the sea and they obeyed him. This season, everything working contrary to your boat and sail will hear the voice of the Master and beat a retreat in Jesus’ Name.

Everything God has created treats His voice with fear and awe. According to today’s reading, this voice is so powerful and awesome that there is no one and nothing that can withstand it. When the Lord speaks, thunder and lightning follow (Isaiah 30:30). When He speaks, the world beholds the true majesty of God. When He speaks, mighty cedar trees are split in pieces. When He speaks, the hottest of fires is cooled. When He speaks, the earth shakes and the wilderness quakes. When He speaks, hidden secrets are exposed and the impossible became possible. What can resist God’s voice? Nothing in or out of this world can!

Today, the Lord will speak into your situation and every force or power actively working against you will take their flight. Yes, when He speaks, everything standing in His way will have to give way. At a point in time, the Philistines gathered together to invade Israel like they had done in times past. Samuel cried to the Lord and the voice of the Lord sounded from heaven to roundly defeat them. They never invaded Israel again after this (1 Samuel 7:8-13).

As God speaks into your situation today, the speed at which your oppressors will disappear will be quite amazing. Look around you today, what are those things that have refused to let you go forward? Call on the Lord to speak into your situation now and there shall be change. The Lord will speak into your life, family, work place, finances and academics today, and all your enemies shall scatter.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, Lazarus heard Your voice and he came out of the grave. Speak into my life and let every opposing circumstances be silenced now. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 46-47;
Isaiah 57



HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR 

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

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.

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

agongajoseph:
that's Zuma with d 5 and 6 fingers bros

oh! tnx for d correction

DESTINY41:
That's not Mugabe oh

That's Zuma of SA

oh! tnx for d correction

a beg make she go collect her free accommodation for kirikiri

oh God! we ate going to miss dat 5&6 fingers

Jesus! people no longer have conscience. may d souls of the dead hunt the killers till they meet their own gruesome death. Rip to the dead

I think a heart to heart talk might solve dis. try to find out wat u have been doing before dat it was sweet dat u are no longer doing. or wat u are doing wrong dat is making her not wanting sex again, dat u want to make amend cos dis thing is killing u inside

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday March 10, 2017

WHEN GOD LOSES A BATTLE 

Memorise : Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.- Psalm 24:8

Read: Acts 7:57-8:4

7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.


MESSAGE :

For quite a long while in times past, I usually said that the Lord of Host never loses a battle, but quite recently, the Lord corrected me and said, “Son, I can lose a battle to win a war. I never lose a war.” According to His divine wisdom, when it pleases the Lord, He can choose to lose a battle in order to win a war. He can give up a battle, but He has never lost a war. We need to tap into this divine wisdom and apply its principle in our lives. It’s all about looking at the bigger picture. You will gain more from winning a war than from winning a battle. You will also lose more when you lose a war than when you lose a battle. Some people are not ready to lose any battle, and as a result, they lose the war that is more crucial.

Take for instance, evangelism. If you go to preach to an individual about Christ and an argument ensues, you are faced with the choice of winning a battle (the argument) or winning the soul of the sinner (a war). If you choose to win the argument, you will most likely lose that soul. This is why you should not get involved in arguments when preaching the gospel to unbelievers. Time to evangelise is not a time to argue about whose religion is more superior. Faith in Christ Jesus is more than just a religion. Simply tell the sinner about Jesus and God’s love towards him or her. Share your salvation experience with him or her. Stir up his or her interest in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit will do the necessary work of conviction. After playing your part, you can then invite the person to surrender his or her life to Christ.

When you observe that God is seemingly losing a battle or battles, it is because there is a bigger war He wants to win. For instance, in the midst of intense persecution of the early Church, God allowed His beloved Stephen to be martyred. Why did He allow this? It’s because He wanted to win the war of saving the ring leader of Stephen’s murderers, Saul. Through Saul, He planned to convert whole cities and to virtually turn the world upside down, and He succeeded in this (Acts 17:6). At the end, it became a double gain for the Lord as Stephen had a triumphant entry into Heaven while Paul, who supervised his martyrdom, became a mightier instrument in the hand of God for the salvation of souls on a massive scale across the globe. This testimony about Paul in Acts 19:26 show the awesomeness of God’s wisdom:

“Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:”

Anytime you follow God’s wisdom, you will know when to lose a battle in order to win a war. 

PRAYER POINT :
Father, teach me to give up the battle that will enable me to win the most crucial wars.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 44-45;
Isaiah 56


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

up Barcaaaa

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Thursday March 9, 2017

YOU ARE BLESSED

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

Read: Genesis 1:26-30

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

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

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

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

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


MESSAGE :

God’s voice is so powerful that it can bring about abundant increase. When He speaks in a situation of lack and acute shortage, whatever is responsible for that anomaly is arrested and there is bountiful provision. An example of this can be seen in the lives of the children of Israel. In Genesis 46:26-27, we read that all the people that Israel brought with him into Egypt including Joseph and his family were 70. However, when they were leaving Egypt, the men alone were numbered at 600,000 (Exodus 12:37).

In fact, the Israelites’ rate of multiplication in Egypt was so rapid that it became a source of worry to the Egyptians (Exodus 1:7-10). Sometimes, we think that such miracles can only occur in Bible times. By the grace of God, in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, we have seen God’s faithfulness demonstrated in the area of multiplication. In 1952, the Church started with about 12 people. By the time I became the general overseer in 1981, we had only 40 parishes including the headquarters. The convention we had in 1980 had a little over 600 people in attendance, yet we thought that was quite large. Today, through the grace of the Almighty God, this same Church has spread to over 174 nations of the world! Why? It is simply because there is a God who can speak from Heaven to make something little increase abundantly. This shall be your portion today in Jesus’ Name!

A blessing summons all the forces in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth to help an individual to succeed. To bless someone, you have to open your mouth to declare it. When God blesses you, all the angels of God will assist you, and even demons will fight one another to clear the way for you. In Genesis 48:8-20, Joseph, while visiting his father Jacob with his two sons, carefully guided his father to rest his right hand on the head of the elder son, Manasseh, and to rest his left hand on Ephraim the younger. At this time, Jacob was old and sick, and could no longer see. When Jacob crossed his hands over the two boys, Joseph protested but Jacob insisted, saying the younger will be greater than the elder, and then he blessed them. Within a short period of time, the younger son had become 10 times more blessed than his elder brother (Deuteronomy 33:17).

This is what the declaration of a divine blessing can do in the life of a person. Ask God to declare His blessings on you. You can also seek the declaration of blessings from a father that is connected to God.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, from today, let me experience Your blessing of multiplication in every area of my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 42-43;
Isaiah 55



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 HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday March 8, 2017

LIKE ABRAHAM?

Memorise : And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel, on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an alter unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. - Genesis 12:8

Read: Genesis 12:7-8

12:7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.

12:8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.


MESSAGE:

One crucial question that many people asking God to prosper them have not answered is: what will you do with the wealth you are asking for? While some people are sure of what to do with such wealth, many others are not so certain. Why do you want God to prosper you? Is it so that you can have multiple spouses, build multiple houses or buy a multitude of cars? If you really desire great wealth from God, what you plan to do with it to bring glory to His Name must not be far from you. May you have the right reasons, motives and goals that will be honoured by God in Jesus’ Name!

Let us consider the case of Abraham our spiritual father. After God promised to bless Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and repeating the same promise in Genesis 12:7-8, what did Abraham do? Abraham immediately built an altar and worshipped God. Note that at this time, all Abraham had was God’s promise; there was no blessing yet. In other words, he was saying, “for promising to bless me at all, You deserve my worship.” Down the line, in Genesis 13:1-4, after the blessings started pouring in, Abraham did not forget his resolve to worship God. He travelled quite some distance to an altar he had earlier built at Bethel to worship God. By the time you get to Genesis 22:1-18, although Abraham had become truly blessed, he still proved to God that he loved Him more than any blessing he had received from Him, including Isaac his beloved son. When God saw all these, He was so impressed that He released greater blessings on him; hence, Abraham’s servant could testify that God had greatly blessed Abraham (Genesis 24:34-35). From the onset, Abraham was focused on worshipping God. As the blessings came, He remained committed to worshipping God. For this reason, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 51:2 instructs us to learn from him:

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

Not many of us are like Father Abraham. When you allow the little blessings you received from God to derail you from the faith, how can you then convince God to give you more? If you truly want the exponential blessings that God has reserved for you, you must have a solid plan for how you will glorify Him with such wealth. How are you spending the little you have now?

KEY POINT :
God has a plan for how you should spend every provision He makes available to you. Make it a point of duty to always ask Him to reveal this to you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 40-41;
Isaiah 54



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 HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday March 7, 2017

MULTIPLY YOUR SEEDS 

Memorise: In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.- Ecclesiastes 11:6

Read: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

11:2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

11:3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

11:4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

11:5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

11:6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.


MESSAGE :

One law that applies to everyone is the law of harvest. The Holy Spirit in Galatians 6:7 says it is what you sow that you will reap. As a universal law, it holds true irrespective of your religious inclinations, race, colour or tribe. It applies, regardless of whether you believe it or not. Similarly, it is common knowledge that the kind of soil a seed is sown in will definitely affect and determine the harvest that will be taken from it. If the soil is good, the harvest will most likely be good, but if the soil is bad, the harvest will most likely be poor. If there are several farmers sowing the same type of seeds in the same kind of soil, is it possible for one farmer to have a more prosperous harvest than his colleagues? The Bible answers this in 2nd Corinthians 9:6

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

It is possible for one of the farmers to reap a better harvest, if he or she increases the quantity of seeds sown or the frequency of sowing. In light of this, the preacher strongly advises us to engage in regular sowing of seeds. You should be prepared to sow by day and by night. You should also sow when you are young and continue sowing when you are old. Why? Nobody can determine how the harvest of the seeds he or she has sown will be. Some seeds may come up with a poor harvest, some with a good harvest while some others may not yield at all. All these are pointers to the fact that you input can greatly influence your harvest.

Some people sow once in a very long while and then wait to see the harvest before deciding to sow again. This is why their harvest is kept far away from them. Do you know that in spite of all God has done for us – He sowed His only begotten Son to obtain our redemption – He is still sowing seeds for mercy, love, forgiveness, protection, provision, etc into our lives on a daily basis? This is why He continues to take in a harvest of souls every day. No wonder He tells us in Galatians 6:9

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

How frequently do you sow into God’s Kingdom? Have you stopped sowing because you are now old? Don’t stop sowing! Scatter your seeds today!

ACTION POINT :
Looking at the size and quality of harvest you want for the future, go ahead and sow the seeds that will give you such harvest.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 38-39;
Isaiah 52:13-53:12



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]

can someone pls give me his number, let me call him to confirm if its true

paedophiles

Only God knows who is telling d truth

This guy is just trying to stay relevant, but unknowingly rubbishing himself. Big mouth

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Monday March 6, 2017

STEALING AND LYING

Memorise : Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.- Hebrews 12:1

Read: 2nd Kings 5:20-27

5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

5:21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?

5:22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

5:23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

5:24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

5:25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.


MESSAGE :

Holiness is so integral to the person of the Holy Spirit that the word “holy” is attached to His Name. You cannot live the Christian life without having a relationship with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9); but to have a good relationship with the Holy Spirit, you need to understand that He detests sin. Part of His assignment in this world is to liberate you from the power of sin and to help you live above it (John 16:8, Romans 8:2, Galatians 5:16). Two sins entangling a lot of Christians today and fast eroding their character are stealing and lying. Stealing has its origin in covetousness and it leads to betrayal. The life of Judas Iscariot, a man who walked with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, is a case study of this (John 12:6).

Today, due to covetousness, even ministers of God are stealing from the Church purse, thereby betraying the huge trust reposed in them by God. Have you been stealing from God or from men? Repent, restitute and turn a new leaf today (Ephesians 4:28)!

In today’s Bible reading, Gehazi lied to Naaman and received the gifts his master had rejected. Thereafter, his master sent for him and asked him where he had been. He lied again saying he went nowhere. He however did not get away with that lie. There are lies you tell and it may appear you got away with them, but there are also lies you will tell that will leave their sting on you perpetually. Gehazi lied to his master and his master and his life changed negatively and irreversibly from that day. Similarly, Ananias and Sapphira may have told lies in the past and escaped the consequences. However, on the day they lied to Peter, they never lived to tell another lie (Acts 5:1-10). If you consider the punishment that followed the supposedly “little” lie of this couple, many people would be of the opinion that it far exceeded their offence. Why? It is because they see lying as a regular, common sin that is inconsequential if weighed on a scale with “heavier” sins like murder. This is why many people engaged in it, even those who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

Some people have even categorised lies by colour and size! If God could bring leprosy on Gehazi and kill Ananians and Sapphira because of lies, it means that He does not take lies lightly as we do. God even says He will exclude all categories of liars from the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:8, Revelation 21:27). Run away from lies and embrace Jesus Christ, the Truth!

ACTION POINT :
That seemingly harmless lie has grave repercussions that you may not see today. Ask God for grace to flee from every lie.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 36-37;
Isaiah 51:17-52:12


HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

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

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

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

Chorus:

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

Chorus:

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

Chorus:

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

Chorus.

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Sunday March 5, 2017

HE BEARS BURDENS 

Memorise : Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. - 1st Peter 5:7

Read: Matthew 27:27-32

27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

27:32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross


MESSAGE :

In Exodus 1:8-11, a generation of the children of Israel woke up one day and realised they had become slaves in a foreign land. From that moment, their children were born into slavery. Slavery became a burden that was attached to them for hundreds of years. Has something unsavoury been attached to you from birth? The Lord shall separate you from such burdens today in Jesus’ Name! Thankfully, just as there are burdens, there are also burden-bearers.

A burden-bearer is someone who sees you carrying some burden and offers to carry it for you, or gives you a helping hand. We see this demonstrated in today’s Bible reading. While leading Jesus to Golgotha where He would to crucified, the Roman soldiers made Him carry His heavy wooden cross. Even though He had been thoroughly beaten, was bleeding and was tired, He still had to carry his cross. As they began the journey, Simon of Cyrene came alone and he was compelled by the soldiers to assist Jesus in carrying His cross.

Some years ago, we had an experience with one of our domestic workers. Whenever we ask her to suggest a chorus during our family devotion, she would always raise a particular song that says, “The fire is burning the bush but the bush is not consumed, how great is our God.” One day, we curiously decided to find out about this fire she kept singing of. On interviewing her, we discovered that she became a housemaid because her parents were heavily indebted and could not pay. By the grace of God, we paid the debt. The following day, when asked to suggest a chorus during prayer time, she sang a new song which proclaimed “He has done it for me!” if you have carried a burden for so long and the burden gets lifted away, your song will indeed change.

The burden-bearer is the one who sees you carrying a burden and empathises with you. He comes to say to you that the load you are carrying is too heavy for you, and then offers to help you. There is no greater burden-bearer than then the Lord Jesus Christ! He wants to help you carry any load you are struggling with. Here is His call to you today:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Accept His invitation, and call Him for help.

ACTION POINT :
Confess those words to the Lord: Lord Jesus, I answer to Your call, I bring all of my burden to You. I lay them all at Your feet. I ask that You give me rest. Teach my heart to learn to cast all of my cares upon You in Faith, and to live in worry.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 34-35;
Isaiah 51:1-16


HYMN2 : WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Saturday March 4, 2017

IS JESUS IN YOUR BOAT?

Memorise : Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.- Proverbs 3:5

Read: Matthew 8:23-27, Psalm 37:3-5 

8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Psalm 37:3-5
37:3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

37:5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.


MESSAGE :

Have you ever been on a journey and the opposition against your progress was so intense that you felt you would never get to your destination? If your answer is yes, then know that you are not alone. Life is like embarking on a journey to a destination. Every trip has its obstacles and hurdles. While on a journey, the disciples of Jesus once found themselves in this kind of tough situation. It was so bad that they felt their boat was going to sink. In fact, water was already entering their boat, and going by all they saw, it appeared nothing could be done. If you are facing a similar situation today, simply make this confession to yourself: my boat cannot sink, I shall reach my goal and nothing can stop my trip!

Why will my boat not sink? The reason is because Jesus Christ is in the boat of my life. Nobody and nothing can “swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies”, a song-writer declared. The greatest mistake you can make is to embark on a journey without Jesus in your boat. It is important to note here that you should have Jesus Christ in the boat of your life, which you can do by receiving Him as your Lord and personal Saviour. In addition to this, you should also have Him in the boat of your endeavours. Do you know that if Jesus is in the boat of your life but not in the boat of your personal endeavours, these projects or plans can sink?

Many believers today take it for granted that because they are saved, automatically they will scale through any rough waters, including projects in which they never involved the Lord. This is not faith but presumption. If you are a believer in Christ and you go ahead to start a business, a home or a career without God’s involvement, you are on your own. This is why the memory verse of today says you should trust God and not depend on your own limited understanding. Even when Jesus appears to be asleep in your boat, as long as He is in your boat, He is still in control. Hence Psalm 121:4 says,

“Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Is God silent over your situation? Does it appear that He is unaware of what you are going through? Do you feel abandoned by God or even doubt whether He really loves you? Be comforted! God still loves you. He cares so much for you. He empathises with you in that present situation you are faced with, and He will surely make a way for you. In spite of how you feel, God is still in control. In spite of how distant God appears to be, God is right in the middle of your situation to bring you out.

It does not matter what is happening around you, the Lord is in control. Very soon, you will testify of His intervention.

KEY POINT :
Any Faith you exercise that is full of hope and great expectations but puts Jesus at the back burner is presumption and not faith.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 32-33;
Isaiah 49:24-50:11

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Friday March 3, 2017

DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO GOD

Memorise : For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

Read: John 3:16-17 

3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.


MESSAGE :

Our Heavenly Father expects us all to grow in our Christian faith (2 Peter 3:18). If you refuse to grow, you may end up keeping God in an endless state of waiting for you to grow. Unfortunately, while God waits for you to grow, you may end up losing certain crucial things to others who grow up faster. For how long will you remain a babe? How long do you expect God to wait for you? Keeping God waiting can definitely affect His original plan for the life of some of His children. The night is far spent, and the Lord’s return is around the corner; therefore we cannot afford to slow down the growth process.

Your level of maturity determines the level of relationship you have with God, and in turn, the level of your relationship determines the communication channels that are open to you from heaven (Numbers 12:6-. It also determines your understanding of and response to God’s word. As a result of this, you can expect different responses to the same word from God by different children of God. Take for instance, if you tell three Christians at different maturity levels that God loves them, they will see it in different ways. When a baby Christian hears “God loves you” he will rejoice because this reminds him of his triumphant state. He will remember Romans 8:37 which says,

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”

When you tell an adult Christian “God loves you”, he will inquisitively ask why you are saying this to him, because this reminds him of responsibility: for whosoever the Father loves, he chastises (Hebrew 12:6). On the other hand, when you tell a bone-cracking Christian “God loves you”, he will be a lot more apprehensive. He will say “Amen; may God have mercy.” He is saying this because it reminds him of sacrifice: for whosoever the Father loves, He sacrifices (Genesis 22:2, Ephesians 5:2). God the Father was so pleased with Jesus that He sacrificed Him to redeem the world (John 3:16).

When God wanted to prove to the world that there was no God above Him, what did He do? He sent His outstanding sons, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, into fire. When He wanted to show His supremacy over lions, what did He do? He allowed His loved Daniel to go into the lion’s den. How will you respond now when I say to you that God loves you? Can God trust you enough to send you to tough assignments that will bring honour and praise to His Name? 

ACTION POINT :
God can be patient, but not to the detriment of His timetable. Wherever you need to say “yes” to God, do it now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 30:31;
Isaiah 49:8-23

Lifestone:
T1his is good. Again this is a convincing proof that crime does not pay, one way or the other, you will pay, in this case he paid the altimate price. His charms failed him and he died laying down there like a goat.
I must commend the efforts of the Nigerian police for recapturing this beast dead, Kudos to them.

yeah! dis is wat I call quick dispensation of justice

The police said they caught them with evidence but not that they made confessional statement to the killing of Okebata. Na wah o, am still waiting to see the body of Vampire they said they killed, or else idonbelieveit

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE : THURSDAY 2nd MARCH 2017

THEME : THE COMFORTER

Memorise:

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26

Read: 2nd Corinthians 1:3-10

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

MESSAGE:

In addition to knowing God as the Father and as the Son, you also need to know Him as God the Holy Spirit. There are many marvellous things to know about the Holy Spirit. For example, He is the Source of our power (Acts 1:, a wonderful Teacher (John 14:26) and a Revealers of secrets and of the future (John 16:13). Although all these characteristics are wonderful, one characteristics I find so fascinating is that He is the Comforter (John 14:26). If you have experienced Him as the Comforter, you will be able to comfort others in their time of distress (2nd Corinthians 1:4). If you have not experienced sorrow, you cannot be of much use in comforting the sorrowful. When we encounter tragedies and sorrowful situations, the best people can do is to say comforting words like “take heart”, “sorry”, etc. in such situations, the ministry of the Comforter is needed to heal the hurt felt deep inside. Are you presently going through a sad circumstance? Are you so sorrowful that all human attempts at comforting you have failed? The Holy Spirit will reach out and comfort you today in Jesus’ Name.

In times of sorrow, people do not expect some of us who occupy certain positions to express sorrow. This should not be so. I once visited a family who suffered a great loss, and I began to shed tears after seeing what they were going through. Some people began to say, “You are the General Overseer, you are not supposed to cry. We have come here to comfort those who are mourning; we should not be mourning.” I simply told them, “Leave me alone. In a similar situation, Jesus wept. If Jesus can weep, I am free to cry also.” One of my sons lost his mother, and it was extremely difficult to comfort him. His mother had suffered to train her three children and these children had plans to take good care of her. She however passed on while they were still trying to find their feet. This brother began to ask God why He called his mother home at a time when they had not been able to do anything for her. The Lord simply replied, saying “Your mother has come to be with Me. Can you take better care of her on earth than I am doing here in Heaven?” On hearing these words, he dried his tears, apologised to the Lord and moved on. Are you in a situation where you need the comfort of the Holy Spirit? He will reach out and touch you today. He will dry your tears, calm your fears and give you a greater hope.


Action point:

Pray for believers going through sorrow everywhere, asking that they receive the soothing of the Comforter.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 28:29 and Isaiah 48:12-49:7,

AUTHOR : Pastor E. A ADEBOYE .

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Wednesday March 1, 2017

SOWING IN TEARS

Memorise : They that sow in tears shall reap in Joy. - Psalm 126:5

Read: Psalm 126:5-6

126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.


MESSAGE:

More often than not, we associate sowing with giving of money. For this reason, some people who do not have money believe they do not have anything to sow. This is far from the truth! If you do not have money, you can sow your time or talents into the work of the kingdom. Be it through praying, using your natural talents or your acquired skills/training, there is no one who has nothing to sow. Even if all you can do is smile, you can apply this in making new comers to church feel welcome. If you are a dramatic person, use it for the propagation of the gospel. Everyone has something to sow; all you need to do is to identify what you have. Romans 12:6-8 says,

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, or exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”

When you sow a seed in tears, you will reap its yield in joy. Moreover, what you reap will be determined by what you have sown. You can sow towards the salvation of a loved one, telling God that he or she must not go to hell. To this end, you can sow prayers, fasting and witnessing to the fellow. The day such a soul eventually becomes saved; you will definitely reap the joy of heaven (Luke 15:7).

I cannot forget the wife of one of my friends; I was his best man at their wedding. My friend’s wife would say to me, “Please give your life to Christ and be born again.” But I would tell her “I am already a Christian, and my Christian name is Enoch.” She would reply, “That is not what I am taking about”, and then she would begin to cry. I would look at her and wonder what was wrong with her, saying “I am not the worst fellow around; at least you can ask your husband. He knows I am a good person. “However, she kept on praying and crying, sowing in tears for my salvation. Today, she is now laughing. When last did you sow towards the salvation of a loved one – family or friend? Some of us attempt to preach to such a fellow once or twice, but after being rebuffed, we say “I have done my best; if you like, refuse to repent. Your blood can no longer be required from my hands.” Yes, you have made attempts, but you have not yet done your best. You have to keep at it, and in Jesus’ Name, you will reap in joy.

ACTION POINT :
The salvation of some people requires great sacrifice. Ask God for the grace to pay the required price of the salvation of all your loved ones.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 27;
Isaiah 47:14-48:11,

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Tuesday February 28, 2017

IMPEDIMENTS TO PRAYER

Memorise : If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: - Psalm 66:18

Read: Isaiah 59:1-4 

59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

59:4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.


MESSAGE:

The fact that God answers prayers is without doubt. Anytime you call on Him, as long as it is in the Name of Jesus, you can be sure the answer will come. Jesus in John 14:14 said,

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

To God, answering prayers is a question of keeping His word. He said if you call upon Him when you are in trouble, He will deliver you, and He is bound by His word (Psalm 50:15, Hebrews 6:18). There was once a contest between the prophet of God, Elijah, and 450 prophets of an idol called Baal (1 Kings 18:19-24). Each side was to call on their God or god; the goal was to see which side would receive a response by fire. The prophets of Baal called on their god from morning till afternoon, but there was no answer. The moment the man of God called on the Lord, fire fell from heaven. God is still in the business of answering prayers, but are you still in the business of obeying Him? Be assured that God is still in the business of stilling raging storms. If you remove iniquity from your heart, you will call on Him and He will answer and deliver you.

As much as God desires to answer your prayers, if you still enjoy a life of sin, your prayers cannot be answered. We must make conscious efforts to remove all impediments to our prayers. Such impediments include what the Bible describes as

“the sin which doth so easily beset us" (Hebrews 12:1)

The pleasures of the flesh run against God’s expectations (Galatians 5:17). Such pleasures will not allow us to receive answers to our prayers. We must be weary of gossip because there is great danger in every idle word we speak (Matthew 12:36). Jesting should also be avoided (Ephesians 5:4). Jesting refers to unholy jokes. God is not against laughter and humour as some people wrongly believe. He is pleasantly humorous, but we must keep ourselves from unhealthy jokes that hinder holy living or make fun of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is not just looking for those who are calling on Him for miracles and signs; He is searching for those who will lift up holy hands and a pure heart before Him (Psalm 24:3-5). He is looking for those who are ready and committed to walking in His footsteps. God is holy, and He has called us to holy living. We are to do as He commands because we are the light of the world. God in Heaven is glorified when our light shines in the midst of the darkness of this world. If you don’t want any impediment to your prayers from now on, you must amend your ways. If you have been stealing, repent and steal no more. If you have been involved in questionable transactions and dealings, you have to repent and forsake such ways.

If your life is right with God, your prayers will not be hindered.

ACTION POINT :
Confess every pleasure of the flesh you have yield to, asking for grace to live above them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 25-26;
Isaiah 47:1-13

OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 2017

Monday February 27, 2017

SINCERITY

Memorise : In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity. - Titus 2:7

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 

2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

2:16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.


MESSAGE :

Insincerity is one of the greatest reasons behind the downfall of many believers today. Some people claim to love God, but the kind of fruit they manifest makes people question the genuineness of their salvation. Loving God is not just by words, it must reflect in all that we do and in our approach to life. The moment we are saved, we should no longer walk as those who are heading for eternal damnation. The word of God must be obeyed in its entirety. There are believers today who cherry-pick the aspects of the Bible they want to obey. This should not be so! After we are saved, it is expected of us to immediately renounce all the hidden things of dishonesty (2 Corinthians 4:2). We cannot afford to be careless in our Christian walk, because we have an adversary (1 Peter 5:.

To be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, we must be sincere with ourselves. One of the things that gave David victory over Goliath was his sincerity. Although King Saul offered David his armour, David was sincere enough to admit that he had never tried that approach (1 Samuel 17:38-39). His sincerity made him stick to his familiar strategy of using smooth stones and a catapult, rather than wasting his time on an untested line of attack that would not produce results.

Today, there are many ministers of the gospel who have abandoned the true gospel for a social message. They believe that people are not interested in hearing the truth. This is false! Some believe that if they preach the true gospel to people, they will find it very hard and most will turn away, hence, they water down their messages. Such ministers need to learn from Jesus (John 6:60-67). If Samson had been sincere with himself, he would not have died the kind of death he died (Judges 16:21-30). The devil had tested Samson several times and had found out that he had no wisdom. Samson knew he had a weakness for women, but he refused to admit it. He felt things would always remain as they were (Judges 16:20). If he was sincere, he would have built a wall of defence between himself and his weaknesses. He kept a relationship he knew God did not approve of. He kept visiting places he should not visit, just like some Christians today who visit bars; even though they know ungodly things happen there.

Are you finding it difficult to stop stealing, yet you still join others in counting offering money? Are you finding it difficult to keep your eyes off your female secretary, despite speaking in tongues, and yet you have not eased her out? Are you competing with the grace of God in other people’s lives, despite the fact that God has told you your own area of strength? If any of these describes you, then you are not being sincere with yourself!

PRAYER POINT :
Father, grant me the grace to sincerely deal with every weakness in my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 24;
Isaiah 46

okay Nah, no more fakeness in d house

okay Nah, no more fakeness in d house