OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

*DATE: SUNDAY 29TH DECEMBER, 2019.*

*THEME:: SONGS OF TRIUMPH.*

*MEMORISE:*
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3

*READ:* Exodus 15:1-11 (KJV)

1Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

2 The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

3 The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.

5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Open Heaven for 2019 – So

*MESSAGE:*
Today’s Bible reading records a classical song of triumph that Moses and the Israelites sang after overcoming the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s forces.

After they were liberated from the shackles of slavery in Egypt, the children of Israel were faced with the greatest battle of their lives when they found themselves trapped between the Red Sea before them and Pharaoh’s army behind.

At that moment, they fell into a state of despair and murmured against Moses and His God, who took them by His mighty hands out of the land of Egypt. They forgot all the mighty works His did to bring them out, so much so that He killed all the firstborns of Egypt.

However, God had mercy on them, and He overthrew Pharaoh’s plan to return them into slavery.

After witnessing God’s great intervention on their behalf, songs of triumph filled their mouths and they began to sing, even without any rehearsals.

I prophesy to a user of this devotional today: you will experience a victory over your enemies that will put new songs of triumph in your mouth in Jesus’ Name.

David faced so many battles in his life, but at the end of every battle his songs were always songs of triumph.

For example, he sang in Psalm 124:1-3 , saying;

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:”

Beloved, you also can sing many songs of triumph provided you choose the correct ally in the battles of life.

Our God is a specialist in all forms of warfare – be it ground, underground, marine, underwater or air warfare, it doesn’t matter to Him. What He did with Pharaoh and his hosts is a good example of his marine and submarine warfare capabilities.

The battle He fought for the Israelite's in 1st Samuel chapter 7 is an example of His ground warfare abilities.

In Exodus 9:18-25 , He showed His ability to fight from the air by sending hailstones upon the Egyptians.

Describing the mightiness of God in battle, the Holy Spirit said Isaiah 12:5-6:

“Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”

So, if I were you, I would ensure that this God, who is mighty in battle, is my ally, and I would surrender every battle of my life to Him to fight in His own way. Do this today, and you will always have songs of triumph to sing.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, I come to You today, please be my Ally in the battles of life, and give me new songs of triumph over all my enemies, to the glory of Your Name.

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye , the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical
Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 8-12, Malachi 2:1-16,

HYMNAL: HYMN 13:
I AM A VICTOR

1. Yes, I know I am a victor
For the Bible tells me so
God made me more than a conqueror,
Much stronger than all my foes.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word.

2. Yes, I know I am a victor,
Stronger than demons I am,
To Satan I am a terror
I am free, o yes, I am.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word.

3. Yes, I know I am a victor,
Stronger than lack, poverty
All my needs Jesus provides for,
I have life abundantly.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word.

4. Yes, I know I am a victor,
Barrenness no more indeed
Fruitful is the God I live for
All my dreams shall be fulfilled.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word.

5. Yes, I know I am a victor,
By His strength I shall succeed
No more loss and no more failure
Glory to glory proceed.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word.

6. Yes, I know I am a victor,
No more sorrow, no despair
Jesus Christ is my own Succour
Tomorrow is joy and cheer.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word.

7. Yes, I know I am a victor,
Very soon I’ll reign with Him
His promise is my sure anchor
He’s coming to take me home.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word.

8. Jesus loves me and I love Him,
We rule this world together
As He is so right now I am
Hear me shout Halleluyah.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word.

9. Jesus loves me Halleluyah,
Hear me shout Halleluyah
Halleluyah, Halleluyah
Glory be to God on high.

CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word. You

How much is the 2020 edition

It depends Hard copy from redemption camp could be sold for 1k, the app I don't have idea for now bro

Ibklaye:
It depends Hard copy from redemption camp could be sold for 1k, the app I don't have idea for now bro

OK thanks bro

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 30TH DECEMBER 2019

THEME: BE WATCHFUL.

MEMORISE:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8

READ: 1 Peter 5:8-10

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

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

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

MESSAGE


The topic of today’s devotional is not a piece of advise that can be ignored; rather it is an express command to be taken seriously if we want to the finishing line in our Christian faith. In Matthew 26:41, during His hour of distress, our Lord said unto His disciple:

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

A quick lesson here is that temptation is a reality of life. The only way out of it is to watch and pray to ward off the tempter and his agents. Today’s Bible reading tells us why we must be vigilant and watchful: our adversary, the devil, is busy looking for whom to devour. He is described by the Lord as a thief with a threefold mission: to steal. Kill and destroy (John 10:10). In spite of the fact that we have an indomitable Ally in the person of our Lord, He himself laid down an example for us by watching and praying. We can therefore not do without being watchful and prayerful in our Christian calling.

What are we to watch out for? We need to watch out for the tempter’s tricks, some of which can take the form of lust of the flesh. Samson did not watch enough to see the ditch his flesh was leading him into. Even when his parents warned him against the Philistine maidens, he refused to heed their words of reason, choosing instead to follow the leading of his flesh. Judges 14:3 says:

“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.”

Another thing we must watch out for is the lust of the eyes. The world is full of abominable scenery nowadays. We must be careful of what we look upon and what we see around us. The unfortunate thing is that these horrible images are creeping into the Church nowadays- first to the pew and now to the altar. Lastly, we must watch out for the pride of life. Pride destroyed the devil and he is introducing it into people’s lives today to destroy them. The Church is becoming too flamboyant these days, and this is distracting us from our core assignment. Please don’t be caught in this trap of the devil. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 says:

“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”

Let all your actions be guided by sobriety and watchfulness, so that you don’t become a champion of yesterday.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, help me to live soberly in this perverse generation, and guide my feet not to be caught in the devil’s traps.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Songs of Solomon 1-4
Malachi 2:17-3:15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE.
1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

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

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: TUESDAY 31ST DECEMBER 2019.

THEME: YOU SHALL LAUGH LAST.

MEMORISE:
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5.

READ: Psalm 30:1-5 (KJV).

1 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

MESSAGE:
The story was told of two women married to two men who were closely related. The husband of the first woman got a very lucrative job, and within three years, he had built a house for his family of five.

Meanwhile, the husband of the second woman was not gainfully employed; he was just surviving by doing different menial jobs around. Unfortunately, because of her family’s good fortune, the first woman developed a negative attitude toward the second woman. The most disheartening aspect of this story is that these two women were worshiping in the same assembly. The rich woman taunted the other woman so much that she almost left her local church. As God would have it, the husband of the second woman got employed by a company, and six months down the line, the company where his relative worked was liquidated and sold to his new employers. The management of the buying company was magnanimous enough to absorb the workers of the liquidated company into their workforce, but at lower cadres compared to their initial designations.

So, the husband of the first woman had to manage with a subordinate position in the buying company, and he wasn’t happy when he discovered that the would be an assistant to his relative, and that his salary was 50% less than that of his relative, who was less than 6 months on the job. The ways of God are past finding out! I pray that this year will end with you laughing last in Jesus’ Name.
The laughter that is most desirable is the one that comes last, because Ecclesiastes 7:8a says:
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:”
Are you going through a trying period? The word of the Lord comes to you today from John 16:20 as follows:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
Are you living your life in wickedness? The Lord is also saying to you today in James 4:8b-10 :
“Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
He also says in Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
In other words, those who mourn in repentance for their sins and misdeeds will laugh last. Beloved, to be able to laugh last, you need to give your life to Christ today, and you will escape the everlasting agony of an eternity in hell. Jesus is holding out His arms to welcome you into His kingdom today. Run into His arms and you will discover joy and peace like never before.

ACTION POINT:
Take stock of how well you did in all aspects of your life this year, and thank God for bringing you thus far.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Songs of Solomon 5-8 Malachi 3:16-4:6.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.

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

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.

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

4 There shall be showers of blessing;
O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

5 There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

*��OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

*DATE: WEDNESDAY, 1ST JANUARY 2020.*

*THEME:: START EARLY*

*MEMORISE:*
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalms 90:12 (KJV)

*READ:* Ephesians:- 5:15-17 (KJV)

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

*MESSAGE:*
It is a New Year and many will have resolutions, goals and plans. I pray that all your good desires in this New Year will come to pass in the mighty name of Jesus.

Now, let me ask: How have your goals for previous years worked out? If you are not satisfied with your sincere answer to this question, then it means you need to change your strategy this year. It would be foolish to keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

Years ago, God asked me to sit and focus on a wall clock. While I was doing that, He suddenly spoke and said: Fools live by the year – they count the years, while wise people live by the day. Our memory verse says:

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

God went on to say that those who excel live by the minute. Make every minute count this year. Those who will excel this year will be those who are constantly looking at their watches – those who will not wait until the sun rises before they rise, nor until the cock crows before they start working on their dreams.

If you are wise, you will live by the minute. Who says that you cannot go beyond your own expectations for yourself this year? For you to achieve this however, you must live by the minute. You must also start early.

This year, you must serve God by the minute. One single minute away from God’s presence can be very, dangerous and may bring consequences that would last a lifetime. Serve God with all your heart and meditate on His word day and night.

This is not a year when you take your attendance in Christian fellowships for granted, but rather one in which iron needs to sharpen iron; when you have to be on fire for God every single minute.

I pray that you will have your best year yet this 2020, in the mighty name of Jesus. All your heart’s desires will be met by the Most High. You will serve Him with all your heart, and if Christ returns before the end of the year, you will make it to heaven in the mighty name of Jesus.

*KEY POINT:*
Start early and make every minute count.

*AUTHOR:* Pastor E.A. Adeboye , the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of
God.

*HYMN 1* – All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name

1. All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him, crown Him, crown Him,
Crown Him Lord of all!

2.Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God
Who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s rod,

3. Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line,
Whom David Lord did call;
The God incarnate. Man Divine;

4.Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,

5.Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet.

6. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,

7.O that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 2ND JANUARY 2020.

THEME: START EARLY II.

MEMORISE:

Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. Psalm 57:8

READ: Joshua 6:15

15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

2 Chronicles 20:20

20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

MESSAGE

Many times, people make plans for the day but are unable to complete them. Sometimes it is due to circumstances beyond their control, but most of the time, it is because they start their day late. I have discovered that the best way to achieve your goals in a day is to start when everyone else is still sleeping. At that time, you can work faster because there are fewer distractions. With God, a day starts in the evening; that is why in Genesis 1, you keep seeing “…..and the evening and the morning…..”. The day starts before the sun rises. If your day starts when it is still dark, then you are on the right track. Those who start their early usually turn out to be high achievers. Our Lord Jesus is a prime example of this principle. Mark 1:35 states:

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

This is the beginning of the year, so it is important that you start working on your goals early. While everyone is still getting themselves settled in the New Yea, you can have a head start by breaking down your plans for the entire year so that you can on them step by step. Certain countries win gold medals consistently at the Olympic Games primarily because they start preparing their athletes several years ahead for that one event.

Start working on your goals early. If you are a student, start studying from the beginning of the semester or term, not when the exam time-table is out. If you are an employee or business owner, start preparing well ahead for your deliverable. This principle is what separates the successful from the not-so-successful.

Start early this year.

KEY POINT:

Make up your mind today to imbibe the principle of starting early.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 4-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER.

1. All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
o Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3. All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

5. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame;
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 3RD JANUARY 2020.

THEME: PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR 2020.

MEMORISE:

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

READ: Psalm 37:3-5

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

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

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

PRAYERS

1. Father, thank you for keeping alive to see this new year. Go ahead and just thank God for all the journey mercies He gave you in 2019, all the times. He healed you, all the times He provided for you. Just give Him praise.

2. Father, in the new year, don’t me speed money for the devil. Don’t let me spend on sickness, court cases or anything that is evil.

3. Father, in this new year, grant all my heart’s desires and let my joy be full. Everything I lay hand upon according to Your will, let them be successful.

4. Father, in this new year, anytime I call on You, please answer me speedily.

5. Father, in this new year, take me to a higher level. Take me to a higher level of grace, a higher level of holiness, a higher level of anointing, a higher level of blessings. Lord just take me higher this year.

6. Father, in this new year, let me serve You like never before. Don’t let me ever let me draw back in serving You.

7. Father, if You return before the end of this year, don’t leave me behind. Let me reign with You in glory.

8. Father, everything that has given me sorrow in the past, ut an end to it in the new year. Put an end to loneliness, poverty, depression and everything that has been making me crying the past.

9. Father, in this new year, let Your promises concerning me come to pass speedily.

10. Father, let me fulfil Your purpose for my life in this new year.

11. Father, in this new year, let it be well with my family, my church and my country. Build a hedge of fire around us, let Your manifest presence never leave us, take disaster far from us and let Your blessings rest upon us this year.

12. Your special prayer request for the new year.

I join my faith with yours and pray that God will grant your requests in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Have faith that 2020 will be your best year yet.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 8-11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
o Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

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

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

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

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

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 4TH JANUARY 2020.

THEME: GRATEFUL HEART I.

MEMORISE:

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. I Chronicles 16:34

READ: Luke 17:11-19

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

MESSAGE:

God loves people who are always thankful. While others may get little gifts that makes them happy, He makes sure that the joy of the grateful is always full. In our Bible reading for today, all ten lepers were healed, but only the thankful one was made whole: every sign that he had ever been leprous was removed. I can imagine that anyone who had ever seen him prior to his healing would have found it hard to believe he had ever been a leper. The joy of the grateful one is always full.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

From the passage above, we see that the right way to come into the presence of God is to do so with thanksgiving. Some Christians just barge into God’s presence with their request as though He were their slave.no wonder many prayers go unanswered. When you come to Him, do so with thanks. Even if it seems as though everything is going upside down for you, thank Him for the fact that you are still alive. God cannot ignore a thankful heart. Once you get His attention, you can then present your request to Him. Many years ago, just before the commencement of a three-day crusade to start off the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja, Nigeria, I praying “Father, perform miracles today, show Yourself strong, heal the sick, raise the dead…..” when I suddenly hear God say ”Shut up!” Then He asked “Have you thanked me for all the miracles I have been doing in the past? For the next three days, I don’t want to hear any request from you- just thanks.”” This was very hard for me, but I tried to only give thanks to Him throughout the next three days.

After the crusade He said “Now, tell the elders to strengthen the foundation of the church because, while you have been experiencing some increase, now you will start experiencing multiplication!” We are still enjoying that multiplication till date.

KEY POINT:

Thanking God always brings greater benefits than presenting requests to Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 1-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND.
Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord, for He is kind.
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

He with all-commanding might
Filled the new-made world with light.
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

All things living He doth feed,
His full hand supplies their need:
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

He His chosen race did bless
In the wasteful wilderness:
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord, for He is kind:
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 5TH JANUARY 2020.

THEME: GRATEFUL HEART II.

MEMORISE:

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 107:1

READ: Psalm 100:1-5

1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

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

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

MESSAGE:

One of the ways in which Christians displease God is by being ungrateful for the things He has done for us. We take many of things for granted, whereas they are fundamental to our wellbeing. For example, if you are complaining that God did not give you new shoes, have you considered that, if you didn’t have legs, shoes wouldn’t be an issue.? Ingratitude displeases Him. Many years ago, after a power=packed crusade, I and my children kept talking about the great move of God in the car on the way back to the hotel where I was lodged. On getting to the hotel, the fellow on the passenger side got out quickly to open the door for me. I don’t know how my hand got in the way of his door, but as he slammed it shut, it hit my fingers and I tell you; it was painful. In my pain, I cried to God “why did you let this happen, Lord?” and He said “You kept talking about the miracles that happened in the crusade; did you even bother to say ‘thank you’ to me?” Then I said “Lord, I am sorry, thank You for Your great move during the crusade.” God expects you to be grateful at all times. He is also very jealous about His glory. Isaiah 42:8 says:

“ I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

There was another time when I displeased Him because I thought He had not done anything for me that merited thanksgiving, I began to lay out all the things I had expected in the course of the year but didn’t get. God interrupted me and asked “How many times did you travel this year?” I said “Many times.” How many times did you have an accident?” He asked. I responded None.” He continued “How many times did you sleep?” I quickly interrupted Him because I realized how ungrateful I had been.

I want your attitude to thanksgiving to be different from now. Make thanksgiving your lifestyle. Always look for reasons to thank God, no matter how you may feel.

ACTION POINT:

Write ten things you are grateful to God for and thank Him all through today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 6-9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: BE GLAD IN THE LORD AND REJOICE.
1. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
All ye that are upright in heart;
And ye that have made Him your choice,
Bid sadness and sorrow depart.
o Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice;
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.

2. Be joyful, for He is the Lord
On earth and in Heaven supreme;
He fashions and rules by His word—
The “Mighty” and “Strong” to redeem.

3. What though in the conflict for right
Your enemies almost prevail?
God’s armies, just hid from your sight,
Are more than the foes which assail.

4. Though darkness surround you by day,
Your sky by the night be o’ercast,
Let nothing your spirit dismay,
But trust till the danger is past.

5. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
His praises proclaiming in song;
Let gratefulness give all a voice,
The loud hallelujahs prolong!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 6TH JANUARY 2020.

THEME: POWER VS AUTHORITY I.

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: Luke 10:19-21

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

MESSAGE:

In science, we learnt that power is the ability to do work. It is the ability to get things done. Authority on the other hand is the right to get something done. To illustrate this, let’s say you lost your car key and then got someone to force it open. That person has ‘power’. However, you need to stay with the fellow while he is opening your car because if the police finds him there, he could get arrested, but with you present, you can prove that the car is yours and that you authorized him to open it.

Now, going by out illustration, who would you rather be- the fellow who has the power or the one with the authority?

It is quite unfortunate that many Christians are satisfied with just having power. They boast about how the devil no longer torments them. This is good, but why should you stop there when Jesus said that you are capable of so much more? Mark 16:17-18 says:

“ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

As a believer, you are not only meant to be healthy, you are meant to have so much authority over sicknesses and diseases that once they feel your touch, they would vanish immediately.

You may have the power of divine health, but perhaps you don’t yet have the authority to make someone else healthy. Receive that authority now in the mighty name of Jesus. You may have the power to make wealth, but not yet the authority to cause someone else to get his/her financial breakthrough. Receive that authority now in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:

Pray for spiritual authority over the mountains and challenges of your life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 10-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POW’R

1. All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!

2. Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!

3. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!

4. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 7TH JANUARY 2020.

THEME: POWER VS AUTHORITY II.

MEMORISE:

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19

READ: Mark 16:17-20

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

MESSAGE:

According to Acts 1:8, the moment you are baptized with the Holy Ghost, you have received power. But as we learnt yesterday, you need to go beyond the level of power to the level of authority. However, authority will only come when you go out to witness. That is why in Mark 16:17, Jesus said “And these signs shall follow…..” In other words, if you stay in one place- you won’t exhibit the signs, but if you go out to witness- the signs will follow you. Acts 10:38 says:

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Although Jesus had been anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power, He did not stop there; He “went about” and because He did, He was able to heal all that were oppressed of the devil.

Peter and John were amongst the seventy disciples that Jesus sent out on evangelism in Luke 10. While they had been unable to cast out demons before then, by the time they went out preaching the gospel and returned, the demons had become subject to them (Luke 10:17). Still they did not understand the secret of this authority they had over demons, so they stopped evangelizing. It was on the resumption of their evangelistic activities, after Jesus had left them, that they were able to make the lame man at the Beautiful Gate walk.

Many Christians pray that they should also be able to heal the sick and raise the dead, but God is wondering why. They don’t go out to witness, not even in their office or to their neighbors, so why do they need signs and wonders? The signs are for unbelievers to believe (John 4:48) so if you are not ready to witness to them, please forget about signs and wonders. They are reserved strictly for those who witness for Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT:

Go and preach the gospel.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 14-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER.
1. All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
o Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3. All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

5. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame;
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 8TH JANUARY 2020.

THEME: POWER VS AUTHORITY III.

MEMORISE:

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

READ: Mark 16:17-20

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

MESSAGE:

You can delegate authority, but not power. If you don’t know how to open a car door without its keys but attempt it anyway, you would end up damaging it. A man can be living in divine health, while his wife and children still take ill regularly. Until he gets authority over sickness, even if delegated, there is little he can do. Delegated authority however, always has an expiry date.

For example, the Minister of Justice gets his authority from the President of the nation. This authority is however subject to his/her continued stay in office as the Minister of Justice. A person who already has spiritual authority can delegate some of it to you. Delegated authority however, can only be retained and increased as you witness. Go out and share your testimony with others; tell people about this your God of wonders. The first miracle God performs through you should birth testimonies. If you however, do not tell others about what God did before and use that testimony to win them to Christ, what will be His encouragement to do more through you?

“………for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.” Mark 1:27

If you want lasting authority over sickness, demons, poverty and the like, then you must be addicted to soul-winning. Has God performed a great miracle through you based on the authority of an anointed man of God? Use that testimony to win souls to the kingdom. As you do so, more and more miracles will be happening through you, and very soon, you would not even need to refer to the authority of that man of God anymore, because God would now have given you your own authority. When Jesus gave His disciples authority over sicknesses and demons in Luke 10, it did not last because they stopped witnessing. When they resumed witnessing, they didn’t need any proclamation before the miracles began to flow again.

KEY POINT:

Authority can only be retained and increased as you witness about the Lord Jesus Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 17-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: I AM A VICTOR.
1. Yes, I know I am a victor
For the Bible tells me so
God made me more than a conqueror
Much stronger than all my foes

CHORUS
Jesus loves me and I love Him
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word

2. Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than demons I am
To Satan I am a terror
I am free, o yes, I am

3. Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than lack, poverty
All my needs Jesus provides for
I have life abundantly

4. Yes, I know I am a victor
Barrenness no more indeed
Fruitful is the God I live for
All my dreams shall be fulfilled

5. Yes, I know I am a victor
By His strength I shall succeed
No more loss and no more failure
Glory to glory proceed

6. Yes, I know I am a victor
No more sorrow, no despair
Jesus Christ is my own Succour
Tomorrow is joy and cheer

7. Yes, I know I am a victor
Very soon I’ll reign with Him
His promise is my sure anchor
He’s coming to take me home

8. Jesus loves me and I love Him
We rule this world together
As He is so right now I am
Hear me shout Halleluyah

9. Jesus loves me Halleluyah
Hear me shout Halleluyah
Halleluyah, Halleluyah
Glory be to God on high

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 9TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: CONTROL THAT ADDICTION

MEMORISE:
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Proverbs 25:28

READ: Proverbs 16:32

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

MESSAGE

When we talk about addiction, it is not only a matter of hard drugs. Anger is also something that many people find difficult to control in their lives. The Bible says those who don't have control over their anger are in the same category as those who say there is no God; they are all fools.

"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools."
Ecclesiastes 7:9

Another seemingly subtle addiction that needs to be controlled is lust. For some men, a lady cannot pass by without them feasting on her body with their eyes. Lust is dangerous as it is equal to adultery and Proverbs 6:26 says adultery will reduce the value of any man to a piece of bread.

Yet another one that needs to be controlled is inordinate ambition. It is good to be ambitious, but having so much ambition that it takes over your mind and your walk with God is dangerous. If you want a promotion so badly that you are willing to commit sin to get it, you need to put your ambition in check. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20 that treasures stored on earth will be destroyed or stolen but if you store up your treasures in heaven, if your ambitions are heaven-related, then you are on the right track. Your spending also needs to be controlled. Many people cannot keep money for a long time. As they get, they spend it. This attitude tends to poverty and must be controlled. Proverbs 21:20 says:

"There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up."

Many cannot control how much time they spend on social media. Whenever they pick up their phone, they can be on social media for the next one hour even when they have very important things to do. When they wake up in the morning, instead of praying, the first thing they pick up is their phone. Whatever you cannot control in your life is controlling you. Keep your body under subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, give me grace to put everything that should be controlled in my life under control.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Job 21-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: 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. Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
Tho' 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 HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.*

*DATE:* *FRIDAY 10TH JANUARY, 2020.*

*THEME:: JESUS LISTENS.*

*MEMORISE*:
If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:14

*READ*: Matthew 7:7-11 (KJV)

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?


*MESSAGE:*
You would most likely be required to book an appointment if you want to see a great person.

If you are lucky to get that appointment and finally get to see him/her, you must be brief because if you are not quick enough, he/she could leave you and move to something else.

Great people of this world can be like that, but my Jesus, in spite of being the greatest of all, is different. He listens.
Jesus is really busy; in spite of this, the moment He hears the voice of any of His children, He stops everything else He is doing and pays rapt attention to you like He did for Batimaeus in our Bible reading for today.

One thing that gives me joy is not just that He stops everything else that He is doing to listen to me, but that He listens to me alone at that particular time. Jesus could have asked all the blind people around that place to come together since He was about to heal the blind, but He called only Bartimaeus.

I want you to know that Jesus is never too busy to listen to you and you alone.

The problem is that most of us don’t call on Him. These days, we talk more about prayers that we actually pray. He is gentle. He will not,

He asked him what he wanted; He knew the history of the man at the pool of Bethesda, yet He asked him if he wanted to be whole.

A song writer said
“O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

Take everything to Him in prayer. Many times, we worry about our problems and complain, forgetting to mention them to God; no wonder they linger. Psalm 34:15 tells us:

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”

Are you feeling discouraged and depressed?
Talk to Jesus.

Are you anxious about something?
Talk to Jesus.

Are you experiencing a strong temptation that you just might fail?
Talk to Jesus.

He will leave everything else to listen to you; just talk to Him now.

*ACTION POINT*
Go before Jesus now and pour out your heart to Him. He will listen to you

*AUTHOR*: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE GENERAL OVERSEER OF THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD

*BIBLEIN ONE YEAR*: Job 24-28

*HYMN 20: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE*.

1 Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee;
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

2 Though, like a wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me,
My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

3 There let me see the sight,
An open heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,
In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

4 Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise,
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

50DAYS FASTING STARTS TODAY


OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 11TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: DON’T ASK FOR COOKIES.

MEMORISE:

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32

READ: Matthew 7:7-11

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

MESSAGE

Very long time ago, there was a wealthy but stingy man. Whenever his relatives came to ask him for money, he would tell them to go and work for theirs as he worked hard for his. But then, he loved children dearly. He could not refuse a child’s request. His family members discovered this and started to use it against him. Whenever they wanted anything, they would teach their children to make the requests and the rich man would give the children everything they asked for. One day, a relative visited with her child whom she had coached, but when the rich man turned to the child to ask “My dear, what do you want me to give you? The girl said “cookies.” The rich man knew that the child was not asking as taught, so he pretended not to hear, and went into his bedroom to give the mother a chance to teach her child again. The mother told the child to ask for land, money and cars. But when the rich man came out again and asked: “My dear, what do you want?” The child said “Cookies.” That day, the child and her mother went back home with cookies even though the rich man had been willing to give a whole lot more than that.

This is the situation with many Christians today. You have a Father who loves you so much and has promised to attend to all your requests. He just cannot say “No” to any of your requests, yet you ask for small things. Romans 8:32 says it expressly that if He gave His Son’s life for us, then what else could be too big for Him to give? John 15:7 says that as long as you are a true Christian, your will is His command.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

From today, instead of asking Him for transport fare, ask Him for your own chauffeur-driven car. Instead of asking for house rent, ask him for a mansion in the most expensive area of your city. He said whatever you ask for, He will give you. If you keep asking for transport fare, that’s probably all you will get.

KEY POINT:

God owns Everything in Heaven and on earth. Stop asking Him for mere cookies.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 29-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.
Nearer my God to Thee, Nearer to Thee!
E'en tho' it be a cross that raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Tho' like a wanderer,
The sun gone down, darkness be over me,
My rest a stone, yet in my dreams I'd be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Then let the way appear, steps up to heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,
In mercy given; angels to beckon me,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Then, with my waking thoughts, bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs, Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Or, if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon and stars forgot, upwards I fly,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 12TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.

MEMORISE:

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

READ: Genesis 13:14-18

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

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

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

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

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

MESSAGE

Years ago, I had some work to do abroad. I finished three days ahead of schedule, but my flight booking was the kind that could not be changed, so I had to wait for the next three days. I however had a challenge: I had run out of money but wanted to buy some books and tapes. So, I told God “Lord, it would be nice if I could get E50.” Before long the phone rang. Although it was a wrong number the fellow called, we got talking. When he discovered I was Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, he called his brother and within the next few hours, they were at my place. When they were leaving, they gave me E50.

I said “Lord, if I had known I would be that easy to get E50, I would have asked for another E50.” Shortly after that, I heard a knock on the door and when I got there, I met an envelope with E50 and a note from a rich man who had never given me anything before, saying “I just felt like giving you E50.” So again, I said, “Lord, I I had known it would be this easy to get another E50, I would have asked for more E50 more.” Before long, another E50 came and then I became afraid. Recently, God reminded me of this story and told me “If I could provide E50 so easily, why didn’t you ask for E5,000,000?” I realized the how I had seriously short-changed myself.

Oftentimes when you are celebrating the things that you have, God looks at you, wishing you had envisioned more. I remember thanking God for the old auditorium and calling it a lifetime achievement. He shut me up and said “That is the children auditorium.” Today, we are in a 3km by 3km auditorium by His grace and we are just starting. Beloved, no matter how blessed you are, God has more for you, if only your mind can believe it. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says:

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

ACTION POINT:

Write down your goals for this year, then scale them up by at least 100%. Present then to God and tell Him “Lord, this is what I want.”

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 32-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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

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

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

*��OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.*

*DATE: MONDAY 13TH JANUARY, 2020.*

*THEME:: TRUST GOD ALONE.*

*MEMORISE:*
Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Jeremiah 17:5

*READ*: Jeremiah 17:5-8 (KJV)

5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

*MESSAGE:*
Anyone who puts his trust in people is bound to get disappointed. People are often unpredictable and not always in control of their own feelings.

No matter how much integrity a person has built up, certain situations may make it impossible for such a person to do as they have earlier promised.

This is one lesson I learnt the hard way, especially when I became the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Another reason it is difficult to trust people is that a lot of people are not really who they portray themselves to be.

In the little time that I have spent on this earth, I have come across many great pretenders who pretend so well that if not for the Holy Spirit, you can never know who they are on the inside.

Thus, the Bible says in Psalm 118:8:

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

Believe me, no one can be trusted except God.

You think your Special Assistant can be trusted? Wait until things begin to get heated up and you would see another side of that same loyal servant. I laugh when I see wealthy men who put so much trust in their bodyguards.

How much can you pay a man with a family at home for him to take a bullet for you? You trust your accountant with your money? Fine, but lets pray the fellow never disappoints you.

Our God is a jealous God and the moment He sees that you trust someone so much, He finds a way to reveal the wickedness of that fellow and then you realize that the person cannot be trusted.

Instead of trusting people, trust the grace of God on their lives. This way, you acknowledge that the only way they would not misbehave is by the grace of God.

When God sees that you recognize it is only by His grace that a fellow will not disappoint you, then He will make that grace available. Put your trust in God alone.

ACTION POINT:
Trust the grace of God on people and not the people themselves. God alone is trustworthy.

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye , the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God , one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Job 35-37,

HYMN: 29: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.

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

2 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.

3 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 HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 14TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: THE POOR IN SPIRIT.

MEMORISE:

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

READ: Psalm 42:1-2

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

MESSAGE

To be poor in Spirit does not mean to lack Spirituality as many people think. Being poor is a state of mind. When a person is poor in Spirit, the fellow is hungry for the Spirit of God. Our memory verse says:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

To be poor in Spirit means that no matter how much you have grown spiritually, you still pant and yearn for more of God’s Spirit in you. Some people attain certain spiritual heights and begin to call themselves spiritual giants. The moment you start feeling like a giant in the things of God, your decline begins. Once I prayed for thirty-six hours non-stop, taking only bathroom breaks. I was feeling very good, believing that I had attained a great height spiritually. The next week, God arranged for me to hear of someone who prayed for thirty-two days non-stop. I was humbled. No matter how much you have done, you must still see yourself as a spiritual baby. Only babies depend *on* their parents for food; once you are a spiritual adult, then you are telling God “Don’t worry, Lord, I can take care of myself” and He will leave you.

Those who are not poor in Spirit enter into the trap of the devil. I remember visiting a country once and my host told me about a great man of God who came to minister sometime in the past. He said the power of God manifested mightily at the crusade so much so that dead persons kilometers away from the programme venue were raised and the sick were healed. Unfortunately, this man of God relaxed and stopped recharging his spiritual batteries. His end was not good at all.

You should be panting for His word and presence more than ever before. If you are not growing, then you are dying. If you used to come early to Church but now go late, your hunger for Him has reduced. If you used to pray one hour every day when you became born again and you still do same now, where is your growth? You need to get hungry for God.

ACTION POINT:

Reflect deeply and write down ways in which your hunger for God has waned. Begin to make amends from today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 40-42

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.
Nearer my God to Thee, Nearer to Thee!
E'en tho' it be a cross that raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Tho' like a wanderer,
The sun gone down, darkness be over me,
My rest a stone, yet in my dreams I'd be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Then let the way appear, steps up to heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,
In mercy given; angels to beckon me,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Then, with my waking thoughts, bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs, Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Or, if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon and stars forgot, upwards I fly,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 15TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: THE MOURNERS.


MEMORISE:


Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4


READ: Amos 6:1

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!


MESSAGE

To mourn is to be grieved by an occurrence. It means to be so concerned about something that deeply affects your emotions. Jesus in our memory verse today is saying that mourners are blessed. Are you a mourner? Are you grieved by the state of things in this world or are you indifferent? Sin is becoming normal in our world today and it is unthinkable that anyone will not mourn about this. Even the Church is now striving hard to be like the world. Didn’t the Bible say “Be ye separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17)? Do you mourn for the next generation? Social Media has exposed our children to all sorts of perversion these days and even teenagers are now well versed in sexual activities. Do you mourn that thousands are dying due to religious wars, and even little children are now being used as suicide bombers? Do you mourn for the state of things in this world? Psalm 34:18 has this to say:

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

If you are a mourner, what are you doing to make things better? How many souls have you preached to in the last one week? How many teenagers do you mentor, whether physically or virtually? Are you pursuing a political position so that you can make a change in your own way? At my age, I travel all over the world, trying to get as many people as I can to see the love of Jesus and accept Him into their lives. Today, I see many men of God, younger and stronger than I am, enjoying the comfort of their cities and the privileges of being the “man of God” when souls are perishing! I weep for this generation, not just because of those doing evil, but because of the indifference of Christians who should be making a change.

The encouragement is that Jesus said those of us who mourn will be comforted. I wish we could have more mourners in this generation.

Do not be one of those who are at ease in Zion.


PRAYER POINT:

Father, deliver this generation from the corruption of the devil in the mighty name of Jesus.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 40-42

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 20: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.
Nearer my God to Thee, Nearer to Thee!
E'en tho' it be a cross that raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.


Tho' like a wanderer,
The sun gone down, darkness be over me,
My rest a stone, yet in my dreams I'd be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.


Then let the way appear, steps up to heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,
In mercy given; angels to beckon me,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.


Then, with my waking thoughts, bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs, Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.


Or, if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon and stars forgot, upwards I fly,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 16TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: THE MEEK.

MEMORISE:

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5

READ: Psalm 37:11

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

MESSAGE

The word “meek”, within the context of our memory verse is best described as strength under control. To be meek in this sense then means to have power, yet decide not to use it just for the greater good. A meek fellow is one that the world would easily call a fool or mumu in my local parlance. A meek fellow is one whose toe you can step on yet still have him apologize. Matthew 11:29
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

From the above passage, we see that the yoke of Jesus Christ is one of meekness. You cannot claim to be a true Christian without being meek. If someone slaps you and you retaliate, check your Christianity. If someone offends you and because of that, you decided not to relate with the fellow again or withdraw some benefits from him, check your salvation.

Hard as it is to be meek in this generation, we must embody it in our lifestyle. The good thing is that meekness has immense benefits attached to it. The first benefit that meek people are the ones who will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). No matter how much you cheat them now, they are coming back to be your landlord. Secondly, God fights for the meek. The meek may look foolish because he has refused to fight for himself, but God is watching. A classic example is Moses. God fought for him, so much so that he was the one begging God to have mercy on his enemies (Numbers 12:1-13). Thirdly, the meek receives divine guidance from God (Psalm 25:9).

I know it may be difficult, especially with people taking you for granted, but don’t stop being meek. Soon, you will be ruling over those taking you for granted. If you stop being, meek now, you would lose all the benefits of your meekness just like Moses, who did not reach the promised land because of one episode of anger.

KEY POINT:

God fights for the meek.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 12-15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.
1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
all I have needed thy hand hath provided--
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 18TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: BE MERCIFUL.


MEMORISE:


Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7


READ: Matthew 18:23-35

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.


MESSAGE

According to our Bible reading for today, it is unwise for anyone not to have mercy on those who offend them. The mercy you enjoy from God is enormous (Lamentations 3:22-23), how can you then not show mercy, even if just a little, to those who offend you? Jesus expects you to forgive any and every offence that is committed against you. He clearly demonstrated this in His conversation with Peter in Matthew 18:21-22:

“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

It is foolish for you not to have mercy on those who offend you because you are only withholding mercy from yourself. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus taught His disciples thus:

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Another side to demonstrating mercy is to show compassion on others. Many people pray endlessly that God should solve their problems, whereas there are people around them whose problems they can solve, but they refuse to help them. God is saying in our memory verse that it is those who show mercy to others that He will be merciful to. Furthermore, Proverbs 21:13 says:

“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”

So you see now why it appears God does not answer some people’s prayers.

KEY POINT:

Show mercy if you want to enjoy same.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 19-21

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 18: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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

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

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

*��OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.*

*DATE: SUNDAY 19TH JANUARY, 2020.*

*THEME:: A PURE HEART.*

*MEMORISE:*
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

*READ:* Psalm 24:3-6 (KJV)

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

*MESSAGE:*
To be pure means to be of only one form, to be completely undiluted. God expects your heart to be so pure that nothing aside from Him can be found in it.

This is the standard for all children of God. Jesus, during His earthly ministry spoke about His purity in John 14:30 thus:

“…for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

Your heart is the most delicate part of your body. The quality of your spirit is dependent on the content of your heart, that is why Jesus said in Matthew 15:11:

“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”

And according to Matthew 12:34, it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

You need to guard your heart with all diligence and keep it pure at all times (Proverbs 4:23).

Keep it pure against malice, immoral thoughts, evil scheming and the like. It is what you expose the heart to that determines how pure it will be.

If you keep enjoying worldly songs and movies, your heart would be filled with the culture of the world. If you keep having dirty conversations, your heart would harbor dirty images.

The word of God is the cleaners of the heart. David said in Psalm 119:11:

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

The more of God’s word you study and consume, the purer your heart will be. Jesus said in John 17:17:

A sanctified fellow is someone with a pure heart and this is impossible without the word of God.

Believe me, if you don’t do regular in-depth Bible study, it will be difficult if not impossible for you to have a pure heart.

REFLECTION:
How often do you perform an in-depth personal Bible Study? Draw up a personal Bible Study plan today if don’t have one and ask the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you as you commit to it.

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical
Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 22:24,

HYMN 30:
WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD.

1. When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.

[Refrain]

3. But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.

[Refrain]

4. Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.

[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 20TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: CHILDREN OF GOD ARE PEACEMAKERS.

MEMORISE:

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

READ: Matthew 5:39-48

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

MESSAGE

A peacemaker is a person who pursues peace at all times. When the fellow is offended, his response to the offender is to ensure that peace reigns. Sometimes, they take all the blame and suffer some consequences, but they are happy at the end of the day because all they are after is peace. Also, when they see other people in a quarrel, they intervene to ensure that they make peace with each other. God loves these people so much; Jesus specifically said that they will be called the children of God. Of course, they will be called the children of God because Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.

Now, if the peacemaker is a child of God, then whose child is the troublemaker? When you always choose quarrels over peace, who do you resemble? A troublemaker may not know it, but he is not a child of God as he does not exhibit the character of God rather those of the devil. If whenever you see two people quarreling, you begin to say things that would fuel the anger of one or the other and cause the quarrel to become more heated, you are a troublemaker. If you are one who likes to cause quarrels amongst your colleagues, friends or family members, then you are a trouble maker; you need to repent and change your ways.

Many times, we want to make peace, but we don’t want to be seen as a weakling. The reverse is however the truth. It takes strength to control one’s ego, anger and work towards peace. Hence, it is a strong but wise person that will seek peace.

Whenever you’re tempted to fight, remember that unbelievers don’t read the Bible, hence it is we the Christians that model Christ to them. If you claim that the Prince of Peace lives in you and you are the quarrelsome type, many unbelievers will not want that your “Prince of Peace” to live in them. Secondly, making peace with others is one of the prerequisites to making it to heaven on the last day. Hebrews 12:14 says:

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”

KEY POINT:
Always choose peace.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 25-26

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 27: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE.
1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

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

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: TUESDAY, 21ST JANUARY, 2020.

THEME:: CHILDREN OF GOD ARE PEACEMAKERS II

MEMORISE:
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mathew 20:28

READ: Matthew 20:24-28 (KJV)

24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.

25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

*MESSAGE:*
The Holy Spirit made it clear that some of the prevailing characteristics of people living in the last days would be selfishness, self-centredness and inconsideration of others ( 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 ). But for those of us who are the elect of God, He says this to us:

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
Philippians 2:4

If you are fully focused on yourself and hardly think of others, you have been overtaken by the bug of the last days. If all your prayer points are centred on yourself and your family, you will need the further work of grace to sanctify you.

When you are filled with the compassion of Jesus, other people’s interests will be paramount in your heart. You will not want to offend them, and you will think more about their well-being.

You will also intercede for people with various challenges in your extended family, church, community, state or nation. If you are struggling with helping others, you need to allow the Holy Spirit work on your mind to bring it in conformity with the mind of Christ.

When you manifest the mind of Christ, genuine humility will be seen in you. The mind of Christ will affect the way you run your business, ministry, family, etc.

It will affect your love for those under you and the level of sacrifice you are willing to make for God and His people. Jesus could give up His life for many because of the kind of mindset He had.

If you have the mind of Christ, regardless of the number of signs, wonders and miracles God has done through you, you will be unable to boss people around, virtually expecting people to worship you.

If you have the mind of Christ, you will be a true servant leader, and you will obey God without conditions or limits.

Only the fellow manifesting the mind of Christ will be able to give anything the Lord requests of him or her.

With this mindset, just like Paul, you will be prepared to suffer any hardship, take any risk and even lose your life for Jesus ( Acts 21:8-14). With the mind of Christ, you will be able to say like Paul,
“For to me to live in Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

PRAYER POINT:
Ask that the Spirit of holiness will be manifest in the Body of Christ worldwide.

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye , the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of
God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Mark 12-13, Isaiah 18,

HYMN 27: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE.

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

2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

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

4. 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.

5. Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 22ND JANUARY 2020

THEME: LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

MEMORISE:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

READ: Matthew 5:14-16

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

MESSAGE

“….I am the light of the world.”

In the scripture above (John 8:12), Jesus introduced Himself as the light of the world, then turned around to say that we (Christians) are the light of the world in Matthew 5:14.

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

In other words, we share similar characteristics with Jesus Christ. Now, if you the great characteristics that Jesus Christ had while on earth, why are you hiding them.

Light is supposed to shine wherever there is darkness; why do you sometimes go in the midst of darkness and hide your light? Jesus never shied away from shining the light of the gospel on anyone that He saw living in darkness. Darkness can also mean confusion; when people are confused and do not know what steps to take, they are in darkness. When you find yourself amongst people who need direction on what next to do, you should ask God for guidance and relay what He tells you to them. Shine your light to clear darkness. Don’t join them in being worried and confused; if you do, you are hiding your light under a bushel. The fact that you are there should give them confidence that direction will soon come, because they know you are light.

You must note however that light usually goes off when disconnected from its source. The reason many Christians have stopped shining as light in their world it because they have lost their connection to the first Light- Jesus Christ. Once you disconnect the bulb from electricity, it will go off. Even though everyone can see the bulb and hope to get some light from it, they cannot, because it is not connected. If darkness is thriving around you, then you need to check your connection to the source. Do you still pray often? Do you still spend time studying your Bible? Do you still fellowship where the iron other Christians can sharpen yours?

PRAYER POINT:

Father, in every way that I have been disconnected from You, my source, please give me the grace to reconnect, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 30-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: IN CHRIST ALONE.

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 23RD JANUARY 2020.

THEME: SALT OF THE EARTH.

MEMORISE:

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13

READ: Luke 14:34

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

MESSAGE

The statement “You are the salt of the earth” means that without you, the earth cannot be sweet. Hence, the sweetness of this world depends on you.

One of the ways by which you can be like salt in your world is through the words of your mouth. Colossians 4:6 says:

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Always speak soothing words to the downtrodden, never use harsh and abusive words and ensure your words are healing rather than killing those who hear them.

Another way to be the salt of the earth is to show kindness to others. Your little act of kindness is a great factor in making the world a sweet place for some other person(s) to live in. in Matthew 25:34-46, there is a list of people to whom you are expected to always show kindness. These include the hungry, the prisoners, the sick, those who have no clothes and so on.

If you don’t do these things, then you have lost your savor and Jesus said in Matthew 5:13 that salt that has lost its savor is good for nothing but should be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. You may say: But this world is a very wicked place, how can I use nice words and perform kind acts in such a place? Well, that is exactly the point. When you cook a cup of rice, you don’t add a cup of salt to it. The salt is always little compared to the rice. You should not expect the whole world to be salt too; it is your duty to influence others with your savor and bring out the sweetness in them. You cannot afford to become bitter just because others around you are.
Remain the salt of the earth. Don’t be weary in doing good. Your reward will surely come if you don’t give up (Galatians 6:9).

PRAYER POINT:
Lord, please have mercy on me for all the times that I lost my savor. I promise from now to remain as salt even in this wicked world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 32-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: OH LORD MY GOD!

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

And when I think of God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin.

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

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 27th JANUARY 2020.

THEME: THE WORD OR THE WORLD?

MEMORISE:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16

READ: 1 John 2:14-17

14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

15 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.

16 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.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

MESSAGE

People are naturally influenced by what they constantly see or hear. Thus, every Christian is at the risk of being influenced by the world around them. This is why we must always remember that though we are in this world, we are not of it (John 15:19). Our major influence should be the word of God. Romans 12:2 states:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The above passage warns us against being influenced by the world. It counsels that our minds must be constantly renewed so that we can do the will of God which is clearly written in His word.

How often do you read your Bible? If you don’t read your Bible at least in the morning and evening, it is likely that you are l ready being influenced by the world. This is because something you don’t interact with regularly cannot have more influence on you than that which you relate with frequently. You must read your Bible daily. You must also ensure that you memorize and meditate on the scripture daily.

Many Christians today live like the world around them: they hardly pray before making decisions, even though Proverbs 3:5-6 says you should not lean on your own understanding, but acknowledge Him in ALL your ways. They ignore the poor and hungry even through Matthew 25:45 says that not showing care for the hungry and destitute translates to not showing care for Christ. They walk around with high shoulders because of their leadership position or wealth, whereas our Master washed the feet of His disciples and even said whoever will lead amongst us must be the servant of everyone else. What really influences you- is it the word of God or the world? If the word of God has any influence on you, it would show in your lifestyle. You wouldn’t need to tell people that you are a Christian before they know that indeed you are a child of God.

REFLECTION:

What influences your daily decisions- is it the word of God or the world?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 43-45

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: BLESSED ASSURANCE, JESUS IS MINE.

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

o Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 28th JANUARY 2020.

THEME: CRUSH THAT CRUSH I.

MEMORISE:

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: 1 Kings 11:1

READ: 1 Kings 11:1

1But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

MESSAGE

We studied this topic in the Teenager’s Open Heavens last year and thought to discuss it with you this year because it is relevant to many adults. A crush is a brief but intense infatuation for someone.

To the unmarried, I want to tell you that a crush is likely to crush you if you base your decision concerning whom to marry solely on your emotions. It is often said that love is blind and this is very true. Samson had a crush on Delilah (Judges 16:4-18). Oh, I wish he had crushed the crush so that he could see Delilah’s true character before he fell into her trap. This is someone who sold him into captivity and ultimately his untimely death. If there is someone that you admire, before you jump into a relationship with the fellow, pray first. Study the fellow’s behavior. After you hear from God yourself and get confirmations (2 Corinthians 13:1), then you can involve your Pastor and commence courtship.

If you are not yet ready for marriage, then a crush is an agenda of the devil to distract you from your goals and to crush your destiny. You had better crush that crush before it crushes you. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says:

“ What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you…….?”

The devil knows that any sexual sin is a sin against your body- the temple of God and once it is committed, that body ceases to be God’s temple, so he can now touch and destroy it. Amnon- David’s heir apparent had a crush on his half-sister Tamar and instead of crushing it, he let it grow. He discussed it with the wrong person who gave him ungodly counsel that he acted on (2 Samuel 13). He paid with his life and caused a deep rift in his family…..all because of a crush. You have a lot to lose if you let that crush grow and your entire life to gain if you crush it now.

KEY POINT:

Be wise and make the right decision; crush that crush now!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 46-47

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS.

1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

o Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2. Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Ibklaye:
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 28th JANUARY 2020.

THEME: CRUSH THAT CRUSH I.

MEMORISE:

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: 1 Kings 11:1

READ: 1 Kings 11:1

1But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

MESSAGE

We studied this topic in the Teenager’s Open Heavens last year and thought to discuss it with you this year because it is relevant to many adults. A crush is a brief but intense infatuation for someone.

To the unmarried, I want to tell you that a crush is likely to crush you if you base your decision concerning whom to marry solely on your emotions. It is often said that love is blind and this is very true. Samson had a crush on Delilah (Judges 16:4-18). Oh, I wish he had crushed the crush so that he could see Delilah’s true character before he fell into her trap. This is someone who sold him into captivity and ultimately his untimely death. If there is someone that you admire, before you jump into a relationship with the fellow, pray first. Study the fellow’s behavior. After you hear from God yourself and get confirmations (2 Corinthians 13:1), then you can involve your Pastor and commence courtship.

If you are not yet ready for marriage, then a crush is an agenda of the devil to distract you from your goals and to crush your destiny. You had better crush that crush before it crushes you. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says:

“ What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you…….?”

The devil knows that any sexual sin is a sin against your body- the temple of God and once it is committed, that body ceases to be God’s temple, so he can now touch and destroy it. Amnon- David’s heir apparent had a crush on his half-sister Tamar and instead of crushing it, he let it grow. He discussed it with the wrong person who gave him ungodly counsel that he acted on (2 Samuel 13). He paid with his life and caused a deep rift in his family…..all because of a crush. You have a lot to lose if you let that crush grow and your entire life to gain if you crush it now.

KEY POINT:

Be wise and make the right decision; crush that crush now!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 46-47

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS.

1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

o Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2. Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

nice one sir. please keep it coming

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 30th JANUARY 2020.

THEME: LOVE WHAT GOD LOVES.

MEMORISE:

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. IJohn 5:3

READ: 1John 5:1-3

1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

MESSAGE

There is a popular saying that the friend of my friend is my friend. If God is your friend, then you would love anyone or anything He loves. For example, God loves children. He likes having them around Him (Matthew 19:14) and He ensures that their angels stand face to face with Him (Matthew 18:10). I hope you love children too, because if you are always mean to children or you are indifferent when others are mean to them, then you cannot claim to love God.

So what are the things God loves? He loves fellowship. When Jesus was to start His ministry on earth, one of the first things He did was to appoint disciples to keep Him company (Mark 3:14-19). He said whenever two or three are gathered in His name, He will be present (Matthew 18:20). He loves it when we come together to fellowship. Are you excited when it is time to fellowship or are you reluctant to spend time with the brethren? One reason God loved David is found in Psalm 122:1:

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

He was always excited to attend Church meetings. Are you excited whenever it is time to go to Church? Are you one of those the Pastor has to follow-up closely before they are seen in Church? Make out time to enjoy fellowship with the brethren from today; God loves it.
God also loves all human beings dearly. He sent His only son to die for the world-not just the Jews or Christians alone. Some people forget that their house help is also amongst the people that Jesus came to die for so much that He died for him/her. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment after loving God is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). Have you seen people in the scenarios described in Matthew 25:42-43 and ignored them?

If you truly love God, then you would love people around you.

KEY POINT:

In Matthew 25:41-46, we see that people were thrown into hell simply because they did not love who God loves. Love everything and everyone He loves.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: I AM THINE OH LORD.

1. I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,
and it told thy love to me;
but I long to rise in the arms of faith
and be closer drawn to thee.

Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
by the power of grace divine;
let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
and my will be lost in thine.
(Refrain)

3. O the pure delight of a single hour
that before thy throne I spend,
when I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
(Refrain)

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
till I cross the narrow sea;
there are heights of joy that I may not reach
till I rest in peace with thee.
(Refrain)