Thursday 30 November 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - OVERCOMING LIKE JESUS

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...
DATE: THURSDAY NOVERMBER 30TH 2017
THEME: OVERCOMING LIKE JESUS

Memorise:

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Revelation 3:21

Read: Revelation 3:21-22

3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Message:

Man’s surest source of rest is Jesus Christ because He never breaks His promises (Matthew 11:28-29, 2 Corinthians 1:20). In John 16:33, He assures us that as long as we are in this world, tribulations and problems will come, but because He successfully overcome them, He will see us through if we put our trust in Him. Therefore, because He overcame and we are following in His footsteps, we are also bound to overcome. Are you struggling with sin and expressing doubts on whether you can ever overcome like Jesus did? Fear not and do not doubt! You can overcome that besetting sin! The truth with such sin is that the one who keeps falling into them has not truly made up his or her mind to stop them. The Bible declares that sin shall not have dominion over you, and God cannot lie (Romans 6:14). If you are therefore falling into sin and you probe yourself a little deeper, you will find some level of tolerance for that sin, or some excuse you always give for that sin, or even some iota of likeness for that sin. If the devil can find any of these in you, he will celebrate, knowing that any of these can keep you perpetually at the bus stop of that sin. If you are serious about stopping a bad habit, you will have zero-tolerance for it.

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Revelation 3:21

God does not have double standards in the criteria He uses for allowing people into Heaven, or for giving them rewards for work done on earth. Jesus Christ is God’s standard. So if you will enter into eternal rest in Heaven, you must meet with God’s standard as exemplified by Jesus Christ. If you will be rewarded by God in heaven, Jesus says you must be prepared to overcome the same way He overcame while He was here on earth. You can run the Christian race without stress when you follow in His steps. Have you taken pains to study the life of Jesus? Have you noted how He responded to temptations, sin, enemies, friends, difficulties, lack, needs, challenges in ministry, and betrayal by associates? God expects you to respond as Jesus did in all these situations. If you do so, you will be granted access to the privileges reserved for overcomers in Heaven.

Key Point:

You cannot overcome if you fail to study Jesus Christ and respond to situations the way He did.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Psalm 78-80

Micah 7:8-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: 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!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, 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.

4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

Wednesday 29 November 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - REALITIES OF SELFISHNESS

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 29TH 2017

THEME: REALITIES OF SELFISHNESS

Memorise:

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

Read: Mark 12:28-31

12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Message:

On the 22nd of this month, we saw that those Christians who always want everything to revolve around them and who always want to be in charge are yet to be broken. Another sign of not being broken is selfishness. The Holy spirit, speaking through Paul, has forewarned the Church of God that selfishness will be the hallmark of sins committed during the last days. 2 Timothy 3:2 says,

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

Selfishness is all about falling in love with oneself to a point where everyone and everything else is second place. The height of selfishness is when you love yourself to the point of idolizing yourself; this is a form of idolatry, the Holy Spirit reveals one class of such people in Philippians 3:19, where He said:

“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”

It’s unfortunate that a lot of selfish people are mounting the pulpit of God today, parading themselves as ministers of the gospel. Such people do not serve the God of Heaven, but rather they serve their own stomachs. The goal and desires of selfish people revolve around the mundane things of this world. They can never be heavenly-minded.

Selfishness negates God’s eternal word in Mark 12:30 which says:

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

God says you should love Him with all you have, but selfishness says “No, how can I love you when I have not even loved myself enough.” If you are a lover of self, you will always run into problems with God. To obey divine instructions and commands, you will often be required to displease yourself, and that is what a selfish person cannot do. If you are selfish, you will find it almost impossible to please God. A selfish person will hear messages on tithing but will find it difficult to tithe. Why? He would be calculating what he would lose if he gives up the tithe, and what he stands to gain from keeping those funds. A selfish person has no understanding of spiritual things. Are you controlled by love for God or by selfishness?

Key Point:
As a young convert, you are to focus more on yourself in prayer. However, as you grow in the Lord, you are to focus more on others.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 73-77
Micah 6:9-7:7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER DEEPER

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

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

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

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.

Tuesday 28 November 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - KNOWLEDGE AND PRAYER

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE: TUESDAY NOVERMBER 28TH 2017

THEME: KNOWLEDGE AND PRAYER

Memorise:
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4:7

Read: Luke 21:34-36

21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Message:
In Philippians 3:10, Paul expressed his burning desire to know Jesus. It is good to have your gaze focused on Jesus and equally important to know Him. Why? It is because what you know determines your position in life. Knowledge is power. Proverbs 4:7 says,
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
Wisdom is the correct application of knowledge for personal or corporate benefit. This implies that knowledge is the foundation of wisdom. If you want to be wise but you run away from knowledge, wisdom will elude you. How open you are tom learning new things demonstrates your readiness to be wise. Men of wisdom like Paul and Daniel were given to reading books. Daniel chapter 9 is a manifestation of how knowledge acquired from the study of books can be applied positively in actions that have serious spiritual implications. Daniel 9:2 says,
“In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

Today, not many people take time to read decent books on various subjects that can add to their knowledge base. For believers, this should not be so. If there are people who should be knowledgeable, it should be believers. We should be conversant with our environment, and we should stay very current.
In Matthew 26:41, Jesus established a link between watching and praying. What are you required to do while watching? You are required to gather information, and to know what is happening around you. God wants you to be informed. Why? Knowledge about your situation will help you pray more effectively with understanding. If you want to succeed as a prayer champion, knowledge is crucial. When you watch, seek knowledge or gather information, it will compel you to pray more often. Find out, those Christians who are prayerless are often those without knowledge. They know too little, and so they do not see the need to pray. If people come to tell you lots of things or if they confide in you, it is because God wants you to stand in the place of intercession for them, rather than becoming a tale-bearer. Are you seeking knowledge? Is what you know making you to pray more?

Key Point:
Daniel was provoked into indefinite prayer and fasting exercise by what he understood from what he studied (Daniel 9:1-3). Is your knowledge compelling you to pray?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 69-72
Micah 5:7-6:8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Monday 27 November 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - EFFECTIVE IMPARTATION

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY NOVEMBER 27TH 2017

THEME: EFFECTIVE IMPARTATION

Memorise:

Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 1 Timothy 4:14

Read: Acts 14:21-23

14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Message:

True leadership makes room for fresh leaders to be raised and imparted. One leader who succeeded in raising several other leaders was Paul. In Romans 1:11-12, he wrote to the believers in Rome, expressing his longing and sincere desire to be with them in order to impart some spiritual gifts to them. There is no better way to deploy the ministry of impartation than through fasting, prayer and laying on of hands. One of Paul’s spiritual sons who benefited from the ministry of impartation was Timothy. When hands were prayerfully laid on him, Timothy received some spiritual gifts. We see Paul reminding him of these gifts when in 1 Timothy 4:14 he said:

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”

Through impartation, there can be transfer of spiritual gifts from a man of God to the one being prayed for. Note also that fasting plays a key role in this. As leaders, when workers, ministers and other leaders are being raised, before they are commissioned into service, it is important to support them through the ministry of impartation backed by fasting and prayers.

“And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” Acts 14:23

After Paul and Barnabas had taken the gospel to several cities during their first missionary journey, they revisited these cities, appointing leaders over the churches they established there. It is worthy of note that in doing these, prayer and fasting were given prominence. This is why it is quite surprising to see some brethren who are slated for ordination engaged in normal activities as if there is nothing at hand, instead of separating themselves to prayer and fasting. In any case, the level of preparation before a spiritual activity will determine the extent of the blessings received by each person. Even for regular services in your local assemblies, it is important to prepare before attending such meetings. Whenever you want to prepare for any programme, do not forget to embrace fasting and praying.

Key Point:

Preparation for a spiritual programme may mean seeking God’s face towards the programme, forgiving and releasing offenders from your heart, avoiding distractions, and so on.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 63-68
Micah 4:6-5:6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIER

1. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

2. At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Refrain:

3. Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Refrain:

4. Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never ’gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Refrain:

5. Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.

Refrain:

Sunday 26 November 2017