Open Heavens Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... 

DATE : WEDNESDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2016 

THEME : TIME TO FIGHT 2 

Memorise : 

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Colossians 3:5 

Read : 1 Timothy 6:6-12 

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

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

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

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

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 

Message 

Anyone that has been in the Christian race for some years would have discovered the militant nature of the average Christian. Every true Christian is fully aware of the on-going conflict around us , physical,mental, and spiritual. We are confronted with contrary doctrines in our daily lives, we face diverse kind of temptations, we are bombarded with many ungodly ideas and propositions; sometimes it could be vicious attack from unknown people or aggression from neighbours. In addition to all these, we are constantly faced with attractive and seemingly profitable offers from the pit of hell to lure us into all kind of sins. The devil is prowling around the world looking for Christians to destroy according to 1 Peter 5:8 

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

The Survival of a child of God therefore depends on his or her preparedness for battle and ability to fight. We must be ever ready so that nothing will catch us unawares. We cannot afford to slumber or sleep, we are meant to be spiritual watchmen and scouts, constantly looking out for bands of approaching enemies that may try to take us by surprise. This is why the above passage counsels us to be serious minded and vigilant, carefully monitoring every move of the enemy around us, and to be fully prepared to counter and completely neutralise his evil attacks. However, one of the most dangerous places to be in conflict situation is at the back. Whenever you see somebody dropping back in a war situation, be sure that fellow will soon be hit very hard. King David learnt this lesson in a hard way. I pray that you will never backslide into error and be caught in the snare of the devil in Jesus name. 

In Mathew 16:18, the Lord Jesus declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. These gates are the access points that the enemy may use to penetrate our lives. To permanently keep these gates shut, Colossians3:5 counsels us to subdue the flesh and is Worldly desires through discipline. We must wage war against self to subdue, discipline, and put it under control. If we fail to discipline ourselves, then it becomes easy for pride, sexual immorality, inordinate ambition, covetousness , and other form of indiscipline to creep into our lives and give opportunity to devil to butcher us. May the Lord deliver you from every evil plan against your life in Jesus name. Finally 1 John3:8b says: 
"....For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 

The instruction to fight becomes easy to carry out when we realise that Jesus Christ the son of God came to this world for the sole purpose of destroying the works of devil. I decree that every work of the devil in your life be destroyed now in Jesus name. 

Prayer Point : 

Father, please help me to stand. Don't let me ever fall for the devil in Jesus name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Luke 6:17-7:50 and Job 23:1-13 

AUTHOR : Pst E.A Adeboye

Open Heavens Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... 

DATE : TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2016 

THEME : TIME TO FIGHT 1 

Memorise : 

TO every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 

Read : 1 Timothy 4:1-6 

1 NOW the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 

5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 

6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. 

Message 

Fighting means to engage in a struggle against a perceived enemy or enemies either defensively or offensively. Most human beings, irrespective of who they are, what they know, where they have been, and their level of spiritual maturity, have something they would fight for. We fight for our fundamental human rights, we fight for possessions, we fight for our family, we fight for our job. We are sensitive to criticism and insults, and sometimes we even fight for things we don't really own. The question is, should a true Christian fight for anything? And if you were to write a list of things worth fighting for, what would that list include? In this respect, Ecclesiastes 3:1&8 says: 

'To every thing there is a season, and time to every purpose under the heaven.. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.' 

Conflicts come in different categories. Though we have the right to self defence, Christian are not called to take up arms against their offensive or aggressive neighbours because our weapon is not physical. However, God is under attack in today's world because His creative order, His principles and commandments are being maliciously attacked by heretics. Surprisingly, some of these enemies of the gospel of Jesus Christ have managed to rise to enviable positions of authority both in church and civil government. This has emboldened them and their supporters to intensify their evil attacks on the Christian faith. Do we fight for our Lord? Do we stand aloof or fight whenever these Attucks occur around us? 1 Timothy 6:12 says: 

'Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.' 

Christians do not have any choice in this matter; we do not have the luxury of a personal decision on this one. In reality, the battle of the heretics and false prophets is raging right now and our Commander in Chief, the Lord of hosts, has commanded us to fight, and we must fight. The above passage started out by qualifying the kind of fight that Christians could engage in as the good fight of faith. It is a good fight because it prevents the rapid spread of heretic teachings, and delivers people from ignorance and false doctrine. It is good because we are on the wining side, we can never lose because we are more than conquerors. It is good because we will be handsomely rewarded for our efforts here on earth and when we get to heaven. It is a good fight because we are well fitted with the most potent weapon in the universe- the Word of God. Above all, though we are saved by grace, our performance in this battle will ultimately determine our rank among the host of heaven and the manner of our reward. Apostle Paul seems to have discovered this truth as reflected in his final declaration in 2 Timothy 4:7: 

'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith' 

Only a general in the army of God who had fought valiantly for the truth could say this: 

Prayer Point. 

Father, please let me finish well and able to say that I have fought a good fight. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Luke 4:16-6:16 and Job 22:12-30 

AUTHOR : Pst E.A Adeboye

Open Heavens Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

DATE : SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2016 

THEME : FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE? (5) 

MEMORISE: 

A wise son maketh a father glad: but a foolish man despiseth his mother -Proverb 15:20. 

READ: Psalms 127:3-5 

3. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 

4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 

5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. 

MESSAGE: 

The Bible in several passages uses the word fool to describe a disobedient child. It is important therefore to take a closer look at the characteristics of fools as presented in the Scripture. 

According to Proverbs, a destructive fate awaits the fool. This is especially so because of the rebellious attitude of fools. The Word of God also describes fool as arrogant, untrustworthy, argumentative, 
reckless, and impulsive. Fools usually refuse instructions to their own detriment. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:15: "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." 

Children are usually disobedient when they wrongly assume that they know better than their elders, especially their parents. Such attitude would naturally give birth to arrogance. It is this arrogant attitude that makes them impulsive, that is, they confidently speak and act without properly thinking through. This is also the root of reckless behaviour of such children. Because they think they know so much, when in fact they know very little, they usually get into needless arguments. 

The combination of these detrimental behaviours would usually lead to unstable lifestyle. When these vices are found in anyone, success will be far from such a person and destruction would be looming over such a life. I hereby prophecy into the life of every child of God that is reading this devotional today, the Lord will purge your life of all evil vices and behaviours today in Jesus name. 

The encouraging thing is that God has a glorious purpose even for young people. And the earlier they start pursuing the purpose of God for their lives the better. The purpose of God for Christian children is to be wise sons and daughters. Their wisdom is always expressed in their humility and simple obedience. The reward of their obedience and godliness is always evident in their success stories and testimonies. 

Obedient children are always at peace with God and man; they live in good health, and are usually free from any form of addiction. Because they have sound minds, they cannot be lured into cults and other destructive lifestyles. Even at a tender age, an obedient child views himself as a role model and a future leader. An obedient child is conscious of God's purpose as his sole occupation and his mind is constantly ruminating over how to achieve this. This awareness will keep his mind fixed on the word of God. 

PRAYER POINT: 

Father, Please help me to be obedient in all things and help me to fulfil your purpose for my life in Jesus’ name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Luke 1:1-2:21and Job 21:17-34. 

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE.

Open Heavens Devotional

 

DATE : SATURDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2016 

THEME : FULFILLING GODS PURPOSE? 4 

Memorise: 

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 

Read : Genesis 18:17-19 

17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORDmay bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 

Message 

The Bible declared the father as the head of home- head of the mother and the children. As such, fathers have complete authority within the household to direct the affairs of the family, and to administer discipline when necessary. However, Apostle Paul admonishes that fathers should handle authority over their children with care; they are to be careful not to provoke their children to wrath. Some fathers are guilty of using their authority unreasonably in ways that cause their children to harbour resentment. However, fathers have the responsibility to bring their children up in the way of the Lord. In many cultures today, parents have submitted and completely relinquished their God given responsibility to raise godly children to school teachers, Sunday School teachers, pastors, or governmental institutions. Every Children parent should know that God will hold them responsible for the success or failure of their wards. Children are God's heritage, we have an awesome responsibility and authority over them, we are responsible for them before God, and we will surely render our account to God over them. 

Are there any particular reason (s) why parents, particularly fathers, are called by God to play such a crucial, God ordained role in the upbringing or discipleship of their children ? Ephesians 6:1-4 gives us a clue: 

"CHILDREN, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord". 

God knows that from childhood, little children gradually lean to love and trust their parents because of the relationship they have. Children normally grow up to receive love and care from their parents in form of feeding, clothing, washing, and protection from cold and other harmful circumstances. Therefore children naturally gravitate towards their parents. For the same reasons, children are more likely to learn the ways and manners of their parents by default. Most children would choose to learn from their parents because parents are the first heroes of children. God in His wisdom is fully aware of these factors; He therefore designed the family to take advantage of the opportunity provided by nature. 

The Bible provides a very good balance here; children are to obey their parents, while parents are to treat their children with respect so that they will obey without coercion. God expects children to obey their parents for Christ's sake, even if their parents are not believers. Also, children should not commit any sinful act just because their parents command them to. When faced with choice between the two, children must obey God rather than man. 

Prayer Point : 

Father, please make me a successful parents; don't let me fail You over my children. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 14:43-16:8 and Job 21:1-16 

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

Open heavens devotional

DATE : FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2016

THEME : FULFILLING GODS PURPOSE? 3 

Memorise: 

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 

Read : 1 Samuel 19:9-12 

9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. 

10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. 

11 Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. 

12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. 

Message 

Let me start by clarifying something about being alone. Being alone could be in two ways, by solitude and by loneliness. Solitude is by being alone on purpose; an international separation from people for a period, such a person can be alone by the river side or watching television without being lonely. There is a biblical basis for solitude ( Exodus 33:7,11; Luke5:16; Luke 22:41), therefore, solitude could be a good thing. However, loneliness is usually never desired. Prolonged loneliness may sometimes lead to depression. Being alone is the very fast aspect of creation that met with God's disapproval and His harsh judgment of not being good, and 1 Corinthians 1:25 says, 

"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 

Therefore, God's assessment of "being alone" should be taken seriously. God in His infinite wisdom decided to solve the problem of being alone by providing a "help meet for the man". A perfect companion that is suitable for him, one that will cancel out the negative effects of "being alone". Now, fulfilling the purpose of God in life in general and marriage in particular depends largely on our understanding and total submission to the manufacturer's instructions. A simple, direct, Holy Ghost inspired and time tested meaning of this passage is clear to all. Help refers broadly to aid or assistance, the word "helper" may connote subordinate, but does not necessarily imply inferiority. Hosea13:9 refers to God as Israel's helper, also, Genesis 2:18-25, describes how God provided the suitable helper for the man. 

The declaration of Adam, that Eve is the bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh is a pointer to the fact that marriage creates the closets of all human relationships and should be cherished as such. We are to note also that only Eve was created and not Several Eves or another Adam. This is the confirmation that God established heterosexual monogamy as the divine pattern for marriage at creation. However, the languages of Ephesians 5:22-25 is probably clearer on the God given roles of husbands and wives. 

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" 

Every child of God that is determined to fulfil God's purpose must live according to the order of marriage ordained by Almighty God. Marriage is the foundation of life according to the Bible. Consequently, marital failure may as well translate to failure in life and ministry. 

Prayer Point : 

Father, I believe in the institution of marriage according to the Bible, please help me to build a strong, happy and joyful home in the mighty name of Jesus. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Mark 12:41-14:42 and Job 20:20-29 

AUTHOR :E A ADEBOYE