OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY 31/07/2013 - IT'S YOUR TURN TO SHINE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

IT'S YOUR TURN TO SHINE

MEMORY VERSE

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

Proverbs 10:5

READ

Psalm 102:12-13

Psa 102:12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

Psa 102:13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

MESSAGE 

“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.”

Psalm 102:13

There is a time for everything under Heaven. One reason you should arise and shine is because the time for you to shine is now. You might have been playing church all along but now it is time to shine. The best time to do something is at the time that is most appropriate for it. If you get married before the appropriate time, there will be lots of issues bordering on your maturity and expectations. A particular young girl was given out in marriage by her parents to a mature man who sponsored her to one of the tertiary institutions. While there, she saw no sense in living with so many dos of and don'ts. She wondered why she could not be free to go to parties, roam around from joint to joint like her colleagues and just live a carefree life. Several times the man reminded her that she was no more a single girl but a married lady, and that she should shun youthful lusts, but she saw these as some form of bondage. She resisted and before long, that relationship parked up.

“He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.”

Proverbs 10:5

It is a crime to sleep in summer. It is wrong for you to be sleeping or to be resting at ease while other believers are out in the field winning souls. It is wrong to fold your arms or pretend not to notice what is going on when others are busy giving towards the building of your church. It is possible that you can hide or your lack of participation is unnoticed, yet the reward will be evident to all. You cannot reap what you did not sow, so it is only wise for you to sow what you expect to reap. This is your time to shine. Some people are just waiting to see you shine. If only you can shine now, you will be able to ignite the fire in the lives of others. What is stopping you from shining now? Put it off and shine for your time has come!

PRAYER POINT

Father, from today and until I take my last breath on earth, help me to shine.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY 30/07/2013 - SIN IS A BAD PAINTER BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

SIN IS A BAD PAINTER

MEMORY VERSE

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

READ

Mark 2:1-12

Mar 2:1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

Mar 2:2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

Mar 2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

Mar 2:4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

Mar 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

Mar 2:6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

Mar 2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

Mar 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

Mar 2:9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

Mar 2:10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

Mar 2:11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

Mar 2:12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

MESSAGE

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

 Genesis 1:31

The above scripture speaks of the events that occurred at the beginning, when God created the Heaven and earth. He examined all He had made and they were very good. There was no sickness, death, sorrow or lack. All you could find was blessing, fruitfulness, multiplication, longevity, dominion and abundance. But that was before the advent of sin. From Genesis 3:16-19 after man fell, his fall gave rise to several negative things that never existed until then – curses, painful conception and delivery, sorrow, sweat, hardship, etc. What was once very good became very bad when sin came in. There is a link between sin and everything evil. This also tells us that sin can change the colour of events, situations and circumstances from bright and beautiful colours to dark and repulsive ones. Believe it or not, sin paints your today and tomorrow in colours you detest.

Sin is a very powerful force. It is so powerful that it conquered the whole of the human race. It changed the bright and glorious outlook of the earth. According to Psalm 107:17-18 it brought sickness and affliction. Bondage, failure and helplessness also came because of sin (Psalm 107:10-12). What of barrenness and poverty? Psalm 107:33-34 confirms that these came through sin, hence Romans 6:23 concludes that sin always delivers death to the sinners. As powerful as sin is, forgiveness is even much more powerful. When forgiveness comes, it is able to restore the bright pictures of your life, which were once lost to sin. Forgiveness turns the tide of the life and destiny of a sinner. In today's reading, when the paralyzed man was brought before the Lord, He forgave him his sins and thereafter, helplessness, sorrow and sickness disappeared and healing was delivered. Are you in need of a miracle from God but you are still living in sin? Immediately acknowledge your sins, confess them and ask for God's forgiveness, then invite Jesus into your heart.

Prayer Point

Father, every negative colour sin has painted my life and destiny with, change it into something glorious.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY 29/07/2013 - LEADING WITH GOD'S FEAR BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

LEADING WITH GOD'S FEAR

MEMORY VERSE

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

 2 Samuel 23:3

READ

2 Samuel 23:1-4

2 Sa 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

2 Sa 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

2 Sa 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

2 Sa 23:4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

MESSAGE

In Exodus 1:15-21, a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph came on board and passed a decree to kill all male Israelites that were born. We see here that power must be balanced with the fear of God for it to be productive. It occurred to me that if we leave the government of our nation in the hands of someone who lacks the fear of God, we are all bound to pay dearly for it. Even unborn children and many innocent people will suffer for it. This is why we should obey 1 Timothy 2:1-3. Verse 2 of that scripture says we should pray:

“For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

That means the level of peace and quiet we experience in our nation is a function of the amount of quality prayers rendered on behalf of our leaders. Some believers tell you they are not interested in politics. They do not care who rules over them. Yet, they complain of excessive taxation, bribery and corruption, and misrule of such rulers. If you do not pray for those who lead you, then you have lost your right to complain.

Beside those in secular government, you must equally prayerfully determine who becomes your next General Overseer, Senior Pastor or Pastor. If the wrong fellow takes up any of these ecclesiastical positions, you will surely suffer. Pray that God will never allow anyone who lacks the fear of God to rule over you. This also applies to the one you accept to be your husband. If he lacks the fear of God, that home is doomed. Wake up today and start to pray! You would be amazed how much you can achieve through prayer. Your prayer can affect who governs you. Use this power to get the appropriate candidate that will bring joy to you and it will be well with you. As a student, you can prayerfully ask for the right teacher, lecturer or supervisor that will be instrumental to your success. Start to ask the Lord for a leader with the fear of God from now on.

ACTION POINT

A leader who fears God is both accountable to God and the people under him or her. Ask that only such leaders will govern your life and nation from now on

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY 28/07/2013 - DANGER OF SILENCE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DANGER OF SILENCE

MEMORY VERSE

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:3

READ

2 Kings 4:1-7

2 Ki 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

2 Ki 4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

2 Ki 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

2 Ki 4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

2 Ki 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

2 Ki 4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

2 Ki 4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

MESSAGE

There are several lessons to be learnt from the Shunammite woman of 2 Kings 4:18-26, one of these is that in her time of need, she cried persistently for help until she got it. Another aspect for which she must be commended is that when her son died, she did not immediately set out for the man of God but first exercised her faith by placing the boy on the bed of the man of God. It was when the matter was beyond her faith that she set out to meet the man of God. Today, many Christians are very lazy. They hardly exercise their faith in times of crisis. They are used to calling one person or the other over the most trivial matter. What happens if there is crisis and there is no one you can call? Start trusting in the Lord. God wants you to grow. If only you can exercise your personal faith, no matter how small, it will begin to grow.

When the boy failed to wake up on the bed of the man of God, she decided to take the matter to the man of God himself. Sighting her from afar, Elisha sent Gehazi his servant to her but she failed to disclose her problem to him. This raises the question of credibility and integrity. If as a minister of God people cannot share confidential matters with you, it may be that you rate quite low in integrity. If you are loose tongued and what is shared with you in secret filters out, and probably becomes common knowledge, then you will end up overseeing strangers. Are you trustworthy as a leader? Moreover, when she got to the man of God, she grabbed his feet, resolving not to leave him. The reason many people are still nursing their problem is because they are too quiet. If you keep quiet, God will assume that you are enjoying the situation, so He too will be silent on the matter. A widow of one of the sons of the prophets had a serious financial problem that could have led to her untimely death and she kept quiet. It was when she cried out that God arose for her. What situation are you or your family in? Cry out today and the Lord will come to your rescue.

KEY POINT

It is your outcry that tells God you truly need what He thought you needed.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY 27/07/2013 - SECURE YOUR SALVATION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

SECURE YOUR SALVATION

MEMORY VERSE

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 

Philippians 2:16

READ

Philippians 2:12-16

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Php 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

MESSAGE 

If you are born-again, go further to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and thereafter, walk in the Spirit. Do everything possible to retain the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Several years ago, I used to preach to my mother to give her life to Jesus, but she would tell me she was among the early Christians in her village and that she had been a Christian before she was married to my father. Yet, I would ask her: “Are you really born-again?” When she could no longer stand the pressure, she asked me what I wanted her to do, so I led her to Christ. After this, I was worried about the genuineness of her salvation, so I told God that I needed to see the evidence of her conversion especially because she was advanced in age; I wanted God to baptise her with the Holy Spirit before she dies, so that I can be certain she is born-again.

During a visit one afternoon, while praying for God's help so that she would be baptised with the Holy Spirit that same day, I fell asleep. Two of my daughters visited and met me sleeping, so they went to ask mama whether she had been baptised with the Holy Spirit. They took some time with her and mama received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was the noise that woke me. Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? If you have, are members of your nuclear and extended families saved? If they are, praise God, but don't stop at that; help them to receive the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49 says,

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”

The presence of the Holy Spirit will be a witness of conversion to Christ as well as make them witnesses of the power of the Gospel according to Romans 8:9 and Acts 1:8. Do not take for granted that you are saved or that your loved ones have given his or her life to Christ, take further steps to secure that salvation by having more of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT

If you have not experienced the baptism of the Holy Ghost, pray that the Lord will baptise you with His fire. You can also see your pastor to pray with you.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY 26/07/2013 - DON'T INHIBIT THIS CHEMISTRY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DON'T INHIBIT THIS CHEMISTRY

MEMORY VERSE

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

John 15:4

READ

John 15:1-5

Joh 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

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

Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

MESSAGE

To succeed in life and in ministry as a believer, you must understand the relationship that exists between you and the Lord. You need to fully understand your rights, privileges and obligations. Today's reading tells us that there is a tree-branch relationship between us and the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the tree - the Vine while we are the branches. If all is well with the tree, all will be well with the branches, all other things being equal. What passes through the Vine also passes through the branches. If the vine is fruitful, the branches too will bear fruit. For a branch to be unfruitful while connected to a fruitful vine is a rarity except the branch is sick or detached from the vine. No branch produces fruit on its own except through the vine. As a believer in Christ, whatever is produced through you - be it physical, spiritual or otherwise is by the power working in you, which is Jesus Christ.

Once in a while, it is possible for a branch to be sick. According to Psalm 107:17, sin brings affliction. The branch that goes into sin will end up in affliction. But when this happens, Psalm 107:20 says as that branch repents, God will send His Word to deliver healing to the sick. Who is that Word? John 1:1,14 says it is none other than the Word that was in the beginning, Who was made flesh - the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, John 6:51 says to live, you must eat of His flesh. Beloved, being a branch of the Vine and a partaker of the flesh and blood of the Lord, you must know that there is a divine chemistry operating in you, which you must never allow sin to inhibit. While you live free from sin and you take the Holy Communion in faith, John 6:56 says you and Jesus will co-exist in each other. This is a very powerful revelation. If you walk in this revelation, the divine nature becomes manifest in your human nature. Your weakness will be absorbed by His strength. Your limitation will be absorbed by His super-abundance, and you will gradually manifest his person. The chemistry that connects you with Jesus is so profound that you must not allow anything external to inhibit it. As long as your relationship with Him is unbroken, you will be able to access all that God has for you. Guard your link with Jesus jealously.

ACTION POINT

List 20 things that can happen or cannot happen to you knowing that Christ is in you and you are in Him

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY 25/07/2013 - COPYING METHODS? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

COPYING METHODS?

Memory Verse

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 

1 Corinthians 11:1

Read

Acts 19:11-19

Act 19:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

Act 19:12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

Act 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

Act 19:14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

Act 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

Act 19:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Act 19:17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

Act 19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

Act 19:19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Message

While some servants of God can lay a demand on the anointing of God upon their lives, and God will immediately answer, some others cannot because they really do not have any credit in their heavenly account. Take for instance Gehazi who was the servant of Elisha. In 2 Kings 4:29-31, Elisha gave Gehazi his rod to go and place it over the dead son of the Shunammite woman. As soon as he received it, he did not even wait to pray but rushed off, only to return to tell his master nothing happened. Gehazi spoke like his master and tried to configure things, yet nothing happened. This tells us that it is possible to be on the same bed with one who is on fire and not catch that fire. It is not the anointing oil, it is not the staff of office; it is not in how well packaged the words are; it is not in your oratory abilities. You can have all these but if you do not have any credit with God, all these will fail you. It is easy to talk the talk but walking the walk is what is most important.

In Acts 19:11-19, when the sons of Sceva saw the miracles that Paul did, they became interested. Unknown to him, they began to study the ‘methodologies’ and at the end, they tried to replicate what they saw, but because they lacked the relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ, they paid dearly for the abuse of His name. Never copy others by prophesying except when God has spoken to you, or you will pay dearly for it. Today, some pastors who do not have the word of wisdom or knowledge, and are not prepared to pay the price for these gifts, are gradually imitating those who have it. They want to belong to the class of spiritual leaders by applying guesses and common sense. The things of the Spirit do not work like that. If you copy the methods but lack the Spirit, you can never get the result of the Spirit. What are you copying? Is it from men or from God?

Prayer Point

A copy cannot be the same as the original. Why copy when you can have the original?

Bible in one year

Deuteronomy 13-16

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY 24/07/2013 - RESISTING DARKNESS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

RESISTING DARKNESS

MEMORY VERSE

The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:5

READ

John 1:45

Joh 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

MESSAGE

 We are enjoined to arise and shine in Isaiah 60:1. To shine could mean Fulfil your purpose. It could also mean Resist darkness. John 1:5 says,

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

You are not saved to fold your arms and be idle, but to resist darkness. Paul fought the good fight of faith and a part of that fight was to resist evil. The more you increase the number of lights around a place, the less of darkness you will have there. This is the wisdom in planting churches. The more churches are planted, the more forces of darkness will be driven away. There was a time in my village that if a well dressed individual was going there with a car, on arrival at Ife (South-West Nigeria), the fellow would have to park the car, change to a less flamboyant dress and unpolished shoes before heading for the village. On getting home, after greeting them, they may ask how long the visit would be, and the individual would lie that he would stay for three days whereas he was already preparing to leave. When it is time to leave, if the way to the motor park is to the right, he will follow the left and after going some distance, the fellow would reconnect the road to the park.

Why all that pretence? It was because darkness was thick and prevalent in the area. If they discovered the fellow had achieved something in life, that visit might just be his last visit to the village. But today, things have changed because the light of God has shone over them. Now, I can even visit in a helicopter and be seen by people, yet no evil is envisaged. If you are a light of this world, you will shine by resisting evil. Every soul you win to the Kingdom further reduces the pressure of sin and death upon the community where you are. Do all it takes to enlarge the coast of the Kingdom because in doing this, you will not only be shining, but also multiplying good in the midst of a dark world.

ACTION POINT

Go out and win souls into God's Kingdom and thereafter thank Him for His light that is spreading into those lives and the community at large.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY 23/07/2013 - WHY YOU MUST ABIDE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WHY YOU MUST ABIDE

MEMORY VERSE

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22

READ

Psalm 1:1-3

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

MESSAGE 

In John 9:6-7, a man who was born blind had contact with the Lord and his eyes were opened in a very dramatic way. If just one contact could do that much, how much more when you abide in Him? When you abide in Christ, He makes everything to become new. 2 Kings 4:8-17 tells of the Shunammite woman who offered Elisha food, and he decided to abide more regularly in the apartment she built for him. Because he was abiding there, this woman who had lost hope of becoming a mother became the mother of a son. When you abide, there is a new beginning. The widow of Zarephath had the servant of God abiding with her and her son and what was suppose to be her last meal became the meal that sustained the trio for over two years of famine. Are you abiding in Christ? If you are today in Christ, tomorrow in sin, you are not abiding in Him. If you are today in church, tomorrow in a shrine, you are not abiding in Him.

Moreover, why do you need to abide in Him? Abiding in Him creates the perfect atmosphere to get the best results from God's Word. Psalm 119:11 says,

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

If you are in a hurry to study God's word, it will not sink into you, and you will be unable to reach the depth where you can get revelation. You need to read, study, memorise and meditate on the word, so that you can have good success (Joshua 1:8). You cannot continue in sin and expect a breakthrough from God because God is a miracle worker and not a magician. Abiding in Him helps you to stay holy. Several years ago, a woman attended an anointing service organised for those who wanted to be fruitful. Like others who came, I laid hands on her and prayed. Much later she was angry that nothing happened even though she fell under the anointing. While I was about to pray for her again, the Lord stopped me, and told me to ask this great woman how many boyfriends she had, beside her husband, and she said six. What some people are seeking is magic not miracle. To prosper and become fruitful or successful through Him, you must be holy.

KEY POINT

Anytime you step out of Christ, you are exposed to the bullets and arrows of the enemy. Stay in Him!

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY 22/07/2013 - STRIKE A BALANCE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

STRIKE A BALANCE

MEMORY VERSE

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. 

Proverbs 29:2

READ

Exodus 1:15-21

Exo 1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

Exo 1:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

Exo 1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

Exo 1:18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

Exo 1:19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

Exo 1:20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

Exo 1:21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

MESSAGE 

Earlier, God had promised Abraham that through him, the whole world would be blessed. Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob and Esau, and Jacob had 12 sons. By the time they got to Egypt, they were 70 in number. Thereafter God began to multiply them over a period of time to such an extent that they became a mighty nation within Egypt. The Egyptians however became afraid of them. After all the Pharaohs that knew about Joseph died, one came who did not know Joseph. This Pharaoh came up with an evil strategy against the children of Israel. We ought to learn a few lessons from these events. We know that changes are bound to occur as one government gives way to another. Some will recognise and represent your interest while some others will not. Yet, irrespective of the earthly government in power at any given moment, the divine government of the Most High God remains unchangeable. Since this divine government is the highest level of government, it can impose its will on all earthly governments. Therefore to remain relevant at all times, stay connected with the government of heaven.

I once asked God why He decided to hide so many truths in the Book of Exodus, and He replied that the Book of Exodus is the book of the rapture. He said just as the children of Israel went enmasse from Egypt so will the saints leave the world someday. Are you prepared for this glorious day? Remember there may be no notice other than a reminder like the one you are having now. Moreover, we also learn how dangerous it is to have power without the fear of God. A man who can order the death of innocent babies is a dangerous fellow, which is why we must pray fervently that from now onwards, anyone without the fear of God will never rule our nations again. Anyone in government who does not care about preserving the lives of those under him or her has failed in governance. When the righteous are in authority, joy should flood that city, state, or community. But if you claim to be righteous and those under you are in sorrow during your dispensation, you are a shame to the Body of Christ. How is your life bringing joy to others?

ACTION POINT 

Using Psalm 72:7, pray that during your tenor in ministerial or secular affairs, the righteous will flourish and peace shall abound all through your sphere of influence.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY 21/07/2013 - WATCH ATTITUDE TO PROPHECIES BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WATCH ATTITUDE TO PROPHECIES

MEMORY VERSE

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 

Matthew 12:37

READ

Proverbs 18:6-8

Pro 18:6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

Pro 18:7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

Pro 18:8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

MESSAGE 

Your confessions have a way of affecting your today, and particularly your tomorrow. If there is one thing you should do more often, it is to speak positively into your future, prophesy into your today and tomorrow and God will back it up. Don't let the negative pronouncements of others stop you; rather, change the situation in your favour by your own confessions because Matthew 12:37 says,

“For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

It is interesting but surprising to know that what have pegged the progress of some people is not the curses placed on them but the words they have spoken against themselves. Stop speaking against yourself! Eradicate words and phrases like these from your dictionary: 'I cannot do it' (except for something negative). 'This task is not for people like me;' 'Those who are saying I can make it in life are only deceiving me because nobody ever made it in my family'; 'It is an impossible task', etc. Rather fill your diction with 'I can', 'It is possible', 'I will succeed', 'Even if there is no way for others there will always be a way for me'.

My father-in-the Lord once told me this story. Two men went before the oracle and the priest told one of them, “You will be king”, and the other, “You are a servant”. Then they left. The one told he would be king began to rejoice and celebrate his forth coming fortune, but the other man challenged the verdict of the oracle. “Why must I be a servant?” After thinking over it, he resolved there and then not to be one. He got two cutlasses and sharpened them very well, took some food items and travelled to a far location to work. Each stroke from his cutlass was backed by the confession: “I refuse to be a servant”. From his labour, his farm became so big. One day, a hunter in the midst of famine stumbled on his farm and returned to tell the villagers he had found food. So the villagers came to beg the man to give them food in exchange for becoming their king. So this farmer became king while the one prophesied to be king became his servant.

KEY POINT

 A prophecy about you may be good but what you do with it is more important

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY20/07/2013 - WHEN THE SPIRIT DEPARTS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WHEN THE SPIRIT DEPARTS

MEMORY VERSE

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 

Psalm 51:11

READ

Psalm 51:1-12

Psa 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psa 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psa 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Psa 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

MESSAGE

Every believer in Christ needs the Holy Spirit. As long as He is with you, all is well, but the moment He leaves you, trouble sets in and weakness follows. When He was with Samson, everyone saw him as a real-life Superman or Spiderman; but when He left him, Samson became an ordinary man and his enemies dealt with him (Judges 16:18-20). While the forces of darkness find it easy to deal with those without the Holy Spirit, it is an uphill task for them to deal with someone who is full of the Holy Spirit. If you truly desire to be untouchable, make sure the Holy Spirit is very much with you. Demons are afraid of believers in Christ, not for their sake but because of the Spirit of God upon them. Many years ago, while we were starting a church in Ife, a particular young and proficient female singer mounted the stage and began to sing: 'My city is heavenly Jerusalem. Witches, wizards and other evil doers cannot go there'. In that place, there were over 200 deities and demons. Suddenly, we observed that her mouth opened to sing but no sound came out. Obviously, the witches and wizards felt she was confronting them while she lacked the power of the Holy Spirit, and so they seized her voice. She had to undergo some prayer afterwards in order to regain it. It is foolishness to dare the enemy when your Ally is not with you.

Moreover, when the Holy Spirit departs, the joy of salvation goes with Him. If you doubt this, ask David. When David sinned, the Holy Spirit left and so went his joy. This was why he began to ask for the restoration of the joy of his salvation in today's reading. When was the last time you woke up singing? When the Spirit leaves, the relationship between you and the Lord Jesus Christ becomes like noise without substance. Romans 8:9 says if you do not have the Holy Spirit, you have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Why? You are connected to Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Beloved, do all it takes for the Holy Spirit not to leave you! But if He has already left, then do everything possible to bring Him back.

PRAYER POINT

Father, whatever happens, please let Your Spirit never depart from me