OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 31/08/2013 - YOU CAN OVERCOME! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

YOU CAN OVERCOME!

MEMORY VERSE

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

Romans 8:37

READ

Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

Matthew 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Matthew 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

MESSAGE

To bring down a believer, the devil focuses on his or her weak points. Everyone has at least one point of weakness. Yet to overcome the overtures of the devil, you must focus on what he focuses on. That is, if he is focusing on your weakness so that he can bring you down by it, you too should focus on how to use the word of God and prayer to work on it, until it becomes your strong point. Do you know that if your weakness is that you find it difficult to resist anything in skirt, God can help you to the extent that even when a lady is naked before you, you will not be under any pressure to sin with her? Such character does not evolve by itself. It takes a careful study of the word of God, prayer and discipline. Are you ready to turn your weakness into your strong point?

Satan is good at showing people things to tempt them. That he showed you something does not mean that you have already sinned. In Matthew 4, he took Jesus to a height and showed Him the glory of this world. Thereafter, he offered to give these to Him if only He could bow to him. Oh! How cheap you may say! Just one innocuous bow and you get all these? What a lie! A bow to Satan is more than an ordinary bow. That single bow will subordinate you to him and his evil government. That bow would make you his slave for a life time. That bow would separate you from the Lover of your soul and drown you in hell eternally. One way out is to refuse to see what the devil wants to show you. In your office as an accounts or finance officer, Satan can show you the loop hole in the organization's account and tell you to exploit it and make 'clean' money for yourself. Don't agree with him. Do you know that, Satan's agent of temptation, who is saddled with the task of making you sin, can be converted? Today, some ladies who came to lure some brothers to fornication have ended up giving their lives to Christ. This is why when the spiritual battle is getting too hot, Satan withdraws his agents out of fear of losing them. You can overcome the devil!

KEY POINT 

Just as Satan can set you up to fall into sin, you too can prayerfully set up Satan's agent to be saved. And Satan will be in sorrow.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 30/08/2013 - A DEBTOR IN THANKS? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

A DEBTOR IN THANKS?

MEMORY VERSE

 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Ephesians 5:4

READ

Ephesians 5:1-4

Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Ephesians 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

MESSAGE

To become a divine favourite, you must be ready to be different. When people are busy discussing things of no heavenly value, you will keep them at a distance. 2 Timothy 2:23 says such an individual must avoid foolish and unlearned questions, while Ephesians 5:4 says,

“Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, not jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”

Instead of saying anything that does not glorify God or make jest of people, God expects you to give Him thanks. In other words, in God's estimation, all the man hours wasted on filthy or immoral communication, gossips, exaggerations and jesting are seen as time for thanksgiving that was not given to God. This means if you have spent one hour speaking what does not edify yourself and others or glorify God, you have just robbed God of an hour of thanksgiving. By the time God uses this scripture to take stock of our lives; people will owe Him so much in thanksgiving. Stop complaining of the nation or of bad leaders; complaining does not stop them from their evil. Rather use such time to thank God and pray for them, this will deliver you something worthwhile.

Divine favourites do not waste their time in frivolities but use free moments to appreciate their God. They spend time discussing heavenly things. They are not only special but also peculiar. People must be able to look at you and say you are different. The definition of fanatical Christianity is actually that the fellow loves Jesus more than you do. If others decide to soil their hands in that business deal, you will remember according to Psalm 24:3-5, that your hands and heart must be clean, and so you would rather choose not to join them. You are special to God. You cannot afford to behave like others. Eagles do not eat dead animals. It is vultures that do that and may even prefer rotten ones. Are you an eagle or a vulture? Your Father is holy, how come you do not mind sinning? Be like the eagle you have been called to be and God will back you up. Separate from all shady deals. In any case, are you a debtor to God in thanksgiving?

KEY POINT

Thanksgiving is a work of righteousness, faith and love. It adds to your credit with God.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 29/08/2013 - WHERE IS THE FIRE? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WHERE IS THE FIRE?

MEMORY VERSE

And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

Hebrews 1:7

READ

Hebrews 1:5-7

Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

MESSAGE

Repercussion for sins done on earth will not only come in eternity but also in this present world. During one of the Divine Encounter services we had sometime ago, I asked the Lord what was happening concerning His promise to raise several millionaires and He replied: “Do you want me to prosper those who are stealing?” This speaks of the limitation of man. There was this surgeon in charge of bones in one of the Nigerian hospitals. Whenever someone who had an accident was brought to him, he would take a look and charge exorbitantly. If they complain about his fee, he would pick up an axe and threaten to amputate the leg. Through this means, he got people in pain and sorrow to pay him and he became very wealthy. Then one day, he too took ill and went everywhere but the problem could not be diagnosed. After he spent all he had, it was then he got to know that he was suffering from cancer of the liver, and yet he could not survive it.

What are you pursuing? Elisha was pursuing the double portion of the anointing on his master. Esau was pursuing food. Judas was pursuing money! When I was still very young in the faith, my prayer night and day was that I did not want to be an ordinary Christian. Are you a minister of God? What are you pursuing? What is taking most of your time? What is giving you the greatest level of happiness? If it is mundane things, then like Gehazi, you have missed it. Focusing on the wrong things accounts for a greater percentage of wastage in the Kingdom of God. According to Hebrews 1:7, God's servant should be fire brand. You were called to be a flame of fire. You are supposed to be hot because you operate from God's power house. Take a look at Elijah who was indeed a fire brand and could call fire down on anyone who messed up with him. Where is your own fire? Where is the heat you were supposed to generate? Go back to God for that fire!

ACTION POINT

Ask for a fresh baptism of fire

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 28/08/2013 - DARE TO BE DIFFERENT! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!

MEMORY VERSE

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:8

READ

Daniel 1:8-16

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

Daniel 1:10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

Daniel 1:11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

Daniel 1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

Daniel 1:13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

Daniel 1:14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

Daniel 1:15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

Daniel 1:16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

MESSAGE 

To shine is to be peculiar according to 1 Peter 2:9. Those who are peculiar are usually different. It also means to stand out from the crowd. In 2 Kings 2:1-8, there were many sons of the prophets but only Elisha stood out and shone all the way. To shine you must be willing to be special. Acts 19:11-12 says God performed special miracles through one of His servants who was willing to shine. Do you know that God is ready to use you to do the impossible? Do you know that everything you need to succeed in life and ministry is already prepared by God? The problem is that we are not willing: we are often not ready. Do you know some of us keep God on His toes? He is ever ready but are we? Before God ever sent you on an errand, He had provided everything for you to successfully carry out that assignment. Even when you are faced with lack, God does not see any lack because He has made provision for all things. All you need to do is to go to Him in all sincerity and ask.

Another reason many of us cannot shine is because we refuse to pay the price to shine. God will not ask you to pay the price that you cannot. He is no taskmaster. If you are special, your standard must be quite high. You cannot afford to eat what every other person is eating. Daniel was special and he refused what others ate and at the end, he and his pals had a different result from every other person. If you want to end differently let your consecration level and loyalty level be different. If you do what every other person is doing, but expect to end somewhere else, then you must be a joker. Are you prepared to pray more intensively, worship more in spirit and truth and study the Word as never before? Are you prepared to make sacrifices for the Kingdom? It is what you are prepared to give up or to give in that will determine what God is willing to give out to you.

ACTION POINT 

Ask God for the grace to be positively different

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 27/08/2013 - EXPEDITED PROGRES BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

 

EXPEDITED PROGRESS

MEMORY VERSE

For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

Genesis 26:14

READ

1 Samuel 16:11-13

1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

MESSAGE 

Besides motionlessness and crawling, the next category of motion is walking. The first two categories have to do with immaturity. When a month old baby is placed somewhere, the legs and hands can be moving in the air but there will be no physical motion. Also, it is toddlers that crawl on their hands and feet; when a toddler wants to move towards maturity, he or she will begin to stand and walk. To walk means to move from one point to another at a uniform pace on foot. The progress that can be attained with this kind of motion is minimal. Most people are at this level of motion. They move from month to month just managing to exist.

However, apart from walking there is leaping as another category of motion. In Acts 3:1-8, when the lame fellow was healed, he began to walk and to leap. To leap is to move by jumping forcefully with a long or high arc. Even though the upward height attained by leaping is temporal, it is still better than just walking. There some things ordinarily beyond your reach but when you leap, you are able to access them. This can be compared in financial terms with a business man who gets one contract in three years. Another category of motion is running. To run is to make steady, speedy progress. In Genesis 26:12-14, we read that Isaac's financial and material blessings took a progressive trajectory. Verse 13 of this scripture says,

“And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:”

That is progress at some speed. The next category is flying. To fly is to make a fast upward motion and to sustain motion at the height so attained for a while. If you were to go from Lagos to Abuja by running, it could take you at least two days if you are very strong, but if you were to fly in an airbus, it would take you less than an hour. In other words, when you fly, time and results are in your favour. What will take your colleagues so long to accomplish would be achieved at a considerably shorter time by you. For instance, in 1 Samuel 16:11-13, David woke up that morning as a shepherd boy but before evening, he had been anointed king. That is expedited progress far beyond running and this will be your potion this season.

PRAYER POINT

 Father, give speed to my progress

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 26/08/2013 - BE WISE, WIN SOULS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BE WISE, WIN SOULS

MEMORY VERSE

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise

Proverbs 11:30

READ

Proverbs 11:29-31

Proverbs 11:29 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Proverbs 11:31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

MESSAGE

 Psalm 111:10 says

if you will be wise at all, you will start by fearing God.

Proverbs 3:7 says,

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

This means it is not what men think wisdom is that is truly wisdom, but what God calls wisdom. Also, it tells us that it is wisdom to avoid sin in its entirety and foolishness to live in sin. Are you born-again? God says you have started your journey into wisdom. Any step into sin therefore is dumping wisdom for foolishness. Show me a wise believer and I will show you a believer who keeps sin at arms-length. How close are you to sin?

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Proverbs 11:30

Another yardstick for measuring wisdom is the ability to win souls. The scripture did not say the fellow who wins a soul to Christ once in a long while – say three or six months, is wise, but the fellow who continues to win souls. If you win souls once in a while, you are to be commended: you are at the periphery of wisdom. But if you want to be counted as wise, you must do so more often. We live at the end time and there is a massive assignment God has for today believers in Christ that involves serious, planned and sustained soul winning. The wise believers will be actively involved in soul winning irrespective of their primary calling or department, while the foolish believers will occupy themselves with activities that have no bearing with soul winning. Some day God will draw a line between the wise and the foolish, between the soul winners and believers who refuse to win souls. On that day, where will you fall? How many souls have you won to the Lord this year, this month or this week? Key into soul winning and key into wisdom and eternal blessing today!

ACTION POINT 

The Holy Spirit is searching all over the world, for those few He can partner with in evangelism. Will you be one of them?

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 25/08/2013 - PROPHESY INTO YOUR SITUATION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

PROPHESY INTO YOUR SITUATION

MEMORY VERSE

A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.

Proverbs 13:2

READ

 Proverbs 13:2-3

Proverbs 13:2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.

Proverbs 13:3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

MESSAGE

For over three years, there had been no rain. Suddenly, Elijah emerged and said he heard the sound of much rain. This ultimately led to a turnaround. We ought to learn some lessons from this story.

“And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.”

 1 Kings 18:41

In the midst of so much famine and dryness, the man of God heard the inaudible. Amos 3:7 says before God does anything, He would first reveal it to at least one of His prophets. Revelation 2:7 says the Spirit is saying something but it will take only those who have spiritual ears to hear the divine message. This shows that in the unpleasant situation you are going through, God is saying something. Have you heard what God is saying? Concerning that situation of joblessness, God is saying something. Concerning that need for a spouse, God is saying something. Concerning that state of famine or financial dryness, God is saying something. But have you heard what the Spirit is saying to you about that situation? Before you know the next thing to do, first know what He is saying.

In addition, after the man of God heard something, he spoke it out – that is, he announced it or prophesied about it even when the situation appeared bleak. The best time to prophesy or announce what God has spoken to you concerning a situation is when it is still hopeless, helpless and bleak. In Genesis 1:1-3, it was in the midst of chaos, emptiness and darkness that God spoke. What are you saying in that situation of repeated disappointment? Stop confessing negative things, but start speaking God's word into your negative situation. As you speak His word or promise into your dark situation, God's light is released and as you continue to prophesy the word, the light of God continues to spread in that situation until it completely takes over the situation, leaving you with nothing but a testimony. Confess God's word into your situation from today.

ACTION POINT

 For the next 30 days, make prophetic declarations about yourself, family, work, ministry and destiny everyday.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 24/08/2013 - EMPOWERED TO COMFORT OTHERS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

EMPOWERED TO COMFORT OTHERS

MEMORY VERSE

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation 7:17

READ

Revelation 7:15-17

Revelation 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

MESSAGE

Apart from consuming stones, the fire that came down from heaven equally dried up the water poured on and around the sacrifice Elijah made on mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:38). Water here stands for tears and sorrow. One reason the Holy Spirit is called comforter is because He is a specialist at delivering comfort to those who are in sorrow or who are hurting. Revelation 7:17 says,

“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

If you are a man or woman of the Spirit, He will definitely use you to deliver comfort to those in need of it. The level of comfort you are able to deliver to your generation is a function of the measure of the Holy Spirit you have in you, and the level of closeness you share with Him.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”

 Isaiah 61:1

From the above scripture, we see that it takes the infilling of the Spirit to be able to effectively preach salvation to lost sinners, heal broken hearts, set the captives free and release inmates from Satan's prison. If a pastor is full of the Spirit and he is transferred to a parish with lots of sorrow, sickness, poverty, loss, failure, etc., you will discover that before long, all those tokens of the liar will disappear and in place of tears, there shall be tears of joy and lots of miracles. If you want to truly be of help to anyone - be it in ministerial or secular matters, get close to the Holy Spirit. When you have the Spirit in you, you will save lots of effort and needless struggles. Merely saying, 'It is well' to a hurting fellow will have a great impact in comfort. Besides merely showing sympathy, if you are full of the Holy Spirit, He can reverse the source of the sorrow and deliver permanent joy. Are you prepared to impact your generation?

ACTION POINT

Prayerfully identify 10 brethren who need comfort and by the power of the Holy Spirit, using the Word and other materials, extend comfort them.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 23/08/2013 - STAND OUT! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

STAND OUT!

MEMORY VERSE

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye seperate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2 Corinthians 6:17

READ

Acts 19:11-12

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

Acts 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.

MESSAGE

There are people who have gone through the best of theological institutions and have been certified and recognised by men, but they are nowhere to be found among God's favourites because they have not drawn closer to God as He expects of them. May you be among the divine eagles! However, among eagles, there are stand-out eagles. Acts 5:12-16 says special miracles were performed by the hands of some eagles while others only experienced ordinary miracles. All the apostles were eagles but only Peter had his shadow healing the sick.

One of my very young children returned from Sunday school one day and asked: 'Dad, do you really know the Bible?' 'I know the Bible very well I replied'. Then he said 'Who is Prochorus?' I told him I don't know that person. 'What about Nicanor?' Then I asked, 'Is that in the Bible?' He further asked, 'What about Timon?' 'Do you mean Simeon?' He said no. So I said 'I don't know what you are talking about'. 'But Dad, I thought you said you know the Bible; these are among the seven deacons in the early church'. I said, 'God have mercy on them because I only know Stephen and Philip'. I obviously lost sight of the others because they were hardly ever mentioned afterwards, whereas Stephen and Philip were shinning stars as God's favourites. Believe it or not, some Christians may never taste of the level of special miracles that Paul saw God doing through him in Acts 19:11-12. To become a divine favourite, there is a price to pay. First, you must be prepared to separate from every unclean thing (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Nobody can become outstanding if he or she is unwilling to stand out. While pigeons gather together, eagles fly alone. You cannot afford to do things the way others are doing them if you want to become God's favourite. Others may overeat or oversleep but you cannot afford such luxury because of where you are going. Are you ready to pay the price to become His favourite?

PRAYER POINT 

Father, everything that will work against my standing out, separate them from my life today.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 22/08/2013 - BEYOND THE BARGAIN BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BEYOND THE BARGAIN

MEMORY VERSE

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 1:15

READ

John 12:1-6

John 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

John 12:2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

John 12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,

John 12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

John 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

MESSAGE

Gehazi was being prepared to be a highly anointed man of God but he was busy chasing after wealth and riches. He got what he wanted and even beyond it. If you are pursuing wealth, you will get more than you bargained for. It is one thing to acquire wealth but another thing to live to spend it. The only blessing that will make you rich without adding sorrow is the blessing that comes from God. If you are stealing or doing illegal business, even before you die, it will take its toll on you. Gehazi got the money but he also got the disease that Naaman was prepared to pay any amount to get rid of. He could not enjoy his reward of iniquity and he brought leprosy to his generation.

You cannot tell where that seemingly little sin could lead you. All that David wanted to do that day as he saw Uriah's naked wife, was just to have sex, but he got more than he bargained for. That sin was just the beginning of several more sins and it brought a lasting curse upon David's family. You can tell the beginning of a sin but you may not be able to tell its end. When Judas Iscariot was pursuing money, little did he know that it could make him to sell his Master, lead to his suicide and cause him to be abhorred eternally. Be mindful of your steps. Are you thinking of stealing from the offerings of the church? You will be biting more than you can chew! Are you secretly planning to commit fornication or adultery? Did you say it will only be once and you will never try it again? The truth is, that single act of sin will surely attract others in quick succession and each will come with their repercussions. When you avoid committing a sin, you keep yourself from several unpleasant consequences. If you do not want an evil harvest, steer clear of sin – no matter how small, seemingly hurt free or secretive it appears. You cannot effectively hide sin no matter how smart you are.

KEY POINT

Behind sin are terrible consequences. Every sin you avoid, you save yourself, family and generations multitudes of evils.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 21/08/2013 - HOW PROFITABLE ARE YOU? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HOW PROFITABLE ARE YOU?

MEMORY VERSE

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

Matthew 25:28

READ

Matthew 25:24-30

Matthew 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

Matthew 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

Matthew 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Matthew 25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

Matthew 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

Matthew 25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

MESSAGE

Believers have different endowment of grace from God. God has given us different talents. It is one thing to have a talent and another thing to use it. In Acts 8:5-8, Philip shone for the Lord and brought joy to a city. How many individuals, families or communities have you delivered joy to? If one man with the same Holy Spirit you have can deliver joy to a city, you have no excuse for not being a source of joy to others. On the other hand, if light fails to shine, darkness will take over. If you consider the aftermath of not trading with the talent given in the parable of the talents, no believer in his or her right mind will like to go through such (Matthew 25:28–30). Instead of a commendation, the unprofitable servant received a rebuke. May the Lord not rebuke you for neglecting your talent!

Besides rebuke, the servant who received one talent lost it to his colleague who traded with his. Do you know that apart from eternity, some believers can lose their talents to fellow believers here on earth? This is one reason to use whatever God has given to you in a most productive way to glorify Him. If God is totally glorified in the way you use the resources He has given to you, there will be no need to give it to someone else. Today, there are many believers who once had certain talents or abilities but because they failed to use them well, the grace to operate such divine endowments was withdrawn; they can only point to other people they see using the talents they once had. That shall not be your portion in Jesus name! The servant was tagged an unprofitable servant. Can God call you a profitable servant? What kind of profit has your presence and involvement brought to the Kingdom of God? Finally, the servant had to share eternity with unbelievers. In other words, if your salvation through the blood of Jesus cannot benefit God's Kingdom, one can still end up in hell. May you end up in Heaven! Rise up, dust your talents and begin to use them from now.

KEY POINT

If your life can truly generate profits for God's Kingdom, you stand to benefit from God both now and in eternity.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 20/08/2013 - ON MOTION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ON MOTION

MEMORY VERSE

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

READ

Isaiah 40:28-31

Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Isaiah 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

MESSAGE

There are seven categories of motion. The first is total stagnation which indicates a state of no motion. In Mark 2:1-12, we read of a paralysed man who could not do anything for himself except someone else helped him. He was in a state of total stagnation. This is the worst state of motion. Some people are in that state. No matter their efforts, the situation remains the same. In other words, it appears there is nothing they can do to change their situation. If you are in this state, the Lord will reach out to you in Jesus name. That force or power that is keeping you on the same spot is paralysed now. For some people, the evil people spiritually manipulated their destinies never to leave where they have been. No matter how old some people become, they keep dreaming of their primary or secondary school days, or see themselves serving in the house of a particular uncle, aunt, or relation where they lived many years ago. They have been tied to their past and are not meant to leave their past. Every evil tie to your unpleasant past is destroyed today in Jesus name. You are set free to fulfil your destiny.

Crawling is the next category of motion after motionlessness. In John 9:1-7, we read of a man who was born blind. Whenever he had to go somewhere, he could not move fast for lack of sight. At this stage, there is motion but it is very limited and slow. Are you experiencing slow progress? If you labour so much but have little results to show for it, then you are crawling. If it is taking you six months to achieve what you could have achieved in one month, you are crawling. If what is taking others one year to achieve is taking you 10 years, you are crawling. Today, in the name of Jesus, I speak forth divine speed into your motion! You shall make quick progress henceforth.

PRAYER POINT

Every evil tie to my negative past, be broken in Jesus name.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 19/08/2013 - HE JUDGES HIS MINISTERS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HE JUDGES HIS MINISTERS

MEMORY VERSE

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10

READ

Numbers 12:1-10

Numbers 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

Numbers 12:2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.

Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Numbers 12:4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

Numbers 12:5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

Numbers 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

Numbers 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

Numbers 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Numbers 12:9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.

Numbers 12:10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

MESSAGE

Many people view wisdom from different angles. But if we were to use the fear of God as the yardstick for measuring wisdom, then you can be very certain we have quite a number of foolish people among us. Psalm 111:10 says,

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

Not many of us fear God – even ministers of God! We fear our bosses in our work places. We fear those who approve contracts for us. We fail to fear the One who should be our fear and dread (Isaiah 8:13). Can you believe that some ministers of God find it difficult to join the congregation in praising God? At praise or worship time, you will find some of them standing straight and looking in a sanctimonious way as if they have forgotten that the day they became ministers of God, they were placed right in God's palms. If God wants to deal with His ministers, He does not need to search for them; all He needs to do is close His hands.

Do you say you are a worker or minister and you still tell lies? Do you steal? Do you falsify reports or approve reports that you know are not true? Remember God is seeing you. Do you know that many titled orthodox ministers fear God more than we so called Pentecostals; this is why many scandals are rife in our midst than theirs. If you do not know anything about God, do know that He is a Consuming fire. He is quiet because He is so powerful. When a river is shallow, it makes a lot of noise. In Numbers 12:1-16, when Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, God summoned the three of them and asked the offenders why they were not afraid to speak against His faithful servant. God left in anger without doing anything, yet as soon as He left, Miriam was covered with leprosy. What if He had decided to do something, would Miriam have survived it? Ministers of God, God still judges His servants. Tread carefully and fear Him.

KEY POINT

Like any of God's children, ministers of God will give account to God, but God will use a higher standard for them as much is expected of them.