OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY- 28/2/2014 - BEFORE YOU GET ANGRY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BEFORE YOU GET ANGRY

MEMORISE

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11

READ

James 4:13-14

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

MESSAGE

Yesterday we learnt it is not right for us to get angry with God or to take offence against Him, even if we experience the deferment of our hopes. The example of John the Baptist who earlier acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, but later doubted Him because of his painful experience of incarceration is a warning signpost to us that if care is not taken, following the asking of questions, offence towards God might begin to reside in our heart. Going forward, we need to ask ourselves the question: why do we take offence, get angry or feel irritated by the way God deals with us? We shall look at three answers to this question.

In the first instance, we children of God sometimes tend to overestimate ourselves as human beings (James 4:13-14). Some people of God in olden times realised this, hence Job 25:6 calls man a worm. Whereas God is infinite, man is finite. He is the potter and we are the clay; how true!

Also, we tend to underestimate the sacrifice God has made for us. Though we are but dust and worms, God did give His Son for our redemption – essentially God Himself, the maker of the universe, coming to be conceived in a human womb and be born as human. Not only that, He subjected Himself to the limitations of man and was maltreated by His own creatures; all just for you and me not to perish in hellfire but to be with God forever. Having done all these, He has proved beyond any reasonable doubt He has our best interest at heart, notwithstanding our present situation (John 3:16, John 15:13, 1 Timothy 3:16).

Lastly, it is because we tend to forget that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Whatever He is doing, He has our end in view. He is concerned about how we end; after all what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? While looking for a site for our Camp ground, initially it was the old Youth Camp at Ogunmakin (South-West, Nigeria) that we were negotiating for. But in spite of prayers and crying to God to take ownership of it, we had no money to pay. It eventually went to another ministry that was able to pay the required amount. We all wept because of this experience, but God knew what He had in store for us - the Redemption Camp, which is much bigger and in a much better location.

ACTION POINT

Praise and thank God for the sacrifice of Jesus for you. Right now resign your will to Him over the current issues of your life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 16-18; 

Psalm 48

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY- 27/2/2014 - ANGRY WITH GOD? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ANGRY WITH GOD?

MEMORISE

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

READ

Matthew 11:2-6

2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

MESSAGE

When deferred hope prompts a person to issue queries to God, it is an indication of the person taking offence towards God. We have to settle it in our hearts as children of God that there can never be justifiable grounds for us to pick a fight with God. You can ask God questions to seek clarification of issues, but to query Him, that is a no-go area. The case of John the Baptist in our Bible reading is one glaring example of this practice which some of us also indulge in. John had himself acknowledged Jesus to be the Lamb of God that takes away our sins in John 1:29. But much later, in the midst of his trouble with King Herod, who imprisoned him because he spoke out against Herod’s taking of his brother’s wife, he sent his disciples to Jesus. This time, it was not to complement Jesus, but to air his doubt about who he had rightly proclaimed Him to be. Why did it come to this? It was because he expected that Jesus as the Messiah ought to have known about his situation and to have either spoken or applied His power in getting him out of Herod’s custody. To be imprisoned is not a palatable experience, yet our knowledge and confidence in God’s ability, love, faithfulness and goodness should not be challenged by our life experiences. Jesus replied John’s emissaries in Matthew 11:6 thus:

“And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

We must be careful in the midst of challenges never to allow offence against God set in our heart.

There is no one who has been saved for ten years, who would not ask questions about not seeing corresponding results or answers to some prayers. However, you must realise that life is in phases (Psalm 37:25). Take for example Joseph: first, he was his father’s favourite with a special coat (Genesis 37:3), next he was the dreamer (Genesis 37:19), then he was an interpreter of dreams (Genesis 40:1-22) and finally he became the Prime Minister (Genesis 41:39-46). The journey of life for Joseph was not all smooth sailing, but his end was glorious. Joseph did not begin to issue queries against God in the evil days of his life experiences. Life is in phases. In the eyes of men, some phases are bad while some are good. As a child of God you must however remember that:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

ACTION POINT

Have a deep reflection to recollect wherever you may have taken offence or have been angry with God, and apologise to Him from your heart.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 13-15; 

Psalm 47

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY- 26/2/2014 - JESUS IN YOUR BOAT BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

JESUS IN YOUR BOAT

MEMORISE

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psalm 50:15

READ

Mark 4:35-41

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

MESSAGE

No doubt, life in a sense is like the sea. A characteristic of the sea is that storms of varying degrees arise, putting the lives of those sailing on it in jeopardy of being drowned. In Jesus’ Name, the storms of life will not be able to drown you, your family and your business. While literal storms are natural phenomena, the storms of life are often generated and directed to an individual by enemies. Whether it is by enemies in the flesh or in the spirit realm, every situation that would constitute a storm in your life shall be disappointed in Jesus’ Name.

Jesus was in the boat with His disciples on a mission across the Sea of Galilee. His Father’s business that should bring deliverance to the mad man in Gadara, who the devil had been afflicting with chronic insanity, beaconed. The devil had an idea of this and decided to thwart it, but he is never a match for our God, and He will never be. This is why I command whatever storm you may be experiencing now to be calm in Jesus’ Name. As you sail on the sea of life to fulfil your destiny, the devil and his allies are not happy because your success is also going to result in the blessing and deliverance of others. This is because you will use it for God’s service, to build up the work of God and to bring souls to the Kingdom of God. Nevertheless, the devil and his agents will fail.

At the onset of the storm, while Jesus was taking time off to relax, the disciples embarked on a rescue operation of the boat. The situation however did not get better. They could not cope. It was then they remembered to wake Jesus up.

1 Samuel 2:9c says:

“........for by strength shall no man prevail.”

You should not make this mistake; your role is to notify Jesus of the storm. In any case, Jesus woke up unperturbed. The Author and Controller of Peace himself rebuked the winds behind the storm, and there was calm. You shall begin to experience calmness in your marriage, in your finances, in your education, in your business and in your health from now on in Jesus’ Name. Stop running helter-skelter to dubious men all over the place; they will only compound your problems. Look up to Jesus; let Him handle your storm.

ACTION POINT

Repent of being too quick to seek out man’s solution instead of God’s at times of difficulty. Praise God, the all-powerful One and tell Him of any storm in your life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 10-12; 

Psalm 46

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY- 25/2/2014 - BE FULL OF PRAISE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BE FULL OF PRAISE

MEMORISE

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:1

READ

Psalm 18:1-3

1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

MESSAGE

The incident that led to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden was a complete loss of all that is beautiful. Prior to the fall, man wasn’t fearful of his environment or of the presence of God. But after the fall, for the first time, Adam was terrified by the presence of God which he previously used to anticipate. With this came the universal culture of complaining, murmuring and grumbling. The awesome glory of God over his life and destiny was destroyed. Glory to God that Jesus as the second Adam has come to undo the evil the devil subtly brought on man.

David in our Bible reading for today reveals the importance of eulogising God. He was confessing who God is to him: his rock, his fortress, his deliverer, his strength, his buckler, the horn of his salvation and his high tower. In his praise of God, David was also expressing his confidence and trust in God. God enjoys our praise. He says in Psalm 50:23 that he who offers praise glorifies Him. Are you a child of God? You must know that there is no place for those that murmur and grumblers in heaven; it is an eternity of ecstatic adoration of our great King (Revelation 4:5-11). David, even in those days caught the revelation of this truth; hence he resolved to banish murmuring from his life. This caused him to proclaim in Psalm 34:1 that:

“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

This is the secret of the greatness of this man who was once a nobody. From a human perspective, David had no prospect of becoming anything. Usually in families, it is expected that the youngest in the family would enjoy some pampering and ease, but not so with David. His older siblings remained at home enjoying themselves with the milk from the flock of sheep that David kept in the bush all by himself. However, every labour has its rewards. David became the greatest king of Israel and became an ancestor of our Lord Jesus. Because he was full of praise, God could not help but lavish His favour on him. Mind you, a great man always likes his greatness to be acknowledged. He would like that those around him do not embarrass or disgrace him by diminishing his status in any way. I once had an uncle who would refuse financial assistance to anyone who requested a meagre amount, because he felt such a request was demeaning to him. God is greater than the greatest of all men. Whatever your condition, He has the final say. It’s not over until it is over, therefore don’t let the challenges of your life reduce your God to a grasshopper in your eyes.

ACTION POINT

No matter your current condition, right now look to God. Praise Him by calling Him beautiful names. Tell Him you will praise Him at all times and that He should help you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 7:30-9:26; Psalm 45

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY- 242/2014 - GLORIOUS EXPECTATION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GLORIOUS EXPECTATION

MEMORISE

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

1 Peter 5:10

READ

2 Kings 7:1-10

1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

MESSAGE

A child of God has every right to expect a glorious tomorrow, even if the present situation does not in any way make such optimism look realistic. In the face of uncertainty and the total economic collapse of a country, the believer who knows his God will still rightly expect a change for the better, because he knows he serves a God who specialises in giving pleasant surprises to His children. The story of 2 Kings 6 & 7 is not fictional, though it may look incredible. The famine that resulted from the siege of Samaria by its enemies became so devastating that mothers were surviving on their own children. What a terrible thing! Have you ever thought about it: even Elisha the great man of God was in the midst of the situation as others? One thing you can be sure of is that God would have taken care of him for as long as the famine lasted; though that aspect of the story is not revealed in the Bible. In the same way, the Lord is able to take care of you in the midst of any crises, only make sure you trust in Him and obey Him in all things. Pay your tithes, win souls and live holy.

We should not cease trusting God in the place of prayer for desirable changes in the state of affairs of our country as we seek to do His will in all things. In the case of Samaria, God brought about a change within 24 hours at the peak of their national predicament of insecurity that resulted in acute want. By the mouth of His servant, God pronounced great abundance upon the land. This pronouncement brought to an end both the insecurity and the famine of the land (2 Kings 7:1&18). So will Boko Haram and its activities be brought to a sudden end in Nigeria in Jesus’ Name. On the other hand, being expectant does not imply sitting down and doing nothing; in the case of Samaria, it took the rising up of four lepers, who decided to go to the camp of the Syrians, only to discover that the Syrians had fled their camp, leaving all their supplies behind. There is always a place of action to your faith, just as the Bible in James 2:17 says:

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

Are you in need of a good job? You have got to take the right step of action. Do you want your business to be more competitive? Diligently get to know what action to take and take it.

ACTION POINT

Praise God for His mercy over Nigeria. Pray for the forgiveness of sins for Nigeria and that God will grant her political leaders the fear of God and the wisdom to run the country.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 5:14-7:29; 

Psalm 44:17-26

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY- 23/2/2014 - CHRIST IN YOU BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CHRIST IN YOU

MEMORISE

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Colossians 1:27

READ

1 John 4:4-6

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

MESSAGE

What someone is carrying on the inside of him can go a long way in affecting his destiny and that of other people around him. Some people possess demonic spirits which empowers them to wreak terrible havoc on fellow human beings from the spirit realm. These are referred to as witches. Some others are possessed by demonic spirits in order to torment them and make life miserable for those around them. Such was the mad man of Gadara (Mark 5:1-5). He was made mad by reason of the demons inhabiting him. According to our Bible reading today, children of God are carrying Jesus on the inside of them. As a child of God, what you have on the inside is infinitely greater than whatsoever a possessed person can have.

Hence 1 John 4:4b declares:

“…Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”

That is, Jesus in us is greater than Satan and his cohorts that are in the world. On this note, there is no cause for a child of God to be afraid of witches and wizards because there is no basis for comparing even Satan their boss to Jesus.

Having Jesus dwelling inside you gives life to every part of your body. If anything has died in your body before, the presence of Jesus now brings them back to life. Glory be to the Lord! I command that infected vital organ in your body, to come alive right now in the Name of Jesus. Furthermore, with Jesus in you, your body receives divine revitalisation and invigoration which enables you to survive any situation. Also, the child of God can always be hopeful of a glorious tomorrow. The Bible says it shall be well with the righteous (Isaiah 3:10). The righteous has the hope of reigning with Christ in His kingdom all through eternity. In this regard the Scripture says:

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

1 John 3:2-3

In order not to be overcome by the enemy and miss Heaven, the believer must ensure consistent holy living and constantly enforce the victory earned from the death and resurrection of Jesus by faith. You must resist the enemy with the authority that Christ has vested in you for him to flee.

PRAYER POINT

Father, let the eyes of my understanding be enlightened to comprehend and experience the reality of Christ in me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY- 22/2/2014 - THE RELIABLE GOD BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE RELIABLE GOD

MEMORISE

For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:18

READ

Luke 2:25-32

25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

MESSAGE

One of the divine attributes of God is Truth. He revealed himself as the Truth in John 14:6. He is truth personified. It is impossible to expect God to lie or to be deceitful (Titus 1:2). The Bible reading for today tells of an occasion after the birth of Jesus, where He was brought to the temple for dedication. Simeon, a devout man had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen Jesus born. Just as he was promised, at the exact point in time Jesus was brought to the Temple as a babe, this man turned up. From his statements, this singular event was all that was left for his life to be fulfilled as purposed by God, and it came true exactly as he was told. Has the Lord made any promise to you at any time before? Be rest assured that He will surely bring it to fulfilment in due season no matter what may be.

Besides a personal promise specifically made to you at any definite time, the Bible is full of several promises that God has put in His word to take care of His people and their needs. As a child of God you would do yourself a world of good to avail yourself of this great privilege. Just like the Psalmist said in Psalm 23:5, the table of the Lord is full of all menus to satisfy all needs. It’s a pity that many children of God suffer needlessly when they have a Father that not only has the ability to solve any problem, but is also faithful and willing to do it for them.

Nevertheless, it requires that you release your faith when expecting God’s promises to be fulfilled in any area of your life.

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

James 1:6-8

Another thing you must be ready to do is to pray. When it comes to prayer, many children of God are lazy, preferring that some other person do the praying on their behalf. Actually, there is nothing wrong in praying for one another, but when you choose to live your Christian life entirely dependent on other people’s prayers, definitely you cannot get the best of what the faith promises and therefore cannot amount to much before God and man. Obviously, no person with the mind of Christ should be willing to settle for such a base life.

ACTION POINT

Search the Scriptures for promises of God on answer to prayer, healing, deliverance, victory over sin, victory over enemies, divine promotion and financial breakthrough.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 1:1-3:5; 
Psalm 44:1-8

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY- 21/2/2014 - LIFE IN ABUNDANCE II BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

LIFE IN ABUNDANCE II

MEMORISE
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
1 John 3:6

READ

1 John 3:5-8

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 

 
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 

 
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 

 
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 

MESSAGE

Truly, the genuineness of God’s concern and His interest in the well being of man is established in the giving of His Son to die, thereby making provision for their redemption. According to the word of God, such individuals that therefore surrender their lives to Jesus Christ are now children of God.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 1:12-13

If believers in Christ are children of God as the Bible clearly reveals, then it means that they possess some measure of divinity, a divine DNA. It implies further that divine abilities are at their disposal, just as the passage above indicates that these people are given power to become sons. On this note, it is therefore expected that such people would live to take full advantage of this life in accordance with the divine purpose. We should then ask ourselves this question: “Is it every child of God that is on top of their situation, and are they living life to the fullness of what Jesus has on offer in John 10:10b?” The answer to this question is NO! Why is this so? Definitely the fault is not with God, it can only be with us His children.

Some of us are not sincere; some want what God has to offer but at the same time what the sinful world offers. In the first instance, sin was the undoing of man; it then follows that if after we have received pardon from Jesus, we still think we are free to continue in sin, we are taking God for a fool.

The Bible says:  “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”
Romans 6:1-2

It is required therefore that we live holy lives otherwise we will short-change ourselves. Living holy implies total obedience to God and His word.

ACTION POINT
Earnestly pray for consecration, ask God for grace to live above the vanities of the world, and to be obedient to Him completely.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY- 20/2/2014 - LIFE IN ABUNDANCE I BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

LIFE IN ABUNDANCE I

MEMORISE

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

READ

2 Peter 1:1-4

2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

2 Peter 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

MESSAGE

Under normal circumstances, no human being desires to be a nonentity. The various forces in the world however, are responsible for many people spending their entire life amounting to nothing and dwelling in the valley of not-well-to-do persons. The Almighty God Himself in making man did not intend for him to be a scourge of His creation, but rather the master piece of His creativity.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

Genesis 1:26-27

This passage clearly reveals love and goodwill par excellence on the part of God toward man. Where then did the negative turn of events come from? It is sin in the camp of man. He rebelled against his Maker; he rejected His authority over him by choosing to obey the archenemy of God – Satan, rather than God.

“And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

Genesis 3:11-13

Since this incident in the Garden of Eden, things have not been the same with man; until the same God who was sinned against sent His Son to make atonement for the sin of man (Hebrews 9:22, John 3:16). Whosoever now is in Christ is in a position to regain all that man had lost through sin (Romans 5:17). If you are already in Christ, I want to let you know that you are positioned to live a fulfilled life. If you have not truly surrendered to Jesus however, even if you seem to be making it, know that something very vital is still missing. Besides, where it matters most in the hereafter, you will be disappointed; so repent and turn over your life to Jesus today.

ACTION POINT

Make sure you are truly in Christ, to be able to reclaim all your lost ground and make heaven.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Isaiah 60:1-63:14; 

Psalm 42