OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY- 30/04/2014 - CARE FOR THE BRETHREN BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CARE FOR THE BRETHREN

MEMORISE

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

READ

Romans 15:25-27

25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

MESSAGE

Apostle Paul in the Bible reading for today, teaches us one missing ingredient of true discipleship in today’s contemporary Church; which is the ministry of care. Despite the great anointing with which Apostle Paul was ministering to both Jews and Gentiles, it is amazing to read that the ministry of care was not absent from his vocation as a preacher of the gospel. It is also interesting to note that the lives of the early apostles of Jesus Christ were not only in alignment with the teachings of Jesus Christ but were also in alignment with their own teachings. Jesus Christ taught that his followers should be hospitable, kind hearted and generous. He said to us in Matthew 10:42 that:

“And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

He exemplified this when He insisted on feeding the crowd that had been with Him for so long, contrary to the suggestions of His disciples that they be dismissed with empty stomachs. He made sure the crowd was fed before they were dispersed (Matthew 14:15-19).

In Matthew 25:35-40 the Lord further enunciated this principle saying:

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

In light of these witnesses, children of God must therefore engage in the ministry of care along with any other ministries that they may have been called into. This makes our calling a complete and perfect one. The needy amongst us should be given consideration as our primary target of ministration on practical giving.

ACTION POINT

Set up a care-giving department in your local assembly for the purpose of meeting the needs of those who lack one thing or the other.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Revelation 8-11; 

Psalm 93

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY- 29/04/2014 - MYSTERY OF DIVINE CODEY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

MYSTERY OF DIVINE CODE

MEMORISE

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1 Corinthians 2:7

READ

1 Corinthians 2:6-10

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

MESSAGE

The Lord in His infinite wisdom has always hidden His divine plans and purpose in codes. Obviously, it is impossible for the devil and his cohorts to understand or crack these heavenly codes. One of such codes is: “the seed of the woman”. The Almighty God gave the very first hint about the “seed of the woman” in Genesis 3:15, where He said that the woman’s seed shall bruise the head of Satan. Here, we have the very first direct individual reference to the Lord Jesus, which is also a direct messianic prophecy pointing to Calvary, where the Lord Jesus would defeat the devil and his hosts. This was a mystery through the ages as there is no passage of the Bible with a clue as to when this would happen. Later down the line, God gave generic information about the nature of the woman who would bear this “seed” through Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14).

Because the days were prolonged and it seemed this vision will fail, the descendants of Adam and Eve overlooked the importance of the “seed of the woman” and of the fulfilment of the messianic prophecy to the human race. More importantly, Satan being the god of this world and having access to real time updates about happenings around the world from his agents, seemed to have gone to bed with his two eyes closed on the matter. At the end of the day, while Satan thought he was working against the “seed of the woman”, he ended up working for the fulfilment of the messianic prophecy in ignorance (1 Corinthians 2:8). I pray that the enemy will never break the divine code about you and that every attack of the enemy will take you a step closer to your destiny in Jesus’ Name. Very long after God gave the hint on the “seed of the woman”, a virgin conceived and Jesus the Son of God was “born of a woman”. The few who consciously waited for the fulfilment of this long awaited prophecy may have encountered scoffers with probing questions like:

“Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

2 Peter 3:4b

Nevertheless, one day, they like Simeon in Luke 2:30 said:

“For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,”

I therefore prophesy in the Name that is above all other names that all your neighbours and family members will soon witness the fulfilment of your glorious destiny in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, put all those that scoff at your promise concerning my life to shame in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Revelation 3:14-7:17; Psalm 92

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY- 28/04/2014 - LIVING ABOVE THE STORMS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

LIVING ABOVE THE STORMS

Memorise

And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

Exodus 14:15

READ

Matthew 14:22-32

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

MESSAGE

Meteorologists have observed that there are different kinds of storms. The nature of these storms varies by their location. Some places are stormier than others. Storms also vary in strength, the level of danger they pose and the extent of damage they cause. Relating this to life’s situations, storms can take different forms in the life of a person. A storm could be economic, political, financial, social to name but a few. The storms of life put men under intense pressure and have the capacity to toss them to and fro. Although storms may be an undesirable natural phenomenon, their occurrence has some great advantages for human life and the environment. Similarly, the storms of life have hidden advantages too. Men have found ways to predict storms and have devised methods to control and reduce the level of damage they cause. By applying different precautionary measures, people are able to survive the impact of storms. If such measures have proved successful, how much more will God’s safeguards protect us from the storms of life?

One of the titles of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. He has the power to calm or stop any storm. In Matthew 14:22-32, Jesus instructed His disciples to get into the ship and cross over to the other side. Midway into the journey, a storm arose threatening to sink their boat. This kind of storm is opposed to progress. It could be a form of opposition on the journey to marriage, in the path of ministerial progress, on the course of a career line or in life generally. The intervention of Jesus brings calmness into any storm. A storm confronted the men upon whom the future of the church depended. It was not only a threat to their lives but also a threat to their destiny and assignment. Storms can challenge progress no matter the Commitment put into the journey so far. The disciples had left everything to follow Jesus, yet a storm beat against their direction of progress. It is very dangerous to be caught by a storm on the sea of life without Jesus in the boat. The advantage the disciples had was that they had a relationship with the Lord. So when the storm arose against them, the all-knowing Master was quick to intervene. If the obedience of the disciples faced a storm on the sea, what is the hope of those on a journey of disobedience? Divine presence is the secret of living above the storms of life. When Jesus is reigning in your life, against all odds, you will surely get to your destination in life. Are you willing to allow Christ to bring the power of His presence into the storms of your life just like the disciples did in John 6:21? Your willingness to receive and allow Him is very important.

PRAYER POINT

Father let your presence put an end to every storm in my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Revelation 1:1-3:13; Psalm 91

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY- 27/04/2014 - SUFFICIENT GRACE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

SUFFICIENT GRACE

MEMORISE

And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

READ

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

MESSAGE

There is nothing God wants us to do for Him or to become that is not possible through His grace. His grace is sufficient for us. Whatever we encounter or experience while serving the Lord, His grace is sufficient to see us through. His grace insulates us from any pains, afflictions and difficulties that we may go through so that we are not destroyed by them. This same grace guards our hearts in times of pleasure, abundance, joy and prosperity so that we are not carried away. Paul desired that God would remove the thorn in his flesh. He specifically prayed on the matter three times but the Lord told him that He would not remove the thorn in his flesh. Instead, He supplied sufficient grace for Paul to carry on as though the affliction did not exist. Paul’s experience is similar to that of Jesus who also prayed three times to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, requesting that the cup of sin and suffering should pass over Him. Paul and Jesus prayed with a sense of submission to the will of God. God did not grant either of their requests, but He supplied sufficient grace for them to go through what was before them. Jesus went to the cross by God’s grace and Paul finished his race with the thorn in his flesh by the same grace.

Submission to the will of God is the secret to receiving and enjoying more grace from God because His grace is only made available for us to do His will. God will not give you grace to do your own will; neither will He impart his ability unto you to disobey Him. Even when the path before us is hard and rough, His sufficient grace will assist you if you remain totally surrendered and obedient to Him. Another aid to receiving the grace of God is humility (James 4:6). A humble person goes to God and expresses his willingness to please Him while acknowledging his inability to do so. God is moved by the humility of the humble because He knows He alone is the source of everything we need to please Him on earth. When He sees the humble heart in us crying for His assistance, He gives grace to help us in the time of need. What you need to do everything the Lord wants you to do is His grace. We should therefore go to the throne of grace to obtain grace for the help we need. We should be humble to tell God we cannot do anything without His grace and be bold to ask for it. There is no alternative source where help may be obtained to please God. Jesus obtained grace to die on the cross; Paul received grace to be killed for the gospel; you too can receive grace to accomplish your assignment.

KEY POINT

Those who ran this race successfully relied on no other thing but God’s grace.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Malachi 1-4; Psalm 90:7-17

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY- 26/04/2014 - MORE RICHES, MORE PRAYER BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

MORE RICHES, MORE PRAYER

Memorise

Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

Psalm 62:10

Read

Genesis 13:14-18

14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

Message

Every new promise from God calls for a new level of prayers. Promises yet to be fulfilled also call for perseverance in prayer. Abraham’s life reveals a secret and a law that guides the retention of wealth and the creation of more wealth. Rich people face many challenges in life. The greater your riches, the bigger your challenges will be and consequently, the greater your need to pray. As Abraham continued in prayers, he prospered greatly and the land became too small to accommodate him and Lot (Genesis 13:4-6). Abraham was now faced with the challenge of wealth management with his nephew whom he raised. Was Abraham going to allow this challenge lead to war between him and his nephew? He knew the God of peace would not justify that, so he wisely handled the situation and peacefully parted ways with Lot. Some people don’t have problems with their neighbours until their businesses begin to grow. If you don’t know how to wisely handle the expansion of wealth, it could lead to the loss of everything you have. God is the source of pure wisdom, and the means of getting it is prayer.

Lack of wisdom in handling riches is the beginning of poverty. Ask those who used to be rich how they relapsed into poverty. They will tell you that if they had been wise, their situation would not have changed negatively. As your riches increase, you need a commensurate increase in wisdom from God to manage and use it as He wants (Proverbs 24:6). God teaches the wisdom of generous giving, tithing, offerings, doing good, sharing with others and investing in kingdom projects so as to lay up our treasures in Heaven. Wealthy people who are godly know how to function as kingdom treasurers. Being an effective kingdom treasurer is the key to ever increasing prosperity. When you manage the expansion of wealth wisely, the challenges you face in life will always be easily overcome. In order to cope with the challenges that follow increased riches, the more God blesses you, the more you have to pray. Abraham increased in riches, got more promises from God and yet he managed to keep his prayer altar intact (Genesis 13:18). What a wise man he was! He did not allow the riches to take over his heart. Prayer is very necessary to keep the heart focused on God. Riches demand the attention of the heart, but the prayerful rich man or woman cannot set his or her heart on them. Prayer will continually set your heart on God as your riches increase. You have the responsibility to pray and keep praying.

Prayer point

Father, let not riches take my focus away from you. As you give me breakthroughs in life, grant me grace to keep my prayer altar intact.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Zechariah 11-14; Psalm 90:1-6

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY- 25/04/2014 - GREATNESS IS COSTLY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GREATNESS IS COSTLY

MEMORISE

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Acts 10:38

READ

Judges 13:2-5

2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

MESSAGE

God is in the business of making champions out of men and He is already making some people champions. However, there are some people who may not want to become champions. You may wonder why. It is because the cost of becoming a champion is very high! In those days when I used to be a boxer, when you are preparing for a tournament, there were certain things you had to do. For example, you would wake up by 5 a.m. and do some road walks. You beat the air while you jog. You cannot eat certain foods when you are preparing for a championship. To be a champion is not an easy thing. To remain a champion is even harder. When you become a champion, there are several people who will be seeking to dethrone you.

It is beautiful to be a champion but it is better to be made a champion by God. It means having God as your coach and that means every little thing you do, God as your coach will magnify it into something big. In the scripture, we find champions who did little things, but God decided to magnify whatever they did. In Exodus 14:21, Moses lifted his hand over the Red Sea and went to sleep. By the time he woke up the following morning, the sea had become an expressway. In 1 Samuel 17:45-50, David slung a stone and the next thing we discover is that Goliath was dead. To become a great person therefore, all you need to do is to allow your Senior Partner and Coach breathe into your little effort and all that represents Goliath in your life will begin to fall. As a champion being moulded by God, if God asks you to go out and preach, you must go out and preach. If He asks you to follow-up converts, you must obey. If he asks you to fast, you must fast. If He says He does not want you to fast, you must obey. You should do exactly what He wants. There is no room for you to be directed by any other person apart from Him. In Matthew 6:24, He said if you are going to be great, there is no room for divided loyalty.

”No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

As a divine champion, after you prosper, your prosperity must not replace God. The only way to ensure this is that as you make it, you must be willing to let it go. If you want to be great, you must realise that the blessing is not for you to begin to build material things around yourself. No matter the opposition to your greatness, you will always win and sing joyfully.

KEY POINT

A great person sees every mountain as a potential testimony.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY- 24/04/2014 - NOTHING TO HIDE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

NOTHING TO HIDE

MEMORISE

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

Psalm 62:11

READ

1 Kings 18:30-35

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

MESSAGE

At the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah told the people to come near and see what he was about to do. From this example we see that the ways of God are transparent. Christianity is not a secret cult. We do not hold our services with doors locked. Everyone is free to come and see what we are doing. If you belong to a society where they say they are serving God and they shut the doors to outsiders, it is a secret society, even if they cover the whole venue with Bibles. If you belong to a group where they say your wife cannot come in, even if they read all the chapters in Psalm, it is a secret society. In the church of the Living God, the doors and windows are wide open because there is nothing to hide. Also, after Elijah prepared the altar, he asked them to pour water on it three times until the place was running with water. This he did so that nobody would say he had fire under the altar. It was also a way of saying he trusted his God. He was saying there were no tricks or gimmicks. If you are in a church where they hide people who give testimonies, get out of there because it does not belong to God. In the true church of God, everything is honest, true and open so that people can come and see.

Anyone who wants to please God must have nothing to hide. Elijah repaired the altar that had been broken down. Certain preparations must precede divine blessings. Repentance must come before divine intervention. You cannot be living in sin and expect grace to abound; God forbid! If you want God to bless you, you must be willing to repent. Joshua was marching towards the Promised Land and miracles were happening. The walls of Jericho fell. He then sent some soldiers against the small town of Ai and they were defeated. Joshua sought the face of the Lord to know what was wrong and he was told to repair the altar that had been broken. Repair the altar of the Lord in your heart today. Decide right now that you are going to put everything that is wrong in your life in the right position. Salvation is free. You do not need to perish again. All you need to do is identify with the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and you will become a new creature in Him. Just obey His will. If you do these, you will have everlasting life. You will have abundant life in this world and have everlasting life in the world to come. However, if you refuse to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the great anger of God will abide against you. No doubt, our God is a God of love, but He is also a consuming fire. As it was in the beginning, so it is now. The only difference is that there is room for repentance. There is an offer of salvation. The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sins. By reason of your repentance, you will not be destroyed in hell-fire in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, help me to be transparent in all I do.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY- 23/04/2014 - HOME TRAINING BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HOME TRAINING

MEMORISE

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Proverbs 22:15

READ

Joshua 24:14-15

14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD

.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

MESSAGE

After Moses sent twelve people to go and spy on the Promised Land, ten of them returned to say it was impossible to take the land. The first person to speak against this line of thought was Caleb (Numbers 13:30). God gave this testimony about Caleb in Numbers 14:24:

“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”

Many parents are content that they are serving the Lord but are not doing enough to make sure that members of their household serve the Lord too. In Genesis 22:7-9, we read about Abraham and Isaac. Abraham taught Isaac how to submit to him and to God. When Isaac asked Abraham where the item of sacrifice was, Abraham said God would provide one. Isaac did not ask any other question after this because his father had taught him how to submit to his God. After Abraham had prepared the altar, he told Isaac to lie on it and he obeyed. At this time, Abraham was over a hundred years old while Isaac was a strong youth. If Isaac had decided to run, Abraham would not have been able to stop him or catch up with him. Isaac submitted totally.

Do not use love as an excuse for not disciplining your children. If you do not discipline them, there will be trouble down the line. If you don’t believe me, ask Eli. In 1 Samuel 2:27-30, the purpose and plan of God for the house of Eli was changed on the ground that he refused to discipline his children. Some parents in the name of love, allow their children to do whatever they want, whereas they have only succeeded in destroying them. Proverbs 29:17 counsels us on this:

“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”

The way to train your children is not by giving them gifts only. When you promise to punish them, make sure you do so or else they will not take you serious. Children should submit to their parents. It is one thing to be corrected and it is another thing to take the correction. There are three kinds of children: those without home training, those who were trained but rejected the training and those who were trained and accepted the training. What kind are you? When you study the life of those who submit to their parents, you will see that they are usually greater than their parents. The point where their parents stop is where they begin from. The same is true spiritually. In Joshua 1:1-5, we see how Joshua submitted to Moses, and when Moses died, God promoted him and continued with him. If you follow this principle, it will also work for you.

PRAYER POINT

Lord, give me a listening ear and a heart that accepts correction in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Zephaniah 1-3; Haggai 1-2; Psalm 89:1-14

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY- 22/04/2014 - TIME TO WAR BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

TIME TO WAR

MEMORISE

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Psalm 119:89

READ

Daniel 3:16-17

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

MESSAGE

There are times when you have to make war. Sometime ago, I was walking round our Camp ground praying and I saw two snakes. Would you say I should leave the snakes to go on their own? If I leave them to go, they would grow to become bigger and who knows, they could come back and attack me or any of my children. When I see a snake, that snake must die! Cancer is a snake; if it is in your body, I curse it in Jesus’ Name. Barrenness is a snake opening its mouth and eating the seeds of husbands. It shall die in Jesus’ Name. There are times we need to speak for miracles to happen. If you keep quiet when you are expected to speak, your problem will remain quiet with you. After all, silence implies consent. If you have a sickness and it is okay by you, the sickness will stay. If you have demons in the form of a house help and you are willing to keep them, all well and good. Wait until they have poisoned your husband or until they have destroyed your marriage; if that is okay with you, then it is fine. However, such is not fine with me. No evil shall remain in my home or in the church of God in Jesus’ Name. If you would satisfy some conditions, then you shall decree a thing, and it shall be established unto you. The condition is that you should remain holy. Whenever it is time to decree, just make sure you link Jesus Christ with your decree. Once He backs up your decree, it shall be established.

In Genesis 22:7-8, Isaac said to Abraham that he could see the wood and the fire but not the animal to be used as a sacrifice. Abraham said the Lord shall provide for Himself a lamb for the sacrifice. He linked the Almighty God with the decree and by the time he got to the mountain top, there was a lamb already waiting. In 1 Samuel 17:45, David said to Goliath that he had come to him in the Name of the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, who would hand Goliath over to him for him to cut his head. He did not say he would kill Goliath himself, but that God would hand Goliath over to him. So when it is time to decree over your enemies, do not just say, “I am going to step over you’’ but say, “God will make you a stepping stone for me”. Whenever it is time to issue decrees, do not talk as if you are the Almighty. Hide within Him and then use Him to make your decree. Spoken words can be extremely powerful. If a nation wants to go to war with another nation, they declare war by speaking. When the war is over, they declare peace by speaking. If you are yet to be born-again, I urge you to come to Jesus today. If you say you are born-again and there is no accompanying change in your life, you better go to Jesus and declare war against everything that is incongruent with the nature of God in your life.

PRAYER POINT

Father, do something new in my life today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Nahum 1-3; Habakkuk 1-3; Psalm 88

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY- 21/04/2014 - DISCERNMENT – HOW VITAL! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DISCERNMENT – HOW VITAL!

MEMORISE

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:14

READ

Acts 16:16-18

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

MESSAGE

One of the methods Satan and his agents use in deceiving people is the act of camouflage. The Holy Spirit has put us on notice concerning this in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15:

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

From the time of the early church, the agents of darkness have sought to come into the church without being noticed, so that from within, they could carry out the mission of their master, which is to steal, to kill and to destroy. If they could attempt this in the earliest days of the church (as was the case of Simon the sorcerer - Acts 8:9-24), what should one expect in the end-times, when without doubt the devil knows that he has but a short time before his destruction (Revelation 12:12)?

By the nefarious activities of these nice looking, seemingly harmless, active and warmth-exuding evil geniuses, not a small number of promising ministries and ministers have been cut short. Some bright stars of the kingdom have been dimmed by the enemy’s deep penetration into the centre of operation and into the life of the undiscerning leadership of the church. The world will say “unsuspecting leadership” because they exist in the realm of the senses where suspicion is used in fishing out “suspects”. In the kingdom of God however, we should not think that mere suspicions would enable us to identify fake brethren who are working as agents of darkness. This is tantamount to operating by the arm of flesh (1 Samuel 2:9). We are bound to make mistakes if we rely on our sensory observations rather than on the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in discernment.

In our Bible reading of today, a young lady had been following Paul and his team for several days, announcing them to be servants of the Most High God. No human intelligence would have identified her as a devil (which she truly was); in fact, she would have been considered a potential minister (a prophetess) whom Paul (a missionary) could entrust the leadership of the church to at his departure. Thank God that was not to be. I guess Paul by himself did not know who she really was until the day the gift of discernment of the Holy Spirit manifested.

ACTION POINT

Pray that God will make his ministers recognise the need for the gift of discernment to be in operation in our churches and that God will graciously pour this gift on His church.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Micah 5-7; Psalm 87

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL -SUNDAY - 20/04/2014 - CHRIST BEHIND YOU BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CHRIST BEHIND YOU

MEMORISE

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

James 2:17

READ

Mark 16:15-20

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

MESSAGE

The confidence a man exudes depends on the power backing him up. As a child of God, all that Christ won back from the devil was for you and not for Himself. Our imagination cannot fathom the scope of His power. The good news is that he has granted you the authority to exercise this power. Ephesians 1:19-22 perfectly reveals this truth:

“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,”

The power described in the above scripture is what backs up your authority in this life. This is what “Christ behind you” means. It means the power that holds the universe is backing you up. It is not to you that situations and people will submit, but to the power behind you.

The power of Jesus, grants you the authority to do the following:

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Mark 16:17

The awesome events enumerated above, are to happen through the believer by the backing of Jesus. Some years ago, there was this man who was loaded with demons. He was brought for prayers to be delivered. While praying for him, he would get up. When I commanded him to sit down, he then responded, “In whose name”, I said “In Jesus’ Name”. He said “that is different”, and sat down quietly. That was a manifestation of “Christ behind me”. How many articles of this promise are reality in your life and ministry? For Christ to be behind you, you have to walk before him. In Genesis 17:1, God told Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect; therefore, if you will enjoy the backing of Jesus, you are to stay in front of Him and be careful to walk on in perfection as He takes interest in watching you. His grace is sufficient for you.

ACTION POINT

Evaluate the level of fulfilment of Mark 16:17-18 in your life and pray to God concerning what part of it is not yet manifesting.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Micah 1-4; 

Psalm 86

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAYY - 19/04/2014 - CHRIST BEFORE YOU BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CHRIST BEFORE YOU

MEMORISE

The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

Deuteronomy 1:30

READ

Romans 8:13-16

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

MESSAGE

When the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land, God chose their route and led them through the wilderness. He did this by the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. In spite of their number, the terrible conditions of the wilderness and the opposition of their enemies including giants, they got to their destination by God’s guidance. Praise God! The term “Christ before you” talks about Christ guiding and leading you. The Bible makes it clear that:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Romans 8:14

Beloved, the world is a wilderness and we are on our way to heaven. There are alternate routes in the form of choices and decisions for moving on in life. As a child of God who has a destination, you cannot afford to move on just by any route. You cannot make choices being led by the flesh, by your sight, by your feelings or even just by your mere senses (Proverbs 3:5-7). Remember, not all that glitters is gold. Your adversary, the devil is prowling, seeking a careless and straying child of God to devour (1 Peter 5:8). In Jesus’ Name, you will not fall prey to him. Many young Christian men and women have run into wrong marital relationships because they allowed themselves to be led by other things apart from God, their Father.

Psalm 114:1-7 reveals that nothing can stand before the presence of our God, be it sea, mountain or hills. With Christ going before you, obstacles will clear out of your way because of the awesome power of His presence. Enemies pitching battles against you also get crushed in the presence of Jehovah, the Man of War (Deuteronomy 1:30). Now, how do you get Him to lead you? Psalm 25:9 says:

“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”

The meek is the one who has the power and ability to fight but refuses to. He is not just gentle, he has all it takes to hit back and to crush, but he refuses to. He is like a tamed horse. The meek is submissive. Do you want to enjoy divine leading so that God can go before you? Then, be prepared to be meek.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please in any area I have jumped ahead of you to make choices outside of your leading, be merciful and forgive me. Whatsoever pain such action has brought to my life, remove and make me whole in Jesus’

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Obadiah 1, 

Jonah 1-4; 

Psalm 85