OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL -THURSDAY - 31/07/2014 - A FRIEND IN JESUS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

A FRIEND IN JESUS

MEMORISE

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 15:14

READ

1 Samuel 20:16-17

16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.

17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

MESSAGE

A friend is someone who you share your heart with and who you can trust. A friend is also a person you like a lot. There are different categories of friends. There is a friend in need who is a friend indeed. This is a friend who helps you when you really need help. Ideally, friendship is reciprocal and the Bible enjoins those who have friends to reciprocate with a friendly attitude. Proverbs 18:24 says:

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

Jonathan was a friend indeed to David. He could perceive that David would succeed his father - Saul as king. Although this was a threat to his own personal ambition of becoming the king of Israel, nevertheless he loved David as his own soul. Are you a friend indeed? There are many so called friends who will always scheme to frustrate and destroy the destinies of others. Such people cannot be described as friends indeed. With such friends, who needs enemies? There are people who say they are your friends but will treat you badly. One of such persons is Judas Iscariot the betrayer. In Matthew 26:14-16, Judas Iscariot sold out the Lord Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. What type of friend are you, Jonathan or Judas Iscariot?

Friends, no matter how sincere, can change. There have been cases of people who started as friends indeed but later became betrayers. There are also those who started as betrayers but later became friends indeed. The greatest issue is not who you are presently but who you will eventually turn out to be. Will you turn out to be a friend indeed or a betrayer? There are also situations where friends who are friends indeed disappoint. This might not be because such people are betrayers but because they are human. As human beings, we have our limitations, and there is an extent to which the most sincere of men can help. Who then is the best friend indeed? Jesus! He is the only one who will never disappoint. He knows the worst about you yet He loves you all the same. He is the best friend indeed. Since friendship should be reciprocal, who are the friends of Jesus? The Lord explains this in John 15:14, He said his friends are the ones that obey His commandments. Have you been doing whatever Christ commands? Such commandments include the injunction to live holy. Are you living holy? Do you follow peace with your fellow men? Everyone who claims to be a friend of Jesus should pay their tithes and offerings and also witness for Him. Are you His friend indeed?

KEY POINT

The sincerity of our friendship with Christ hinges on obedience to His commandments.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 16:5-18:35;

Job 13:17-14:6

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL -WEDNESDAY - 30/07/2014 - SUCCESSFUL THROUGH MEDITATION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

SUCCESSFUL THROUGH MEDITATION

MEMORISE

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:8

READ

Psalm 1:1-6

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

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

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

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

MESSAGE

One of the inevitable benefits of righteousness is the ability to generate good success. Success is self-inviting and attractive. It has a compelling force around it that draws people to its possessor. Everyone desires good success. We all are being drawn by the compelling force of success consciously or unconsciously. There are many ways of describing success. Success describes the process of setting out to achieve an outcome and actualising this outcome as anticipated. Someone observed that there are at least two indispensable requirements of good success. These are creativity and innovation. Creativity describes thinking up new ideas and concepts while innovation describes doing new things, products and processes. The relationship between creativity and innovation generates success.

The above mentioned qualities of good success are inseparable and tally with scriptures. The Bible reveals that the alignment of creativity and innovation to produce good success is made possible by proper planning, creating a vision, creating a viable mission, continued learning, being prayerful and diligent, building a team, delegating and encouraging intuitive thinking, risk taking, effective listening, prompt obedience to the word of God, practicing coherent communication, accepting responsibility, promoting and developing products and services, new designs and new outcomes through patience. It can be deduced from the foregoing that proper meditation on the word of God will no doubt result in good success.

Are you born-again? Are you a child of God? You are designated for success. Outstanding success is of God. It is your covenant right, it is your redemptive right and it is your kingdom right. Success is your heritage in Christ while failure is an abuse of redemption. Be aware of the fact that mediocrity is not righteousness. No ordinary son is a pride of his father. A father only rejoices over his outstanding children, not those that are failures. If God is your Father, then you are designated for good success. Good success will however come when we meditate on the word of God and promptly do whatever it says (James 1:22).

PRAYER POINT

Father, grant me the grace to always meditate on your Word and to practice whatever it says.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 13:44-16:4;

Job 13:1-16

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL -TUESDAY - 29/07/2014 - BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS!

MEMORISE

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 12:3

READ

John 14:26-27

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

MESSAGE

To succeed on Earth and make it to heaven, we should beware of false prophets. One of the ways to identify false prophets is through their disposition to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:3, we are told that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says: “Jesus be cursed”, and that no one can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit. False prophets have a negative attitude to the Lordship of Christ. It is true that false prophets are deceptive. Some are so deceptive that they pretend to say and to do many good things in the Name of Jesus. However, their actions always portray Jesus in bad light and make His Lordship inconsequential. The state of their heart is described in Matthew 15:8 which says,

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

You should beware of false prophets and false teachers. There is no gain-saying the fact that the heart of a false prophet is far from the Lord. One way of recognising false prophets is through their fake prophecies. Many false prophets portray Jesus as a liar through their fake prophecies. Many predictions of false prophets, which they make using the name of the Lord do not come to pass. Consequently, people lose interest in them and may even conclude that Christianity is bogus. Another way to recognise a false prophet is by their unscriptural behaviour. Many false prophets are immoral. Some practice polygamy instead of monogamy. Some have chains of wives and concubines. Infidelity is rampant among many while some drink alcoholic beverages. They also enjoy dirty jokes and obscenity. Some false prophets have so degenerated to the extent of engaging in money rituals and other obnoxious practices. All these attitudes draw people away from the Lord and say, “Jesus be cursed”. Apart from the foregoing, most false prophets are false teachers. Matthew 7:16&20 say false prophets and false teachers are known by their fruits. False teachers disseminate false knowledge, skills and attitudes. Invariably, they produce disciples whose lifestyles do not glorify God. Most disciples of false teachers are outright agents of the devil; many of them are corrupt, immoral and pretentious. Beware of false prophets!

ACTION POINT

Watch the fruits of a ministry before sowing your time and God-given resources into it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 12:9-13:43;

                                                                      Job 12:13-25

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY- 28/07/2014 - READY TO WORK? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

READY TO WORK?

MEMORISE

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Philippians 3:13

READ

Philippians 3:12-14

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

MESSAGE

Climbing new heights in your assignment will require a new level of diligence. When you ask God to enlarge your coast, you are inviting “trouble” because the bigger the church or assignment, the harder you work. When we were a smaller church, I could sit down with some of my children and we would eat, drink, gist and enjoy ourselves. But now, I may see them once in three years and our exchange of pleasantries normally goes thus: “Long time, no see” and the reply would be: “Is that how it is now, Daddy?” Similarly, years ago, I used to attend Sunday service at our Ebute Metta (Lagos) headquarters. I recall once that I was there for 16 Sundays while taking a series, but now, if they see me once a month, they will rejoice. If you truly desire the next level in ministry, you must be prepared to work. You must put aside past achievements and be ready to take on more volume of work and welcome fresh assignments like Paul. This is why he said:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”

Philippians 3:13

It is ironic that what is pegging the promotion of some people is what they have already accomplished. If you meet them, they will tell you to go and check their track record. Ask them, ‘Is there any present testimony?’ The answer is ‘No, but in the past, I achieved this or that’. It is good to give yourself a pat on the back, but also tell yourself that you have not started. While most people were envious of Paul and some were wishing they could do a fraction of what he did, he was saying he had no record of past achievements, as his major concern was what he could achieve now. On the other hand, some people who want to move on to higher levels of God in ministry, lack the capacity to cope with the assignment. If you really want to go up, you will prepare yourself in many ways. You will acquire more education; attend more seminars, workshops and trainings to equip you more. You will find out better, cheaper and faster ways of doing what you do. Are you truly ready for something higher?

ACTION POINT

Identify areas where you could improve your capacity to take on greater responsibilities and work on it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 9:27-12:8;

Job 12:1-12

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 27/07/2014 - WEEP NOT! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WEEP NOT!

MEMORISE

And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

Isaiah 63:5

READ

Isaiah 63:4-5

4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

MESSAGE

In Revelation 5:4, John wept because there was no man who could open a scroll that needed to be opened to reveal secrets on things to come. Nobody was worthy enough to receive the information despite the fact that the Lord in Amos 3:7 had promised to reveal His plans or secrets to His servants the prophets before doing anything. It was truly sad. When secrets are not unveiled, people remain in the dark without vision or direction. May you not be left in the dark concerning events about your life, family and church in Jesus’ Name. Does God trust you enough to disclose His secrets to you before He does anything in the life of anyone close to you? One truth we can learn from Elisha and Gehazi is that when no one has paid the price for a heavenly treasure or gift, God prefers to withhold it than to commit such treasure into wrong hands. This was why Elisha went to the grave with the double portion anointing. Have you paid the price for heaven’s treasures?

Fortunately, while John was crying, an elder told him to stop crying because the Lion of the Tribe of Judah had taken up the job. This means that, when no man or angel qualifies, God ends up making a way all by Himself. In Isaiah 63:5, God sought for someone who could help, He found no one, so His very arm brought the salvation He wanted. This tells us something – God cannot be stranded. He always has alternative plans. If one plan fails, He has a plan B, C, D, E, to infinity. Nobody can therefore successfully frustrate God. If He gives you an opportunity, it is not because He has no one else to do it, but because He just wants to honour you and make you feel important. Never take God’s opportunity for granted! He can do exactly what you are doing through another means. Furthermore, there is no need to weep again if you have received Jesus Christ into your heart. Why? It is because He has prevailed. In John 16:33, He says you should cheer up because He has overcome the world. Through Jesus Christ you can access solutions to any problem.

ACTION POINT

If only you could stop weeping and look up to Jesus, you will discover the solution in Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 7:1-9:26

Job 11:7-20

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 26/07/2014 - BLESSING AND LOCATION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BLESSING AND LOCATION

MEMORISE

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

Psalm 113:7

READ

Numbers 11:24-29

24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

MESSAGE

Do you know that prayer gives specific directions for your blessings to locate you? This it does in addition to compelling your unwilling helpers and making things happen for you in situations of despair. People lose their blessings when their desired packages do not meet them where God expects them to be. This story was told of some women who had been trusting God for the fruit of the womb. When God decided to answer them, an angel was sent by God to bring them their babies. On arrival at the church, the angel began to give each of them their babies. But on that day, a particular sister who was one of them failed to show up in church. The angel looked for her everywhere within the church but could not find her, so the angel returned with her baby. The truth is: distance is not a limitation in the spiritual realm. It is also not as if the angel could not search for her wherever she was on the face of the earth. It is just that certain blessings are meant to locate you at a particular place.

God has specific places where specific blessings would be delivered to you. The day God chooses to mention the cases of some people in order to put an end to a nagging problem, they would give reasons for not attending a meeting like our monthly Holy Ghost service. In receiving your blessing, you must be at the right place at the right time. In Acts 9:10-18, because Saul prayed, his helper was given specific details regarding where to deliver his help. His blessing was directed by prayer and so it could not but locate him. Sometimes some blessings come with no names attached. This means that anyone who can first key into it becomes its owner. However, when you pray, even when there are blessings with no names attached, your name will be attached to it and it will surely locate you. If you know how to pray, your location may not be too important as your blessing will definitely locate you where you are. Eldad and Medad must have been praying a lot for their blessing to have reached them even outside the tabernacle (Numbers 11:24-29).

KEY POINT

Prayer is a bridge that connects your blessing to your location.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 4:23-6:34

Job 10:18-11:6

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 25/07/2014 - HAVE FAITH IN GOD BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HAVE FAITH IN GOD

MEMORISE

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:23

READ

Numbers 23:19-21

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

MESSAGE

In the course of this month, God has been speaking to us on building a new altar. You may want to ask: does God have details of what this altar should look like? The answer is yes. He expects you to build a very special altar to Him which must have this attribute: it must be an altar of faith. Stop doubting God! Hebrews 11:6 says,

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Four different times in the Bible, God said: “The just shall live by faith”. You cannot call yourself a Christian if you find it difficult to believe God. Whatever He promises, He must surely bring it to pass. No matter how impossible God’s promise may sound, just trust Him. He never fails. It is better to approach God with child-like faith.

While praying one day, the Lord said to me, “Son, one day, presidents will come to this camp to worship” and I said “Amen”. As at this time, there was no likelihood of this happening. Then I told my people what God said and the need to build a place for the presidents to stay when they would visit. So we built a presidential lodge which was the largest building at the Redemption Camp at that time. Thereafter, we waited for the first three years but no president came. Then one day, my senior pastors met and said they didn’t understand what I was saying. They said to themselves, ‘This man wants to live in a big house but does not want to tell us. Now he has completed the building, he does not know how to move in’. So they came to me and said, “You are our president. Move into the house”, but I said, “No, that is not my house: presidents are coming”. Today, God has fulfilled His word before our very eyes. God is not a liar. Stop doubting Him. When you go through a trial of faith, you may express faith but it may not yield any immediate result. Do not let this topple your faith in God. Every good word the Lord has spoken to you has a day of fulfilment. That day shall not pass you by! Hold on to every promise of God for you and your family. Hold on to God’s promise for your church or ministry. He will fulfil them.

KEY POINT

Inability to take God at His Word gives Him displeasure.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 1:1-4:22

Job 10:6-17

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 24/07/2014 - ACTIVATE YOUR FAITH BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ACTIVATE YOUR FAITH

MEMORISE

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:14

READ

Exodus 14:13-14

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

MESSAGE

When young David stood before Goliath, he was not afraid, because he had certain master keys to unlock the door of opportunity before him. He applied the master keys of prayer, God’s word, the Name of Jesus, holiness and faith (1 Samuel 17:23-51). David was a man of faith; in Psalm 27:1, he made an exuberant declaration of his faith saying:

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

It takes faith to confront and bring down the giants on the way. If you are given to fear, it would take only the size of your enemy to intimidate and defeat you. Even when David faced death, he was not afraid (Psalm 23:4). Faith sees beyond the moment. Faith sees beyond the problem. Faith is not bound to the present but creates room for the future to be realised. Faith focuses on the glorious outcome on the other side of a calamity. Acting on the key of faith, Moses assured the Israelites that the enemies they were facing at that moment would soon become extinct, even before he heard from God (Exodus 14:13-15). In the Name that is above every other name, the enemies you see today you will see no more.

Faith calls what is not as though it already exists (Romans 4:17). Faith acts ahead of the battle. Before they engaged in that historic contest, David by faith told Goliath that, ‘Today, I will cut off your head’ and it came to pass (1 Samuel 17:46). To activate your master key of faith, do not be limited by who you are, what you have and whatever limitations may surround you. Focus on God, His power and ability. Do you call what is not as though it exists? You can call up your promotion, victory over sin, healing or prosperity before hand and they will show up. Speak to your circumstances what you want to see happen and that will soon be what you would be seeing. Say this to your mountain: ‘Today will be the last day I will see you; every attempt to hinder me is unsuccessful from today’. Activate your faith today! Don’t be like those who have the key but refuse to use it. Put your faith to work and you will experience your desired new level.

ACTION POINT

By faith, decree 10 things you want to see in your life, family and ministry from now on.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 32:48-34:12

Job 9:25-10:5

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 23/07/2014 - RETURN! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

RETURN!

MEMORISE

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26

READ

1 Samuel 7:3-4

3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

4 Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

MESSAGE

The sanctification experience involves God taking away your old rebellious heart and replacing it with a heart of flesh that enables you to do His will without being forced. This is enunciated in Ezekiel 36:26:

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

If you still struggle to obey God on any matter, it is doubtful you have received this new heart. If you are always out to do what you want, how you want it, when and where you want it, then this new heart is missing. If you are not yet broken, it is because you lack this heart. If you are still arrogant or boastful over your accomplishments, you need this new heart. If your speech is not seasoned with salt to heal its hearers, or you don’t know how to speak acceptable words to people, you need this heart of flesh.

The heart of flesh makes you to enjoy and not endure the service of God. It enables you to give without being cajoled. In the olden days, when it was time for offering, we needed nobody to exhort us on giving. The one who was to take the offering would simply ask us to prepare our offering and we would pray in one minute because giving was part of us. We gave joyfully because we saw it as a great opportunity to give something to God. Our hearts were focused on Christ and we appreciated our salvation, as a result, we were willing to spend for the One who saved us. We had the heart of a sheep and not that of a goat. In those days, you would not become a worker in the church until you were sanctified because when a worker comes to church on Sunday morning, he would not know when he would go back home. But today, immediately after service, some ministers take off even without telling their pastor. In those days, you could not leave until your pastor released you. Visitation was compulsory then. We were few, so we knew each other. When we arrived at church on Sunday morning and discovered some brethren were absent, we would send workers to go and find out why they could not come. It is time we returned to the old way of service!

KEY POINT

One of the keys to rapid church growth is effective follow-up of first timers.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 31:14-32:47

Job 9:13-24

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 22/07/2014 - TOTAL COMPLIANCE REQUIRED BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

TOTAL COMPLIANCE REQUIRED

MEMORISE

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Malachi 3:10

READ

Malachi 3:8-10

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now

herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

MESSAGE

 When we teach about tithes and first fruits, some people think that it is the pastor’s way of making money but they are making a great mistake. When you put God first, He will make sure that your blessings are irreversible. But if you decide to give Him second place in your life, you may not be happy to see what follows. Sometime ago, one young man came to me and said, “Daddy, God has answered your prayer”. I replied “Amen. What exactly happened?” He said one prominent chief called him and asked him to sell his house. The property had thirteen flats: twelve regular flats and a penthouse on top. The chief told him how much he wanted to be paid from the proceeds of the sale, saying he did not care about how much the man would sell the property for. By the time the brother calculated the profit he would make from the transaction, he screamed in excitement. “Daddy, from this deal alone, I am settled for life”. “Really, congratulations! Did you say thirteen flats?” “Yes”, he replied. “Good. That means you will give one of the flats to the church as tithe since the tithe of thirteen is 1.3”. “But, Daddy”, he protested, “This is only the first breakthrough. Let God wait until I get more”. A week later, he got a buyer who was ready to pay an amount far more than the amount the owner wanted to sell the property. So the brother went back to the chief and said: “Sir, I am ready to pay now for the property. Where do I pay the money to?” “What are you talking about?”, the man asked in surprise. “Sir, I mean the house you asked me to sell for you. I have gotten a buyer; Just tell me where you want me to pay the money into” he replied. Looking surprised, the chief said, “Whatever charm you used on me has been destroyed. Who told you I want to sell my house?” That was how he lost out completely.

When we talk about tithe, some people think ten percent is too much for God. If you are one of such people, wait until you compare ninety percent of something with hundred percent of nothing. Decisions that are taken daily sometimes await your obedience or otherwise to know on which side to fall – in your favour or out of favour. Comply fully with God’s requirements in order to see the better side of life.

KEY POINT

Tithing is an obligation for every believer in Christ. It is not optional.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 29:1-31:13

Job 8:20-9:12

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 21/07/2014 - CHANGE FOCUS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CHANGE FOCUS

MEMORISE

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:2

READ

Colossians 3:1-3

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

MESSAGE

We learnt on July 14 that consecration and commitment are the springboard to experiencing higher levels of God in ministry. Beyond consecration and commitment, another criterion for accessing a higher level of God in ministry is a reformed, robust focus. If you retain your old focus and pursue your old goals, there is no way you can attain your desired heights. There must be a change in focus hence in Colossians 3:1, Paul says,

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

As you grow in Christ and move up in ministry, what you pursue must change. You must move your focus from earth to Heaven; you must stop looking down or sideways and start looking up. Many men of God never get to this level because as soon as they are endowed with certain gifts of the Spirit or some miraculous works are made manifest in their ministry, they will begin to calculate how they can use ‘what they have’ to ‘get what they need’, forgetting that it is God who supplies the needs of His servants. Sometimes you may think you need something whereas it is a want, consequently, God may not give it to you at that point in time. Some people in this type of situation will go all out, even to the extent of pulling every trick in the book just to get such things.

Anything you acquire that God has not given to you will surely bring you trouble. Stop chasing things!

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matthew 6:33

God has His ways of blessing His people. If you set God before you like David, you will seek heavenly things. His desires would automatically be your desires and material things will follow you. God’s way of meeting your needs is that you seek Him, seek His kingdom and do everything possible to advance the good of His kingdom. Be consumed in the things of God. Be lost in pleasing Him. Invest your time on kingdom matters. Give towards the kingdom, pray earnestly and regularly about the kingdom and seek His will. Do these and see if you would be able to cope with the material wealth that would come your way. What is your focus today? Focus only on heavenly things!

KEY POINT

If you make God your focus, material things will make you their destination.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 28;

Job 8:1-19

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 20/07/2014 - THOSE GOD CALLS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THOSE GOD CALLS

MEMORISE

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

1 Corinthians 1:26

READ

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

MESSAGE

Who are those God calls? They are usually not the “special” type. 1 Corinthians 1:26 says:

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:”

Those who are noble, wise, intelligent, mighty and wealthy already believe they have achieved, and so if God calls them, they may think it is because of what they possess or have achieved. If God makes use of such people, the tendency for them to arrogate God’s glory is high. This is why God specifically looks out for the foolish, weak, poor and base elements of this world. God calls the foolish to confound the wise, the weak to confound the strong and those who are nothing to confound those with reputation (1 Corinthians 1:27). How? When God picks a foolish fellow, He works on him and gives him a bit of His wisdom. Thereafter, when God brings him side by side with those the world acclaims as wise, he would be better by miles. The wisdom of such a fellow will be way out of this world. God is looking for those whose lives He would make a statement with. Can He do so with you?

In addition, God calls those who are very plain; those who understand the brevity of life. According to Ecclesiastes 12:1-7, we started a countdown to return to the dust from which we were formed the very day we were born. This is why Genesis 3:19 says,

“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

However, there are some people who are foolish, poor, and weak, yet they are unusable because they are proud and very self-willed. That is double trouble. But if God wants to use a professor or a great academician, He would have to first reduce the fellow to nothing. This was Paul’s experience. He had achieved so much in the world before He accepted Jesus Christ, and so he had to lose everything in order to be used by Him. Can God call you, or are you too big to be used by Him?

PRAYER POINT

Father, in my generation, make a positive glorious statement with my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 25:5-27:26

Job 7:7-21

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 19/07/2014 - COMPELLING UNWILLING HELPERS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

COMPELLING UNWILLING HELPERS

MEMORISE

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Acts 9:15

READ

Acts 9:10-15

10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

MESSAGE

From Acts 9:1-20, we understand that prayer makes things happen. Another lesson we can derive from this passage is that prayer compels unwilling helpers to help you. For everyone that God has sent to planet earth, there are helpers appointed to help each person at different points in life. Access to these helpers and their God-ordained help has a lot to do with how much you can earnestly pray. Helpers are of different categories. Some are willing, some are feebly unwilling, while some are completely unwilling. When God instructs feebly unwilling helpers to help you, they will resist a little but after a while, they will yield to God. But when He instructs the completely unwilling helpers to help you, they will vehemently resist. This may happen when such a helper is your avowed enemy. The truth is, many ‘enemies’ we think we have are actually our potential helpers. If you doubt it, wait for them to be converted to Christ and you will realise what you have been missing. The good thing about this is that God can use anyone to help you. Even if they are totally unwilling, God can force them to help you.

There are some believers who fall under the group of unwilling helpers. They will try to convince God not to help a particular individual and as such, God would have to force them. When God decided to help Saul, He chose a disciple – Ananias who resides also in Damascus – but Ananias revolted. After God carefully explained to him the errand he was to run, he came up with strong reasons why Saul should not be helped by him or by any other disciple. God had to command him to go before he reluctantly went. Thank God Saul prayed. We all have unwilling helpers. Many believers have lost a lot of benefits from their unwilling helpers for failing to pray or not praying enough. If you can pray, God will compel your helpers to deliver the help you require to you and they may still tell you how much they hate you while doing so. This season, your unwilling helpers shall willingly help you in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, let all my unwilling helpers become willing and ready to help me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 22:13-25:4

Job 6:24-7:6

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 18/07/2014 - BEFORE YOU ASK BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BEFORE YOU ASK

MEMORISE

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Isaiah 65:24

READ

Isaiah 65:23-24

23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

MESSAGE

In 1 Kings 18:30-45, it was after Elijah built a new altar to the Lord that he heard the sound of imminent heavy rain which did fall. This implies that after a new altar has been raised to the Lord, you will begin to hear the sound of abundance of rain. God wants to bless you but for most people, the present altar cannot take it because it is in a state of disrepair. The repair of the altar must precede the much awaited breakthrough. You must do something about the state of God’s altar if you want to operate at a higher level of anointing. If you leave the altar the way it is, it shows you do not want to make progress. Ephesians 3:20 makes it clear that God can do far beyond our request. If you build a new altar for God, even before you ask, He would have answered you.

During Christmas time many years ago, my youngest boy, my driver and I went out for our evangelism outreach programme tagged: Lets-Go-A-Fishing. When we got to the venue of the outreach programme, we saw a notice board which read: ‘Turkey for sale’. I said to myself, “Since I was born, I have never had turkey for Christmas”. I waved off the thought as we went on to fish for souls. By the time we got back home, three turkeys were waiting for me. On getting to the headquarters of our church at Ebute Metta (Lagos) that Sunday, I shared the testimony and quickly added jokingly that the testimony was not an invitation to them to come for lunch at my place. Before I arrived home that day, several other turkeys had joined the three. This might be nothing to those who kill a cow or more for Christmas, but it was significant for me. The point is that if you please God a hundred percent, before you ask for one thing, you will get ten. Before you open your mouth, he would have heard and responded. What is the state of the altar you have made to God? If you fix God’s altar, He will fix your problems. If you fix God’s altar, you will be fixed.

KEY POINT

When a man’s way pleases the Lord, He gives Him beyond his request and sometimes answers him even before he asks.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 19:15-22:12;

Job 6:8-23