OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 24/05/2014 - THE COVENANT OF TOTAL RECOVERY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE COVENANT OF TOTAL RECOVERY

MEMORISE

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

Philippians 4:19

READ

Genesis 17:1-7

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

MESSAGE

‘Covenant’ literally denotes a contract. A contract is an agreement between two or more parties comprising of specific issues on which they have come to a consensus. At a later time, one of the parties involved may change his mind and that could dissolve the contract. A covenant with God is more than that. It is an eternal arrangement and is eternally binding (Genesis 17:7).

In our Bible reading today, our God entered into a covenant relationship with Abraham. He changed his name from Abram to Abraham and the name of his wife from Sarai to Sarah. When God enters into covenant with anyone, the first thing he does is to change the person to a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). The covenant between God and Abraham was sealed with the blood of circumcision. In the same vein, Christ shed His blood to seal the covenant between you and God (Matthew 26:28). Many blessings accrued to Abraham and Israel on the basis of the Abrahamic covenant. As long as they kept the covenant, there was no sick person among them; God became their only Physician (Exodus 15:26). The Almighty God was also their Protector (Exodus 23:26) and the captain of their host. The covenant guaranteed their physical protection from their enemies, from pestilence and from diseases. When they sinned against God by breaking the laws of the covenant, their prosperity became austerity, and their blessings were turned to curses. Jesus is the founder of the new covenant (Hebrews 7:22). Whoever becomes a child of God by surrendering his or her life to Christ has a lot to gain from God, because Jesus stands behind every sentence in the New Covenant. The resources of heaven are behind Jesus and all power belongs to Him (Matthew 28:18). Are you a child of God? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? Are you born-again? Are you serving God in holiness and in truth? Be assured that the covenant of recovery is yours. Based on the new covenant, every true child of God is called into a blessing that is richer and more assuring than is contained in the Abrahamic covenant. All you need is faith to access it (John 11:40). How do you experience this total recovery? Be born-again. Diligently study the scriptures to identify what is right and be diligent to do them. Be humble enough to trust God for your recovery and go ahead to receive your healing, divine health, divine prosperity, peace and life in abundance. Pray without ceasing, shun sin and continue to serve God in holiness and truth. Learn to appreciate God. Give thanks always and praise God for all things. Finally be a witness. Be a fruit-bearing Christian. Win souls and ensure that the souls won are followed up properly so that each will become a true disciple of Christ.

ACTION POINT

Renew your covenant with God and make up your mind to be more committed to His service.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Exodus 1-3; Psalm 109:1-20

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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

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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

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 24/03/2014 - GOD’S REMEMBRANCE & DELIVERANCE III BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOD’S REMEMBRANCE & DELIVERANCE III

MEMORISE

Remember me, O my God, for good.

Nehemiah 13:31b

READ

1 Samuel 1:17-19

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

MESSAGE

One truth the children of God must continue to remember is that it takes divine remembrance to daily experience deliverance in their lives and ministries. The best way to explain this is to interpret “remembrance” as “attention”, because God is never forgetful. In Isaiah 49:15 God said:

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.”

So, God does not forget, but He may decide to ignore you if you continue to live in sin.

One person that experienced divine remembrance was Hannah. The Lord remembered Hannah by paying attention to her prayer in answer to Eli’s prayer. 1 Samuel 1:17 says:

“Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.”

Hannah was under the bondage of barrenness for several years, but when God remembered her, she was delivered from the bondage of unfruitfulness. To someone using this devotional, I pray that the Almighty will remember and deliver you from all forms of bondage today in Jesus’ Name. Let us learn from Hannah what she did to draw divine attention to herself and her situation. First, she prayed earnestly and fasted for God’s attention. At times we need to demonstrate our seriousness concerning what we really want God to do for us by embarking on prayer and fasting. Jesus taught His disciples this truth in Mark 9:29. In addition, for God to remember you in your unpleasant situation, you have to cooperate with Him by playing your own role. My experiences have revealed to me the mistakes some children of God make as they expect God to play their own roles together with His. This ended at Calvary where God suffered as a man, but there He declared: IT IS FINISHED. If you are looking for a job, write applications and go out to attend interviews because God will not write an application letter for you, neither will He attend the interview on your behalf. Sufficient is the fact that He will back you up during the interview. The Bible reveals something that many may not pay attention to which, of course, was fundamental to the divine remembrance of Hannah. What is it? 1 Samuel 1:19d says that:

“......and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.”

What could have happened to Hannah’s prayer if she and her husband did not play their part in this regard? Beloved, let us cooperate with God, He will remember us for good in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT

Pray, fast and take steps under the guidance of the Holy Spirit concerning that situation that is bothering you. You will experience divine remembrance and deliverance.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ezekiel 17-18; 

Psalm 69:1-21

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 17/03/2014 -PRAYER: ANTIDOTE TO CHALLENGES BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

PRAYER: ANTIDOTE TO CHALLENGES

MEMORISE

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

Nehemiah 4:6

READ

Nehemiah 2:18-20

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

MESSAGE

Every good builder has a foe, and that is the discourager. As we have read in the passage for today, Nehemiah determined to rebuild the destroyed city of Jerusalem; but then, he was faced with opposition! Sometimes, when you determine to do something good for God, you are surprised to come across opposition to your good intentions. Nehemiah could not be deterred, and neither should we be. As a young minister in the Church, I planned a programme for the purpose of winning souls to the Kingdom with the approval of my father-in-the-Lord. A senior pastor heard about it and picked a quarrel with me. I was surprised because my expectation was commendation and not condemnation. I could not understand how winning souls could become sacrilegious. I therefore reported the matter to the General Superintendent, but he asked me to go and beg the senior pastor so that the programme could hold! I obeyed; though I did not know why I should do that except for the fact that my father-in-the-Lord asked me to. I thank God I did.

Reading through the book of Nehemiah, you will discover that Nehemiah’s strength was hidden in his prayer life. He prayed all through to the God who gave him the vision to build, and he was strengthened (Nehemiah 4:1-4). Jesus Christ also used the medium of prayer to overcome the challenges of His assignment of saving the world (Luke 22:41-44). So, when you are convinced of what the Lord has asked you to do, go ahead and pursue it with all your strength, but do not leave prayer out of it. For those in opposition to good things, there are lots of lessons for you in this story as well. Beware of standing in opposition to what God does or wants to do, or else, you will live to regret your actions. You should know that what you think should not happen or will be impossible to achieve will happen, and will succeed as well. Know also that when the day of celebration comes, you will not be part of it. The story of the 24-hour miracle that terminated the famine in Samaria is one to take note of (2 Kings 7:18-20). The man of God prophesied super-abundance after a long time of famine in Samaria, but a powerful minister in the king’s cabinet said it was not possible. He saw it happen but he did not partake of it according to the word of the man of God. May this not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. Let us join hands to build our country. Let us cease from being destructively critical of our political and economic system. Rather, let us build our nation through prayers and we shall see and eat the good of the land in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, give me the strength to build your kingdom on earth, and make me a partaker of the celebrations to follow.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Lamentations 3-5;

Psalm 64

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 16/03/2014 -BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS

MEMORISE

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Luke 12:15

READ

Luke 12:13-15

13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

MESSAGE

One of the challenges of the 21st century world and the Church in particular is covetousness. Worldliness is now the greatest foe of the Church and it seems leaders are becoming helpless in this regard. The amazing thing is that this seemingly helpless situation had been spoken of by the Lord of the Church - Jesus Christ, and by His early apostles. It is therefore incorrect to think that the present situation is irredeemable. Jesus warned us against covetousness in Luke 12:13-15. It is surprising to hear Jesus indirectly telling His audience that the man who came to complain about his brother’s overbearing attitude was covetous. Not many people will understand this except by divine revelation. In other words, it appears in this passage that the complainant was asking for too much! It takes covetousness to ask for too much. The vanity in being covetous is that the life of a man is neither made more meaningful nor pleasant by the abundance of his material possessions. The Bible in Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 says:

“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?”

Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote to warn us against the menace of worldliness and covetousness. He encouraged us to embrace godliness with contentment which, he said, is great gain. He further wrote in 1 Timothy 6:9 that:

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

Beloved, how far have you been dragged into the world? How far has the world been dragged into you? Those things that did not matter to you years back, are they not what you are running after now? Remember that the rich people of yesterday ran into the Church before they could have peace and satisfaction. They envied believers and came to share in our heritage. Good for them, but bad for those of us who have thrown away the peace and joy that money cannot buy for the vanity of this world.

  

ACTION POINT

Check your life to find out whether the trio of lusts – the lust of the flesh, of the eye and the pride of life are present. Determine to mortify them for everlasting joy and peace.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Lamentations 1-2;

Psalm 63

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 15/03/2014 - DELIVERANCE: DIVINE ASSURANCE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DELIVERANCE: DIVINE ASSURANCE

MEMORISE

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

Psalm 91:3

READ

Mark 16:17-18

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.

MESSAGE

When God speaks, that settles it. He reigns forever. When He gives a decree, it is forever. When He says “surely”, it means surely. When He says surely, it will be well with me, nobody can change it. He says surely, by His stripes I am healed, and nobody can change this. He says surely, everything I do shall prosper, and nobody can change this. This assurance can be yours too. Provided you dwell in the secret place of the Most High and you abide under the shadow of the Almighty, surely, all shall be well. But if tomorrow you decide to go back from Jesus, it is entirely a different matter. No doubt, there are enemies pillaging the lives of unsuspecting victims and careless children of God. Satan is their garrison commander. According to 1 Chronicles 21:1:

“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”

It was Satan who plotted against Israel but it was David who did the actual numbering of Israel. Satan will always use somebody against you. He sets traps for people by luring them with bait.

In our Bible reading today, our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the assurance of victory and deliverance from the onslaught of our enemies. It is interesting that demons which Satan uses to kill, maim and destroy lives, are what our Lord Jesus Christ gave us authority to cast out in Luke 9:1:

“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.”

Take note of the fact that Jesus gave power and authority over all devils; all without exception. This indicates that it is a sheer waste of time to be asking demons or their victims such questions as: ‘What is your name?’ ‘Where do you live?’ In as much as the authority and power given to us covers all devils, it is wisdom to exercise it without limit. In the same vein, our Lord gave us power and authority to cure diseases – diseases in plural form! This is the assurance we have, that we should no longer be living at the mercy of the devil. Deliverance is a divine assurance for all believers that know their God. Let it be said on the mountains and in the valleys that Christians should not be living at the mercy of the devil any more. Also, let Christians take the battle to the gates of the enemy because victory is guaranteed in Jesus’ Name. The good news is that God can deliver you from every form of demonic possession. He will deliver you from all forms of diseases and demon-possession if you are already trapped. Call upon Him today and He will answer you.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please deliver me from the snare of the fowler and protect me from the noisome pestilence, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 52; 

Psalm 62

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 10/03/2014 - IDENTIFY YOUR ENEMIES II BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

IDENTIFY YOUR ENEMIES II

MEMORISE

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1

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

It is very important that we identify our internal enemies. As a matter of fact, the internal enemies are more potent and dangerous than the external enemies. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, identified his internal enemy and he cried in Romans 7:24 saying: “who shall deliver me from this body of death?” He located his adversary accurately. If you have not located your own internal enemy, you need to pray. Paul discovered his internal adversary and said: “when I want to do good, evil is present with me.” He knew his flesh was his adversary. Moses had discovered in Egypt that he had problems with his temper. When he saw two people fighting, one an Egyptian and the other a Jew, he decided to intervene, but because of his explosive anger, he killed the Egyptian. His original plan was not to kill but to defend his fellow brother, however he went too far. The moment the Adversary discovers your weakness, he will keep on hitting you at that particular spot. For example, the enemy will keep on sending amorous ladies or playboys to you if he discovers your weakness to be sexual immorality.

In Numbers 11:10-15, we discover that because the devil knew anger was the prime problem of Moses, he kept on irritating him using the children of Israel, until Moses called on God to kill him. All the things that Moses said in that passage were enough to end his career there and then if God had not been gracious. If you will carefully examine your life, you will notice straight away what your weakness is; this is your internal enemy. You need to locate it. In the case of James and John, their internal enemy was a fiery temper. That is why Jesus called them “The sons of thunder” in Mark 3:17. They proved it in Luke 9:51-56. The Lord on His way to Jerusalem sent some people to get Him accommodation in a village of the Samaritans. The Samaritans said, ‘What do we have to do with you? You do not associate with us, so you cannot stay in our village.’ When they brought the report back, James and John turned to the Lord and said, ‘let us roast them like Elijah did.’ The Lord replied, ‘No, I have not come to destroy people, I have come to save them.’ Love of women was the internal enemy of Samson. This enemy was more powerful than the whole hosts of the Philistines. What the Philistines could not do to Samson, the love of women did! My prayer for you is that the Lord will help you to locate your internal enemy and He will give you the grace to deal with it in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, show me my areas of weakness and help me to overcome them in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 07/03/2014 - ARE YOU A FALSE WITNESS? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ARE YOU A FALSE WITNESS?

MEMORIZE

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

Proverbs 19:9

READ

Mark 14:57-60

57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,

58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands

59 But neither so did their witness agree together.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

MESSAGE

In Exodus 20:16, God commanded that we should not bear false witness against our neighbour. The consequence of being a false witness is found in Proverbs 19:9. Wicked people cannot survive without false witnesses. They rely on false witnesses to perpetrate their evil deeds. For example, Ahab could not have gotten rid of Naboth but for the use of false witnesses (1 Kings 21:13). It was the false witness of Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe and their cohorts against the Jews that halted the rebuilding project of Zerubbabel (Ezra 4). These people wrote false allegations against the Jews and their leadership and sent the document to King Artaxerxes. The result as stated in Ezra 4:24 was devastating:

“Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”

The effects of false witnesses are unimaginable. As a matter of fact, a false witness is a murderer in disguise. His or her motive cannot be mistaken: it is to destroy. I pray for you that false witnesses shall not destroy your destiny in Jesus’ Name.

When the Jewish leaders could find nothing to nail Jesus Christ, they opted for blackmail and false witnesses. Jesus had earlier told those who were following him in John 14:30b that:

“…for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

So the only way they could get at Jesus was through false witnesses. Despite the conspiracy, the Bible in Mark 14:56 says:

“For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.”

There is a great lesson that you as a follower of Christ must learn from this story. You must live above-board like your Master if you don’t want to become an easy prey for the accuser of the brethren – Satan. In the same vein, you must learn to be transparently honest. This will prevent you from being a false witness. When you engage in false witnessing and lying, you are crucifying Jesus Christ again and the danger is that you will fall into a state where it becomes difficult to be restored (Hebrews 6:4-6). Another danger of being a false witness is that it exposes one to becoming a reprobate. This is a state where the conscience no longer checkmates a person against wrongdoing (2 Timothy 3:8, Romans 1:28-32). In what areas of your life are you a false witness? Fake affidavit? False claims that you are married with so many children whereas you have a family of just three? I pray for you that a lying tongue will not blot your name from the book of life in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, deliver me from a lying tongue and help me to be a true witness of the Cross of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 33:14-35:19; 

Psalm 55:1-15

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 06/03/2014 - IN THE WARMTH OF TEMPTATION? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

IN THE WARMTH OF TEMPTATION?

MEMORISE

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.

Psalm 1:1

READ

Mark 14:53-54

3 And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.

4 And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

MESSAGE

When the Bible enjoins us in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 to abstain from all appearance of evil and we keep to this biblical injunction, we are spared the calamity that would have befallen us if we did otherwise. We may not know the great dangers our adherence to this instruction has saved us from until we see the suffering of someone who did not pay attention to it. The Bible in many instances warns us against keeping company with the ungodly so that we are not entangled in their wickedness (1 Corinthians 15:33). The story was told of a sparrow which kept company with destructive ravens on a rice farm. When the owner of the farm caught the ravens in his net, the sparrow was also caught. In his plea, the sparrow told the farmer that he was not among the birds that destroyed the farmer’s rice farm and that he was not a raven. The farmer replied the sparrow: “Too bad that you are not a raven, but you shall be judged according to the company you keep.”

Peter in the Bible reading of today did three deadly things that fostered his denial of Jesus Christ. First, the Bible says he was following Jesus from afar off. Probably he might have received courage from the Master if he had followed Jesus closely. Secondly, he went as far as following Jesus to the palace of the high priest. Following Jesus from afar was bad enough but following him to the palace of the high priest was just too bad. It could have paid off if he had backed out with the other disciples; after all, Jesus had told the soldiers to allow his disciples go while he volunteered His arrest (John 18:8-9). From this event, we can see the reason why Jesus told the Laodicean Church to be either cold or hot (Revelation 3:14-16). The third thing Peter did was that on getting to the palace of the high priest, he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire (Mark 14:66-67)! One would wonder what Peter was still doing in that place after he had been confronted not once but twice about the fact that he had been with Jesus. The answer is not far-fetched; he was enjoying the warmth of the fire in that environment. Beloved, let us beware of comfort zones in life; they may be physically comfortable but not spiritually ideal. When a Christian lady is squatting among four male counterparts because of accommodation problems; she is playing with fire and it will soon burn her. Likewise when a young man is putting up with three to four female counterparts because of accommodation problems, he will soon be affected by the fire of lust. Let us be careful.

ACTION POINT

Study your environment and see whether or not it is conducive for your spiritual wellbeing and take wise steps to avoid the warmth of temptation.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY- 05/03/2014 - ATTENTIVE TO THE MASTER’S INSTRUCTIONS? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ATTENTIVE TO THE MASTER’S INSTRUCTIONS?

MEMORISE

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

Mark 14:38

READ

Mark 14:37-38

37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?

38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

MESSAGE

It is always good to pay close attention to instructions given by someone you claim to be your guide or guardian. Often, we miss many opportunities, breakthroughs and victories because we fail to see the details of the instructions given to us on a subject. A multi-national company once held a promotional exam for their middle-cadre staff. The questions were simple, but the exam was meant to test their ability to follow instructions. There were ten items on the question paper with a long paragraph of instructions. The time allocated for the examination was only ten minutes, but reading the instructions through properly would take about five minutes. For this reason, many did not take time to read the instructions but went ahead to answer all the questions, which appeared very simple. However, the candidates were required to answer just one question, and the instruction to this effect was hidden in the last line of the instructions they failed to read. Whoever answered more than one question failed the test. Only one person read through to the end of the instructions. The instruction, indeed, was the examination!

The apostles of old also had issues with paying attention to detailed instructions and we must learn from them. When our Lord came face to face with the reality of suffering and the Cross, He admitted that it was not going to be easy (Mark 14:34). There was only one way to pass the examination of the moment – prayer. He went to pray and told the disciples to do the same; though not for Him, but for themselves (Mark 14:38). They were however busy sleeping! Beloved, to make it to the end of our Christian race, let us pay close attention to the details of the Lord’s instructions and we shall be happy we did. When the Lord in Malachi 3:10a said:

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse”

He meant all tithes. You do not need an advanced dictionary to understand what “all” means. When also the Bible in 1 Corinthians 11:10 says:

“For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.”

Apostle Paul did not say much on why a woman should veil her head while praying or prophesying. However, a conscientious child of God would not press for too many details before she jumps at this simple instruction of covering within the spiritual environment. I pray for you that the grace to pay very close attention to detailed instructions will be given to you in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, though I may not fully understand why I should, give me the grace to be completely obedient to your instructions.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY- 04/03/2014 - THE INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD

MEMORISE

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Mark 13:31

READ

Mark 14:27-31

27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.

29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.

30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

MESSAGE

One underlying lesson from the encounter of Peter with the Lord Jesus Christ in today’s Bible reading is that whatever the Lord says shall come to pass. It is therefore pertinent to take note of all prophesies of Jesus Christ as they affect the cosmic world and beyond. Surely, they shall come to pass. There was a story of a mad man who was fond of collecting alms, especially food items, by force. With his plate in his left hand, he would raise a cutlass in his right hand and say to the prospective donor, “If you think it won’t be and it is, what would you do?” In other words, “if you think I can’t cut off your head and I do; what would you do?” The fellow would quickly drop some food in his plate and he would walk away. He targeted mostly market women. One day, a woman dared this lunatic and said, “I won’t give you anything today; you can do your worst”. In anger, the lunatic landed a stroke of his cutlass on her head. But for providence which helped her to slightly dodge the cutlass, the lunatic would have beheaded her. Only her right ear was chopped off. The whole market was thrown into pandemonium. Beloved, if the lunatic made good his threat, what do you think of the words of the One who commanded the heaven and the earth to be and they were? It is foolhardy to think that the words spoken by the mouth of the Almighty God and His Christ will not come to pass. When He says the wages of sin is death – Romans 6:23, you better believe it before it is too late.

When our Lord Jesus Christ was speaking with His disciples of old on what was about to happen in relation to them deserting and denying Him, they could not comprehend any situation that would make them deny the Master. As seen in this case of the disciples, at times, children of God assume they are more knowledgeable than their Father. The Lord knew what would happen. He told them, but they could not believe such a thing could happen to them. Momentarily they forgot that they were dealing with the Word of God who became man. On few occasions like this one in our Bible reading today, they took Him and His words as words from an ordinary mortal. To us His disciples today, the Lord said this through His holy angels in Acts 1:11b:

“....this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Our attitude towards God’s demand for holiness will become positive if we believe that Jesus is coming back to judge the quick and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1).

ACTION POINT

Make up your mind that you will believe and act according to every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord, as well as the written words of the Holy Scriptures.

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