OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 12/12/2013 - WAIT ON THE SPIRIT BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WAIT ON THE SPIRIT

MEMORY VERSE

I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

1 Corinthians 14:18

READ

Luke 24:48-49

Luke 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

MESSAGE

In Judges 15:14-15, when Samson was brought to his enemies bound, the Holy Spirit came mightily upon him and he began to level them one after the other. But you may want to ask: What were the others looking at while their colleagues were being killed? It happened this way because when the supernatural of God is in action, the enemies will first be paralysed. This season, the Lord will paralyse all your enemies and they will begin to grope in darkness, and they will become easy preys for your sword in Jesus name.

However, just as the positive supernatural is linked with the Holy Spirit, so also is the negative supernatural linked with the devil and his demons. In Acts 1:8 and Luke 24:48-49, the Lord told the disciples not to go out to preach until they receive the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 19:11-12, God performed special miracles by the hand of Paul. You may wonder what facilitated this. To answer that, you may want to look at what he did more than other brethren. Based on his testimony in 1 Corinthians 14:18, the manifestation of the supernatural in a special way in his life must have been facilitated by the fact that he spent more time praying in the Holy Spirit than all other brethren. This simply tells us that the way you relate with the Holy Spirit in your closet will determine the outward or public results that will accompany you. If you invest time worshipping and praising Him, speaking in the language He freely gave to you and you live holy before Him, you will never be far from the miraculous. The Holy Spirit is the Chairperson of the Body of Christ while Jesus is still the owner. If you want to be relevant, you must link up with the Spirit of Truth. Do you monitor your relationship with Him? Do you hear the voice of the Spirit? When you do, do you obey promptly? Are there certain errands He sent you that you are yet to carry out? He is a very gentle Spirit. He must not be grieved often, yet He is equally as patient as the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ contrary to what some people teach. However, He should not be taken for granted. How much of your time do you devote to developing your relationship with the Holy Spirit?

ACTION POINT

Pray in the Spirit for 1-2 hours today, and do so more often daily. Write down what you saw, heard or experienced for the next three weeks.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 11/12/2013 - WAYS OF DELIVERANCE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WAYS OF DELIVERANCE

MEMORY VERSE

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name

Philippians 2:9

READ

Isaiah 49:24-26

Isaiah 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

Isaiah 49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

Isaiah 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

MESSAGE

In Acts 19:3-16, demons challenged some charlatan deliverance ministers before pouncing on them. This tells us that even in their fallen state; demons know their rights and try to enforce them as much as possible. They questioned the authority of the deliverance ministers. If your authority is not rooted in Christ, and you go to dare demons, be prepared for a showdown. A boy attended one programme somewhere and got loaded with demons to the extent he could not sit or walk. He was brought to our church and he told us the story after which I asked him to kneel down so we can pray. 'I cannot kneel down' was his reply. 'I command you to kneel down', I insisted. Then be asked me 'In whose name?' so I said 'In the name of Jesus' and he said 'That one is different' and he knelt down. After prayer, I asked him to rise up and go home but he said he cannot walk. So again I said, 'I command you to walk' and he asked, 'In whose name?' I said 'In the name of Jesus' and he replied 'That one is different' and he began to walk and was made totally free. In whose name are you going to be free? It is not in the name of the deliverance minister but in the name of Jesus Christ.

Moreover, how does God execute deliverance? It could be through one of His bona fide servants like Paul in Acts 16:16-18. Here, Paul simply commanded the girl to be free and she was free. When you find somebody conducting deliverance that lasts a whole night, something is wrong somewhere. Also, when the enemies are many, God can turn them against one another. But in a situation where you are a lawful captive – you went to the enemy's camp on your own to join them, but now you have received Christ and want to come out, if they refuse to let you go, Isaiah 49:24-26 says, God will allow them to feed on their own flesh and be drunk in their own blood. As a servant of God, how have you been conducting deliverance? Are forces of darkness holding you hostage? The Lord will deliver you today. I command every power holding you contrary to God's will to release you now!

ACTION POINT

What is that mountain that is proving to be difficult? Come against it by the name of Jesus

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 10/12/2013 - VICTIM OF COMFORT? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

VICTIM OF COMFORT?

MEMORY VERSE

For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

2 TIMOTHY 4:10

READ

2 Timothy 4:8-10

2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:

2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

MESSAGE

Just as your attention can be arrested by certain things while undergoing a physical journey, so also can your attention be diverted while running the race to Heaven. One of such things that can divert heaven-bound citizens is prosperity. Prosperity can give you a lot of comfort which can affect your focus, reduce your consecration and play down your personal relationship with God. Prosperity can truncate one's journey to heaven if unchecked. One victim of this was Demas. 2 Timothy 4:10 says,

For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

While other co-labours of Paul were travelling to different cities of the world for the work of the Gospel, Demas a co-labourer of Paul, fell in love with the world to such an extent that he went back to Thessalonica having been taken captive by worldly pleasures and amusements. Is your prosperity gradually pushing you off the heavenly track? Control it now before it destroys your soul completely!

Many years ago, when all some of us had were two shirts, two trousers and one pair of shoes, we prayed, loved the Lord and served Him with all our hearts and strength. But today, it is a different ball game. For many who have now been blessed materially, it has become a herculean task to give even a quarter of our time and strength to God. Some find it extremely difficult to make sacrifices for God: everything now operates on how convenient it is. I remember when I called church members to join in a 100-day fast, those from low-income areas in Lagos such as Ajegunle, Mushin, etc., immediately received the announcement with joy, while on that same day when I went to make the same announcement in the high brow areas of Lagos  Ikoyi and Victoria Island, they were not happy to receive it, but thank God they joined. Is the comfort of your bed, store house and bank account now negatively affecting your fire? Watch it and adjust now before you become its victim.

ACTION POINT

Ask God to take you to the level where nothing would ever affect your love for Him

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 9/12/2013 - MOVE ON TO MULTIPLICATION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

MOVE ON TO MULTIPLICATION

MEMORY VERSE

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:28

READ

Genesis 1:27-28

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

MESSAGE

Another attribute of a divine midwife is that he or she must be able to earn a reward from God. God rewarded the midwives of Exodus 1 and He is looking for those who can work hard to earn His commendation.

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

2 John 8

His commendation does not come cheap: it must be earned. The way you are working for Him, can you earn His 'Well done?'

If you consider His dealings with people in Bible times, you will notice that God loves fruitful people. He loves progressive increases but prefers multiplications. When the servants who received five and two talents returned to their master, with a double of what they received, they got the same level of commendation (Matthew 25:14-23). God loves multiplication! In Genesis 1:27-28, immediately after creating Adam and Eve, He commanded them to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth. These are stages in growth. God wants you to start by bearing fruit, and then move to the stage of multiplication of the fruits so that you can eventually dominate the earth. Many of us stop at bearing fruit which should be our starting point. It is time you moved up to the stage of multiplication. If you were winning a soul to Christ per month, now win 10 souls or more to Christ per month, but do not stop there. Lead them to the believers class to disciple them. Follow them up and ensure that they are doing what you have done. In other words, reproduce yourself in them so that they too can do the same. As this chain continues, a time will come when your spiritual children will be in different parts of the world, taking the world for Jesus. Thank God for the past years of winning minimal souls. Increase your efforts and become a mentor to your converts, and they to their converts down the line. If we can take this up and be committed to 10 souls monthly for a year and mentor them to the point of each getting their 10 souls, in less than five years, we would have reached out to the world. Arise and start your chain of converts today!

ACTION POINT

A convert you win today can lead 100 souls to Christ. Go for your 10 souls this period.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 8/12/2013 - OF KEYS AND DOORS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

OF KEYS AND DOORS

MEMORY VERSE

Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

Matthew 12:13

READ

Matthew 12:10-13

Matthew 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

Matthew 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

Matthew 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Matthew 12:13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

MESSAGE

Every apartment or compartment with a lock has its key. It takes a key to open the gate of a house and several keys to enter the house and its rooms. If you have a fridge, car or wardrobe, you will equally have their keys. From the foregoing therefore, it is apparent that several good things with value have their respective access keys. The key to a house is different from that to a car. In the same way spiritually, every major blessing has its key. There is a key to rest, a key to provision and a key to progress. When you do not have a particular key to a blessing, you will most likely be denied access to that blessing. A man was once stranded at the airport even though he had his own private jet; he was stranded because he could not find its key. Some people have never been able to unlock their closed doors for want of the right keys all their lives. This was the case with the man that was born blind in John 9:1-7. From birth, his eyes remained locked until the day Jesus came to open it. What are the doors you want to enter but lack the relevant keys to do so? The Lord will give you such keys today.

There are those who have never really tasted open doors since they were born; they have never experienced any breakthrough at any time and nothing has ever come easy for them. If you are in this category, the Lord will make a difference in your situation. That good thing which you have never experienced shall be delivered to you this season. On the other hand, there are some people who doors were opened to in the past but for one reason or another, the doors were shut. The man with the withered hand in Matthew 12:10-13 once had a normal hand before something happened and it withered. Also, the widow of Nain once had a living son before death snatched him and Jesus raised him back to life (Luke 7:11-15). Are you in that situation? Every good door that opened to you but is now shut shall be reopened this season.

PRAYER POINT

Every good door (be specific) that has been shut against me, open now to me

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 7/12/2013 - FIGHT AGAINST DISCOURAGEMENT! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

FIGHT AGAINST DISCOURAGEMENT!

MEMORY VERSE

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

READ

Numbers 13:26-33

And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

MESSAGE

Discouragement is a great tool in the hands of the enemy.

Proverbs 13:12 says,

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

The devil usually does not apply discouragement when you are in high spirits or when you are happy, discouragement comes when you are in low spirits, sad and unhappy. If there is something you have been looking up to God for that is pending, you might be a candidate for discouragement. The devil introduces discouragement when you are tired, weak and sometimes helpless (1 Kings 19:4). This is why you must learn to rest. If you have worked very hard, find time to rest. But if you are lazy or you have not been working, let your rest be that you begin to work. To overcome discouragement therefore, allow the joy of the Lord to be your strength. Be filled with God's word and hold on to His promises at every point in time. Shut the door of your heart against laziness.

Moreover, when you are closest to achieving your goal, the enemy can bring discouragement. We often fall prey to this because of our inability to see beyond now. In Numbers 13:26-33, the children of Israel were already at the border of the Promised Land when the ten spies brought an evil report that they cannot enter in. Whenever the devil tells you that you cannot achieve something, look back at the word and tell him you can do all things by God's strength. Beloved, never believe the lie of the devil or of men. You can do all things through the strength of the Lord that is inside of you. What you believe at the threshold of your breakthrough definitely affects that breakthrough. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus was hit by discouragement when He was just about to conclude His work by going to the Cross. But somehow, He overcame. In any way discouragement is sent against you, the Lord will give you victory in Jesus name.

ACTION POINT

Use positive confessions and word-based declarations to counter the discouragement you may be facing.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 6/12/2013 - CONDESCEND! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CONDESCEND!

MEMORY VERSE

Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

 Romans 12:16

READ

Isaiah 66:1-2

Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the  Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

MESSAGE

After seeing their plight, hearing their cries and feeling their pains, God came down to rescue the Israelites from Egypt. Our God is a mobile God. He comes down to deliver His own. As high as God is and even though He has His throne in Heaven, yet He condescends to meet the needs of His children on earth (Isaiah 66:1). Looking at Psalm 50:10-12 and Revelation 3:20, we see the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hill and who Heaven cannot contain wanting to dine in your house. Whenever you want to eat, after thanking God for the provision, sanctify it and invite Him to join you. You can be sure nobody can poison the food God is eating from. God can come down to any level. Philippians 2:5-8 says even though Jesus Christ is God, yet He became a man and served as a servant. One day, I was shocked when God told me that even though He is the Almighty God, He has been doing the work of a servant for His children. He said when we say: 'Father, give me this or that', we are actually sending Him on an errand, and He delivers. If God can condescend to any level just to serve His children, what level is too low for you to get to in serving those under you?

Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

 Romans 12:16

God lives by example. Before He tells you to humble yourself and serve others, He has done it time and again. Some leaders consider themselves too high to be reached. If you are 'high' and you stay up there, you will be unable to reach out to those who are low. Most of the people you are expected to reach out to are somewhere down - they know less about God or His ways, probably have never been ordained, have little or no means of livelihood, have little or no education, etc. The ability to condescend to their level is a plus which makes you like God. That is humility. Put aside your differences and reach out to them today following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT

Prayerfully, reach out to 10 people below your status and show them the love of God

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 5/12/2013 - UNCOVERING EVIL BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

UNCOVERING EVIL

MEMORY VERSE

For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Acts 8:23

READ

Acts 5:1-11

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

MESSAGE

The presence of the supernatural power of God in a church can take that church beyond limits. It can also uproot the presence of evil in the midst of God's children. In Acts 5, a couple were uprooted through this. If we are going to sanitise the church, we need the Holy Spirit. Just as we need Him to heal, save and deliver, so also do we need Him to kill. Sometime ago, a man from Cameroon who claimed to be a missionary came visiting our churches. One day, the Lord told me he was a spy and not a missionary. When he later came to me to say they were planning to do certain things, I reminded him of how the couple in Acts 5 had lied to Peter and were buried the same day. I told him he was busy lying to me, eating my food and receiving my hospitality. I gave him an opportunity to either apologise or die. He was covered in sweat. I just wanted him to say sorry because I did not want to be involved in his burial. But a week later, his evil caught up with him.

We need the supernatural to demonstrate to people that our God is who He says He is. Many people do not believe our testimonies because they think they are arranged. But when they see the raw power of God, you will not beg them to surrender to Jesus. A man came to the Holy Ghost service one day. His son had been telling him to yield to God but he refused, saying that he was stronger than his son's pastor. On this particular day, he decided to pay a surprise visit to the camp without informing his son. As soon as he came in, the Lord told me that there was a man coming for the first time who came late because he was feeding his snake. And that before he gets home his snake will be dead, and that if he loves himself, he should surrender to the Lord or else he will die after his snake. The man ran out and surrendered to Christ, and today, he is a committed member of our church. Is the supernatural in operation in your life? If it is not, cry out to God today!

ACTION POINT

Ask that in the body of Christ worldwide, the supernatural will become common place and through this, God will expose satanic agents.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 412/2013 - ENLIST A STRONGER ALLY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ENLIST A STRONGER ALLY

MEMORY VERSE

But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Luke 11:22

READ

Luke 11:21-22

Luke 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

Luke 11:22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

MESSAGE

It's amazing that some people who need deliverance do not realise their need; rather they look for others to deliver while they remain in their bondages. In any way you need deliverance, it shall be given to you this season. If God has made several promises to you, and at the time they should be fulfilled none of them is coming to pass, you need deliverance. When it appears you have a very bleak future and you have no vision or direction for the next two or more years, you surely need deliverance. If there is sorrow all around you or you are always quarrelling at home with your spouse and cannot even tell the cause, you need deliverance.

Moreover, who can deliver? When your ally is weaker or less fortified than your enemy, both you and the one you have invited to help you fight will end up as preys to the enemy. The one you should therefore invite to help you defeat an enemy stronger than you must be stronger than the enemy. In a battle between two strong people, it takes the stronger fellow to defeat his opponent, strip him of his weapons and take over his spoils according to Luke 11:21-22. If an individual wants to conduct deliverance for you, make sure he or she has the backing of the Almighty God. Today, we have several deliverance ministers who are self-sent and therefore have no divine approval. There are some deliverance ministers that will ask you to pay before you can see them. Both you and the fellow will be in trouble if God is not with him like He was with Jesus (Acts 10:38). Also, the fellow to conduct the deliverance must be under authority or else you may return home with more problems than you went with. In Luke 7:6-8, the centurion who went to the Lord for help was under authority and Jesus Himself was under the authority of the Father. When the sons of Sceva attempted to deliver somebody, they were wounded, disgraced and had to take to their heels. Meanwhile the situation of the fellow they were trying to deliver remained the same. Enlist the right ally when fighting a stronger enemy.

PRAYER POINT

Father, in all my life's battles, never leave me alone. Fight for me

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 3/12/2013 - OFFENDED IN CHRIST? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

OFFENDED IN CHRIST?

MEMORY VERSE

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

Matthew 11:6

READ

Matthew 11:2-6

Matthew 11:2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

Matthew 11:3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

MESSAGE

The Christian race must be run with lots of patience or else it will be bungled midway. If you are impatient with God's timing, you will not only get into trouble but may not be able to finish the race. A good number of backsliders derailed from their heavenly track because of impatience. In Matthew 11:6 Jesus said:

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

When you know that God has a set time for everything, you will not try to compel Him to do it at your time and in your way. You will simply submit to His will and enter your rest; that is when you can enjoy a smooth ride in your race to Heaven.

A man of God once made some mistakes which landed him in prison. While there, his wife left him, his house got burnt and he lost everything. The devil thought he had taken everything from him but there was something he could not take away from him: his rugged determination to make it home and he made it. Have you lost virtually everything? Are you thinking of giving up? Does it appear that everyone else has forsaken you and there is no one to turn to? Beloved, take heart! God has not given up on you. If God has not given up on you, the greatest disservice you can do to yourself will be to give up on the Lover of your soul. He is very close to you. He is right now in that situation. Don't give up! No matter how bad things are right now, no matter how hopeless your situation is; it does not matter how many people have told you to your face that you cannot make it, God will turn around your tide. Adverse situations are not strange to us at all. It is just a phase. It will soon expire. The Lord is arising on your behalf. He will gather your pieces together and give you wholeness. If there are no pieces to gather, He will create wholeness for you. You are precious in His sight. Just put all your worries at His feet, worship Him regularly and thank Him in spite of your situation even if in tears, He will give you victory and you will have a great testimony.

ACTION POINT

If you are offended in Christ, you are getting something fundamentally wrong. Repent.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 2/12/2013 - ANY QUERY FROM SATAN? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ANY QUERY FROM SATAN?

MEMORY VERSE

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

1 Peter 3:15

READ

Daniel 3:14-30

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

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

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.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

MESSAGE

A divine midwife must be in control of his or her choices and ensure that they are God-centred and not self-centred. They must be ready to take decisions even when it hurts them. They must also be prepared to respond to Satan's queries.

And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

Exodus 1:18

When the plot to murder the Hebrew male babies failed, the king summoned the midwives and issued them a query. In other words, he was asking them: 'Whose side are you on? Mine or theirs?' Do you know that Satan is not bothered about querying many believers? Why? It's because he cannot see any difference between their past and present lifestyles. If you still dress indecently, exaggerate events, think the same way and go to the same places you used to go before you were born-again, there will be nothing to query about you. The kingdom of darkness reacts to change and not stagnancy. If you have not practiced your Christian faith to a point where the devil or his agent will question you that: 'Who is that your God?' then you are not making an impact yet.

The three Hebrew children stood for their faith in God without being disrespectful to the king. They refused to bow to his golden image because they feared God. This caused them to be noticed as it appeared they were on one side, while the rest of the people were on another. God is usually interested when He finds one or more of His children ready to face Satan's query or persecution. Usually, based on His plan and purpose, He would decide on what to do in each of such situations. In the case of the three Hebrew children, He physically came down to let the crowd realise that there is a God in Heaven that is above man and gods who can do all things. He manifested Himself to also show that He can void the worst of man's anger, punishment or fury. If you can stand for Him, He will lift you up in the midst of opposing circumstances and at the end He would have introduced Himself.

ACTION POINT

Thank God for past Holy Ghost congresses. Pray that this year's congress will have something great for every participant.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 1/12/2013 - WRONG TIME TO QUIT! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WRONG TIME TO QUIT

MEMORY VERSE

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

READ

2 Kings 13:14-18

2 Kings 13:14  Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

2 Kings 13:15  And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.

2 Kings 13:16  And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.

2 Kings 13:17  And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

2 Kings 13:18  And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.

MESSAGE

You are a work-in-progress in God's hands. He is not done with you yet. You are on your way to your destiny and by the grace of God; you shall not terminate the trip prematurely. Thank God for where you are and what you have achieved. But thank God much more for where He is taking you to. You will fulfill His divine purpose for your life in Jesus name. When we came to the Redemption camp and built the first auditorium, virtually everyone concluded that it was the biggest in Africa and that we should build a wall around it. However, by the grace of God, I knew that was not God's limit for me. We have since expanded it four times and thereafter built the second auditorium. When the second auditorium was built, it was seen as being too big, but today, it has become too small to accommodate us during some big programmes. Has the devil been telling you to stay where you are, that you have gone far enough and cannot go higher? Is he telling you to stop struggling, rest, retire and leave the rest to fate? Don't listen to him! Beyond your present place of turmoil, there is a rest; beyond your place of comfort and rest, there is a better place!

The devil has succeeded in making many people lazy so as to snatch their destiny. When you ask people to pray for one hour, some will say: 'Pray for a whole hour? What are we asking for?' The most tragic thing for a man is to quit while at the threshold of total victory. In today's reading, when Elisha was about to die, he gave the king an opportunity of a life time to ask and defeat his enemies. He gave him a bow and some arrows to shoot. He fired three and stopped. When the man of God told him the implication of having partial victory, he should have apologised and resumed shooting until he was stopped, but he did not go further. Have you made an effort on an issue that was inadequate and you gave up before it could yield fruit? Then you are not different from the king. If your effort is insufficient, then put in more effort. No matter how young you are, you are getting older daily. There was a time believers use to hold onto God in prayer until the answer came, but now, we want instant answers as if God is our houseboy. He is not.

PRAYER POINT

In the name of Jesus, I resist every force or power compelling me to quit the good thing the Lord has placed before me. I receive grace to see its great end

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