OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 31/12/2013 - WORKING OUT AN ALTERNATIVE? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WORKING OUT AN ALTERNATIVE?

MEMORY VERSE

 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Romans 4:20

READ

Genesis 16:1-4

Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

Genesis 16:2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 16:3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

Genesis 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

MESSAGE

In this uncommon race that we have enlisted in, if you rest prematurely, or take your eyes off the daystar we are following, you will be distracted. Another thing that can divert your attention is opening your mouth prematurely to reveal your secret to 'sympathetic friends'. Never share a testimony until it is complete. Sometimes people have shared how years after a fruitless search for a job, they have eventually been called for an interview and that they are now awaiting their letter of appointment. When the enemy hears this, he or she may begin to manipulate situations, circumstances and those capable of influencing the decision. Such people may lose out in shame eventually.

Moreover, if you are truly determined to make it to Heaven, even though you have diverted at some point, you can be restored by the mercies of God. After Abraham had waited for many years for God's promise to be fulfilled, his wife came with a diversion: she asked them to help God by offering him her slave. From the time Abraham diverted to the bondwoman, God went into silence for about 13 years. But being a merciful God, after that period, God restored him again and from that moment, Abraham and God walked together in sweet harmony. The Lord who restored Abraham will restore you in any area you have diverted from His plan and purpose. Some people are becoming weary over the delay in the fulfilment of a particular promise. As a result some are dabbling into sin and trying out other alternatives. A head usher of several years standing could no long bear his wife's inability to have a child, so he packed up the marriage and went for divorce. Thereafter, he took another lady as wife and moved to another Gospel church. Years after, the second lady could also not have a baby. Would he divorce her too and go for a third? Beloved, when you go for an alternative, it shows you do not really trust in God. Believers who say they are heading for Heaven are now complicating their lives by getting themselves diverted out of impatience. Stay firm in God and He will sort you out

ACTION POINT

Thank God for seeing the end of this year. Pray that God will safely bring you into 2014 with grace and power.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 30/12/2013 - CHEERFUL OR TEARFUL GIVING? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CHEERFUL OR TEARFUL GIVING?

MEMORY VERSE

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7

READ

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

MESSAGE

Another point we can learn from the wise men is that they were givers. Our God also is a giver. He gives us all things freely to enjoy (Romans 8:32). God is such a diehard giver that He gave His only begotten Son to die for His enemies. He wants us as His children to follow His example in giving. For this reason, God is not just interested in you giving but in you giving like Him. Hence 2 Corinthians 9:7 says,

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

The only time some people think of giving is when there is a declared need. But do you know that a true cheerful giver does not wait until a need is expressed? The fellow is proactive in giving. He or she gives even when no announcement is made regarding a particular need in church. Some others will not give until everybody is levied. If you are a cheerful giver, a levy is an insult to you. Do you have to be tasked before you do your Father's bidding?

Generally speaking, it is wrong to grudge over your gifts. Some people are stingy so they will grudge the little that comes out of their pockets, but there is a dimension of giving where you will be led to release that which will touch you to a point of hurt. Even when your body is resisting it, you shut it up and go ahead. Are you a cheerful giver? If you are a cheerful giver, God will not want to miss you in Heaven because like they say, Birds of the same feather flock together you are like Him. Whenever God finds a cheerful giver, He finds someone like Himself (John 3:16). When Solomon offered God 1000 cows in one offering, that night God paid him a visit (2 Chronicles 1:6-12). If God has been visiting you on earth because you are pleasing Him, you can be sure you will be with Him in Heaven. How cheerfully are you giving to the Lord, His servants, and the work of the Lord today?

PRAYER POINT

Father, help me to give cheerfully like You do

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 29/12/2013 - SEEK WHAT SATISFIES! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

SEEK WHAT SATISFIES!

MEMORY VERSE

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Ecclesiastes 5:12

READ

Ecclesiastes 5:9-12

Ecclesiastes 5:9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Ecclesiastes 5:11 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?

Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

MESSAGE 

And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

1 Chronicles 12:32

An understanding of the times you live in will definitely guide you on what to do, when it should be done, what is important and what is not important. May God give you an understanding of the times we live!

What time is it now? Hosea 10:12 says,

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

It is time to seek the Lord. Many people have sought prosperity all their lives only to discover at the end that it does not satisfy. Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 says if you love silver, no matter how much of it you acquire, you will never be satisfied. If you are a billionaire, you cannot take more than a regular meal at a time; you will sleep in one room even if your mansion has 100 rooms; you cannot wear more than one dress or pair of shoes at a time, even if you have a room full of them. In fact Ecclesiastes 5:12 says too much wealth may rob the rich of his sleep. When you get to a certain level of wealth, it becomes a burden. I have visited some very rich people and I felt sorry for them because of the pain they go through in choosing what to take at meal time, what to wear, etc. Do you know that wealth is transient, it is available today but can vanish tomorrow (Proverbs 23:4-5)? Moreover, many have sought for power, fame and position only to find that they do not satisfy. If you are the president today, tomorrow you will be ex-president. While in school, I desired to have several degrees only to later discover that they do not satisfy. Colossians 3:1-2 says you should stop making material things your focus. What are you seeking? It is time to seek after God. He is the One who truly satisfies.

KEY POINT

Seeking and finding God should be your major goal in life. When this is done, He will help you to set and achieve all your minor goals.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 28/12/2013 - BROKENNESS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BROKENNESS

MEMORY VERSE

I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

Psalm 38:8

READ

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

MESSAGE

In your relationship with God, one place you need to get to is the place of brokenness. To be broken is to have some form of injury that makes the object less than a whole. In spiritual parlance, it is to break or subdue the flesh in order to be more profitable to the Kingdom of God. Why do you need to be broken? You need to be broken in order to put the flesh where it belongs. Until you get to the point of brokenness, your life will operate in the body, soul spirit order of priority, which means that the body will be in control of the spirit. In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul says,

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

If you fail to subdue your body, it will disgrace you when you least expect.

Another reason for brokenness is that it helps you to lose grounds which God will occupy. That is, it creates room for God. The more broken you are, the greater the space the Spirit can fill up within you. Brokenness also helps us to be true ambassadors of Christ  making us to represent Him as we should. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says,

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Without being broken, most believers would put off others who were about to enter the Kingdom. Take for instance, the fellow who is insulted by an unbeliever and retaliates. How could such a believer ever hope to win that soul to Christ? If you are not broken, it may be difficult to see the fruit of the Spirit manifesting in you. Are you broken? To what extent are you allowing the flesh? What measures have you put in place to subdue the flesh? From today, ask God to break you, and fill you with His fullness.

KEY POINT

If God breaks you, He will mould you to fit into His mould, but if you are not broken, you will maintain your old mould

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 27/12/2013 - HE SENDS ON ERRANDS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HE SENDS ON ERRANDS

MEMORY VERSE

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

Mark 16:15

READ

Luke 10:1-3,17

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Luke 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

MESSAGE

God promotes like no one else. Since He is higher than the highest of men, He can lift you to the height no man can take you to. This season, the Lord will promote you. Many years ago, at the first time I was leaving Nigeria for overseas, I was on my way to Canada to attend a world conference of Applied Mathematics. The Nigerian Airways flight I was to take was delayed so I went to eat at their restaurant. I was served by a white man at the restaurant. At that moment, I wished I had a camera to record all I was experiencing so that when I returned to my village at Ifewara (south-west Nigeria), people would see how the son of Adeboye was being served by a white man. The truth is, the Almighty God can pick a shepherd boy and turn him into a king. Have people written you off? If God has not finished with you, anyone who writes you off is only wasting his or her time. People have repeatedly asked me why I say 'Yes sir' or 'Yes ma' to everybody and I told them that it is because you never can tell where God is taking the fellow. A messenger today may become president tomorrow. When God wants to promote you and somebody sits on your promotion, He can remove the fellow or set his seat on fire. Everyone sitting on your promotion shall be uprooted this season.

Moreover, God sends on errands. He told Moses that He was sending him to Pharaoh. He is looking for reliable people He can send on errands. In Mark 16:15-16, He sends us to the whole world to preach the Gospel because according to John 15:16, He chose us to bring forth fruits. We are having problems today because we have refused to go. But if we repent and decide to go, signs will follow us. In Luke 10:1-3,17 Jesus sent out 70 people in twos and when they returned, they were full of joy and testified that even the demons obeyed them. In your secular work, would your boss send you on an official errand and you would refuse? You will most likely not. What if the president sends you on an errand? You will feel privileged to carry it out. Now, why would the President of presidents send you on an errand and you will be making excuses? If you don't go, He will not go with you.

KEY POINT

If you carry out God's errands perfectly and within the time specified, He too will honour you by going on errands for you.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 26/12/2013 - FASTING IS NECESSARY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

FASTING IS NECESSARY

MEMORY VERSE

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Matthew 17:21

READ

Matthew 17:14-21

And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

And Jesus said unto them,because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

MESSAGE

To relate with the Holy Spirit, you must be holy. You must also exercise a living faith, pray and fast. Some people will tell you that because Jesus had finished the work of salvation, there is no need to fast. To them, fasting is completely needless and is some form of self-inflicted punishment. But they forget that according to the Lord Himself, fasting is required to handle situations that appear very tough and resilient. In Matthew 17:14-21, a lunatic was brought to the disciples and they prayed but got no positive result. Later, when the same fellow was brought to Jesus, He healed him. Then the disciples privately met the Lord to ask why they could not handle it, and He told them it was because of unbelief, ineffective prayer and a lack of fasting. Also, in Luke 5:33-35, when some people came to ask the Lord why His disciples hardly ever fasted, He told them as long as He was with them, there was no need for this but that when He is taken away, they will have no choice but to fast.

But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days

Luke 5:35

Those who make excuses not to fast usually have a challenge with their appetite. They serve a god called the god of the belly, and that belly is ever asking for food sacrifices unto it. Never become a slave to your stomach! If you are and there is a reason to skip a meal, that body will be in trouble. Your body is capable of adjusting to any condition. If you are eating five times a day, it will adjust accordingly. But if you change to three times daily, there will be some resistance initially, but it will adjust. If you move from there to two times daily, once daily or none for a period, it will protest, but over a given period it will adjust. Those who find it difficult to fast often have another challenge with self control which is part of the fruit of the Spirit. The more you deny your body of food during fasting, the less control it has in manipulating your prayer life and leading you into sin. From today, make out time to seek God's face in prayer and fasting. It is advisable to fast at least one day in a week. It is for your spiritual health.

KEY POINT

 Fasting is part of a Christian's lifestyle. But any time you are exceeding 3 days of fasting, take water, and when it is time to break the fast, start with water and pap, not hard foods

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 25/12/2013 - YOU CAN BE HIS WITNESS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

YOU CAN BE HIS WITNESS

MEMORY VERSE

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power

 1 Corinthians 2:4

READ

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

MESSAGE

As a bona fide member of the Kingdom of God, you must be a proof of His power to save. Matthew 1:21 says Jesus shall save His people from sin. 1 John 1:7 says His blood cleanses us from all sins. If the power to save was demonstrated in the life of anybody at all, it was in the life of Paul. In 1 Timothy 1:15 he says,

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

He could say this because he realised how far he had gone before Jesus saved him. What about your life? Can you say you have not observed changes in your life from the time you received Jesus into your life? If you have, share it with others. The testimonies of salvation I hear these days are too shallow: when you hear some people talk, you would think they were saints all along. Let your life prove that He can transform lives. Where are the evidences of a changed life?

However, you need the power of the Spirit to produce the proof. Power simply means the ability to do work. Philippians 4:13 says I can do all things by the power of Jesus Christ. God wants to use you to heal the sick so that you can truly say Jesus has the power to heal. He wants to use you to cast out demons and bring joy, peace and freedom to the captives so that you can be His witness in all these areas. When the devil takes over a life, he can do things that are negatively incredible e.g. the mad man of Gadara. On the positive side, if you are full of the Holy Ghost, God will use you to do great things that will baffle you. A politician came to the Redemption Camp during one of our congresses and said that he cannot understand what is going on. He said when they are holding political rallies; they have to pay people to attend, but that in our own case, the people come en masse and give their money as offering without being paid. I told him the people are not coming to meet me but the Holy Ghost. Are you ready for God to use you these last days? Draw closer to the Holy Spirit as never before.

ACTION POINT

 Win at least one soul to the Lord today.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 24/12/2013 - LOOK UP TO JESUS ONLY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

LOOK UP TO JESUS ONLY

MEMORY VERSE

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23

READ

Luke 9:23-26

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Luke 9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

MESSAGE

Besides prosperity and comfort, another thing that can divert your attention while running the race is resting before you reach your goal. Your goal is Heaven and on earth we have no resting place. The wise men of Matthew 2:1-16 kept on travelling for a period of two years following the star. A period of resting would have been appealing to them, but because they had to reach their goal, and the star they were following was still moving, they kept on going for that whole period. If they had called for a rest, they would have missed their trail. Why are you declaring a rest when you have not reached you goal? Calling for rest before its time will always lead the fellow into trouble. When David was jumping from cave to cave, he did not commit adultery. But in 2 Samuel 11:1, he was resting when he should be at war, so Satan gave him another assignment which he did very well and lived to regret. That short period of rest led him into certain sins that brought the sword upon his generations.

Moreover, another diversion from the race is taking your eyes off the star. When the wise men entered Herod's palace, they could no more see the star. All they were seeing was the glittering glory of an earthly king, while they were supposed to be on their way to the King of kings. When you take off your eyes from the Lord and place it on someone else or something else, you have diverted. When we were young Christians, we learnt not to look unto our leaders but Christ because human beings can disappoint you. I have been severally disappointed by people I looked up to, those I thought were better than me. I got the greatest disappointment from the fellow who brought me to Christ. Never look up to your pastor, minister, general overseer, etc. They can disappoint you any day. Look up to Jesus. Many pastors are living in sin on a regular basis today. If you put your hope on them, you may get the greatest shock of your life. Look up to Jesus and He will never fail you. Follow Him always!.

KEY POINT

Jesus is the perfect mould - the ultimate Mentor. If your leader is a bad example, pray for him but look up to Jesus. He is God's standard

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 23/12/2013 - IS YOUR VISA READY? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

IS YOUR VISA READY?

MEMORY VERSE

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Hebrews 12:14

READ

Exodus 32:30-35

Exodus 32:30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

Exodus 32:31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

Exodus 32:33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Exodus 32:34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

Exodus 32:35 And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

MESSAGE

Speaking of aspirations and ambitions in life, if all you can achieve on earth is for your name to enter and remain in the most important book in the universe  the Book of Life, it is worth it. On the Day of Judgment, many whose names were in earth's halls of fame will be shown the way to the eternal lake of fire just because their names were missing from this great book. In Egypt, Shiphrah and Puah decided to fear the Almighty God and their names were written in the Bible. You must make sure your name is written in the Book of Life and that it remains there as long as you are alive.

If you are born-again, you have a divine passport. But it will take the Book of Life to determine those who will be issued visa of rapture or entry visa at death into planet Heaven. There are many people who have their country's passport and may never travel to any country outside their place of birth. So also there are many souls who have the heavenly passport but will not be granted entry at death because they lack the visa. There are testimonies of some brethren who died but God allowed them to return to the earth. When they died, they got to Heaven's gate because they had the passport -were born-again, but they were denied entry for lack of visa. For your name to remain in the Lamb's Book of Life, you must be holy. You must live a life of full obedience to God. You must clear all your debts both to God and to men. You must have served the Lord and not yourself while on earth. You must have lived a life that impacted men and woman and glorified God. You must have had a blossoming relationship with the Holy Spirit until the time of rapture or death. Are you saved? Do you have this visa to Heaven? Check your life now, and make amends today. Do you know that some people are only going about with titles but they have lost their true spiritual essence? King Saul was still on the throne for years after David was anointed as king.

ACTION POINT

Ask for the grace to live in peace with everyone and to live a holy life.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 22/12/2013 - BAD SOIL BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BAD SOIL

MEMORY VERSE

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up

 Matthew 13:4

READ

Matthew 13:3-8

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

MESSAGE

For your request to be granted, you have to apply relevant keys. Many people desire financial breakthrough but are not prepared to apply the right key; unsurprisingly the door just won't open. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says you must sow bountifully and if you don't sow, do not expect a harvest. Do you know some people are expecting a harvest when they have not sowed? For such people, their harvest will come as a big bang that will attract people but it will have nothing in it. What a shame that will be! But that will not be your portion.

However, it is not enough to sow; you must adhere to all the conditions necessary for a good harvest. For instance, in the parable of the sower documented in Matthew 13:3-8, seeds must be sown on good soil. Any seed sown on bad soil has automatically been lost and the harvest lost. What is a bad soil? A bad soil is a soil that God does not want you to sow into at that material time, no matter how logical or pressing the need is. If God says you should not give to a particular individual and you disobey thinking you know more than God, or you know how much the fellow is in need, you have acted in disobedience and lost both seed and harvest. If care is not taken, you may even get punished.

A bad soil is also one that glorifies Satan openly or secretly while claiming to be a godly organisation. Any church, ministry or 'servant of God' that uses a contrary spirit or still offers sacrifices, dialogues with spirits of the dead or indulges in any occultic activity is a bad soil. Sowing there is sowing directly into Satan's kingdom. A bad soil is equally sowing into a cause that will increase the flamboyance, empty pride and sinful life-style of its recipient. If a particular man of God is calling for donations over which he may not account for, or which will enable him sustain a riotous life-style ride the biggest cars, live in the most expensive mansions, or live in sin, such seeds are lost. Ask to be led of God before you sow in causes that are not clear to you, lest you waste your seed and lose your harvest.

ACTION POINT

Drug addicts, street urchins and anyone suffering from addiction should not be given money but food items, care, and the gospel of Jesus.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 21/12/2013 - BE TRULY ROOTED BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BE TRULY ROOTED

MEMORY VERSE

Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:7

READ

Hebrews 6:1-2

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Hebrews 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

MESSAGE

You can overcome the attacks of the devil if you can simply obey God's Word. Before taking on the devil, be sure of your salvation because the salvation of many today is questionable. Many are pretenders and have really never answered the altar call for salvation at any time. At the time they should be answering the altar call of Calvary, they are already ushers, Sunday school teachers or even pastors. This is one reason we must be very careful before bringing an individual into the work force particularly in new parishes where they need workers. Ensure such an individual is genuinely saved and not just that he or she is zealous and regularly attends church programmes.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

How do you know that you are truly saved? It is by assessing the change your salvation has brought to your life. Nebuchadnezzar was negatively born-again. How? When he went to bed he was a king but the following morning he had turned into an animal (Daniel 4:20-33). If you say you are born-again and you are still doing the evil things that you used to do, it shows you are not born-again. When I was saved, we were taught about salvation, sanctification, baptism in the Holy Spirit etc. We were rooted in the Word. But today, there are all kinds of teachers who play down these doctrines and only emphasize salvation and water baptism. That is why you see people who speak in tongues yet they go and fornicate; people who indulge in alcohol and yet claim to be in God's service. Let us get back to the basics!

In addition, to overcome Satan's attacks, pray without ceasing. Remember that Satan and his demons are fallen angels who never tire, rest or sleep. Ask that the Lord Jesus who prayed for Peter should also pray for you. No matter how holy or careful you are, if God does not keep you, you will surely fall. We are kept by the power of God.

PRAYER POINT

Father, grant me grace to be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 20/12/2013 - GOD PROMOTES BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOD PROMOTES

MEMORY VERSE

But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Psalm 75:7

READ

Psalm 75:5-7

Psalm 75:5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

Psalm 75:6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

Psalm 75:7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

MESSAGE 

When God set out to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt, it was to take them out of captivity and bondage and to lift them up. God has come to take you out of your current location in the miry clay to your promised land a land flowing with milk and honey. This simply tells us that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of promotion. When He promotes you, nobody can demote you. Psalm 75:5-7 says promotion comes from God but He can decide to effect it through any medium. If you catch this revelation, your attitude to God, your boss and your work place will be redefined. If God is the One to promote you, you will not break your relationship with Him. Also, you will not have to compromise your faith in any way. The fear of being denied promotion has made many believers to switch from serving God to serving their boss. Never let any superior or boss rob you of your relationship with God!

God still promotes. There is no promotion that takes place without the knowledge of God. If he says your time for promotion has come; there is nothing anybody anywhere can do about it. This season, the Lord shall promote you. Moreover, when He is set to promote you, it does not matter where the enemies have kept you; you are coming out and going up! For instance, He can locate you in the miry clay and take you up according to Psalm 40:1-3. He can also go to the dunghill to pick you up from there and set you up among nobles and princes and nobody will be able to challenge you (1 Samuel 2:8). He can take you from any depth and lift you up to any height. He can lift you beyond any level any man can take you. When he decides to promote you, even the sky will be your starting point. This season, the Godhead is taking a decision to promote someone, to take the fellow from the depths to the heights. That fellow is you. Thankfully receive your promotion today!

KEY POINT

The only time your boss can sit on your promotion or entitlements successfully, is when God allows you to go through that situation as a trial of your faith, for a period.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY- 19/12/2013 - THE HOLY SPIRIT BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE HOLY SPIRIT

MEMORY VERSE

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

John 16:8

READ

Hebrews 1:8-9

Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

MESSAGE

It is one thing to receive the anointing and another to keep on growing in it. There are people who had the anointing, but today, everything has virtually ebbed out. It is possible to connect with the Holy Spirit and to continue to flow in the power of the anointing even at increasing levels. If this is your desire, then you cannot toy with sin.

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

 Hebrews 1:9

The anointing and righteousness have a symbiotic relationship. If you are living in sin, the Holy Spirit will keep a distance from you and so will the anointing. If you are holy, the anointing can easily flow through you. If you want higher levels of the anointing or you want to sustain it, then you must increase your level of holiness and be far separated from sin.

You can say you know of some people who are not living holy, yet they still have the power. I have seen a lot of people who operated under a demonic power, usually their end is disastrous. There are two kinds of power God's power and the power of the devil which he stole from man. Goliath is an example of someone with demonic power. If you study carefully, you will find out that like Goliath, the devil uses his agent for a while and abandons them to destruction down the line. Satan has no value for the life of his devotees! He is also not committed to them beyond a certain point. But our God is committed to the end. He will defend His anointed. Whenever His anointed faces the agents of darkness, God is even more present in such situations. Hook up with the Holy Spirit because, of all the personalities in the Godhead, He is the most jealous of His holiness. The word 'holy' is not used before the name of the Father or the Son, but the Holy Spirit cannot do without it. This is why He is present with those who value His holiness. Little wonder He is rightly called Holy Spirit.

KEY POINT

Without holiness, there is no relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is uncompromisingly holy.