OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 12/12/2014 - POWER TO ASK & TO RECEIVE - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

POWER TO ASK & TO RECEIVE

Memorise:

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1 John 5:14

Read

1 John 5:14-15

5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

MESSAGE

Many people do not know that there is power behind asking and receiving. If you do not believe this, study the story of Jesus and His disciples’ encounter with the demon-possessed boy in Matthew 17:14-20. Only the children of God can decree a thing and have it established (Job 22:28). This is why it is important to be born-again if you want to possess the power to ask and to receive what you ask for. The boldness to ask (in faith) and the power to receive belong to God and He gives these to His children.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Romans 8:26

In light of the above scripture, there is a need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to possess the power to ask. In other words, the power of prayer is given by the Holy Spirit. The disciples of Jesus found it difficult to effectively pray when the Holy Spirit had not come upon them. The story in Matthew 17:14-20 confirms this and also the several instances where they slept instead of praying. However, when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were not only able to pray effectively, they started decreeing things (Acts 4:31). Another resource from which the power to ask can be derived is the immutable promises of God as contained in His word. Such promises like the promise of Jesus in John 16:23-24, makes the power to ask tremendously available.

However, it is one thing to have the power to ask and it is another thing to have the power to receive. It is amazing that sometimes, when God releases blessings to some people, they tend not to have the power to receive it. Peter experienced this and he almost missed out on God’s blessing, but for the mercy of God. When he encountered Jesus at the lake of Gennesaret, he pleaded with Jesus to get away from him because he was guilt-ridden (Luke 5:8). To possess the power to receive therefore, we must have faith in Jesus. Also, we must keep our mind void of offences (Psalm 66:18). Moreover, our prayer must not be marred with lust or ulterior motives (James 4:3). I pray that you will be empowered to ask and receive from today in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, grant me the power of effective prayer so that whatever I decree here on earth may be established in heaven.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Nehemiah 4:1-6:14

Ecclesiastes 8:1-9

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 23/11/2014 - FELLOWSHIP – HOW VITAL! STAY FOCUSED - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

STAY FOCUSED

Memorise

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Read

Ephesians 5:1-8

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Message

God’s ways are clearly not the ways of men. What men hold dear and crave after are usually not what matters to God. We human beings like to blow our own trumpets. We like to be addressed by big titles and we want the office we hold to be identified with us wherever we go. These are not important things before God; as a matter of fact, they are the expressions of self which if allowed to thrive by a child of God, will lead to carnality. Romans 8:7 says, a carnal mind cannot please God.

In John 13:33, Jesus called His disciples “Little children”. Among them were some men like Peter, who was physically older than Him. Much later still, after His resurrection in John 21:5, He called out to them on the sea: “Children, have ye any meat?” They answered him, “No”; this was after they had been with Him for years. They never out grew being called children, and none of them protested to Him for being called a child.

Some years ago, at the conclusion of a seminar at the University of Ibadan (south-west Nigeria), I had asked the students if they were ready to become like a child in order to receive their miracles, then the Lord asked me the same question. He asked me if I was not already considering myself an adult. This really shocked me. It made me to give myself a serious self-examination. I realised that I had allowed my new status as the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God to come between me and God. Prior to my becoming the General Overseer, with a two-minute prayer, I got results, but after I became the General Overseer, it took efforts of binding and loosing, praying in tongues and resisting the devil for me to obtain personal miracles. In light of this, I started to crave seriously to become like a baby once again. It is an easy thing to lose focus if one is not watchful. Humility is the key thing here. Many people have missed it on this point today because they love to flaunt their titles, positions and achievements. When they talk, you think they are the ones behind their achievements. When addressed as brother, they will immediately correct you, “I am Pastor, Apostle and Doctor so and so”. Yet, at many times, they themselves address the great apostles of old as Paul or Peter etc, without using any prefix.

Prayer Point:

Father, please help me to always see myself as a child before you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

1 Chronicles 28-29

Proverbs 30:7-17

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 22/11/2014 - FELLOWSHIP – HOW VITAL! - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

FELLOWSHIP – HOW VITAL!

Memorise

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:3

Read

Mark 3:13-15

13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

Message

God desires to fellowship with His people on earth, despite the fact that in Heaven, there are four (4) living creatures and twenty four (24) elders round about His throne, with thousand of thousands of angels worshipping before Him (Revelation 4:2-6, 5:11). God has a special place for us in His heart in spite of all that is going on in heaven. May you not fall short of giving satisfaction to God in the area of fellowshipping with Him in Jesus’ Name.

The first motive of Jesus for calling the twelve disciples was fellowship (Mark 3:14). Also, rooted in the call He made to us all in Matthew 11:28-29, is the desire for fellowship. He said:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

This is a call to keep company with the Lord, a call to communion. Learning of Him occurs in His presence. His presence is a point of directing your attention to Him without distraction, in His presence, your whole being is engaged with Him. As you can see from this call, it is from the place of His presence that your derive fulfilment. Joy, peace and victory all come from the presence of the Lord.

Some children of God are first and foremost full of activities. Coming into God’s presence is secondary to them; it is a “by-the-way” thing. No, this is not supposed to be so. Note the order of events in today’s Bible text: having settled on the mountain, our Lord Jesus called the twelve disciples up to Himself so that they should be with Him – communion, and thereafter, that He might send them out to preach – Service. Our service will have no meaning if He doesn’t have access to our souls in fellowship. It would not be pleasing to Him if we are not carrying His presence to the point of service delivery. We fellowship with Him when we spend time alone with Him and when we come together in worship, praise, prayers, studying and learning of His word (1 John 1:3). However, some children of God don’t have a personal quality time alone with God, such are depriving themselves of so much.

Prayer Point

Father, please help me to always love your presence. Let my heart always seek you in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

1 Chronicles 25-27

Proverbs 29:22-30:6

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 22/10/2014 - READY FOR THE GREAT HARVEST? - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

READY FOR THE GREAT HARVEST?

Memorise

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Matthew 28:19

Read

Acts 13:38–39

38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Message

Our God has so many wonderful attributes. Some of these attributes, such as omnipotence, omnipresence and being omniscient are unique to Him alone. There are other attributes which God as a wonderful Father, shares with His children. These include holiness, mercy and love. God is love. John 3:16 says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

One of the ways God demonstrated His love to mankind was by making adequate provision for salvation (1 John 1:8-9). As a child of God, you can demonstrate the love of God to the world through evangelism and missions. The term ‘evangelism’ denotes sharing good news from a loving God to a lost world. The Great Commission is binding on all Christians (Matthew 28:18-20). The need to fulfil this mandate is ever so urgent, especially with the imminent return of our Lord. Every child of God is called to be a “reaper”. Are you ready for the great harvest? As a child of God, you are expected to rightly divide the word of truth. There is no geographical limitation or racial restrictions to fulfilling the Great Commission (Mark 13:10, Acts 1:8).

To be actively involved in evangelism, it is required that you wisely utilise the different opportunities that present themselves to you in the course of your daily business, without appearing to be over-bearing. With the power of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of God, even a newly born-again Christian can win souls on a continuous basis. Soul winning is one of the reasons God retained you on earth, and you should be particular about it. As a Christian, you can do effective evangelism in the vehicle you board, at social gatherings, birthday celebrations and send-off parties. You can also engage in hospital visitations to pray for the sick, give them provisions, befriend them – especially if they feel lonely and poor, preach salvation through Jesus Christ to them and bring Bibles and good Christian literature for them to read. You can also be involved in prison visitation. You can visit prisoners, write letters to them, send them good reading materials and give them gifts with the permission of the authorities. Other ways in which you can be involved in evangelism include, placing illustrated gospel tracts on your table after eating in a restaurant, around school campuses, on bus-stop benches and in departmental stores as you buy or sell. Additionally, you can be involved in house-to-house evangelism. Are you ready?

Action Point

Make evangelism a habit, because it is uppermost on God’s heart.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

1 Kings 2:13-3:28

Proverbs 15:11-24

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 06/09/2014 - THE WRONG KINGDOM BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE WRONG KINGDOM

Memorise

When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

John 6:15

Read

John 6:11-15

11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

Message

Jesus drew large crowds in the days of His ministry here on earth because of the signs and wonders He performed. This led those following Him to decide that He should be made king over Israel. Considering the fame and popularity Jesus had, in addition to the prophecies recorded in the Bible about the coming King, it seemed normal and suitable that He should be revered and honoured among the people. However, Jesus was not interested in the kingdom of this world; neither did He have interest in gaining glory, honour or fame. He was only concerned with seeking His Father’s glory and doing His will (John 4:34).

There seems to be a misconception about the term “kingdom of God”. The kingdom of God as defined by the Lord Jesus was quite different from the understanding of the people of His days. It was this lack of understanding that made them attempt to crown Him king by force, thinking that according to various biblical prophecies, He was called to sit upon the physical throne of David. This misconception continues among some Christians today.

Out of the multitude of references to the kingdom of God in the Bible, let us consider these three in order to gain some understanding. John 3:3c says:

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Salvation is the first step a person must take before they can have access to all the goodies of the kingdom of God. I welcome you to the family of God as you take the step of salvation today in Jesus’ Name. Then Matthew 6:33a says:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; ......”

It is important to note that seeking the kingdom of God as a first priority is important to God. Your personal needs and challenges must not be placed above the kingdom. And finally, Romans 14:17 says:

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Many Christians live their lives as if the kingdom of God is all about fun and entertainment. The kingdom of God is a process that starts with righteousness, followed by peace, and then comes joy in the Holy Ghost. It’s a wonderful experience.

Prayer Point

Father, please let me experience the fullness of your kingdom in my life from now on.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Joshua 1-3;

Job 34:1-15

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 25/08/2014 - WHAT SEEK YE? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WHAT SEEK YE?

MEMORISE

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

Matthew 6:33

READ

Luke 12:29-31

29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

MESSAGE

In most 21st century societies, the hustle for survival is the preoccupation of many families and individuals living below the poverty line, while fashion, entertainment, lavish spending and accumulation of state-of-the-art technology are the concern of those that are well-off. The lifestyle of many, and ultimately what they pursue in life, is driven by their philosophy of life and the economic class they belong to. Many people seek wealth, fame, power etc, and they would do anything including participating in heinous crimes to achieve their goal. However, the Bible in Matthew 6:31-32 says that God knows we have need for food, clothes and accommodation:

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”

The Bible also says in Proverbs 10:22 that the Lord is able to bless His own:

“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”

Since the Lord is able to bless and prosper His children without them engaging in illicit activities, it is therefore not befitting for a Christian to participate in the same crazy pursuit for material things prevalent in the world today.

Furthermore, the word of God in 1 Timothy 6:9-10 says:

“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. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Evidently, those who want to be rich at all costs usually fall into diverse temptations and traps of the devil. Out of desperation to be rich, they are easily drawn into sinful acts in the form of questionable businesses, partnership with dubious characters and dealings in substandard and harmful products. The question therefore is: what do you seek? What are you running after? Be warned that what you seek determines what you get. Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness; seek the Lord Jesus with all your heart and He will surprise you with joy, peace, prosperity and a host of other heavenly blessings that money cannot buy.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please give me the grace to seek your kingdom and righteousness with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my might, in the Name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Luke 21:25-23:5

Job 28:20-29:6

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 23/08/2014 - FAILURE IS EXPENSIVE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

FAILURE IS EXPENSIVE

MEMORISE

For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Hebrew 12:17

READ

Hebrew 12:9-12

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

MESSAGE

Failure is defined as lack of success in a set objective or a loss of ability to function normally. Failure occurs when an event doesn’t accomplish its intended purpose. Failure usually ends up as a double tragedy because when a project fails, you lose your investment on the project and afterwards you must pay for the future repercussions of that failure. In most cases, the repercussions of failure are far-reaching and irreversible. With this perspective, it is clear that failure is something of inestimable loss. However, failure always disguises itself as a normal everyday event. If you carelessly give your consent without discernment, such a seemingly normal event may develop into a serious tragedy. So it was when Sarah innocently offered her maid to Abraham to conceive a child in Genesis 16:3, and when Jacob suggested to his brother Esau to trade his birthright for pottage in Genesis 25:31. These are examples of ordinary events that resulted into terrible tragedies. I pray that you will not commit any blunder that will lead to terrible tragedies in your life in Jesus’ Name.

What started as a generous gift of love later developed into something that brought grief to Abraham in Genesis 21:11. Having to separate from his son was painful and as the father of Isaac (Jews) and Ishmael (Arabs), we can see that the outcome of Abraham’s failure is far-reaching and irreversible as evident in the Arab-Israeli relationship today. When you consider Esau’s reaction to Jacob’s proposal, you will immediately see that he trivialised the matter. He later paid dearly for his miscalculation in his lifetime and his descendants are still paying for his careless mistake till date. Father Lord, please have mercy, and let your mercy prevail over every evil judgment and repercussion of sin and failure in our lives in the Name of Jesus!

We can see from the above cases that the immediate cost of failure is expensive and the future repercussions inestimable. You cannot afford to suffer the loss of failure, therefore you must do everything in your power to prevent and avoid it. First, you must view everything in life according to the Bible and submit totally to its authority. You must also ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all things. The fear of God and complete obedience to His commandments is the sure antidote to failure. May you never experience failure again in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, let every past mistake that could lead to terrible tragedies in my life be cancelled today by divine intervention, in the Name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Luke 17:11-19:27

Job 27:13-28:6

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 20/08/2014 - GOING IN CIRCLES? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOING IN CIRCLES?

Memorise

And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

Numbers 32:13

Read

Numbers 14:33-36

33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

Message

Going in circles is a term that denotes making considerable efforts without commensurate progress. It could also mean wasted efforts, to wander about and to waste time doing things without achieving results. The Bible gives us many examples of this, but the story of the Israelites in the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land gives a very good illustration of this. The children of Israel started their journey to the Promised Land with full assurance by the Almighty God that He would be with them all the way. True to His word, He stayed with them day and night. They lacked and suffered nothing throughout the journey. To these Israelites, God was good, gracious, kind and loving; showering them with His mercies which endure forever. But it got to a point where God noticed that they persisted in sin and would not heed His warnings. Then He became angry with them. Numbers 32:13 says:

“And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.”

We need to remember that this whole scenario started with Abraham receiving an unsolicited promise of a land flowing with milk and honey from God. Many years had passed and the descendants of Abraham had lost both hope and interest in the promise, but God revisited them out of love and compassion. He delivered them from oppression and slavery with a strong hand. He did many wonders in the wilderness to prove He is a mighty God. He fought their battles and defeated all their enemies. Above all, He blessed them and made His tabernacle with them. God had done so much for them to justify His expectation of simple appreciation, trust and obedience. The least that God expects from His children is this, and He is disappointed when we fail in this regard. Consequently, God made them wander about in circles in the wilderness for forty years.

I challenge you to take a critical look at your life. Are you making progress or going about in circles? Are you in good standing before God? Is everything alright with your spiritual, family and business life? Are you doing well physically, financially, and emotionally? Are you suffering from stagnancy in any area of your life? If anything is amiss, turn to God in prayer now.

Prayer Point

Father, put an end to going in circles in my life and empower me to make progress.

Bible in one year

Luke 11:1-12:34;

Job 24:21-25:6

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 18/08/2014 - DEPART FROM EVIL BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DEPART FROM EVIL

Memorise

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

1 Peter 3:10

Read

1 Peter 3:10-13

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

Message

Our God is holy and His eyes cannot behold evil at all. Evil, which is a synonym for sin, is a serious matter with God. It is so serious that God the Father had to forsake His Son Jesus when the sin of the whole world was put upon Him on the cross of Calvary (Matthew 27:46). Therefore, one way you can prove your love for God is by abstaining from all appearances of evil. God cannot stand the sight of sin; Habakkuk 1:13 reveals that His eyes are too pure to behold evil. Anyone that is truly born-again will hate sin with a passion. Your spirit man would be grieved each time evil is practiced around you. Those who are true children of God always distance themselves from immoralities such as fornication, cigarette smoking, alcoholism, gambling, drug abuse, illegal business, bribery, etc.

The instruction to depart from evil, to avoid evil or flee from every appearance of evil, is the best check against temptation for the Christian who is serious with his or her Christian life. The moment you become comfortable in the company of evil doers, something has gone wrong with your relationship with God. The question is: what should you depart from? What appearances of evil should you flee from? Usually these are things that may not be generally identified as immorality or sin; they could be seemingly harmless suggestions of a friend or a loved one. Whenever you are advised to do something capable of breaking your relationship with God, such as attending night parties, doing something in the company of smokers and drinkers, seeking solutions to a nagging problem from questionable sources, these surely are appearances of evil. Brethren, be wise. Christians who ignored this simple warning from the Lord in the past have paid dearly for it. Many who are addicted to pornography today stumbled on nude images on television or magazines years ago and didn’t flee. Some innocent kids were invited to try smoking or alcohol some years ago and didn’t flee; today, they are adults battling with how to do away with the habit. The availability of mobile internet has made access to sin and immorality more affordable and private. The honest truth is that Christians who got converted to God after much interaction with the sinful world should avoid viewing commercials that are related to their bad habits, going to beer parlours, clubs and parties. They should avoid the company of an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend. They should keep away from polluted places. Above all, they must avoid anything or anyone that is a source of negative influence.

Prayer Point

Father, please help me to avoid everything you have helped me to overcome.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Luke 8:1-9:20

Job 23:14-24:8

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 02/08/2014 - A LOVING & PERMANENT GUEST BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

A LOVING & PERMANENT GUEST

MEMORISE

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Matthew 6:26

READ

John 7:38-39

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

MESSAGE

Based on the fact that the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Jesus after His baptism (Luke 3:22), the dove is used as an emblem of the Holy Spirit. A study of some characteristics of the dove will therefore give us insight on the Person of the Holy Spirit. The most striking characteristic of the dove is that it is one of the cleanest birds on Earth. God the Holy Spirit is pre-eminently holy. Holiness is so essential to His nature that His name consists of the word “Holy”. Whenever the Holy Spirit moves, He convicts the heart of men of sin, of righteousness and of judgement (John 16:8). He is a clean Spirit, and to be a friend of His, you have to move close to Him in holiness.

Another characteristic of the dove is that it is gentle in manner (Matthew 10:16). Why is the dove gentle in manner? In my research into the nature and habits of the dove, I came across this truth: “One reason for the gentleness of the dove is because the bird has no gall. Gall is considered by naturalists of old as the source and fountain of contention, the bitterness of the gall being supposed to infuse itself into the spirit.” There is no bitterness in the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit, among other things, is gentleness (Galatians 5:23). To come close to the Holy Spirit is to come close to meekness and gentleness. Someone once said, “Nothing is as strong as gentleness and no one is gentler than the Holy Spirit”. The gentleness of the Holy Spirit must not be seen from the perspective of weakness because in His gentleness lies His strength, and in His strength lies victory, deliverance, prosperity, healing, salvation, promotion, protection and all that you need now and in future. Another characteristic of the dove is that it is swift of wing. The main strength of a dove is its wings. Upheld by its wings, a dove can fly for many days so that other birds pursuing it are unable to overtake it. The Holy Spirit is very swift in His dealings and He is never at a loss of what to do. As a swift and prompt Spirit, God the Holy Spirit attends to the needs of the people of God. He prays with us while we pray, He guides us in our choice of a life partner and He helps us in our business transactions. The best business is one whose senior partner is God the Holy Spirit. Invite Him into your business. He assists us in our inadequacies, comforts us in our sorrows and cheers us in our despondency. He guides us in our difficulties and He quickens us when our faith is weak. Cast your burdens upon the Holy Spirit. Let Him take over your burdens, for He cares for you.

PRAYER POINT

Lord delight in me. Bless me. Fix your gaze upon me and transform my life for better today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 21:28-23:36

Job 14:18-15:6

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

HAVE FAITH IN GOD

MEMORISE

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

Mark 11:23

READ

Numbers 23:19-21

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

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

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

MESSAGE

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

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

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

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

KEY POINT

Inability to take God at His Word gives Him displeasure.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Matthew 1:1-4:22

Job 10:6-17

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

RETURN!

MEMORISE

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

Ezekiel 36:26

READ

1 Samuel 7:3-4

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

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

MESSAGE

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

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

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

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

KEY POINT

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 31:14-32:47

Job 9:13-24

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 12/07/2014 - PRAYERS MAKE THINGS HAPPEN BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

PRAYERS MAKE THINGS HAPPEN

MEMORISE

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

READ

Acts 9:1-11

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

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

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

MESSAGE

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

Acts 9:11

After a frontline persecutor of the church was arrested on his mission to further torment God’s people, he became blind and was led by those on his entourage into Damascus. He immediately went on an indefinite fast and began to pray. After three days, God had to respond to his prayer. From this story, let us examine some things made possible by prayer. The first thing to note here is that when you pray on earth, things begin to happen in Heaven and on earth. If you want heavenly activities to favour you, pray. If you want events and people on earth to work in your favour, pray.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

There is no better time for this scripture to be fulfilled in your life or circumstance than when you engage in wholehearted, fervent and not-taking-No-for-an-answer prayer. If you are called of God and believe you love Him but fail to pray, never expect all things to work for your good. If you have such expectations, they will not be realised because you have not fulfilled the requirement of scriptures (Isaiah 28:10). No matter how bad the situation is, when you pray, things happen. Things were bad for Saul. He had lost his mission, vision and sight. The one who was leading others became the one who earnestly required to be helped. He had been thrown into confusion. Then he prayed and things began to happen. If things could happen for a chronic persecutor like Saul, things will happen for you as you pray. Beloved, no matter how bad things may be, if only you can make your ways right with God and pray, activities in Heaven and on earth will work in your favour.

PRAYER POINT

Father, let all situations, circumstances and events begin to work in my favour from now on.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Deuteronomy 4:32-6:25;

Job 2:7-3:2

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