Monthly Archives: December 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: MONDAY, JANUARY 1ST 2018- THANK YOU FATHER!

Memorise: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalm 103:2
Read: Psalm 150:1-6
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
Bible in one year: Genesis 1-2, Revelation 1

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. King Hezekiah declared a profound truth when he testified that only the living can praise the Lord (Isaiah 38:19).
2. Children of God, as living spirits, we have many reasons to be thankful for.
3. Whenever I consider the loving-kindness of God and His tender mercies, demonstrated through protection, providence, love, forgiveness, healing, good health and, above all else, salvation of the soul, I always come to the conclusion that indeed the Lord has been very gracious to His children. No wonder the Holy Spirit, in Psalm 150:2, succinctly instructed us to. “Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.”
4. This is so important that in Psalm 103:1-5, David counsels his own soul to bless the Lord in thanksgiving, admonishing himself not to forget anyone of God’s benefits. In other words, there is a tendency for us to forget all that the Lord has done for us. 
5. Nevertheless, we have no reason to be ungrateful to God, because His goodness forever flows to us. The prophet Jeremiah testifies of this truth in Lamentations 3:22-23, saying: “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
6. Moreover, what is our joy as children of God? It is the assurance of a better tomorrow: the assurance of a better year ahead of us.
7. Only those who are saved by the grace that is in Christ Jesus have this assurance. Declaring this assurance, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 3:10 says, “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”
8. Who is the righteous? The righteous is the one who has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Lord and Saviour. The righteousness of Christ is bestowed upon such people because they believe and have appropriated the ransom paid on their behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
9. God is saying to you that you shall be grateful to Him for all He has done for you in the past, particularly in the just concluded year.
10. If you remain thankful, your tank of blessings shall be full as you go into the New Year.
11. However, not giving your life to the One who paid the supreme price for your salvation is the greatest form of ingratitude. Therefore, repent and give your life to Christ today!
12. He will be your Shepherd and you shall want nothing throughout the New Year and in the years to come. Hallelujah! (Happy New Year!!!)  

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord : the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord , and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Psalms 34:1‭-‬6 Have you forgotten any of God’s blessings? Count your blessings and give God the glory now! Testimony shall never cease from our mouths in Jesus name. We are grateful to God for blessing our generation with Pastor E.A Adeboye. He shall wax stronger in Jesus name.

Action Point
Thank God for all His goodness and mercies over your life in the past; give your life to Him afresh and renew your commitment to serve Him in holiness and perfect obedience in this New Year.
HYMN
1. Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is our today.
2. O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.
3. All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SUNDAY,DECEMBER 31ST 2017- YOUR LOCATION MATTERS

Memorise: “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.” Proverbs 10:5
Read: Genesis 3:7-10
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Bible in one year: Songs of Solomon 4-8 Malachi 3:16-4:6

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. Although God is very much willing to help you, before you can receive help from Him, you have to first settle the issue of your spiritual location.
2. In today’s Bible reading, when God came visiting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and He did not find them where He expected them to be, He made a passionate call to them saying: “Adam, where are you?”
3. If God will help you, He needs to know where you are.
4. Do you want God’s help today? If yes, where are you standing presently? Are you where you were at the beginning of the year? Are you stagnant, unproductive, unprofitable, and not making progress?
5. In the parable of the talents, the fellow who received one talent proved to be unproductive (Matthew 25:24-30). That is however not God’s expectation of you. Some people are unproductive because they do the right thing at the wrong time. Proverbs 10:5 says, “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.”
6. There is a time for everything. There is time to work and a time to rest.
7. Rest follows work and not the other way round.
8. Today, quite a number of people unfortunately go on vacations even though they have not worked.
9. Rest is earned.
10. If you rest without deserving it, you will be showing to the whole world how unwise you really are.
11. When many children of affluent people, who never worked one day to earn an income, are bequeathed with great wealth, the next thing they think of doing is how to go on a spending spree of the funds they never worked for.
12. Beloved, where is your present location?
13. If you are located in laziness, disobedience, self-will or un-forgiveness, receiving help from God may be a mirage.
14. If you are sleeping when you should be actively engaged for the Master, you are a shame to the Body of Christ. 
15. The harvest of the world is already ripe and gradually becoming overripe.
16. This is harvest time.
17. How many souls did you personally win to Christ this year? Is there any significant improvement to your life compared to last year or have you lost further grounds to laziness, procrastination and idleness? Can you say you are experiencing progress?
18. Movement can be sideways, forward or backward. May you never go backward in Jesus’ Name!
19. Consider your location and take appropriate steps so that you can receive God’s help this season.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

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. Hebrews 11:6. Also Romans 6:14‭-‬15 says “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” This two scriptures above shows that we need faith and holiness to access God and what He has put in place for us. These 2 things position us rightly for God to locate us. There are some questions in today’s devotional which I will enjoin us to answer genuinely and make amends as and where necessary. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye. May God continually uphold and strengthen him in Jesus name.

Action Point
Before asking God for anything, make sure you are not located in disobedience or unbelief.
HYMN
On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Chorus:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
(Chorus)
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
(Chorus)  
To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where his glory forever I’ll share.
(Chorus)

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SATURDAY,DECEMBER 30TH 2017- OF SEASONS

Memorise: “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” Ecclesiastes 3:4
Read: James 5:1-6
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
Bible in one year: Ecclesiastes 11-12, Songs of Solomon 1-3 Malachi 2:17-3:15

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”  Ecclesiastes 3:1
2. It is clear from the above scripture that in God’s timetable, there is a time for everything.
3. Life is split into different seasons.
4. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; there is a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
5. One lesson here is that every man is expected to go through the ups and downs of life. 
6. In other words, if you go through a weeping season, you will equally go through a laughing season. If you have experienced a season of mourning, you will also experience a season of dancing. However, if all you experience is the down seasons, something is most likely wrong somewhere.
7. The forces of darkness, together with their human agents, often do what they can to manipulate their victims so that they never experience the good seasons of life.
8. Every evil plot against you that is geared towards separating you from your good seasons shall come to nought in Jesus’ Name!
9. “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”  Luke 16:25
10. In Luke 16:19-31, the Lord told the story of a rich man and a certain beggar named Lazarus. These two characters experienced different seasons on earth that contrasted greatly with the seasons they found themselves eternally living in after they died. While the rich man enjoyed a good season on earth, he found himself in an unending season of torment in eternity. On the other hand, Lazarus experienced a very bad season while on earth, but he found himself enjoying an unending season of joy in eternity.
11. One crucial lesson here is that if your stay on earth is just to enjoy yourself without giving consideration to having a good relationship with God, be prepared to spend an eternity without God.
12. If you live life without Christ, you will live an eternity separated from God. In other words, how you live today will determine the permanent season you will experience in eternity.
13. What season are you bringing upon yourself for eternity?
14. In our Bible reading, rich men living in so much affluence and engaging in the excesses of the rich were asked to mourn over the evil season that would befall them in time to come.
15. Are you going through a bad season in life? You shall soon enter a new season of joy in Jesus Name. 
16. If you are in Christ, that season of Joy will lead to a permanent season of joy in eternity.
17. Thank God for your new season of joy. Hallelujah!

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Devil is a big enemy of God’s creature. Some of his tools in keeping man away from stepping into God’s predestined plan for him or her includes sin, ignorance, laziness, unfaithfulness to mention a few. It is therefore our responsibility to identify his vices and stay away from it with the help of the Holy Spirit. We shall enter into the fullness of God’s plan for us in Jesus name. We are daily refreshed as we study the Open Heavens devotional. May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
Take stock of the high and low points of your life this year. What could you have done differently to avoid some of the low points?
HYMN
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Chorus:
3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Chorus:
4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Chorus:
5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Chorus.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: FRIDAY,DECEMBER 29TH 2017- EXCELLENT SERVICE OR EYE-SERVICE?

Memorise: “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;” Ephesians 6:6
Read: Ephesians 6:5-8
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Bible in one year: Ecclesiastes 8-10, Malachi 2:16

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men for if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ” Galatians 1:10
2. God’s expectation concerning your service towards His kingdom and your service in your workplace is that in both cases, you serve with the mindset of one serving God and not man.
3. He expects you to render excellent service and to serve without hypocrisy. 
4. One mark of hypocritical service is the desire to please men rather than God.
5. A hypocritical worker is more concerned about entering and remaining in the good books of his or her superiors but really does not care whether God is pleased or not. You will commonly find eye-service in such people.
6. Eye-service is service rendered only when the employer is watching.
7. Eye-service is unacceptable to God, especially in His vineyard, and for this reason, the Holy Spirit warns us against it in Ephesians 6:6, saying: “Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”
8. In the sight of God, a fellow given to eye-service is a hypocrite. When such people do some work for God, it is not from their heart. They are not bothered about the work being done in line with God’s will. All they are concerned about is being seen to be ‘doing something’ by their superiors. They love to be praised by their Pastor or supervisor as being dutiful, diligent and supportive, but is that the record that God has of them?
9. If you love the praise of men more than commendation of God, you do not yet know what it is to serve the Lord.
10. The truth is, work or service rendered with eye-service will definitely miss heaven’s mark, and runs the risk of losing heaven’s rewards!
11. How faithful are you to God and His work? Also, how faithful are you to your employer and the objectives for your jobs? 
12. Eye-service is characterized by deception, lies and pretense. If you work in this way, your service is unto the leader whose favour you seek and not unto Christ.
13. You cannot serve Jesus Christ and still have the target to please men. Colossians 3:22 says your service should be backed by the fear of God.
14. If you truly love and fear God, you will serve Him and do whatever He asks you do, whether your superiors are there or not.
15. If you still see traces of eye-service in your life, repent and turn a new leaf today.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Anyone that seeks to please man thereby resulting in eye-service is placing himself or herself on the platform of enmity with God. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. James 4:4 I enjoin us to make amends and God will help us in Jesus name. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye and may his strength be renewed in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, deliver your Church from eye-service and inspire us to serve you truly.
HYMN
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in endless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28TH 2017- PREVENTING FORNICATION 

Memorise: “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” 1 Corinthians 7:2
Read: 1st Corinthians 7:1-9
1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
Bible in one year: Ecclesiastes 4-7, Malachi 1

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. Yesterday, the Lord spoke to us about His intention for Christian homes not just to add the population of the earth through procreation, but to produce children that meet heaven’s specification of a godly seed, who will represent God everywhere they go and obey Him to the letter. May your homes produce such godly seed in Jesus’ Name!
2. Another reason why God established the institution of marriage is to prevent fornication. 1st Corinthians 7:2 says, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”
3. This scripture speaks of the need for husband and wife to be intimate so as not to fall into the pit of sexual immorality.
4. It is common in some homes today for the wife to deny her husband intimacy just because he has not fulfilled certain requests she made, or for the husband to deny his wife intimacy because he is not happy with her. This is at variance with God’s expectation and an abuse of the purpose of sexual intimacy.
5. It is wrong to use sex as a tool for punishing your spouse.
6. People should learn to isolate issues and not mix them up.
7. Neither the Husband nor the Wife has the power to deny sexual intimacy except it is a temporal arrangement, for the purpose of prayer and fasting, and this must be by mutual consent.
8. Denial of sexual intimacy is viewed as fraud from God’s perspective (1st Corinthians 7:4-5).
9. Both the wife and the husband should strive towards fulfilling the godly sexual desires of their spouse. This is necessary because it is one way the couple will be protected from the hawks outside their home.
10. It is only a foolish woman who will give conditions for intimacy.
11. When you starve your spouse of intimacy, you expose him to external dangers and temptations.
12. Some women who are married to Pastors and ministers of God take it for granted that their husbands can never go out of their matrimonial homes, and as a result, they begin to deny them sexual intimacy at will. Going by recent realities, such women may get the shock of their lives!
13. There are those who use spirituality as basis for starving their spouses. I don’t suppose such people can be more spiritual than Apostle Paul, who wrote the admonition in 1st Corinthians 7:4-5. Some of these people are almost always fasting and praying. Please control your fast before you cause irreparable damage to your home.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Glory to God for such powerful and educative devotional. Many couples have failed in this regard for several times, but thank God for exposing the works of the devil in our marriages in this devotional. Some of us even hide under Spirituality and deny our partners sex for several months simply because of misunderstanding, as we can see, it’s ungodly as stated in the devotional “Both the wife and the husband should strive towards fulfilling the godly sexual desires of their spouse. This is necessary because it is one way the couple will be protected from the hawks outside their home”. Let’s be wise in our marriages and not self invite the devil to manipulate it by depriving each other rights. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, uproot every spirit of immorality causing married people in my local assembly to be unfaithful to their spouses.
HYMN
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyful with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER 27TH 2017- HEAVEN’S SPECS

Memorise: “And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. Malachi 2:15
Read: Malachi 2:14-15
14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Bible in one year: Ecclesiastes 1-3, Zachariah 14:10-21

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. Marriage between a man and a woman is approved by God.
2. Besides companionship and receiving a life-time helper, another reason why God established marriage is for the continuity of the human race. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, 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.”
3. After Creation, God blessed man to be fruitful, to multiply and to refill the earth.
4. Similarly in Genesis 9:1, after the great flood that wiped out all of mankind except Noah and his family, God pronounced this same blessing on them.
5. Beloved, God loves fruitfulness, and that is one reason why He instituted marriage.
6. He wants the human race to multiply and spread all over the earth. His desire is for the earth to be subdued and dominated by man whom He has created in His own image. However, this does not justify raising a family without planning for it.
7. If you are married, you and your spouse should prayerfully decide how many children you would add to populate the earth.
8. Never bring children you are not able or prepared to take care of into this world.
9. While God wants all of mankind to multiply, He particularly wants those who are His own to bring forth godly seeds. In other words, while regular inhabitants of the earth are reproducing and adding to the world’s general population, believers are expected to raise godly seeds that would later reach out to the rest of the world.
10. In today’s Bible reading, the Lord plainly stated that He allowed His children to marry so as to produce special children: a godly breed.
11. God wants children who meet ‘heaven’s specifications’ from the homes of His people. Can He say that He has found them in your own home?
12. Not every Christian family can raise these special breed of children, even though they have the potential to.
13. It takes a deliberate collaborative effort between the Holy Spirit and parents to raise children who meet God’s specification of godly seed.
14. These are heaven-bound children who will walk closely with Holy Spirit in their lifetime. Their foundations are laid in God’s word and doctrine. They are grounded in the knowledge of God and are carriers of His light. May God help us raise godly seed for His glory in Jesus’ Name.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

God is orderly and this is evident in all His ways. The creation of the world as recorded in Genesis took certain process and days. The specification given by God for offering, Ark of covenant and communion just to mention a few shows clearly He has guidelines we must follow in doing His will. If truly God is our Father, we must depict we are His true children by obeying Him and His word. May God make us a blessing to our generation in Jesus name. Pastor E.A Adeboye is a big blessing to us. May His strength be renewed in Jesus name.

Key Point
Christian couples should not just trust God for babies but for godly seeds.
HYMN
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyful with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: TUESDAY,DECEMBER 26TH 2017-MARRIAGE HELPERS

Memorise: “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” Proverbs 31:11
Read: Proverbs 18:22-24
22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.
23 The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.
24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Bible in one year: Proverbs 28-31, Zachariah 13:7-14:9

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. On the 23rd of this month, the Lord took us to the beginning of His creation to learn that companionship is one major reason why He established the institution marriage (Genesis 2:18).
2. God does not want adults to be alone. After marriage, some people refuse to stay in the company of their spouse, giving excuses such as not being “compatible” with their spouse. If you knew you were not compatible with your spouse, why did you venture into marriage with him or her in the first place?
3. Sometimes, the untold underlying reason behind this incompatibility is the gap educational qualifications, social status or financial power of the couple. In such cases, God expects that the one in the advantage position in the relationship would assist the other to climb up until the gap is bridged.
4. Your wife is your number-one companion. Some men are always in the company of other women. This is a violation of God’s law on companionship.
5. Moreover, another reason why God established marriage is to raise a permanent helper for the man and vice versa.
6. The term ‘help meet’ used in Genesis 2:18 refers to adequate and appropriate help. In other words, if you obtain your wife or husband from God, you can be assured that God has given you an appropriate destiny helper.
7. Do you know that the fortunes of some people improve tremendously after marriage?
8. Adam could say he had a helpmate because Eve was the bone of his bone, and Flesh of his flesh (Genesis 2:21-23).
9. If you marry the right woman God has for you, favour will suddenly reside in your home (Proverbs18:22). She will prevent waste of resources in your home and load you with good throughout you lifetime (Proverbs 31:11, Proverbs 31:12). This also applies to a woman who marries the right husband. For this reason, it is very important to go to God for your spouse, like Adam received Eve from God.
10. If you get a spouse from God as His child, it enhances your prospects of making Heaven (1st kings 21:25). However, if you get your spouse from friends, relations, computerized match-making services, date clubs, or by your own self will, you may be getting a destroyer instead of a helper.
11. When you have the right man as a husband, he will be crown over you and help you become what God has in store for you. Help is reciprocal.
12. The reason why some people were plunged into ‘hell’ from the day their marriage started is because they refused to go to the Creator for Him to help them take that crucial decision that has the potential of determining lives and destinies.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Proverbs 3:6 God’s precept is the best to follow in every area of our lives. Let Him lead your way as a believer and experience a life of unending beauty. We are daily refreshed as we study the Open Heavens devotional. May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
To make the right decision on who to marry, go to the Creator of all men for help, and He will surely lead you to the right person for you. He knows all people and the contents of their hearts.
HYMN
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyful with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: MONDAY,DECEMBER 25TH 2017- WHO DO YOU SEEK?

Memorise: “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.” Matthew 28:5
Read: Matthew 2:1-11
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
Bible in one year: Proverbs 24-27, Zachariah 12:10-13:6

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. What you focus on will seriously affect your ability to achieve your destiny, realize your goals and glorify God.
2. Many children of God were focused on Jesus Christ before they became exposed to luxurious cars, mansions and exotic lifestyles, but after the Lord prospered them, they  began to ask the Lord questions as to why they should live their lives in accordance with His principles, which got them to where they are in the first place.
3. While prosperity is good, it is only beneficial for as long as it is balanced with a lifestyle of godliness.
4. Prosperity that does not have Christ as its centre is vain and only a passing shadow. A beautiful mansion without Jesus is Hell, while a hut with Jesus in it is Heaven on earth.
5. In today’s Bible reading, we are told that some wise men came to seek Jesus. According to Bible scholars, these men must have travelled for at least two years before they got to their destination. They did not arrive immediately Jesus was born, as it popularly depicted. From Herod’s enquiries on what time the first saw guiding star, he could calculate that Jesus could be up to two years old when the wise men arrived. This was why in an attempt to kill the child, he decreed that children who were two years old and younger be killed (Matthew 2:16). When the wise men eventually arrived at the place where Jesus was, they worshipped Him and gave Him gifts.
6. Worship is incomplete without an offering. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed”
7. If you want to be wise like these men, you will back your worship with good offering.
8. Come before His presence with joy and singing; bring Him gifts and worship Him, and you will be glad you did. Why? Everyone who ever saw Jesus and worshipped Him benefited from it.
9. The wise men did not travel for two years in vain. After they saw the young Jesus and offered Him gifts, their deed was immortalised. For over 2000 years, their story is still being told around the world wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached.
10. Who or what would you really love to see? I want to see Jesus.
11. After working with God for several years, Moses still asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:17-23). I often wondered why, before I got the revelation.
12. Job equally had the rare privilege of seeing God (Job 42:1-6). If you search for Him and truly desire Him this Christmas season, you will surely find Him.
13. Are you focused on the reason for the season or lost in the vanity that the world seeks?

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS


“I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” Proverbs 8:17‭-‬21 The scripture above describes what is in stock for those who seek Him. He came for us to become the reason for this season. His love for us is of the greatest height. Let us love Him and all that is His I return. May God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye and empower him with greater wisdom and strength in Jesus name.
Key Point
The wise men diligently sought for Jesus and they found Him. If you also seek Him diligently, you will surely be rewarded.
HYMN
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge,
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SUNDAY,DECEMBER 24TH 2017- BENEFITS OF SUPREME LOVE

Memorise: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14:21
Read: John 14:20-23        
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Bible in one year: Proverbs 21-23, Zachariah 11:15-12:9

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. One of the greatest invitations we have from the Lord Jesus is the call to love Him. In Matthew 10:37 he says, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” 
2. This invitation is not just to love Jesus, but to love him supremely. It is a call to love Him above everyone who is precious to us: parents, children, family and friends.
3. If you truly love someone, you would be ready to defend your love for that person at any cost.
4. Sometimes, when you love two different people and the two parties are in disagreement over an issue, you will find yourself supporting the person you love more against the one you love less. When the Lord’s instruction are in conflict with the beliefs of love ones, most people would choose to please their loved ones rather than obey the Lord’s instructions. Do you love Jesus above everyone and everything else? Do you love him above your career, work, academic pursuits, etc?
5. There are great benefits for those who follow Jesus supremely.
6. First, Jesus says they will be regarded as being worthy to Him. They will be qualified to carry His banner everywhere they go, they are assured of the backing of the Most High God. Also, according to John 14:21, if you love Jesus supremely, God the Father will make you the target of His love and you will bask in it. In addition, the Lord will manifest Himself to you. Check out all those who experience a manifestation of the Lord, like Saul of Tarsus; their lives never remained the same (1st Corinthians 15: 5-8). Furthermore, John 14:23 says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
7. From this scripture, another benefit of you loving Jesus supremely is that both Jesus Christ and God the Father will make your heart their permanent residence. If you experience the reality of this truth, you will enter into the realm of Heaven on earth, where no devil or demons dares to come near you (Deuteronomy 11:21).
8. Are you satisfied with your relationship with the Godhead? Why stay where you are when you can take your love for Christ to the limits and have the Godhead fully living with you?

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Dictionary meaning of supreme is highest in rank which simply means the Loving God supremely in every situation is honoring because God first loved us that he gave His only begotten son. Apostle Paul explained better the benefits of supreme love “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Romans‬ ‭8:35, 37-39‬ If we can can attain this level of Love for God, surely the benefits are enormous and we shall always conquer. God bless and equip Pastor E.A Adeboye for greater works in Jesus name

Key Point
Love is so powerful! You can love God to the extent that He will personally come and introduce Himself to you.
HYMN
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge,
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SATURDAY,DECEMBER 23RD 2017-MARRIAGE: COMPANIONSHIP

Memorise: “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18
Read: Genesis 2:15-18
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Bible in one year: Proverbs 17-20, Zachariah 11:1-14

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. Quite a number of people today enter into marriage for all the wrong reasons, which is why we need  to ask ourselves this question: Why marriage? The first reason is companionship.
2. To fully understand God’s purpose, let’s take a look at the beginning.
3. After God created the firmament, the seas, all the plants and animals, He afterwards made man in the Garden of the Eden. However, as He watched life unfold, He realized that of all the creatures, it was only Adam who had no one of his kind. The trees could produce through their seeds; the animals also had male and female species and thereby multiply. Adam only was the lone ranger in this earthly paradise. Yes, he was in charge. Agreed he was the god of the whole earth as that time. Indeed, all animals, birds and fish submitted to him, and true he had great relationship with them all, but God still saw that there was an issue of loneliness with Adam that no pet or animal could solve. In Genesis 2:18, the Bible says, “And the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” 
4. God categorically said it is not good for a man to be alone.
5. It is great to go through bachelorhood and spinsterhood during your youthful days. It is an experience you may never get back after going past that stage in life. Nevertheless, at some point, God wants you to be married. He wants you to have worthy companion.
6. Today, in many homes, companionship is still lacking even after marriage. This is quite unfortunate!
7. Couples marry and stay far apart from each other, this is recipe for disaster and negates basis for marriage in the first place.
8. A marriage relationship cannot be what it was meant to be as long as the vital ingredient of companionship is missing. For this reason, if a couple who have been married for 30 years become separated  for some 10 to 15 years, by the time they come together again, they would be like total strangers to each other.
9. Are you married? Is your spouse your companion? Some people are ashamed to attend social outing with their wives; why then did you marry her? Do you spend time in each other’s company? Do you enjoy the company of your spouse or do you prefer to keep company with other people? Your legally wedded spouse should be your ideal companion! Is it so with you?

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

There is always a purpose for all that God made. We must therefore strive at all time to fulfil this purpose in all we do. May God help us in Jesus name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
Pets are fast replacing human spouses as companions! We are really in perilous times.
HYMN
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyful with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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