Monthly Archives: May 2020

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL SATURDAY 30TH MAY 2020–MAKE SOULWINNING YOUR LIFESTYLE.

MEMORISE:

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30

READ: Luke 10:1-3

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

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

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

MESSAGE

Despite all your endeavors, if you are not actively winning souls, you are courting fruitlessness, and believe me, you don’t want to face the consequences of being fruitless, as stated in John 15:1-2:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

If you are wise, you will make soul winning a priority in everything you do. When churches organize programmes with great crowds gathered and at the end of the day, there is no call for salvation, I just think “what a waste of time, effort and money.” What is the essence of doing anything at all in the Church if it will not ultimately lead more people to heaven? What is the essence of organizing concerts, doing jamboree and shouting to praise the Most High God if we do not prioritize His very heart beat- bringing lost souls back to His Kingdom? If you are a leader in any capacity in the body of Christ, I am speaking to you now. Whatever you are planning to organize in the Church that will not ultimately win souls to God’s kingdom or help already won souls to stand more firmly for God is a complete waste of time. If you are not bearing fruits, God Himself will take you away from the Vine. What a fearful thing it is if God himself separates you from Jesus Christ!

In your secular activities too, you must use every opportunity to win souls. Imagine how many terrorists would have been won to Christ, imagine how many parents of wayward children would have trained their children on the right path, if we had been using every available opportunity to win souls.

Anytime I am invited for honorary awards anywhere around the world, as long as I have that microphone in my hand and a few seconds to talk, I will appreciate the giver of the award and remind them that Jesus is coming soon with His own reward. No matter where you are, no matter who you are, no matter what you do, make soulwinning your lifestyle.

REFLECTION:

How well do you use all platforms at your disposal to win souls into the Kingdom of God?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 King 3-4
2 Chronicles 1
Psalm 72.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: I AM THINE OH LORD.

1. I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
o Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY 29TH MAY 2020–RIGHTEOUS LEADERS, JOYFUL PEOPLE.

MEMORISE:
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Proverbs 29:2

READ: 1 Timothy 2:1-4

1I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

MESSAGE

If children of God would carefully study the Bible and obey its commands, the world would be a much better place. God would consistently reveal His mind to them and expressly answer their prayers. By the grace of the Almighty, anyone conversant with the history and development of the Redeemed Christian Church of God will agree without any doubt that God has constantly revealed His mind to guide us in this Church. May His name be praised forevermore in the mighty name of Jesus.

One clear spiritual principle God revealed to His people is that supplication, prayer and intercession be made for leaders and people in authority at all levels. Unfortunately, many of us do not know the importance of praying for our leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says:
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

Foremost, we are to seek God’s face to give us righteous leaders. Samuel would have erroneously anointed Eliab if not for God’s guidance. Thank God he listened and obeyed (1 Samuel 16:6-7). Who knows what would have befallen Israel if Eliab or any of David’s other brothers had been crowned king?

Secondly, prayer helps leaders to provide good governance, resulting in a quiet, peaceable, and prosperous life for the people. Leaders are targets of wicked physical and spiritual attacks for the simple reason that any defeat suffered by a leader will have a ripple effect on the whole community (Zechariah 13:7).

The devil always makes use of this method in his warfare against nations. That was the case in 1 Chronicles 21:1: “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” This error led to the death of several thousand people in 1 Chronicles 21:14.

Let us specifically ask God to give us righteous leaders. Righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34) and this should start from the people in authority.

As we intensify prayers for our leaders today, our joy shall indeed be full and our nation shall be exalted in the Mighty Name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Pray for your leaders more than ever before and ask for grace to do this regularly.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 119-1-88.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY 28TH MAY 2020–GOD WILL REWARD YOU.

MEMORISE:

And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. Matthew 10:42

READ: Matthew 6:1-6

1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

MESSAGE

Expecting reciprocal help from those you have helped may not be wise. God does not always work that way.

For if ye love themsays in Matthew 6:2 which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? Matthew 5:46

In today’s memory verse, Jesus promises a reward to whoever gives a drink to any young and defenseless person for the gospel sake. This is indeed encouraging and reassuring.

Going by this, as children of God, we must do good to all men, regardless of their affiliations. That way, we will be like our impartial Father who causes the rain to fall and sun to shine on both the good and the evil.

Sometimes ago, a Christian couple fed an unbelieving young man. This gesture eventually made him give his life to Christ. Today, that young man is the founder of a successful Christian organization with many branches across Nigeria. Imagine the effects of one good deed.

Jesus warned against doing good deeds because of the praise of men (Matthew 6:1-6). For many years, Christians generally adhered to this. However, things are changing really fast today. Some people even publicize their trips to motherless babies’ homes. Jesus says in Matthew 6:2:
“Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

The Lord wants you to always do good to your neighbors. This way, you will show you are a true child of your Father. “…..he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.” (Proverbs 14:21). Follow peace with all men and show kindness to everyone. God will surely reward you.

ACTION POINT:
Look out for the poor in your community and be good to them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 1-2
Psalm 37,71,94.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY 27TH MAY 2020—COMMAND YOUR HOUSEHOLD.

MEMORISE:
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

READ: Genesis 18:19

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

MESSAGE
It is most surprising that the children of Christians of the outgoing generation appear to be missing in action today. Typically, if a Christian couple had three children for example the next generation should therefore have at least three people standing for God, but this is clearly not so. Now we have worldly musicians whose parents are leaders in the church. The devil may be working hard to make the world a corrupt place, but a lot of Christian parents seem to be helping him get the job done faster. How can Christian parents dress their children in revealing clothes? Everything you introduce to your children now will be normal to them as they grow. If you are already dressing your daughter in revealing clothes now that she is little, she would most likely wear even more provocative ones when she is a teenager.

If you are a child of God, you must make sure that your children emulate you in the things you do, the way you talk and even the things you love. You instill this in them by showing them what is right and what is wrong as they grow up. Some parents go to church and leave their children at home, claiming that they don’t want to force them to serve God; they want them to grow up to love God by themselves. I pity them because they are just giving the devil a free hand with their children. Do you let the child decide if he wants to go to school or not? God said about Abraham in Genesis 18:19:
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD…..”

Can God say the same thing about you? Before you evangelize to the unbelievers outside, are you sure that there is no unbeliever in your home? Watch what they wear, what they say, who their friends are. Teach them to read their Bible and to pray. When you teach your children to live godly lives, you will have rest in your old age because the Holy Spirit in them will not allow them to misbehave. If you have a child who is already going wayward, I pray that he/she would encounter Christ and change for the better in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT:
Every day, as you teach them, pray for your children that they will walk in the ways of the Most High God all their lives.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 111-118.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL SATURDAY 23RD MAY 2020–OLDER, NOT WEAKER.

MEMORISE:

There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. Isaiah 65:20

READ: Isaiah 65:20-23

20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

MESSAGE

Are you aware that your strength can reman intact even as you grow old? According to Deuteronomy 34:7, Moses was One hundred and twenty years old, yet had 20/20 vision and was not weak.

Isaiah 65:20 says young child will die at age of one hundred year. Just imagine that if in the church when we say, “We lost a child” we are talking of someone aged One Hundred years. That is the promise of God. Joshua 14:10, 11 says:
“…..and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.”

In the verse above, Caleb said, at eighty-five he was still as strong as he was at forty. He could still fight battles! Compare your age to that of his and see if it is normal to feel weak. God will renew your youth like the eagles’ in the mighty name of Jesus (Psalm 103:5)!

No matter your age, sickness has no place in your body because it is still the temple of God (Corinthians 6:19). The devil has deceived many of us with the idea that certain sicknesses are typical for old people. It is a big lie. My Bible tells me that I am healed by the stripes of Jesus. it didn’t say that l will enjoy healing when I am fifty. It will work for me all through life. So, I decree: no sickness can stay in your body in the mighty name of Jesus.

Now, with age comes wisdom and discipline- wisdom to eat only what is right and discipline to stay away from eating anything that would hurt you. As an adult with experience, the effects of diabetics you have seen should keep you from consuming sugar. You should have seen people die of cancer so much so that you know consuming organic food is better than processed ones with chemicals in them.

If you are faithful in playing your part to stay healthy, just leave the rest to God. He is faithful to keep you strong.

PRAYER POINT:

Let’s pray for our leaders that as their days are, so shall their strength be.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 108-110

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIER.

1. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!
o Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

2. At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

3. Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

4. Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never ’gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

5. Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY 22ND MAY 2020: THAT I MAY KNOW HIM.

MEMORISE:

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Philippians 3:10

READ: Exodus 5:1-8

1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

MESSAGE

Generally, ignorance kills, it is however even more lethal when people do not know God. Such people do not know God. Such people could fall into the hands of God just as Nebuchadnezzar did (Daniel 4:33).

Pharaoh was reluctant to free the Israelites because he was ignorant of God’s power (Exodus 5:2), yet that was not enough to excuse him and his kingdom from God’s judgment. God will never accept ignorance as an excuse for disobedience to His will.

Knowledge however, is power, more so the knowledge of the Most High God. It is the ultimate power.

How do we know God to the extent that we can draw maximum benefits from Him? How do we avoid walking contrary to His will?

God is the source of both temporal and eternal blessings. To know Him, you must first know Jesus. Matthew 11:27 says:
“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”

Knowing Jesus Christ is knowing the mind of God and those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32). No wonder Paul prayed passionately to know Jesus intimately (Philippians 3:10).

When we look at Paul’s prayer, we may understand why he did great exploits in the ministry. To achieve the same kind of result in our Christian walk, we also must be knowledgeable in the word of God. Search the Scripture daily to know Jesus Christ the more (John 5:39), His mission before (Matthew 1:21), during (John 14:6) and after His earthly ministry (Revelation 22:12).

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please reveal Your majesty to me that I may reverence You as I should.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 24
1 Chronicles 21-22.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY 20TH MAY 2020—SIGNS AND WONDER.

MEMORISE:
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. John 11:42

READ: Acts 4:24-32

24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

MESSAGE

God uses miracles in so many ways. Today, we will see how faith and miracles could be tools for soul-winning.

A miracle is an effective weapon that destroys doubts and draws men to God. While it is not the only means of winning souls, it plays a vital role in boosting the faith of man in God. Even Jesus admitted this in John 11:42.

In Acts 4:4, after five thousand souls were won due to the healing of the lame man, the angry religious leaders arrested the Apostles and questioned them on whose authority they perform miracles. Peter mentioned Jesus- whom the Jewish leaders killed on the cross, as their source. Though the leaders were annoyed, they could not deny the reality of the miracles.

“Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.” Acts 4:16

So as to limit the spread of the gospel, these leaders warned the Apostles not to preach in the name of Jesus again. However, they did something significant on getting to their brethren- they lifted up their voices to God in one accord and prayed.

They prayed for the ability to perform even more miracles that would permanently shut the mouths of their persecutors and at the same time convince people of the truth they were preaching (Acts 4:29-30). That was profound!

From the example of the Apostles, we can conclude that any Church that denies the reality and necessity of the working of miracles should be questioned. The early Church built their mandate to preach on the signs, wonders and miracle-working gift of the Holy Spirit. God is still seeking vessels He can perform signs and wonders through today (John 14:2). Are you available?

ACTION POINT:

Let us thirst for and acquire all the gifts of the Spirit, so that through us, God can perform signs and wonders that will advance His kingdom.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 22-23
Psalm 57.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: OH LORD MY GOD!
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art.

And when I think of God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin.

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY 18TH MAY 2020–WATCH.

MEMORISE:
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 1 Timothy 4:1

READ: Mark 13:31-37

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

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

MESSAGE
“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13:33

Jesus is coming soon and although no one knows exactly when (Mark 13:32-33), we know some significant occurrences will mark the end of this age (2 Timothy 3:1-3). Some of them are already happening and this is why we must watch out for.

• Backsliding: Many men of God are departing from the faith. Even some Christian denominations that started on a Bible-based foundation have derailed. They are succumbing to the pressure from the ‘digital’ world. While about a hundred years ago, it would have been unthinkable for any church to debate whether homosexuality should be considered, today it is a bone of contention. Seduction, fornication, adultery, divorce and other abominable practices are now commonplace not only in vestries but also on the altars. Watch and determine not to look back.

• Wiles of the devil: According to 1 Peter 5:8, the devil is cunning and he wants to deceive unsuspecting and careless believers. He keeps telling the Church, “It is not too bad”; but what is not too bad is still bad. Watch and don’t fall for the trap.

• Temptation: There will be temptations and we have to watch and pray to avoid them (Matthew 26:41). While the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. You must be armed with the word because it is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).

• False teachers: Not all teachers and prophets who call on the name of Christ are genuine (Acts 20:29-30). Watch out as hypocrites have crept into the Church like Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:13-21.

• The second coming of the Lord: This is the most important of all. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 admonishes us not to sleep. Like the wise virgins, we must be awake and prepared.

Perilous times are here; so you will not be a victim of the dangers of the end time.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, deliver me in these perilous times. See me through to the end, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 19-21.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY 14TH MAY 2020—KINGDOM CITIZENSHIP.

MEMORISE:

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. John 3:5

READ: Luke 10:25-28

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

MESSAGE

In today’s memory verse, Nicodemus did not ask Jesus to tell him how he could enter the kingdom of God; he merely praised Him. However, Jesus knew that Nicodemus needed to be shown, like us all, how to get to heaven, so He said….” Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Jesus knew that any praise that would lead to the Kingdom of God must be packaged in the garment of salvation. He once told His audience:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Beloved, have you been blown away by the recent wind of liberalism? Have you been engaging in endless arguments on what is not true about the kingdom of God and the hope of eternal life? It will do you no good.

Some argue that being born again may not be immediately evident- forgetting that the Bible says “by their frits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). This confirms that being born again has to be evident.

Jesus queried in Luke 6:46: “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Our citizenship in the kingdom of Heaven is based on obedience to the kingdom “constitution” – the Bible. Anyone who says the Bible is outdated is obvious no longer a citizen of the kingdom.

1 John 3:7 says he that doeth righteous is righteous, even as He is righteous. Hence, answering Biblical names or ministerial titles are not requirements for being a Kingdom citizen, rather regeneration and a new life of holiness in Christ are

Are you a citizen of the kingdom of God?

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to maintain the requirements for Your kingdom’s citizenship. Please, do not cast me out of Your kingdom in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 13-15.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY 12TH MAY 2020–THE VISIONARY CHRISTIAN II.

MEMORISE:
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:3

READ: Daniel 10:1-14

1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.

3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

MESSAGE
Many Christians are impatient with God for the manifestation of His promises, forgetting that there are some necessary steps required of them as we have observed from the Scriptures.

• *Prayer:* Daniel, a visionary prophet prayed for the fulfilment of God’s promises- the return from the captivity of Israel (Daniel 10:1-4).
• *Wait:* Habakkuk 2:3 says what our attitude towards God-given prophecies should be: “…….. though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” We must learn to wait patiently.
• *Believe:* Even if visions and prophesies delay, we must continue to believe because such a delay does not necessarily mean it is false. Daniel 10:1 says “…….and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long.”

Never be in a hurry to grab the pleasant promises of God. Faith is required for the fulfilment of His promises. Hebrews 11:22 says:
“Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.”

Whatever promise you are waiting for, don’t get so carried away that you miss the benefits the vision carries. You must know the timing of the fulfilment of the vision and when to act upon it.

As a young Bible College graduate, you may have seen a very large congregation in a vision even while in training. You need to ask God what to do, how to do it and when the fulfilment shall come. When a person has not won a seat at the local council and God shows him a vision of becoming a governor, it does not mean the vision in false. The person just needs to locate the time of its fulfilment and patiently work towards it. It took joseph decades to experience the fulfilment of His dreams.

The vision is for an appointed time; wait for it. Its fulfilment will not elude you, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, give me the grace to patiently wait for the manifestation of Your beautiful promises for my life, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 11-12.
1 Chronicles 20.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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