Monthly Archives: August 2020

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY 19TH AUGUST 2020-JESUS’ CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.

MEMORISE:
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. John 15:14

READ: John 11:11-36
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

MESSAGE
It is a great thing to be a disciple of Christ. It is however even much better to be a disciple and friend of Jesus at the same time.

In the course of His earthly ministry, Jesus began to develop a more intimate relationship with some of His disciples and he called them friends.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” John 15:13-15

A classic example of a friend of Jesus is Lazarus. In John 11:11 Jesus said “……Our friend Lazarus sleepeth….” This level of intimacy was emphasized by John 11:35 which says “Jesus wept.”

The Lord God helped me to develop such an intimate relationship with Him that I began to see Him as my “My Daddy” and not just “Our Father”. This offended some people who wondered why I would be calling God ‘Daddy’. If God is their Father and He happens to be my Daddy, what is the problem? My prayer for you today is that the Holy spirit will assist you to develop a relationship with Him that would give you the boldness to call the Almighty God ‘Daddy’ in the mighty name of Jesus.

To be admitted into the circle of friends of Jesus, you need to fulfil only one condition as set in John 15:14 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” The moment you begin to walk in obedience to the commandment of God, you have become a friend of Jesus. His commandments are not hard to obey or burdensome to live by. He also promises to give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to be obedient to Your commandments foever, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Habakkuk 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY 17TH AUGUST 2020–REJOICING IN HOPE.

MEMORISE:
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. Romans 12:12

READ: Matthew 5:10-12

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

MESSAGE:
Abraham, despite being childless at ninety, kept his hope to be a father of many nations (Romans 4:18). However, many Christians today have lost hope in God’s promises, waiting for their physical manifestation before they believe.

If you are in the category of Christians described above, ask God today for grace to remain hopeful in His promises for your life.

Abraham for example enjoyed this grace (Romans 4:16) even before Jesus was born and our savior confirmed this when He said: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). The grace was so sufficient that he hoped against all odds and developed faith that earned him friendship with the Almighty God.

Hope is a key element in describing faith (Hebrews 11:1) without which no man can please God (Hebrews 11:6). Hope ensures that we obey His command to always rejoice (1 Thessalonians 5:16) even in the midst of tribulations.

Hope is the assurance that what we desire will come to pass (Romans 8:24). Today’s memory verse also lets us know that through hope, we can develop patience and strength especially in tribulation. It is saddening however, that some Christians lose hope and backslides in the face of trials. This ought not to be.

In today’s Bible reading, Jesus talks about rejoicing as a means of endurance, as well as the blessings attached to enduring persecution. James 1:12 also says:
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Hope also helps one to tarry for results in the place of prayer. Someone who lacks hope wont pray long before searching for an alternative.

Abraham had faith in God and it was imputed to him for righteousness (Romans 4:17-22). Beloved, are you losing hope already? Please do not, because there is glory ahead of you. Be patient so you can obtain (Colossians 1:27).

ACTION POINT:
Take time to give God intense worship even when it seems difficult to do so. Hope shall rise for your comfort.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 38-40. Psalm 74, 79

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: BE GLAD IN THE LORD AND REJOICE.

1. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
All ye that are upright in heart;
And ye that have made Him your choice,
Bid sadness and sorrow depart.

o Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice;
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.

2. Be joyful, for He is the Lord
On earth and in Heaven supreme;
He fashions and rules by His word—
The “Mighty” and “Strong” to redeem.

3. What though in the conflict for right
Your enemies almost prevail?
God’s armies, just hid from your sight,
Are more than the foes which assail.

4. Though darkness surround you by day,
Your sky by the night be o’ercast,
Let nothing your spirit dismay,
But trust till the danger is past.

5. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
His praises proclaiming in song;
Let gratefulness give all a voice,
The loud hallelujahs prolong!

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY 14TH AUGUST 2020—UNDERSTAND YOUR TIMES AND SEASON.

MEMORISE:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

READ: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

MESSAGE:

We learnt from wise King Solomon that there is a time for every purpose under heaven and this of course includes every human being.

Everyone wants to be greatly successful, but there is a process to undergo before the success comes. We must give consideration to the unique seasons we are in as individuals at every point in time.

Many times, people get lucky and get a taste of the success they are pursuing before the time comes. David for example got a taste of being the number one citizen of Israel before he sat on the throne. After killing Goliath, the women considered him the most important man in the nation. They even sang that he was more successful than King Saul.

“ And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 1 Samuel 18:7

This short taste of success did not make David plan a coup and overthrow Saul. He knew it was not yet time, so he went back to serving Saul. Many people these days would have started their own army and call it ‘The Giant Slayers’ and the name of David would have faded away. A medical student who treats malaria successfully and goes to open a hospital will soon become the only patient there.

Go through the process necessary for success. There is a seed time and harvest time. If you eat all the seed up, when harvest time comes, there will be nothing to reap. If you are in doubt, always ask God what season of your life you are in.

Egypt would have perished during the famine if God had not revealed to Pharaoh in a dream that a season of abundance was coming and it would be followed by a season of famine (Genesis 41:25-32).

God is the controller of times and seasons; you should constantly ask Him what season of your life you’re currently in so you don’t commit errors or miss out on the prospective blessings.

PRAYER POINT:

Lord, please reveal to me what season of my life I am in so I can walk in the path You have ordained for me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 30-31.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS.

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
o Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY 6TH AUGUST 2020–HOW HOT IS YOUR FIRE?

MEMORISE:
Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

READ: Revelation 3:2-6
3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

MESSAGE

There are three possibilities with your fire. It could be burning bright, burning low or completely out. If the fire is burning bright, be careful. 1 Peter 5:8 says:

”Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

1 Corinthians 10: 12 says:

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

When fire is burning bright, demons take note of it and are watching closely. Since they cannot touch the fire, they await a time when it will burn out, so they can pounce on the fellow. Make sure you stay connected to God (John 15:5).

If the fire is burning low – you still go to Church, still look and talk like a Christian, but inside, you know you are not as close to God as you used to be, that is being lukewarm. Being lukewarm is dangerous (Revelation 3:15-16). Revelation 2:5 is a great warning:

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

Cry to God for a fresh baptism of fire if you have become lukewarm.

On the other hand, if your fire Is completely out – if you have gone back to the filth of your past and are now doing those things which are completely against the word of God, know that though you have drifted far, God has not rejected you. The fact that you are still alive means He is still interested In having you back. Ezekiel 37:1-10 makes it clear that dry bones can live again. In John 21:15-19, Peter missed it by going back to being a fisherman, but Jesus came to meet him there and restored his destiny. Peter’s repentance was genuine; he wept bitterly and was restored. You too can be restored if you cry genuinely to God.

May your fire always burn bright and never go out in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help my fire burn bright always and never go down, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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