Monthly Archives: October 2020

October 24, 2020 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2020. GIVING THAT PLEASES GOD II

MEMORISE:
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
READ: Matthew 6:1-4
1 Take 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.
MESSAGE:
In assessing our offering, God looks at the motives of the giver. If anyone gives to God for the wrong reasons, He will not accept, let alone reward such giving.
“Take 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.” Matthew 6:1
No matter how large, offering ill-gotten wealth can incur God’s wrath. God frowns at people who try to clear their guilt by tithing from the stolen funds. He hates sin and anything given by a sinner. Proverbs 15:8 says:
“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”
God taught me a lesson on my way back from Ilorin Nigeria where I had gone to preach some time ago. I had refilled my car unknowingly with adulterated fuel and it wouldn’t start. While a mechanic was trying to fix it, the Lord taught me a lesson from the experience. He told me “I can’t accept offering from many people because their gifts are a mix of clean and unclean sources.” If you add money made from shady means to those from clean source and then give to God, the dirty money in the mix will contaminate the entire offering and make it unacceptable.
God is displease with any offering given grudgingly. He will reject such. However, He loves cheerful givers. (2 Corinthians 9:7). Sometime ago, I was at a service in another denomination. While the programme lasted, I grew tired of the numerous offerings we were asked to give so much that when they called for another donation, I angrily dipped my hand in my pocket to give. Then God said “keep your money, I am not a beggar.” I immediately realized my mistake, asked for forgiveness and cheered myself up internally before giving the offering.
Please God with your offering; give cheerfully.
KEY POINT:
Don’t give God anything grudgingly; He will reject it.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 10-11
John 10:22-42
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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October 22, 2020 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: FRIDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2020. THEME: GIVING THAT PLEASES GOD

MEMORISE:
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. Proverbs 11:24
READ: Luke 21: 1-4
1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
MESSAGE:
God doesn’t assess the quality of your giving by its actual value, but by the value of what you have left after the donation. In Luke 21:1-4, the rich dropped fat offering in the basket, but none of them pleased God as much as the giver of the least- a poor widow. Jesus said she had “cast in all the living that she had.” You have not given your ‘widow’s mite’ until you have given all your living to God.
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38
If you want a spectacular breakthrough, give a spectacular offering. God is interested in what you give Him; if He weren’t, He wouldn’t have been looking into the basket as people were giving in Luke 21. He is observing; if He finds your offering to be of good measure, a ground-breaking blessing will surely come your way.
Some people say they don’t give because they don’t have. Actually, they don’t have because they don’t give. If a poor widow could have had something to give, then everyone can. People remain poor because they hold back more than is necessary instead of sowing it (Proverbs 11:24). The Bible says He gives bread to the eater and seed to the sower. If you eat your seed when you should be a sower, how would you have bread when it is time to be an eater? Give your way out of poverty.
As God blesses you, increase your giving so that He can also increase His blessings. I once met a man who rather than pay 10% of his income as tithe, paid 90%! He once challenged all of us at a conference to give our best offering and that he would match it. He did! He constantly gave like that poor widow and God also continued to bless Him in return.
You want a spectacular breakthrough? Give a spectacular offering.
KEY POINT:
God measures your offering, not by its value, but by the value of what you have left after giving.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 9:1-10:21
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
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October 19, 2020 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2020: BE SANCTIFIED.

MEMORISE:
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesians 5:26

READ: Colossians 3:5-17

5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

MESSAGE:
Some people keep returning to sin over and over, despite having asked Jesus to come into their lives. They wonder how others live above sin. The answer is sanctification. When a person is sanctified, he/she loses the taste for sin. The Bible describes it in Hebrews 1:9:
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

When a person is sanctified, sinful habits that used to excite him/her become irritating. As a result, the fellow is able to lead a life of holiness in Christ. Sanctification is the grace of God that helps a man to live above sin. If you are still struggling with sin, then you need to be sanctified.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9

To be sanctified, you must first confess all your sins to God (1 John 1:9). You can also experience sanctification if you are an avid student of the word of God. John 17:17 says:
“ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

If you want to enjoy your Christian life, feed on the word of God. David said in Psalm 119:11:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

The more of God’s word you study, the more sin will disgust you. If you are studying your Bible, God’s word will begin to influence the way you see things and how you behave.

The word of God has a Spirit which gives life, and that life, being Jesus will enter into you as you study it daily. It is Jesus who makes it easy for you to live holy. Take up the challenge today and you will overcome sin, in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Study at least one chapter of the Bible by yourself daily. You need the word to stay satisfied.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 17
Mark 9
Luke 9:28-62

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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October 12, 2020 In Devotionals No Comments

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Tuesday 13th October 2020 – BLOCK THAT CHANNEL I

Memorise:
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:30

Read: Matthew 5:28-30 (KJV)

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Message:
The devil is cunning, not wise. When he sees a Christian determined not to commit sin, he puts strategies in place to ensure such a one falls. He locates the person’s weakness. Then searches for a channel through which he can bring him/her down.

Once the devil discovered Moses’ weakness, he began to find ways to get him angry, so he could misbehave. He used Miriam but Moses overcome (Numbers 12:10-13); he also used the Israelites to get him angry by successfully tempting them to worship the golden calf (Exodus 32:1-6). On Moses’ return from the mountain, he got so angry with the Israelites that he broke the tablets God had just given him (Exodus 32:19). The devil knew anger was Moses’ weakness so he continued using the Israelites to annoy him. At another time, Moses let the murmurings of the Israelites get to him again and he lost his temper terribly (Numbers 20:10-12). The devil had him in his hands.

Since the devil has made it a point of duty to discover and exploit the weakness of all Christians, what should we do?

Block every channel he would use to employ that weakness against you. The devil knows you can control what you see on the streets, so he might try another channel – your phone. If you allow lust to take over when provocation pictures pop up on your phone, the devil will rejoice in having found a channel to destroy you. He will then start to introduce more provocative pictures and even more sites to nurture the seed of lust he has planted. You won’t be a victim in the mighty name of Jesus.

Brother, the devil could attack you through the smile of a young lady when you are stressed. He could use provocation from your spouse to lure you to source money through shady means. Whatever that channel may be, cut it off completely or train your mind to ignore it. If Moses had blocked the channel of anger early enough, perhaps he would have overlooked the murmurings of the Israelites and reached the promised land.

You have the chance now, don’t become a victim. Block those channels!

Prayer Point
Father, expose every hidden channel of destruction the devil could use against me. Give me the grace to block and forsake them completely, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Bible in one year: Matthew 13, Luke 8

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October 11, 2020 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY 12TH OCTOBER 2020–GOD REWARDS BOUNTIFULLY.

MEMORISE:
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

READ: Luke 5:1-11
1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

MESSAGE:
In Luke 1:1-11, Jesus entered into Simon’s boat and asked him to push a little from the land. Simon not only accepted but also allowed the Lord to preach from his boat for as long as He wanted. Afterwards, Jesus rewarded Simon by blessing Him with the greatest catch he had ever had. God never ignores any good act. He always rewards, and He does so bountifully.
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

Sometimes, it may appear that you are not getting rewards for your labor in the house of God. This may be because the coming reward is indeed very great and God is preparing you for it. Don’t lose hope. It will come at the right time if you keep working for God.

Joseph was honest and hardworking, yet he was thrown into prison. In the prison, he interpreted the chief butler’s dream yet for two years it appeared there was no reward coming (Genesis 40, 41). However, by the time God was going to bless him, the reward was great. He became the second in command to the most powerful man in the whole world at the time. That is what happens when you are not weary in well-doing.

God will reward every sacrifice – your time or money, in multiple folds. Hebrews 6:10 says: “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Only an unrighteous person will refuse to say Thank you when something has been done for him/her, not God. He is not unrighteous.
Matthew 19:29 says anyone who sacrifices the comfort of family and home just to please and obey God will get a hundred-fold reward and also inherit everlasting life.

Do not be weary in well-doing, your reward is coming.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please help me to serve You with all of my heart and to wait patiently on You, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 12:22-50, Luke 11

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