Monthly Archives: January 2021

MEMORISE:

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Luke 8: 17

READ: Luke 12:1-3

1In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

MESSAGE:

Many years ago, a man who had a chronic illness was advised to see me for prayers. I prayed for him but nothing happened, so I asked God why that was so. God told me to ask, him about something he did at a particular stage of his life. When I did, the man was shocked, and he opened up on a secret he thought was well kept.

Several years before, he had committed a crime and was due to be convicted due to the testimonies of some witnesses. He knew this, so he hatched a plan. Since the witnesses were to come to court by boat, he arranged for their boat to capsize and they all drowned. He then made sure that alI the people he sent to wreck their boat were also killed. He was eventually acquitted of the initial crime and he lauded himself for covering his tracks excellently. It came as a shock to him seeing the incident spring up again. Obviously, he did not know of God’s word in Proverbs 11:21 which says:

“Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunsihed: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.”

He thought the crimes had been covered, but there he is suffering the repercussions. Everything you do today is a seed that will produce fruits in due time. It does not matter how much you try to bury it, one day, it will spring forth and everyone will see the harvest of your secrets.

Stop stealing, stop committing adultery/fornication, stop watching pornography and put an end to every ungodly habit in your life today. No matter how hard you try to hide these sinful acts they will be revealed someday· Indeed, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.

In any case, the people you are pretending for don’t have the power to send you to Heaven or hell. Whatever they think of you does not affect your eternity.The One who will Judge you at the end of time knows even the thoughts of your heart, so stop pretending and start disciplining yourself to do the right
thing always.

I would rather expose my sins to men and make it to Heaven than look holy to men and end up in hell. Since I cannot hide my sins from God I would rather not commit sin at all. Make up your mind to stay away from sin today.

REFLECTION:

What will you gain if everyone thinks you are holy on earth and you end up in hell?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 1-2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS.

1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb
o Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb
Are your garments spotless Are they white as snow
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb

2. Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb

3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb

4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

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MEMORISE:

Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. Deuteronomy7:14

READ: Genesis 1:26-28

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, 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.

MESSAGE:

When the Lord asked Adam and Eve to be fruitful and to multiply in today’s Bible reading, He was not offering a piece of advice, rather He was issuing a command to be obeyed from generation to generation. Thus, we can conclude that failure to bear fruit is a direct transgression of this divine decree. I pray for you today: The Lord will cause you to experience all-round fruitfulness this year in Jesus name.

Beloved, not only is God interested in your spiritual fruitfulness, He is also interested in your physical and material fruitfulness. God desires that His children should live in divine prosperity. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says:

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters…her leaf shall be green… neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

If you have not given your life to Christ, before anything else, you need to first bear the fruit of repentance. This was the same thing Jesus told the Sadducees in Matthew 3:8. If however, you are already saved by grace, there are two categories of fruit you must bear this year. The first is the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). The second category is the fruit of souls. You must be a committed soul -winner.

It is already dangerous for anyone not to be fruitful, however it is a lot more dangerous for a child of God. This is because Jesus Christ says in John 15:2 that He will take away every branch in Him that does not bear fruit. I pray that you will not be taken away because of fruitlessness in the mighty name of Jesus.

One advantage of soul-winning is guaranteed answers to prayer (John 15:16).The reason the Lord has spared your life up till now is that He is hoping to see you bear fruit.

My prayer is that you will not disappoint God this year. As you bear fruit, He will answer all your prayers in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Father, please cause me to only bear fruits that are pleasing to You this year and beyond, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 13-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 25: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.

1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

o Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

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MEMORISE:
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

READ: Ephesians 5:15-17

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

MESSAGE:
A new year is a new dawn; it is a fresh opportunity to get things right. Every new year and on every birthday of mine, I consider how far I have come in the assignments God has given me and I have candid conversations with God as to things yet undone. Today I challenge you to also spend time reflecting
on how far you have come and see if you are really where God expects you to be at this time. If you are lagging behind, then you must take advantage of this new dawn to put everything in its proper place so you can fulfil God’s expectations for your life. Remove everything that has been holding you back and grab those things you know will help you move forward. Look back at the mistakes you made in the past
and learn from them; determine never to make them again.

Believe me, the fact that you made it to this year means God is giving you another opportunity to be closer to Him than ever before. This year can mark a new dawn for you spiritually. Decide today that this year, you will live for Him and Him alone. Decide that this year, you will not miss any day of the Open Heavens Devotional as it will help you commune with God daily. Determine that this year, you will spend and be spent for God. Make a commitment to
God that in this year you will please Him by preaching the gospel to every sinner you come across. Promise God that you will fast and won’t let your flesh
control you.
A new dawn also means the arrival of joy as we see in the Bible passage below:

“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

The year 2020 may have been very challenging and tough for you. Perhaps you lost a loved one, perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic affected your means of livelihood and things just didn’t go as you had planned. I have good news for you: It’s a new dawn. You may have wept last year, but this year, you will experience joy. As long as you live holy and serve the Lord, this will be your season of joy.

KEY POINT:
Live for God this year and you will experience joy like never before.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 10-12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
Psalm 91:7
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

READ: Psalm 91
91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

MESSAGE
There are lots of battles God fights for us that we know nothing about. Many of such battles take place when we are sleeping, working or even relaxing. It is a big error for anyone to think that he is alive by his own power or not to thank God every day for all that He does.

One day God decided to give me a glimpse of the battles He fights for me that I am not aware of. l was a lecturer at the University of Ilorin at the time. In those days, I used to leave the campus after my morning lectures and drive home for lunch since my house was not too far away from the school. I would also rest a little before returning to the campus to take my afternoon classes. One afternoon, I came home as usual, finished my lunch and lay on the couch to rest for a little while. I did not intend to sleep but I closed my eyes because I was already a Pastor then and my sitting room was always busy with people going in and out of the house. If they saw my eyes closed, they would know I was resting and not disturb me. Suddenly, I felt someone looming over me. The person held my hands and legs then drew closer to kiss me. At first, I thought it was my wife, then it suddenly occurred to me that whoever could hold my hands and legs at the same time had to be really tall and strong, so l opened my eyes and the person disappeared.

After this incident I felt a cold sensation run through my body but I soon forgot about it and went for my afternoon lectures. Immediately after my lectures I started vomiting and stooling. When I drove back home, I had to practically crawl out of the car to get into the house. I was in the toilet when I cried “Daddy, what is this? I am Your son, how can this be happening to me?” He replied “Son, l just wanted you to have a little taste of the unseen battles I fight for you constantly.” After that the stooling stopped.

You may not know it but God loves you so much that He is fighting for you day and night. He is not only fighting for you; He is fighting for your loved ones as well because He knows that whatever affects them will affect you. Therefore, give Him thanks daily. Praise His name with all your heart. Stand tall with the confidence that God is on your side and you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, thank You for all the battles you are fighting for me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 7-9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

READ: Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

MESSAGE

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Psalm 100:4

The above passage says that when you are coming to God, you are to come with thanksgiving – not with grumbling and complaining, but with thanksgiving. This means that if you don’t come with thanksgiving, then He can decide not to open His gates for you. Many people’s prayers do not get answered because all they do is complain and murmur to God. You are complaining that you have no car when someone else has a car but cannot rise from his sick bed. You are complaining that you have no shoes when someone else has no legs. Just give thanks. No matter what you are going through, there are millions of people around the world going through worse situations. Make a habit of always thanking God for what you have.

There are some little things we often take for granted. One day, my wife called to check on a sick person we had been praying for. After the phone call, she told me the fellow said “Help me thank God that l was able to wear my clothes by myself today”. Even I the General Overseer had never thought of thanking God for the ability to dress up by myself. Don’t put your attention on the things that you don’t have, rather, put it on all the great things that God is already doing for you.

God enjoys being with people who are full of thanks and praises of His name, but He detests murmurers. ln 1 Corinthians 10:10, the Bible says that when the Israelites murmured, they were destroyed:

“Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”

Joseph for instance, never murmured against God, even while in slavery and in prison. Thus, he fulfilled his destiny and prospered because the Bible says God was with him (Genesis 39:2-3).

You want God to help you through all your challenges in life and lead you to a glorious future? Thank Him at all times.

ACTION POINT:
Spend at least thirty minutes thanking God today. Don’t ask for anything, just thank Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 4-6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD

1. Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom His world rejoices,
Who from our mother’s arms
Hath bless’d us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.

2. Oh may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us,
And keep us in His grace,
And guide us when perplex’d
And free us from all ills
In this world and 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 earth and heav’n adore,
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.

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