Monthly Archives: May 2023

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY JUNE 1ST 2023 LIFE SEASON 5

MEMORISE: 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. Genesis 18:19

READ: Deuteronomy 6:4 -9

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7 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.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

MESSAGE

We will be discussing the final season of a person’s life today. At this stage, you are asking, “What legacy am l going to leave behind if God calls me home today?” At this point, you are not thinking of what happens while you are still here on earth, all that you start pursuing is a great legacy for yourself.

When you read 2 Timothy 4:7 and then backtrack to,two chapters before that, you would see what Paul was telling Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2:

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

He wanted to ensure that the things he stood for – his legacy, didn’t die with him. There is no way you can create a legacy if you are not already known for something while still alive. Start pursuing a godly course that you know the Lord has given you a burden for. It’s a pity that only a few people ever get to this season in their lives. Many care only about what happens when they are on earth but the wise few care more about what will be said of them when they leave this world. If you are amongst these wise few, your reputation would be more important to you than all the money in the world. Priverbs 22:1 says:

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

When you get to this season, you wouldn’t want anything to stain your name at all; instead, you would want to be remembered for greatness. You would spend time with your family members and loved ones. There are people who pursued many things at the expense of their families only to later realise that the children they neglected were the only ones they could rely on to continue with their legacy. If you really want to have a great legacy, you must spend time pouring yourself into your children. You should live your live in such a way that when you leave this world, they will have great things to say about you.

REFLECTION

What would you like to be remembered for when you leave this world? Start pursuing it now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 21-24

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1 Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2 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,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3 Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5 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,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY MAY 31ST 2023 LIFE SEASON 4

 

MEMORISE: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

READ: Joshua 13:1 -6

1 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,

3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

4 From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:

5 And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

MESSAGE

Today we will discuss the fourth season of life. This is a period when you are primarily focused on fulfilling your purpose in life. At this stage, you suddenly realise that you do not have much time left and if you are not careful, you may not fulfil your purpose in life.

Being in this season of life is however, not a function of age. At whatever age you suddenly realise you need to wake up to the need to fulfil your purpose in life and that is all that matters to you, you have entered into the forth season of life. In this season, you are not concerned so much about how much you have done; rather, your major concern is if you have done what you were created to do.

In Joshua 12, you can see Joshua boasting about the Kings he defeated, but when we get to Joshua 13:1 we see how far he had actually gone in the fulfillment of his destiny.

Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. Joshua 13:1

Joshua appeared to have achieved a lot, but he was still very far from reaching his goal in life. There is a big difference between what you achieve and whether you fulfil your destiny. Unfortunately, many people go in the wrong direction all their lives only to discover at the end that they were on the wrong path. This is a big disaster.

Apostle Paul was one man who was determined to fulfil his purpose. He said in Acts 20:24:

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Thus when he was about to leave the earth, he left a fulfilled man and said in 2 Timothy 4:7:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Are you working towards fulfilling destiny?

REFLECTION

Are you where God expects you to be at this stage of your life?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 17-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN12: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

1. Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
Looking unto Jesus
Who is gone before;
Christ, the Royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See his banner go.

CHORUS
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
Looking unto Jesus
Who is gone before.

2. At the name of Jesus,
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, praise, and
honour, unto Christ the King;
This through countless ages,
Men and angels sing

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY MAY 30TH 2023 LIFE: SEASON III

 

MEMORISE:
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – (Matthew 28:20)

READ: Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

MESSAGE:
We discussed the first and second seasons of life over the past two days and will progress to discuss the third season of life today. In the third season of a person’s life, he or she moves from trying to impress people to trying to influence people. This is the period where a person wants to become a voice. This is the season when you want to say like Apostle Paul:

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Many times, people in this season look for others in the younger generation to mentor. In this season, you would become hungry to pass on knowledge to others. When you get to this stage, you are now maturing because you are after impact more than anything else.

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)

If you fail to properly learn the truth about life, you would begin to pass on your erroneous understanding to others and hence become a negative influence and not a positive one. You must be careful in this season not to spread a virus in the systems of people. When people seem to have found someone whose message they enjoy, they begin to spread it and before long, that message would have become a doctrine. What we know today as the extreme and erroneous message of grace was started by a man called Nicholas. He was amongst the first deacons (Acts 6:5); however, he had adopted an erroneous way of living a so-called Christian life and by the time we get to Revelation 2:15, we see that his erroneous way had become a misleading doctrine within the Church, as it still is today.

In this third season of life, your lifestyle and behaviour will also begin to influence others. An example can be seen in (2 Peter 2:15) where some Christians were described to be following in the steps of Balaam who chose to use the power of God for material gains. Beloved, it is very dangerous to mislead those who look up to you. You must be particularly careful not to influence others negatively (Matthew 18:6).

KEY POINT:
If you are in the third season of life, please be sure that you are influencing people correctly.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOB 13-16.

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY 29th MAY 2023 LIFE: SEASON 2

MEMORISE

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

READ : MATHEW 6:1-8

Matthew 6:1 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.

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.
Matthew 6:3
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

Matthew 6:4
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Matthew 6:5 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.

Matthew 6:6 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.

Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

MESSAGE

We discussed the first season yesterday and will be discussing the second Season today. In the second season of life, a person greatest desire will be to Impress. At this stage, he or she want to be perceived as a success by everyone. For example, choristers and pastors in this stage will typically seek to impress others when they sing and preach respectively. A person in this stage may be financially comfortable already, but would be seeking prestige. This is the season that King Saul was in 1 Samuel 15:24

And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

King Saul had money and power, but he also want to impress the people and got him into trouble.

If You are doing things because of what people think of you, you are likely to get into big trouble soon. The cheer of the people may seem good now, but soon you will realise that those who are shouting “Hosanna today “ will be the same one shouting “Crucify Him” tomorrow. This is why you must shun what people think and do what is right, wether it is the popular opinion or not.

The Holy Ghost Congress which we hold in Nigeria is a week-long programme, with Friday recording the largest attendance- running into millions. There was a singer who was invited to minister on the Thursday of the Congress. She refused, saying she would only come to sing on Friday when the crowd would be largest. Ofcourse we withdrew the invitation because she was not interested in singing for God but for the crowd.

Those who are more concerned about how they look on social media are risking being destroyed by the same people they are trying to impress. Think about it: if you are trying to impress people, it means that you will always want to jump on the next trend. Trends never end; this means you will be caught in the never-ending rat race. If you are currently at this stage of trying to impress people, you are still immature and must be deliberate about growing into the next season of your life.

REFLECTION

Why do you do things you do and buy the things you buy? Sincerely check yourself; are you living to impress people or please God?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOB 9-12

AUTHOR: Pastor E . A ADEBOYE

HYMN 11: I’VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS

1 I have found a friend in Jesus-
He’s ev’rything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley- in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.

In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay,
He tells me ev’ry care on Him to roll;
He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the greatest of ten thousand to my soul.

2 He all my grief has taken and all my sorrows borne,
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tow’r;
I have all for Him forsaken and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His pow’r.
Though all the world forsake me and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal;
He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the greatest of ten thousand to my soul.

3 He will never, never leave me nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear-
With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory I’ll see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll;
He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the greatest of ten thousand to my soul.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL SUNDAY MAY 28TH 2023 LIFE SEASON l

 

MEMORISE: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10

READ: Luke 12:15 -21

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

MESSAGE

In the next few days, we will be discussing the different seasons of life. This is one very important series that you should not take lightly. I would like you to keep every season in mind to help you get a good grasp of the entire message.

The first season of a person’s life is when he or she is still young and desires material possessions. When a child is born, without being taught, he or she tightly grips anything placed in his or her hand and should the item fall, would cry to get it back. That is the first season of life – when the fellow just wants to acquire. It is in this season that many people get certificates so that they can get high-paying jobs. Everything that a person does during this season is usually geared towards becoming rich. Unfortunately, it is in this season that many people are lured by the devil into illegal and immoral activities to get money. When you check the people who have been proven to engage in ‘yahoo yahoo’ (cybercrime) or ladies selling their bodies for money, even those who kidnap and rob, you would find that they are usually young people. If you are young and don’t have an inordinate ambition to be rich, then you will be safe from lures of the devil. Though it is good to be rich, you should not pursue wealth at the expense of your soul.

After chasing money for so long, the young fellow will at some point look around and see that even money does not satisfy ( Ecclesiastes 5:10). He or she would realise the truth in the Scripture in Luke 12:15 which says, “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for man’s life consistently not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

Many years ago, whenever l visited America and Pastor Stephen Rathod picked me up, the first thing l used to ask him, after exchanging greetings, was, “Where are they having sales?” It was important to me to buy things in America during the sales period. Years later, when l visited US again, he was surprised l didn’t ask to be shown where l could buy things on sales. I told him that time has passed. I had realized that those things didn’t really matter. I was now after more important things.

KEY POINT

The love of money is the root of all evil.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 5-8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 21: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD

1 Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

3 Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

4 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

5 Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY MAY 26TH 2023 THE GATE OF MERCY

 

MEMORISE: All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. Psalms 25:10

READ: Romans 9:15

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

MESSAGE

The gate of mercy is very wide and this is inspired by God’s immeasurable love for us. Psalm 108:4 says:

For thy mercy is great above the heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

The gate of mercy is so wide that it can take everybody in the world (John 3:16); however, this gate of mercy can be shut suddenly, in a way that no one can explain. The gate of mercy can snap shut within the twinkling of an eye. Proverbs 29:1 says: “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy “.

Some years ago, a woman was very sick and the doctors said there was nothing more they could do for her so her relatives brought her to me for prayers. As l laid my hand on her, l felt the anointing like hot oil flow through my hand, but as it got to her head, it returned immediately. I asked God why and He said, ” l have had mercy and warned her several times , but she wouldn’t listen. It is now my turn to refuse to heal her.” I ran to the altar and cried to God, saying, “Please Lord, You said You don’t want the destruction of a sinner and Your mercy endures forever, please have mercy!” I ran back to her and placed my hand on head again but the same thing happened. I ran back to the altar, pleading for God to have mercy on her, but by the time I went three times and returned to lay hands on her again, she was dead.

Remember the story of fruitless tree in Luke 13:6-9? God said, “For three years l have examined this tree and done everything l could for it, yet it bore no fruit; l will cut it down”. Mercy said, “Give it another chance, another year, to see what happens, if it still doesn’t bring forth fruit, You can then cut it”.

You don’t know when your last chance will be . You don’t know if the last time you sinned was your last chance before the gate of mercy shuts against you. Surrender completely to Jesus Christ now before it is too late.

KEY POINT

The gate of mercy can be shut at any time. Start living holy now so that it doesn’t shut you out of the mercy of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 6-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: PASS ME NOT O GENTLE SAVIOUR

1 Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Refrain:

Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2 Let me at a throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief. [Refrain]

3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace. [Refrain]

4 Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heav’n but Thee? [Refrain]

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY MAY 25TH 2023 THE INTERNAL ENEMY

 

MEMORISE: He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Proverbs 16:32

READ: Judges 14:1 -3

1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

MESSAGE

It is true that we wrestle with many external enemies described as principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Many people however, fight against themselves thereby constituting an internal enemy to themselves.

For example, there are many people who believe they are free to do anything they wish with their body; they therefore would not deny themselves anything their heart desires. This mindset often leads to sinful practices like indecent dressing, drunkenness, sexual immorality, gluttony, lasciviciousness, idolatry, anger, selfishness, drug addiction and the likes. Such practices often produce results that are detrimental to the body, sometimes generating life-threatening repercussions. These sinful practices should therefore be correctly identified as internal enemies of all human beings. 1 Corinthians 3:17 says:

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

This is an important statement with a very serious implication. The Almighty God, our Creator, wants us to know that He created us as His own dwelling place. He went on to say that if anyone defiles the temple of God, he or she shall be destroyed. This is probably the source of the increase in strange ailments and reduction in life expectancy across the world. Those who define or abuse their bodies with alcohol, hard drugs, sexual immorality, unhygienic food and unhealthy exposure to dangerous substances often become sick and end up dying prematurely. Many incidents of youths all over the world dying from drug addiction, mental illness,, hypertension, suicide, liver-related problems and so on are traceable to these internal enemies. Mark 7:23 tells us that all these evil things come from within and defile the man (the temple of God), while Galatians 5:21 says without exception that everyone who practices such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please help me not to be an enemy to myself in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 1-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save me from its guilt and power.

2 Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All could never sin erase,
Thou must save, and save by grace.

3 Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

4 While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY MAY 23RD 2023 FEAR GOD

 

MEMORISE: The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

READ: Proverbs 2:1 -5

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

MESSAGE

Every truly wise person knows that the Maker of heaven and earth should be feared. This is why Proverbs 9:10 says:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

There is no greater foolishness than disregard for God. How can you fear people who are limited in power and authority, then have no fear for the One who can do as He pleases, who is answerable to no one (Daniel 4:35)

If you can fear those who can kill your body, how much more the One who can destroy both your body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28)? God should never be toyed with. I know there are people who tell you that you are not to fear God, but to just reverence Him. I don’t know if they read that from their Bible, but my own Bible does not say the reverence of God is the beginning of wisdom, but rather, the fear of the Lord.

I don’t play carelessly with fire. No matter how cold I get, I don’t put my hand in it because I fear it. Our God is the Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29). You should therefore not only reverence Him, but fear Him also. Even a mad dog recognises fire when it sees it and does not play carelessly with it.

If you don’t fear God, you are capable of doing any evil. The interesting thing is that, whether you fear fire or not, if you touch it, it will burn you. If, as a result of the fact that you have no fear of God you continue to commit sin, it is only a matter of time before the repercussions would start coming.

A person may enjoy the pleasures of sin here on earth, and may even be popular for being such a great sinner, but a time is coming when the person will leave this world and then face the judgement of God which will lead to eternal damnation for such a person.

Beloved, it is better to fear God , live holy and receive eternal life than to disregard Him here on earth and spend eternity burning in the lake of fire. Choose wisely.

KEY POINT

Fear God so much that you will stay away from anything that can offend Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 8-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is
your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear;
now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord, above
all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings,
and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all
that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?

3 Praise to the Lord, who will
prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy
shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.

4 Praise to the Lord! O let all
that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath,
come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound
from his people again;
gladly forever adore him

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL MONDAY MAY 22ND 2023 CHECK YOUR FRIENDS

MEMORISE: He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20

READ: Proverbs 1:10 -19

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

MESSAGE

You should do a thorough check on your friends to see if they are headed for heaven. There are some people who should clearly be avoided, while others may look good on the outside but deep inside, are not who they pretend to be. You need to stay away from such friends.

There are some character flaws you should look out for and ensure you do not keep people who have such as friends. For example, if your friend’s temper runs hot, stay away from him or her, so you don’t learn his or her ways and ensnare your soul (Proverbs 22:24-25).

Many years ago, I was working as a teacher and befriended a colleague who was from the same part of the country as l. I however, didn’t know much about him. One day on our way to Ibadan for a teachers’ programme, we got off the lorry in Ile-Ife, where we would board another to Ibadan. This friend of mine then said he wanted to say hello to a chief nearby and asked me to come along. I did, after all, we were friends. We got there, he knocked on a door and was asked a strange question from inside, “is it fish or a crab?” My friend answered and said, “One fish and one crab”. We were let in, but as we left, l begin to wonder what this strange statement meant. When we arrived in Ibadan, he said he wanted to visit another fellow. I followed him, he knocked at the door and was asked, “Who is that, a goat or a sheep?” My friend answered, “One goat, one sheep”. By now, l was seriously troubled. I got home and asked the elders what the statements meant. They said, knowingly, “Ah, where did you hear that?”

That was the end of my friendship with that fellow. Up to today, l don’t understand what those statements really meant, but l didn’t have to be told that they were occultic and dangerous. Check your friends, be watchful and careful. The Bible says evil communication corrupts good manners (1 Corinthians 15:23). The Romans used to say, “As bad apples spoil good ones, so do bad friends spoil good boys”. Before today is out, do a thorough check on all your friends. If there are some that are not living a holy life, preach the word of God to them and if they refuse to change, please separate yourself from such persons immediately.

KEY POINT

Your friends are an indication of the influences that determine who you will become. Make and retain only godly friends.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 4-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL DATE: SUNDAY MAY 21ST 2023 THEME: SEXUAL IMMORALITY IS FORBIDDEN II

 

MEMORISE: Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4

READ: Proverbs 7:22 -27

22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

MESSAGE

These days, genuine Christians and even ministers of the Gospel are being caught in various types of sin, including sexual immorality which Joseph refused to indulge in, despite the fact that the opportunity presented itself on what seemed to be a platter of gold. Genesis 39:8-9 records Joseph’s response to the offer:

But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

It was wisdom, brought about by the fear of God, that kept Joseph away from committing sexual immorality with his master’s wife. No wonder the Bible says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). How l wish all children of God would embrace the fear of God so that they can begin to live above temptation and sin. It is wisdom to run away from sin because the Bible says in Romans 6:23, ‘The wages of sin is death…” and this refers to eternal death. Beloved, sexual immorality is forbidden; seek godly wisdom to avoid this deadly sin.

In the last hour before the arrest of Jesus Christ, He had a knowledge of what was about to happen and thus had a private meeting with His disciples at Gethesmane, where He gave them the antidote to temptation and sin. Matthew 26:41 says, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak…” In this passage, Jesus named watchfulness and prayer as the antidote to temptation and sin.

We are therefore called to be alert to dangers in the Christian journey such as sexual immorality, false teachings, worldliness, love of money, inordinate ambition, sinful pleasure, and other forms of temptation and sin. The Bible says the end is near so we should be sober and watch unto prayer (1 Peter 4:7). Sexual immorality is forbidden; watch and pray over the type of content you and your family consume. Be mindful of your physical and social interactions, and constantly fill your heart with the word of God so you do not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).

PRAYER POINT

Father, please don’t let me become a victim or captive to immorality, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1 I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev’ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2 I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh. [Refrain]

3 I need Thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain. [Refrain]

4 I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill. [Refrain]

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