Open Heavens Daily Devotional Messages, By Pastor E.A Adeboye.

BEARING FALSE WITNESS I – Sunday December 13th 2015
LOVE IS SOMETIMES TESTED – Saturday December 12th 2015
DIVINE VISITATION – Friday December 11th 2015
YE ARE MY WITNESSES – Thursday December 10th 2015
TRUNCATING YOUR CHILD’S DESTINY? – Wednesday December 9th 2015
BE MERCIFUL – Tuesday December 8th 2015

BEARING FALSE WITNESS I – Sunday December 13th 2015

Posted: 06 Dec 2015 09:01 AM PST

BEARING FALSE WITNESS I – Sunday December 13^th 2015

Memorise: Thou shalt not bear false wihness against thy neighbour. Exodus 20:16

Read: Deuteronomy 19:15-21, ¹⁵One witness shall not rise up against a man for any

iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

¹⁶If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

¹⁷Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

¹⁸And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

¹⁹Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

²⁰And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

²¹And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Bible in one year: Psalm 119:1-112, James 2:14-3:12

"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"

Isaiah 58:6

This Scripture summarises the fundamental nature of restitution. Restitution is the undoing of an evil deed. Bearing false witness against a person, family, community, institution, state or nation is an evil deed that can have devastating effects. If you have been involved in this, you need to restitute your ways.

Some time ago, a man died under some mysterious circumstances in a polygamous setting. Driven by hatred for the deceased's first son, the deceased's younger brother compelled the deceased's daughter to falsely accuse her step-brother (the first son) of killing their father, before a magistrate court. She yielded to this evil uncle because he had threatened her, saying that if she did not tell the lie, the whole family would desert her. In spite of this evil frame-up, the accused was discharged. However, his uncle did not let the matter rest; he had his nephew arrested again. Following this, the matter was escalated to the high court. Again, the step-sister of the accused was among the witnesses called against him. In fact, she was the prime witness of the prosecution.

Shortly before the commencement of proceedings in the case, those connected to the case were asked to step outside. The lady went out, and her uncle met her to rehearse the lies she should say before the judge. Thereafter, her step-brother, who was her age mate and a born-again Christian, also came outside the courtroom, and they got talking. He used this opportunity to lead her to Christ. After she had accepted to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour, and as he was about to lead her through the sinner's prayer, the judge sent for her to return to the courtroom and give her sworn testimony. However, contrary to the plans made with her uncle, she told the truth that the accused was innocent to the death of his father, because she was under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. That is restitution. Although she faced a lot of persecution from those who wanted her to sustain the lie, she stood firm and straightened her crooked path. Do you know that a lot of innocent people are languishing in prison because a false witness testified against them? if you have testified falsely against anybody in the past, you need to undo that wrong. If it is a sensitive matter, seek God's face by praying and fasting, and see your pastor for counselling and guidance on the best way to go about it.

Action Point

Pray that God will cause confusion in the camp of those planning evil against God's people.

LOVE IS SOMETIMES TESTED – Saturday December 12th 2015

Posted: 06 Dec 2015 08:59 AM PST

LOVE IS SOMETIMES TESTED

Memorise: No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. John 10:18

Read: Genesis 22:1-3, 22 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

²And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

³And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Bible in one year: Psalm 111:118, James 1:19-2:13

The presence of love can be perceived when it is demonstrated through giving. Love does not only give, it gives its best. It also gives sacrificially and willingly. God did not give His only begotten Son to the world because He was forced to; He gave Him because He wanted to (John 3:16). When He came into this world, the Son followed the example of the Father. In John 15:13, He said:

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Even after the Son accepted to become a man, nobody compelled Him to die. He voluntarily laid down His life. He willingly did this as proof of His love for God and man (John 10:17-18).

If you go through the Scriptures, you will definitely come across passages where God demanded that those who professed love for Him should prove it. One of such cases can be found in today's Bible reading. The word "tempt" used in Genesis 22:1 is actually "test" in the original Hebrew text. God does not tempt people, but Satan does (James 1:13). However, God can test His children to evaluate the quality of love they have for Him. Although it is on record that Abraham was a friend of God, God still wanted to know if the would give Him his best sacrificially and willingly. God therefore asked Abraham ton sacrifice his only son to Him. Abraham did not argue; he immediately set out on a journey to perform God's request. God took him on a three-day journey to the mountain where the sacrifice would be carried out, to find out if he would change his mind along the way. To show his willingness to give without obstruction, Abraham did not tell his wife or Isaac about the sacrifice God demanded from him. If he had done so, Sarah would have stopped him from fulfilling what God wanted. It is also possible that if Isaac had known about God's request ahead of time, he would have run away. Today, when God demands something sacrificial from some people as proof of their love for Him, what He gets is excuses. Such people would tell their spouses about God's demand, fully aware that they would vehemently resist it. They do this because they never wanted to give what God was asking for in the first place. Thereafter, they would tell God that although they were willing to obey His instruction, they had to back out because their spouse's disagreement with it could negatively affect their home. What an excuse! Do you think that God does not see into your heart to know what actually led to your refusal of His request other than what you claim?

Action Point

Ask God for grace never to fail the tests He puts you through.

DIVINE VISITATION – Friday December 11th 2015

Posted: 06 Dec 2015 08:57 AM PST

DIVINE VISITATION

Memorise: Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and

thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. Joshua 10:12

Read: Luke 1:26-33, ²⁶And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

²⁷To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

²⁸And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

²⁹And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

³⁰And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

³¹And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

³²He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

³³And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Bible in one year: Psalm 107-110, James 1:1-18

A visit to a person can be classified as causal, ordinary, occasional, special or divine, depending on the identity of the visitor and purpose of the visit. One reason why visitation is desired is the fact that it usually involves the exchange of pleasantries, good ideas, vital information and gifts. Visitation brings joy to those in need, especially the fatherless and widows. The sick and bereaved are also encouraged and strengthened through it. People generally desire a special visitation by someone of a far higher social, political or financial status, because such august visitors are known to bless people with quality ideas, information and gifts commensurate to their status. Presidents give presidential pardons, handshakes and gifts, while kings and royals offer royal appointments, gifts and blessings. Beyond these, divine visitation is an unusually privilege that God doles out to show special love, uncommon grace and high favour. I prophesy to you that heaven will pay you a divine visit today in the Name of Jesus.

Divine visitation is greatly rewarding and therefore highly sought after. Whenever God steps into a situation, natural laws become suspended, and supernatural laws take over immediately. This is evident in our memory verse. Israel was in the middle of a battle with the Amorites when Joshua suddenly recognised the presence of God. The Lord of hosts himself decided to pay the armies of Israel a visit. Knowing that such a divine visitation had launched him into the realm of the supernatural, Joshua immediately grabbed the opportunity by asking for the impossible. Like Joshua, the presence of the Lord will launch you into the realm of the supernatural today in Jesus' Name. Divine visitation brings immediate fulfilment of long standing prophecies, as it happened to Sarah (Genesis 21:1). Job testified that in his affliction, with his body terribly battered, it was divine visitation that preserved his spirit (Job 10:12). Also, in Zephaniah 2:7, the Bible reveals that the visitation of the Lord turns away captivity. Every time the manifest presence and glory of God is with His people, they ushered into the realm of the supernatural. In this atmosphere of miracles, all challenges and problems turn to testimonies. This is your season of divine visitation! Praise God and tap into it.

Prayer Point

Father, please grant me the privilege of a divine visitation today, in Jesus' Name.

YE ARE MY WITNESSES – Thursday December 10th 2015

Posted: 06 Dec 2015 08:56 AM PST

YE ARE MY WITNESSES

Memorise: Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall

there be after me. Isaiah 43:10

Read: 1^stKings 18:36-39, ³⁶And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

³⁷Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

³⁸Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

³⁹And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

Bible in one year: Psalm 105-106, Hebrews 13

A witness is an observer, who having witnessed the occurrence of an event, gives a full and accurate account of what happened. God emphasises the role and importance of witnessing. He has also given detailed instructions about the conduct of witnesses, whether in evangelism, legal processing or in general affairs of the church. In several passages of the Bible, God repeatedly called on us to be His witnesses (Isaiah 43:12^b, Luke 24:48). Mostly importantly, Jesus in Acts 1:8 said this to His disciples:

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

This confirms that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to equip and empower the Body of Christ for the purpose of witnessing. Therefore, witnessing is a major assignment of the Church. The role of Christians as witnesses is not limited to our immediate community; rather it extends to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Why is witnessing so important that God lays so much emphasis on it? First and foremost, it is to prove Him as the only true God who created all things by His wisdom and determines the course of all things (Acts 17:24-28). Whenever God says "ye are My witnesses", it is to prove Him as a covenant keeping God who always brings His words to pass in the life of His people (Numbers 23:19). The emphasis on witnessing is also to prove that human disobedience is always as a result of unbelief and unwarranted stubborn rebellion. So, we are to constantly testify or witness about sin and righteousness to ourselves as believers, and against the ungodly people of this world (Isaiah 59:12, Mathew 24:14).

Finally, the emphasis on witnessing may also indicate a systematic build-up of evidence against those who refuse to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Jude 1:15 reveals that heaven will present convincing evidence against the ungodly on the day of judgement. Be warned, Jesus is coming soon!

Prayer Point

Father, I surrender all to You today, please wipe away all evil reports that testify against me, and help me to live holy from this day onward in Jesus name.

TRUNCATING YOUR CHILD’S DESTINY? – Wednesday December 9th 2015

Posted: 06 Dec 2015 08:53 AM PST

TRUNCATING YOUR CHILD'S DESTINY?

Memorise: For, Io, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Read: Judges 13:2-5, ²And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

³And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

⁴Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

⁵For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Bible in one year: Psalm 100-104, Hebrews 12:3-29

Because God is a God of purpose, He never does anything without a purpose. When He speaks, He has a purpose of what He says. When He laughs, there is also a purpose (Psalm 37:13). When He created you, it was for a purpose. May you fulfil God's purpose for creating you in Jesus' Name. Do you know that God's plan and purpose for your life had been concluded long before He laid the foundations of the earth (Ephesians 1:3-5)? However, for you to fulfil this purpose, you need to understand it, and you need do everything to ensure it is not derailed. Our Bible reading shows how crucial it is to understand purpose. When an angel was sent ton announce to Manoah's wife that she would conceive and give birth to Samson, it was for a specific purpose: the child was to be set apart unto God has a Nazarite. One lesson here is that even when God has a specific purpose for a person, it is the responsibility of parents not to derail this purpose, right from the point of conception, until God's plan is fulfilled. For example, if Samson's mother had insisted on taking alcoholic drinks or eating anything classified as unclean after she had been warned by the angel, she would have derailed God's purpose for Samson.

The plan of God for Samson was that the Holy Spirit would start working on him right from when he was in his mother's womb; but if his mother had consumed alcohol, two spirits would have been at war in her: the Holy Spirit and the spirit of alcohol (an demonic spirit). Because the Holy Spirit would not work where the spirit of alcohol holds sway, Samson would never have become what God planned for him to be. This simply tells us that the physical and spiritual state of parents, particularly mothers, is of great importance, right from the conception of a child. The actions of a mother affect the foetus in her womb and can alter the destiny of a child. The actions of a pregnant woman who smokes cigarettes or marijuana, often takes alcohol or hard drugs such as cocaine and so on will definitely affect the baby in her womb. Sometimes, the physical structure of that baby is tempered with, leading to abnormal foetal development or deformities. Such children could even develop mental health issues and find it difficult to live normal lives. Worse still, if a child ends up being aborted, the destiny of that child is completely destroyed. Beloved mothers, abstain from anything that can cause harm to your unborn child! Do not be guilty of truncating your child's destiny!

Action Point

You will give account of all the children who came into this world through you. Be careful

BE MERCIFUL – Tuesday December 8th 2015

Posted: 06 Dec 2015 08:49 AM PST

BE MERCIFUL – Tuesday December 8^th 2015

Memorise: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Read: Matthew 18:27-35,

²⁷Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

²⁹And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

³⁰And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

³¹So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

³²Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

³³Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

³⁴And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

³⁵So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Bible in one year: Psalm 92-99, Hebrews 11:23-12:2

Mercy is an attitude of compassion, favour and care towards the unfortunate, afflicted and helpless. Mercy is an unmerited assistance that originates from the divine attributes of God, and it is grounded in His very nature. Mercy is a special prerogative of the Almighty God Himself, and therefore may not be properly defined in isolation of His person. Psalm 86:15 described Him thus:

"But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."

Little wonder why in the Bible, acts of mercy are usually borne out of love, compassion, favour or grace. Several times, God's mercy is also described as enduring forever (1^st Chronicles 16:34).

It is important to note that from the beginning, God has always applied mercy while handling human affairs. It was mercy that moved Him to make aprons of Adam and Eve after their sin caused His glory to depart from them (Genesis 3:21). Because of His mercy, He preserved Noah and His family (Genesis 7). The same mercy located Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David and the prophets. However, mercy was personified and more pronounced in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. In all His interactions with people, the Bible recorded that He was always moved by love and compassion when ever He saw their afflictions and misery. Matthew 9:36 says:

"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

In essence, we are who we are in Christ because of God's mercy (Titus 3:5). Forgiveness, salvation, healing, deliverance, joy and everything we have in Christ are by the grace and mercy of God. So, as beneficiaries of His great mercy, we are commanded to show the same mercy to others. Luke 6:36 says:

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."

God expects that His merciful dealings in our lives will move us to show mercy to others. Our Bible reading today paints a vivid picture of God's expectation of us as Christians, in relation to the issue of mercy. The master was displeased with the wicked servant because he refused to show mercy to his fellow servant. Above all, remember that obedience to the word of God is always handsomely rewarded; therefore, be merciful.

Prayer Point

Sweet Holy Spirit, fill my heart with God's mercy, and let it flow from me to my neighbours.