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

THE ELECT OF GOD – Monday April 4th 2016
APPOINTED DAY OF MERCY – Sunday April 3rd 2016
ETERNAL DAMNATION – Saturday April 2nd 2016
DIVINE ALTERNATIVE – Friday April 1st 2016
“LORD JESUS” A MERE SLOGAN? – Thursday March 31st 2016
THE FAITH OF A CHILD – Wednesday March 30th 2016

THE ELECT OF GOD – Monday April 4th 2016

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 03:47 PM PDT

THE ELECT OF GOD

Memorise: And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry

day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? Luke 18:7

Read: Colossians 3:12-17, ¹²Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

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

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

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

¹⁶Let 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.

¹⁷And 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.

Bible in one year: 1^st Samuel 10:17-13:7, Proverbs 4:20-5:6

An elect is a chosen or preferred person. In Christian parlance, an elect is someone God, by His grace, has chosen to be qualified as righteous before Him. The Bible says:

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

Romans 8:33-34

It is a pleasant thing to be an elect of God, because He watches over His elect. He is not ashamed of them even among His holy angels, because they are doing Him proud in this pervert generation.

"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."

Hebrew 11:16

In the light of the above scripture, therefore, the elect of God has both a moral and scriptural obligation to live in accordance to the commandments of God. The elect is more mindful of eternal life than the ephemeral things of this life. At times he suffers trials of cruel intimidation, marginalisation, and poverty because he cannot sell his conscience for a loaf of bread. This certainly made Jesus Christ assure us in Luke 18:7

"And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?"

The above assertion of Jesus Christ is pleasantly reassuring to the elect of God who has turned his back against all forms of godlessness and wickedness. The Almighty God will always be there for all His elects provided they cry to Him in the days of trouble (Psalms 50:15).

Beloved, are you an elect of God? If not, all it takes is for you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, repent of your sins and begin to live your life ad approved by Jesus Christ in the gospels. I pray that the benefits of the elect shall be your portion in Jesus' name.

Action Point

Act upon John 3:3-5 and ask God to make you one of His elects.

APPOINTED DAY OF MERCY – Sunday April 3rd 2016

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 03:45 PM PDT

APPOINTED DAY OF MERCY

Memorise; And the publican standing afar off, would not lift up

so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke 18:13

Read: Genesis 19:15-17, ¹⁵And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

¹⁶And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lordbeing merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

¹⁷And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

Bible in one year: 1^st Samuel 8:19-10:16, Proverbs 4:10-19

Since the fall of man at the Garden of Eden, the only factor that has sustained man in this world is God's mercy. When a man receives God's mercy, it would appear as if he is a genius or his righteousness has bestowed upon him some divine benevolence. This is not true. The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."

In our memory verse for today, we read of the mercy which brought justification to the repentant publican. Because he begged for it, his day of mercy came unhindered. Jesus said in Luke 18:14

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abase, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

One striking revelation in Christ's assertion is that we can only obtain mercy when we acknowledge our sins and repent of them as the publican did. According to Luke 18:14, what prevents some people from receiving mercy from God is failure to admit that they are sinners and that they need to turn from their wicked ways. It is amazing that some children of God are in the habit of living in the world of relativism where what is right or wrong depends on the justification they have for it. This is not the gospel. When they are caught stealing, they would rationalise it by putting the guilt on the fact that they are jobless. Some ladies claim that they took to prostitution because they were jobless and needed to take care of their aged parents!

"Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die."

Ezekiel 33:14-15

It takes humility to acknowledge it if we do something wrong against God or against our neighbour. The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13:

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

Your appointed day of mercy comes when you humbly ask for it from the One who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). I appeal to someone using this devotional; if you have not repented of your sins through Jesus Christ, being forth the day of God's mercy into your life by calling on the God of mercy today for forgiveness. Or, if you are a child of God, but seem to be void of His mercy, call on Him like a child will cry to his loving father for mercy. Today is the day of the Lord's mercy for you and your loved ones in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me and give me testimonies.

ETERNAL DAMNATION – Saturday April 2nd 2016

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 03:44 PM PDT

ETERNAL DAMNATION

Memorise: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but

he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16

Read: Mark 16:15-18, ¹⁵And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

¹⁶He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

¹⁷And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

¹⁸They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Bible in one year: 1^st Samuel 6:1-8:18, Proverbs 3:28-4:9

Eternal damnation is the worst thing that can happen to anyone, it is damnation for a lifetime here on earth and in eternity. Our Lord Jesus Christ said:

"And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

Luke 12:4-5

Jesus Christ in the above passage is taking about eternal damnation for sinners and the ungodly. Many people choose eternal damnation indirectly by escaping the cost that godly living posses to them. in the midst of trials and tribulations, some children of God deny their Lord. Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:25-34 said we should not be anxious for what to eat or drink because our Father in heaven knows we will need them and so will provide them for us. We should not bow to the enticement of the devil. Rather, we should heed the Words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, even if this exposes us to some challenges that are, as a matter of fact, temporary. This is the reason Jesus admonished His disciples saying:

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

To escape eternal damnation, therefore, we must accept the gospel of Jesus Christ wholeheartedly. It is unfortunate that there are many people in the Church today who do not believe the gospel. Some see the gospel as outdated; they believe that Christ came to redeem man from eternal damnation but they refused to keep to the terms and conditions of salvation. According to the text of our reading for today, accepting the gospel entails accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives. We cannot do what pleases us anymore; we cannot afford to follow the whims and caprices of the world anymore (1^st John 2:15-17). Moreover, we must learn His ways and imbibe His ideals (Matthew 11:28-30). Failure to keep to these principles of Christian living makes our profession of Christianity a mere exercise. Jesus Christ asked His audience:

"And why call ye me, Lord Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

Luke 6:46

May the Lord give us hearing ears and obedient hearts to do according to His perfect will.

Prayer Point

Father, drench me with new anointing, and remove every hindrance to its flow in my life in Jesus' name.

DIVINE ALTERNATIVE – Friday April 1st 2016

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 03:42 PM PDT

DIVINE ALTERNATIVE

Memorise: And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the

kingdom of Israelfrom thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 1^st Samuel 15:28

Read: Acts 1:15-26, ¹⁵And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

¹⁶Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

¹⁷For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

¹⁸Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

¹⁹And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

²¹Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

²²Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

²³And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

²⁴And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

²⁵That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

²⁶And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Bible in one year: 1^st Samuel 3-5, Proverbs 3:13-27

Many people do not know that God has alternatives for all His plans. This is why they behave as if God exists at their mercy. Such people cannot be more wrong in their perception of the Almighty God. The truth is that God cannot be held to ransom on any issue or event. This is why He always provides alternatives that are more often better than the original plan. Our memory verse for today confirms this, as we read about how God saw David as a better alternative to the first king of Israel, Saul. When a child of God becomes swollen-headed and he begins to disobey God in matters that seem very little like tithing and offering, first fruits and soul winning, he or she is on the way to being replaced. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that you will not be replaced in the scheme of divine projects in Jesus' name.

In the Bible reading for today, there is a great revelation of God's foreknowledge of all things and how this attribute makes Him provide alternatives beforehand. The replacement of Judas Iscariot was predicted by the mouth of King David who was also a prophet in his right. The implication of this revelation is that before Judas Iscariot chose to be a betrayer which in turn disqualified him among the twelve, God had planned an alternative for him! Another lesson we can learn from this as children of God is that whenever a way seems blocked, God has more than a thousand alternative ways to replace the blocked one. The Bible says:

"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."

Romans 8:28

Beloved, learning from the story of King Saul and Judas Iscariot, we must be very careful about the way we lead our lives, so that what happened to them does not repeat itself in our lives, 1^stCorinthians 10:6 says;

"Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted."

As I was growing up in my father's house, I leant to be obedient through the experience of my elder brother with our disciplinarian father. My elder brother was a very strong young man with a good physique, strength and wresting prowess. Only a few young men among his contemporaries could dare challenge him to a fight. However, the day our father disciplined my elder brother and this so called 'hero' cried like a baby, I decided never to do anything that would make our father think of punishing me. God has alternatives to any child of His that is not law-abiding. Let us therefore beware of doing things that will make God replace us with someone else.

Prayer Point

Father, help me never to do that which will make You replace me in Your Kingdom.

“LORD JESUS” A MERE SLOGAN? – Thursday March 31st 2016

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 03:41 PM PDT

"LORD JESUS" A MERE SLOGAN?

Memorise: Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall

enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

Read: Luke 6:43-46, ⁴³For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

⁴⁴For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

⁴⁵A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

⁴⁶And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Bible in one year: 1^st Samuel 2, Proverbs 2:12-3:12

There are those who know God and there are those who claim to know Him, but do not submit to His Lordship. They come to the presence of God, but their sins do not allow His glory to rub off on them. They are religious in nature and partake in every ritual of the church but it is only for the benefits of being seen as members of the community of saints. They depend on their own righteousness and not the grace of God. They read the scriptures but the scriptures do not reflect in the way they live. They understand all the letters of the commandments but there is no life in their spirit. Their hypocritical nature draws people away from Christ. Do you know God, or you are only claiming to know Him? Is your life in harmony with the message you preach? It is the conduct of your life that will be used in justifying whether you know Him or not. As a tree in the vineyard of God, are you producing good fruits or bad fruits. Is your life a good example whose life does not conform to the requirements of the master cannot enter into the kingdom of God. When you hear the Word of God, do you obey it? Are you motivated by the love to obey Him? One cannot claim to love Jesus and not be willing to abide by His standards. There is no other foundation upon which one's life can be fruitful eternally outside Jesus. It is not enough to know what is in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation; what is required of us is to live by the Truth in His Word.

The people who are blessed are those who do not have a life style of sin, because true joy comes from doing the will of God. You are to be defined by your desire to do that which is pleasing to God at all times. Your mind should be focused always on godly things. Let Jesus be your source of life so that you can truly live. The faith of a child of God is continually nourished by the Word of God. When you hear the Word of God, it should produce faith in you, and faith should compel you to do what is acceptable before Him. For those who know Him as Lord Jesus, they are blessed. If He is your Lord, there is no room for pride and arrogance in your life. You must empty yourself of self-reliance and submit to His Lordship. The one that is humble will always look to Jesus and place all of his inadequacies before the Cross. Your nature as a Christian who is under the ruler-ship of Jesus must change for good; the focus is no longer on self. If Jesus is Lord over your life, you cannot seek the downfall of others. There will be no room in your heart for evil motives because your heart now reflects the pure nature of God. No room for hypocrisy.

"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart."

Psalm 15:1-2

Your heart should produce a holy life and be focused only on God. Apostle Paul said "that I may know Him" (Philippians 3:10). Is He your Lord or 'Lord Jesus' is a mere slogan to you?

Key Point

If He is your Lord, you will do His will.

THE FAITH OF A CHILD – Wednesday March 30th 2016

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 03:37 PM PDT

THE FAITH OF A CHILD

Memorise: And said, verily I say unto you, excerpt ye be

converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God. Mathew 18:3

Read: Matthew 18:1-4, 18 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

²And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

³And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

⁴Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Bible in one year: 1^st Samuel 1, Proverbs 2:20-3:12

One of the greatest lessons to learn from little children is that they don't worry about anything. This is the way God expects us to relate with Him; relaxing and putting all matters in His care, knowing that it will always end up in our best interest. Nothing good can be achieved when we trust only in ourselves, because every step we take will always lead to one mistake or another. Your faith in God must be real. A father will promise his son an aeroplane even though the man does not own a bicycle, yet the child believes, because his father said so. As a child of the Almighty God, you should humbly come before Jesus, surrendering all your desires and worries to Him. With this attitude, you will always leave His presence with a confirmation that all your requests are granted. Real faith goes beyond the natural to a point in which those things that seemed impossible become possible. Faith causes events contrary to natural laws to take place. Faith is required to move the immovable and to reverse the irreversible.

When you go into the presence of God, focus on Him and worship Him. He will wipe your tears and remove all forms of worries, sorrows and problems from your life. Seek the face of God concerning anything He wants you to do. As you release your faith and follow God as a child who trusts the instructions of his father, you will be amazed at the wonderful things that will begin to manifest in your life. Sometimes when I go before God with the aim of presenting my requests, He asks me to do something sacrificial myself. At a moment in the history of RCCG, when we were not growing the way I wanted, I decided to seek the face of God by engaging in some spiritual exercises. Suddenly the Lord asked me what I would give to Him, I responded by saying that I was ready to give anything in order to see the kind of Church I was praying for. Then, He told me to sow my Pajero jeep which was as good as a private jet to me at that time. I loved my Pajero so much because it was one car that never gave me problems, but the Lord asked me to sow it into another ministry and I obeyed. The day the representative of that ministry came to pick it up, my driver wept; but that was the beginning of a turning point in my ministry. It was really painful to give out the car, but the pain could not be compared to the joy that I eventually had, simply because I believed in God's faithfulness.

Faith in God is very vital to our walk as Christians. It is an expression of our confidence in God and on His promises. Nothing ever works without faith. Repentance is impossible without faith. The prodigal son had faith in his father, knowing that the worst that could happen was that he would be made a servant. Through his act of faith and his going before his father in true repentance, his sonship was restored. Do you think you have missed it beyond repairs? Have faith in God. Do you think that opportunity will never come again? Have faith in God.

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith"

1^st John 5:4

Key Point

Nothing works without faith.