Open Heavens for today : Tuesday September 15th 2015

Topic:AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROW IMAGE? 

Key verse to Memorise: For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a door, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: James 1:23

Bible Text: James 1:22-25,

 ²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

²⁵ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Bible in one year: Exodus 33:34, Romans 15:14-33

The word of God is very central to our life as believers. In the very last admonition of Moses to the children of Israel, He said the word of God is their very life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47). For believers in Christ today, the word of God is also our life, because it is through it that we are born-again, as revealed in 1^st Peter 1:23:

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

After we are born-again, the word of God performs several functions in our life. One aspect of these functions which is rather interesting is that it works as our mirror. A mirror shows the reflection of the one using it. A man may hold an opinion of himself for a long period, but when he has the opportunity to look in a mirror, he will see himself as he is. In this age of flattery and political correctness, you may be shocked by the time you compare what you see in a mirror before you, to people’s assessment for your person. Why is this so? We live in a time when it has become very difficult for people to call a shade a shade. They prefer to tell you what you want to hear. They are prepared to flatter you and say those things that can keep them in your good books, particularly if they hope to curry your favour. If the friends you surround yourself with cannot point out your faults when you go wrong, change them. If you don’t, they will lead you astray.

Unlike men who will flatter you, the word of God tells you who or what you are without fear or favour. When you stand before the perfect law of liberty, you will see yourself exactly how God sees you. The word of God will reveal the stains in your garment of salvation and show you the wrinkles on your robe of righteousness. One reason why people avoid hearing, reading or studying the Bible is because they are afraid of seeing their true picture. They want to continue to live under self-deception. Some other people look at the mirror of God’s word, see their stains, dents and imperfections, and yet they refuse to do anything about it. This is the height of foolishness! If God’s word cannot correct you, what else can? The Bible in James 1:21 says:

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Receive God’s verdict about you in His word today, and stop trying to justify yourself. 

Action Point: Every time you look into the Bible and you see something amiss in your robe of righteousness, immediately correct it.

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Open Heavens for today: Monday September 14th 2015

Topic:THE RIGHT ROOT 

Key verse to Memorise: And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. Mark 4:17

Bible text: Mark 4:16-17:

 ¹⁶ And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

¹⁷ And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Bible in one year: Exodus 30:22-32:35, Romans 14:13-15:13

In a marathon, not everyone who starts the race reaches the finish line. Several people drop out of the race due to one reason or the other. In the same way, several people are dropping out of the race to meet Christ the Redeemer on the last day. The parable of the sower reveals some of the reasons why people will not get to the finish line of the Christian race. One of such reasons is not being rooted and grounded in the word of God. Jesus gives further insight into this in Mark 4:17

“And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”

The root of a tree is very important to its survival. If you cut down every part of most trees and leave the roots, the tree will spring up again. All the nourishment that sustains the fruits, leaves and branches of a tree are received through its roots. Also, it is the roots that hold the tree when the wind comes against it. If the roots are few or tiny, the tree will also be limited in its ability to feed and stay fixed; but if the roots are many, big and strong, the tree will feed well and endue. Note that every tree has roots whose size is directly proportional to the size of the tree. It is therefore the size of your root in Christ that will determine how big you will grow in His kingdom. A heavy wind blew one rainy day and it caused a big tree located by the roadside to fall. People marvelled that such a huge tree could be brought down by the wind, but after they looked closely, they discovered that the roots of this tree did not go deep enough into the ground, and so the bottom of the tree appeared flat. No wonder it fell!

In the Christian faith, the root refers to the foundation on which one’s faith in Jesus is established. If the foundation is bad, it will definitely affect the growth and stability of the tree. Any fruit produced will have problems if the root is not the right size or does not go deep enough. Many believers who bungled their trip to Heaven had a bad foundation in Christ. Either their roots were developed wrongly, or their roots did not go deep enough. This is why care should be taken to groom young converts very well through the teaching of the word. They should be exposed to the sincere, undiluted milk of the word (1^st Peter 2:2). What is the state of your foundation in Christ? Do you have big, Strong roots that can give you stability until the race ends?    

Prayer Point :Father, give me the right roots that will make me grow into a gigantic tree in your kingdom.

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Open Heavens for today :Sunday September 13th 2015

Topic: HE GRAFTS IN

Key verse to Memorise: Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Romans 11:19

Bible Readind:Romans 11:16-20:

¹⁶ For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

¹⁸ Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

¹⁹ Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

²⁰ Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Bible in one year: Exodus 29:1-30:21, Romans 13:8-14:12

Grafting is an agricultural technique used for propagating fruit trees. It involves cutting a section of the stem of one tree and inserting it into the stock of another tree. A part of the tree providing the stock must be cut off before grafting can take place. The technique is used in order to make fruit trees reproduce true to type. Today’s Bible reading describes our entry into the family of God as a form of this process. The Almighty God has the power to reverse the irreversible. In the process of doing this, He can disconnect a person in order to connect another. Romans 11:17 says that God can take a branch from a wild olive tree and graft it into a good olive tree, so that instead of the wild branch producing bitter fruit, it will deliver good fruit. Are you living recklessly and on your way to Hell? As you repent of your sins today and turn your life over to Jesus, God will graft you into the Body of Christ, so that your future that was suppose to end in bitterness will end in sweetness.

The children of Israel were beneficiaries of grafting as an act of God. Seven powerful nations had inhabited the Promised Land for several years before God chose that portion of the earth for His children (Deuteronomy 7:1). He decided to cut off those nations and bring in His Children. This season, the Lord will displace the current movers and shakers of the most productive sectors of the world, in order to make room for you in Jesus’ Name.

Another beneficiary of God’s grafting was Esther. She was an orphan who became a slave when soldiers raided her city and took her captive (Esther 2:5-7). She knew sorrow and was meant to die a slave, but God went into her future and said, “Yon shall not die a slave but a queen”. For this to take place, God used Queen Vashti’s mistake to cut her off, so that the slave girl could be grafted in as queen. Are you a slave or a house-help, wondering if you will die in that present condition? The Lord who did it for Esther will go into your future and effect the necessary changes to make you a noteworthy person. Are people expecting your life to end in misery? No, my God will not let it happen! Your tomorrow shall be alright. You shall have the type of experience Esther had, and your end shall be honourable like that of Jabez (1^st Chronicles 4:9-10). You shall end well. Are you empty now? You shall end full. God will disappoint all the expectations of your enemies in Jesus’ Name.       

Prayer Point:Father, as I submit myself to You, graft me into greatness today.

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Open Heavens for today: Saturday September 12th 2015

Topic YOUR DESTINY IS UNSTOPPABLE 

Key Verse to Memorise: Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Romans 9:19

Bible Text: Jeremiah 1:4-7, ⁴ Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

⁵ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

⁶ Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

⁷ But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

 Bible in one year: Exodus 27-28, Romans 12:9-13:7

If God has a destination for you, your present situation cannot stop Him. The circumstances of life surrounding young Esther as a slave girl did not stop her from becoming queen of a very powerful kingdom. In the Name of Jesus Christ, your present circumstances shall not stop you from arriving at your God-appointed destiny! Similarly, concerning where God is taking you, your past does not matter. 2^nd Corinthians 5:17 says if you are in Christ, old things are passed away and everything has become new. For this reason, God commands you thus in Isaiah 43:18:

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.”

If you are sure of your salvation in Christ, whatever was in your past that the enemy wants to use in hindering your destiny will receive a divine touch. Everything in your past that can destroy your present and future, especially as relates to your destiny, shall be completely arrested by God today. From today, the mercy of God will go ahead of you, and your past shall no longer hinder you. Every accusing finger pointing at you shall stop in Jesus’ Name. The Lord says this to you in Romans 8:1:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Moreover, another vital information you should have is that God is the One who decides destinies. He told Jeremiah: “I have determined what you would be, long before I formed you and put you in your mother’s womb. While you were still in your mother’s womb, I ordained you to be a prophet to nations.” Long before you were born, God had already decided what you will be. He did not consult with your parents before taking His decisions about your destiny. If He did, they could have disqualified you. “Witches and wizards from your village” did not know what was going on at that time. They were not there when God was planning your life, hence they can’t stop you. In His mind, God has decided the following concerning you: it shall be well with you, you shall live to glorify His Name, you shall not die prematurely, you shall fulfil your destiny, and many more. Every good thing that the Lord has decided concerning you shall be established! Every destiny destroyer sent to hinder you shall fail and fall. Your tomorrow shall be far greater than your today. Every force that tries to hinder you shall be destroyed by the fire of the Holy Ghost in Jesus’ Name. 

    

Prayer Point: Father, paralyse every gang up of the enemy that wants to stop the good things You have started in my life.

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