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

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


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, 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let 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.
17 And 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: 1st 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, 15 And 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.
16 And 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.
17 And 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: 1st 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, 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They 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: 1st 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 (1st 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. 1st Samuel 15:28
Read: Acts 1:15-26, 15 And 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,)
16 Men 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.
17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 Now 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.
19 And 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.
20 For 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.
21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning 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.
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Bible in one year: 1st 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, 1stCorinthians 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, 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A 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.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

 Bible in one year: 1st 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?
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Bible in one year: 1st 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"
1st John 5:4
Key Point

Nothing works without faith.
Share:

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

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


LOSING FOCUS? – Tuesday March 29th 2016

Posted: 28 Mar 2016 06:05 PM PDT

LOSING FOCUS? 
Memorise: The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Luke 12:23
Read; Matthew 16:25-26, 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Bible in one year: Ruth 1-4, Proverbs 2:1-19
What many believers have failed to realise is that only God knows all our needs and only God can meet all our needs. Sometimes we think we know what is good for us, but time and time again, I have discovered that you cannot have something better than what God has in store for you. We have been given dominion over material needs; therefore the rush for them is uncalled for.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all those things shall be added unto you"
Matthew 6:33
It is the instruction of our Lord and master of think beyond worldly treasures. They are never worth our focus; they are mere additions to the blessings of God in our lives. If you serve God faithfully, He will reward you in return. It is better to stick with Jesus and be a partaker of His blessing than to go after the ephemeral things of this world. It will surprise you to know the strange kinds of satanic covenants people go into to have a few years of access to some material possessions without minding the consequences. The easiest way to have all these things is not to run after them but after Jesus.
Anything we value more than Jesus is a worldly treasure. Such treasures could be popularity, wealth, power, houses, educational certificates, cloths, food, jewelleries etc. Those are things many people find difficult to part with. We want to keep money we will not spend. We want to get to a position, not for the purpose of making life good for other people, but for our own selfish motives. It is important to realise that it is the Almighty God that can give you wealth without adding sorrow. God is the source of all good things, and if you want these things to last in your hands, you have to put Jesus over and above them all. Give yourself up in total surrender to the Almighty God and begin to store up treasures for yourself in heaven where thieves and robbers will not have access to them. There are cases of people who have stored up treasures for themselves in this world and death came suddenly. There are people who are so wealthy but are suffering from one sickness or the other and so they cannot enjoy their wealth. That will not be your portion in Jesus' name. Trust God and take your attention off those treasures. Nothing in this world is good enough to replace God in your life. Don't bother how your needs will be met. We are of great importance to the Almighty God. He has made us His ambassadors on earth. He dwells in us and He carries out His mission through us, He is more committed to meeting our needs that we can ever imagine. Let nothing distract or divert your attention from God. Focus on Him to meet all the needs of your life. If you serve God faithfully, what to eat, what to wear, the car to drive, the house to live, will not even be a prayer point because He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.     
Prayer point

Father, please help me to treasure you above material possessions.
Share:

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

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


YOUR KEY TO FREEDOM – Monday March 28th 2016

Posted: 21 Mar 2016 02:14 PM PDT

 YOUR KEY TO FREEDOM 
Memorise: And Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

Read: John 3:16-18, 15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Bible in year: Judges 20-21, Proverbs 1:20-33
The Old Testament law was not sufficient to make people flawless before God. So since no man could be
adequately justified by the provision of the law, Jesus had to intervene through His blood to set man free from the law of sin and death. This is why as true disciples; obedience to the truth of God is the only way to liberty. The truth of God's Word sets one free without any form of condemnation. No legal system or religious doctrine can ever bring true and complete freedom to people. Freedom comes only through the truth and grace in God's Word. Freedom comes to those who are able to see the truth in God's Word. You can't come into the revelation of God's Word and remain the same. The moment you have access to the Truth, bondage is automatically a stranger to your life. There are many people going to Church, but are still in bondage because they have not got access to the Truth. Lack of access to the Truth puts you in the same level with those who do not know God.
 When things were no longer going on well for the prodigal son after wasting all the opportunities he had been given, the scriptures says "….he came to himself" (Luke 15:17). He had to come to knowledge of the Truth by saying "enough is enough; I should not continue to be foolish by allowing rebellion to destroy my life further". He realised that it is foolishness to continue in self-government. Have things been so bad that you have been moving in a circle? Maybe you need to take a break and ask "why am I going through this?" don't be deceived into believing that God is the cause of your predicament. I have noticed this insincerity on the part of many believers. The prodigal son was sincere. He sat himself down and reasoned. He compared where he was when he had a relationship with his father to where he was when he had a relationship with his father to where he had reached after he attained a pre-mature independence. Even servants in his father's house were living like kings. I sometimes wonder when people who come to our programmes for the first time, return with multiple blessings from the Almighty God and some of those who are regular attendees have no testimonies.
"I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth."
Ecclesiastes 10:7
It is important to tell yourself the truth and refuse to believe the lies of the enemy. It is time to put an end to a life of falsehood. You cannot serve God in spirit and in truth and still live in stagnation. Do not believe the lies of the devils that says without cheating you cannot be successful. Don't believe that without engaging in fraud, you cannot be wealthy. Don't believe that without pulling down others you cannot rise. Don't believe that without sleeping around you cannot win the contract. Don't believe that without examination malpractices you cannot gain admission. You need to ask for the grace to be true to yourself. It is the truth you know that will set you free. Jesus is the Truth. Do you know Jesus or you only claim to know Him?
Prayer Point
Father, deliver me from the spirit of insincerity


SIN AGAINST THE BODY – Sunday March 27th 2016

Posted: 21 Mar 2016 02:13 PM PDT

SIN AGAINST THE BODY 
Memorise: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he
that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own body. 1stCorinthians 6:18
Read: 1st Corinthians 6:15-20, 15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Bible in one year: Judges 18-19, Proverbs 1:1-19
The scripture tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Almighty God. This is to let us know how important our body is to the Almighty God. He dwells in it. Can you imagine that divinity
lives inside of you? As Christians, our bodies are the extension of Christ in this world. This is why we are being admonished not to conform to this world. The moment a person begins to sin against his body through fornication, that person is already doomed for destruction because you are taking the body of Christ and laying it with a harlot. All sins are against the Almighty God. Some sins are against those around us when we engage in certain acts, but the sin of fornication is destruction against one's own body.
Your body is a tool entrusted into your hands by the Almighty God and everyone will give account of what they do with their body. You will be answerable to all the damages against your body because the body does not belong to you; it was only entrusted to your care by God. The moment a person gives his life to Christ, Jesus Christ becomes the owner and Lord of your life. Every part of your body becomes a tool in His hand. Your eyes, hands, legs, tongue, nose and every organ of your body becomes His. You can no longer sin with your body; you can no longer walk in the company of the ungodly. You can no longer taste alcohol, Indian hemp, smoke cigarettes, cocaine etc. Your hands become clean and for His glory alone. You are no longer the owner of your body. You are only the owner of something that you created. You did not create your body.
"And the lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man become a living souls."
Genesis 2:7
Fornication is a very terrible sin because it is a total abuse of the temple of the Almighty God. Anyone that destroys the temple of the Almighty God will see the wrath of God! The consequence is always disastrous on the part of the person abusing the temple of God.
There are different kinds of teachers today who trivialise some things that God has a great disgust for. You cannot play with fire and not have your fingers burnt. Are you the leader of a group and you are abusing the bodies of those God has put in your care? Are you an executive in the fellowship and you are sleeping around with the sisters in the name of 'brotherly love'? Are you single but becoming so impatient that you have started doing what exclusively reserved for married people? You are looking for the 'consuming fire' side of God and you can be sure you will not be able to withstand the consequences. I want you to make up your mind this moment that enough is enough on every unholy relationship and affair. If you don't want your destiny to be truncated by sin, you must FLEE from every appearance of evil.
Prayer Point
Father, please help me to honour You daily with my body. 




BEWARE OF THE TRIPARTITE SINS – Saturday March 26th 2016

Posted: 21 Mar 2016 02:12 PM PDT

BEWARE OF THE TRIPARTITE SINS 
Memorise: Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:15
Read: 1st John 2:15-17, 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.


Bible in one year; Judges 15:17, Job 42:10-17
Christians are not to attach themselves to this world. When you get consumed with the affairs of this life you are distracted from keeping your mind on the things of God.
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God"
Romans 12:2
Satan and his agents are trying to deceive people, to see the things of this world as desirable. We must not give room for the evil values and morals that have been embraced by those who have given their hearts to the devil. The devil always wants to prove a point
against God. He is always devising ways by which men will focus on themselves and the material possessions of this world. Is your mind occupied with the material things of this world? Are you a victim of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life? These three are tripartite sins which we must not give in to. All that the world system contains is built around these three categories of sin.
The lust of the flesh refers to those things we crave for with the intent of satisfying our fleshy desires. They could be the pursuit of food and other things that give the flesh a good feeling. We must not forget the encounter Jesus had with the devil after fasting for 40 days. The first test is the test of food. There are many people who are serving God today only because of their stomachs. Are you one of them?
The lust of the eyes refers to those activities that make men follow after things that look appealing to the eyes. The experience of David with Bathsheba is a good example of the lust of the eyes. The moment he set his eyes on her, he could not resist the temptation, until he fell for it and lost his kingdom. Today there are many things people do because they want to satisfy the lust of the eyes. The moment they see that someone's house or car is better than theirs, they do all manner of things to get it. They are never grateful for what they have, but rather they chase after flashy things. Are you in this category? I pray he will not succeed over you in Jesus' name.
The pride of life refers to those things you do in order to make a point about how important you are in the society. It is the accumulation of things not just because you need them, but to engage in a show of self-worth and superiority. This has become the norm today even among believers. They boast about their names, degrees and background. A son of mine once said that if you remove God from his life, all that will be left will be carcass. I replied him by saying, "you even still have carcass left, if you remove God from Adeboye, there will be nothing left". This is why I cannot allow anything people call achievement to enter into my head, because I know that He is the one behind all. This is why the youths in RCCG have developed a chant: WHO DID IT? And the congregation responds by saying; JESUS! OH MY GOD, WOW!
Prayer Point

Father, please help me not to be a victim of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.

THE ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER – Friday March 25th 2016

Posted: 21 Mar 2016 02:10 PM PDT

THE ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER 
Memorise: My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not, And if any
man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1st John 2:1
Read: Hebrew 12:22-26, Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
Bible in one year: Judges 12-14, Job 42:1-9
At the point of the counsel in our memory verse for today, John had gained enough experience as an elder and a counsellor, that he could counsel new converts that one sin does not have to lead to another, and a feeling of guilt should actually birth the fruit of repentance rather than a surrender to a life of sin and perpetual guilt. There are many people who in times of trials and weaknesses commit sin against God, like the wife of job who advise her husband to curse God. The words of John warn all Christians against the possibility of allowing sin become habitual in our relationship with God.

The fact that you sinned yesterday does not mean that you have been completely rejected by God. In fact, that you are still alive means that Jesus is currently pleading your case with God, to give you a chance to change your ways as He sets you up with messages that will speak to your conscience and save you from imminent destruction. I pray that you will change your ways immediately, because you never can tell when God will run out of patience waiting for you to change (1stSamuel 16:1)

The Holy Spirit has been given to us to inspire us into all truth. Jesus is our Advocate who stands between us
and the Father, and speaks in our favour in the heavenly realm, so that we can receive help with our problems of sin. He is the One who pleads our case every night and day, and blots out the handwritings of the devil our lives. He works in close communion with the Father so that there is no barrier when we want to access the throne of grace. Jesus, as the Advocate, is the One who atones for our sins and reconciles us back to the Father through His precious blood that was shed on the Cross of Calvary. Through the role of Jesus as our advocate, we can come back to the Father and experience the peace we lost through sin.

The reassurance of our salvation comes from knowing that we have an Advocate in Heaven, no by affirming that we have no sin. Our relationship with God is assured as we keep His commandments daily and remain friends with Jesus our Advocate. The truth is that our righteousness is as a filthy rag to the Father. Our perfection is of Jesus, there is therefore the need to rely meekly upon His grace to make us perfect by His love. The self-made religious traditions of men and our works alone cannot guarantee our perfection. You are a child of God basically because you believe in your heart that Jesus died for you and you have given your life in obedience to the instructions of God and not the self-imposed dictates of man.
Prayer point

Father, please let me be justified through Your grace.

THE PURE IN HEART – Thursday March 24th 2016

Posted: 21 Mar 2016 02:09 PM PDT

THE PURE IN HEART 
Memorise: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

Read: Psalm 24:3-6, Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

Bible in one year: Judges 10-11, Job 41:18-34
There are certain encounters in the journey of an individual which birth a lifestyle of holiness in the
individual. This is why we should always pray to God to encounter a touch of His glory. When Jesus was addressing His followers on the mountain, He taught them among other things the necessity of having a pure heart. Purity of the heart, as far as God is concerned, is a basic requirement in achieving and maintaining an uninterrupted fellowship with God. This is because the heart of man is the engine of his life. The heart, according to the Bible, should be guided diligently, because out of it are the issues of life.
The pure in heart refers to a heart that contains no other thing apart from God and His counsel. According to Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lonely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise think on these things."
The intents and contents of the human life go on in the heart so God is interested in the purity of our hearts. If the heart is pure, it will be reflected in the actions of a man. God wants our heart to be yielded to Him and not to the world or the pleasures in it. When the heart is pure, it will produce transparency in our dealings with other people. When our heart is pure, the motive behind our actions will not be evil spoken of and when they are misconstrued for something else; we will always have a good conscience towards God. A pure heart produces holy living.
"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for tree is known by his fruit."
Matthew 12:33
I want you to examine your heart, is it pure? Are your motives correct? Are you speaking the truth in that report? If your heart is revealed by the Almighty God towards your boss, will he find love there or hatred? Do you really know God or are you playing along because of the crowd?
There are lots of blessings attached to having a pure heart. When your heart is holy and pure, there will be no iota of fear and condemnation in you. You will have unlimited access to your Maker because there is no hindrance in you. Purity of heart will make your never lack the help of the Almighty God because He is interested in the cases of those whose hearts are pure and humble, He is committed to helping them Psalms  73:1, 2nd Chronicles 16:9). You need to nail all your affections to the cross and sin, both within and without. Let God rule over the affairs of your life so that there will be communion and unbroken fellowship with His presence.
Key Point

If God looks into your heart, what will He find?

LIVING IN THE SPIRIT – Wednesday March 23rd 2016

Posted: 21 Mar 2016 02:07 PM PDT

LIVING IN THE SPIRIT 
Memorise: if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

Read; Galatians 5:22-26, 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bible in one year: Judges 8:29-9:57, Job 41:5-17
When you are not living in the Spirit, you will suffer spiritual famine. You will become a victim of the works of the flesh such as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, heresies, envying etc. But when you allow your life to be directed by the Spirit, you will be able to express the fruits of the Spirit such as love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, meekness, patience, faith etc. Those who walk in the Spirit cannot make wrong decisions and even when they have decided to make a move, their moves will always lead to the right destinations, because they are guided by God. This is why it is important to allow God to speak to you so that you can hear His voice and find rest for your soul. When you live in the spirit, you will not grope around as someone in darkness. There are many people who have lost the energy required for the Christian race because they have allowed their hearts to be taken over by the mundane things of this world. Don't be a carnal Christian. A carnal Christian enjoys what the world can offer as long as it satisfies his ego. A carnal Christian is always a victim of sin because the body has not been trained to be disciplined. If you live in the Spirit, you will no longer complete with the world in fashion. If you are walking in the Spirit you will not be comfortable exposing your body to cause others to fall into lust. You must up your mind to break away from every act of carnality, so that the peace of God can rest on you.
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be"
Romans 8:7
Do not be consumed any longer with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of this life. Make up your mind to be ruled and governed by the spirit of God. Our hearts, deeds and the fruits we bear must be patterned to please God. One of the ways to ensure we live in the Spirit is to continue to fellowship with Him. Those who find it difficult to come to the presence of God and fellowship cannot experience the power of the Spirit. You are supposed to value the presence of God more than any other thing in life. You may be denied of every other thing but not the presence of God. Also, to grow in the Spirit we must create time for the study of the Word of God. Make the study of the Word of God important in your agenda. The moment you begin to have excuses for not attending fellowship and not studying God's Word, you can be sure that the devil is already causing you to experience spiritual famine, and at the end, there will be a manifestation of the flesh. Some who are no longer walking in the Spirit have given themselves over to the false doctrines blowing across the world. If you are in this category, you have to cry to God to help you so that you will not be a victim of heresy. The flesh is programmed to always yield to sin. Ask God to deliver you from the desires of your flesh so that you will no longer gratify its dictates. 
Prayer Point
Father, let not my flesh have dominion over me.


GROWING IN GRACE – Tuesday March 22nd 2016

Posted: 21 Mar 2016 02:06 PM PDT

GROWING IN GRACE 
Memorise: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. To him be glory both now and forever: Amen 2ndPeter 3:18
Read: Titus 2:15, 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Bible in one year: Judges 6:36-8:28, Job 40:15-41:4
It is the responsibility of every Christian to grow spiritually. It is not enough for us to allow our spiritual growth to be at the expense of the pastors, or the number of church programmes we attend. There is a need to be personally committed to your growth. The
capacity for growth is within the grace and knowledge which has been given to us by Jesus Christ. The fact that Jesus became a sacrifice for us is enough to motivate us to grow daily. The excruciating pain He went through on the cross for our salvation is an expression of the height of love which the Father has for us. Each time we put this in remembrance, it should condition us to do only those things which are pleasing and acceptable to God. Many people today have abused the grace of God; they have become so familiar with the ways and acts of God. The fact that we do not see fire fall like the days of old, or the fact that we do not see the manifestation of instant judgement like when the ground opened and swallowed those leaving in rebellion to God's authority, does not mean God has gone on vocation. It only means that many people have frustrated the grace of God in their lives and have totally stopped growing spiritually.

Believers must collectively ask for the spirit of prompt obedience to the instructions and commandments of God. There is great grace in the covenant and if you don't take the grace of God for granted, you will enjoy every provision accessible in it. The moment the grace of God leaves a person, it is disgrace that takes over. This we can confirm through the experience of King Saul and David.

Believers should not toy with sin because the devil is out searching for that one moment of carelessness. We need to always be on guard and use the grace of God to dislodge the devil and his agents. It is the grace of God that helps us to justify our calling as children of God. There is nothing unique about us, it only pleased the Almighty God to count us worthy to be vessels in His hands and this is what the devil is sad about. If not for the grace of God, many of us are not qualified to be saved by account of our past deeds, yet He chose to use us and bless us with great talents and abilities. May the grace of God over your life continue to abound in Jesus' name.

Let us always remember that we were not chosen because we were better, we were chosen because of the grace of God. You are a product of divine grace, therefore hold unto whatever He has promised you. You may be forgotten, but God in preparing
Prayer Point

Father, let Your grace be sufficient for me in Jesus' name.
Share:

Re:


I have been trying to reach you, did you get my message?

Share:

Christian books and Bibles

Popular Posts

copyright. Powered by Blogger.

Featured Post

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

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Messages, By Pastor E.A Adeboye. ATTRACTING GREATER LOVE – Saturday December 26t...

Translate

An Advert

Popular Posts

Recent Posts

Unordered List

  • Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
  • Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.
  • Vestibulum auctor dapibus neque.

Label Cloud

Sample Text

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation test link ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Pages

Theme Support

Need our help to upload or customize this blogger template? Contact me with details about the theme customization you need.