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

BELATED OFFERING? – Monday April 25th 2016
IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS? - Sunday April 24th 2016
UNGODLY SORROW – Saturday April 23rd 2016
GODLY SORROW? – Friday April 22nd 2016
DENYING JESUS? – Thursday April 21st 2016
A BETRAYER? – Wednesday April 20th 2016
IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME – Tuesday April 19th 2016

BELATED OFFERING? – Monday April 25th 2016

Posted: 17 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT

BELATED OFFERING?

Memorise: Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came

unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. Luke 24:1

Read: Luke 24:1-8, 24 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

²And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

³And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

⁵And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

⁶He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

⁷Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

⁸And they remembered his words,

Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 2:13-3:28, Proverbs 15:11-24

MESSAGE

Some offerings are acceptable while some are not; some offerings are given at the right time while some are belatedly offered. On the morning of the resurrection, some people brought spices to the sepulchre of Jesus, meanwhile, a few days to His crucifixion, a woman anointed Jesus Christ's feet with expensive ointment. This woman's kind gesture was just in time.

"When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but we ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial."

Matthew 26:10-12

Incidentally, when Jesus Christ died, no one was there to perform the customary anointing before burial for Him. It was in lieu of this that certain disciples came to the resurrection morning that they may anoint Jesus in arrears. However, He had resurrected!

Beloved, there are many lessons to be learnt from this resurrection story; whenever the Holy Spirit asks you to do something, no matter how illogical it may sound, do it immediately. The reason is that if you do it later, it will be a belated offering or service. The disciples who came to anoint Jesus went back with their perfume because the Master was no longer in the grave. James, an apostle of Jesus Christ wrote:

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be nakedm and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit."

James 2:14-16

If I may answer the apostle; there can be no profit whatsoever. There could, however, be a loss of that person in need, and it may be a physical or spiritual loss as the fellow may die of hunger or backslide. In this same vein, whenever the Holy Spirit asks you to do something and doing that thing attracts criticisms from men, be undeterred, go ahead and do exactly as you were told. Your critics will soon realise that they were wrong to have criticised you. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us, and may we continue to obey Him as we journey from the world to our eternal home above.

Action Point

Listen to the Holy Spirit and do all that He asks you to do immediately.

IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS? - Sunday April 24th 2016

Posted: 17 Apr 2016 08:15 AM PDT

IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS?

Memorise: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the

fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:10

Read: John 19:38-42; ³⁸And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

³⁹And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

⁴⁰Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

⁴¹Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

⁴²There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

Bible in one year; 1^st Kings 1:1-2:12, Proverbs 4:32-15:10

MESSAGE

From the beginning of the New Testament Church, identifying with Jesus takes dogged determination. Jesus Himself said it in Mark 8:34;

"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

In the above passage, Jesus Christ demands total commitment from His followers. Whoever will not totally put himself under the Lordship of Christ does not belong to him. John 8:31-32 says:

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continued in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

Identifying with Jesus is identifying with the Word from above. In the Bible reading for today, we read about two secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus who came forward to claim the body of Jesus for burial. This is noteworthy, because it must have taken very important personalities to go to the governor to demand the body of a 'condemned criminal'. On the other hand, it must have taken someone who did not only love the so-called criminal but also believed in his innocence, to go through the trouble of asking for Christ's body and burying it.

Identifying with Jesus has to do with believing and living by His ideals. Many so-called born-again Christians have become so nominal that the Word of God is of no effect to their lives any more. Some pastors have tuned the Christian faith to a mere vocation. One wonders whether they mean to go to the same heaven that apostles like Paul worked hard for. Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples:

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

John 15:18-19

Therefore beloved, let us take the yoke of Jesus Christ upon ourselves with all seriousness and steadfastness. We will all make it to heaven in Jesus' name.

Action Point

Decide to follow Jesus all the way in spite of the hospitality of the World around you.

UNGODLY SORROW – Saturday April 23rd 2016

Posted: 17 Apr 2016 08:13 AM PDT

UNGODLY SORROW

Memorise: And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and

went and hanged himself. Luke 27:5

Read: Matthew 27:3-8, ³Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

⁴Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

⁵And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

⁶And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

⁷And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

⁸Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 23-24, Proverbs 14:18-31

MESSAGE

The type of sorrow that Judas Iscariot experienced is undesirable. I pray that you will not experience such a sorrow in your life in Jesus' name. We need to know why the sorrow that Peter experienced is seen as godly and why that of Judas Iscariot perceived as ungodly.

When a man thinks he can outsmart his creator, the results is usually ghastly, and it is only when that person has godly sorrow for his acts that he can be saved. Greed and materialistic tendencies can make a man think he can outsmart God. It is unfortunate that some so-called Christians are not spared for his monster called greed (or the love of material things.) The Bible says:

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.

1^stTimothy 6:6-8

Judas Iscariot thought he could swindle the Jewish leaders by betraying Jesus, he thought Jesus could not be arrested because he had, before then, witnessed Him escaping from the hands of the Jews. However, he didn't know that Christ escaped then because His time was not yet up.

"And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city as built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way."

Luke 4:28-30

With the background knowledge of what Christ could do, he felt that once he had collected the money and showed them who He is, Christ would disappear and life would continue as usual. To his surprise, Christ surrendered Himself. The type of sorrow he had does not lead to repentance; rather, it leads to despair, frustration, and eventually suicide as seen in today's memory verse.

Beloved, let us fear the Lord and abstain from all forms of greed and the love of money. These things drown men in destruction and perdition.

Prayer Point

Father, please don't let the love of money drown me in Jesus name.

GODLY SORROW? – Friday April 22nd 2016

Posted: 17 Apr 2016 08:10 AM PDT

GODLY SORROW?

Memorise: For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:

but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2^nd Corinthians 7:10

Read: Luke 22:60-62, ⁶⁰And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

⁶¹And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

⁶²And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 21-22, Proverbs 14:4-17

MESSAGE

When Peter realized that he did not fulfil his promise to not deny Jesus Christ, the Bible says: "…he went out, and wept bitterly" (Matthew 26:75). This is what we call godly sorrow and it has its blessings.

When an individual is confronted with the reality of his sinful life and the certainty of hell, if he is not a reprobate, he will mourn of his woes. The best way to mourn for one's sin is to confess and forsake them.

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have merchy. Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief."

Proverbs 28:13-14

In our Bible reading for today, the Pharisee went to the temple, only to begin to eulogise himself about all his good deeds. The Publican, on the other hand, smote his heart and mourned for his sins. Some of us have been so self-conceited for too long a time that we have piled-up sins that are now standing in our ways to spiritual revival.

The Bible says:

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

Luke 18:14-14

Beloved of the Lord, let us examine ourselves and see where we are falling short of God's grace for living holy. Let us repent genuinely, and come back to our first love. I pray that the Lord will revive you today in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, I need a revival of holiness, please revive me again.

DENYING JESUS? – Thursday April 21st 2016

Posted: 17 Apr 2016 08:08 AM PDT

DENYING JESUS?

Memorise: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor

standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalms 1:1

Read: Luke 22:54-60, ⁵⁴Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

⁵⁵And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

⁵⁶But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.

⁵⁷And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.

⁵⁸And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.

⁵⁹And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.

⁶⁰And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 19:16-20:26, Proverbs 13:15-14:3

MESSAGE

The company you keep determines who you are, what you do, and how you respond to situations in life. The story was told of a sparrow that got trapped together with ravens that were caught devouring a grain farmland. He pleaded with the farmer who owned the trap to release him. "Why should I release you", the farmer asked. "Because I am not a raven but a sparrow that cannot devour your farm" the sparrow replied. "How come you were caught with the ravens?", "I was only trying to enjoy their company" the raven replied. "So, you are being judged because of the company you were in" the farmer concluded.

The story in our Bible reading of today is pathetic. Many things could have been responsible for Peter's denial of Jesus, however, let us look at some probable factors. Firstly; the Bible says when they brought Jesus into the high priest's house; Peter followed Him, but afar off. It is dangerous to follow Jesus afar off. Moreover, because it was cold, Peter moved into the hall and sat down with those that were enjoying the warmth of the fire that was set. It is unfortunate today that some so-called believers are enjoying the fire or the warmth of sin in the bosom of strange men and women.

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful"

Psalms 1:1

Peter, forgetting that he had the identity of a Galilean, sat in the midst of the residents of Jerusalem and his identity was found out. Many pretend as if they are not Christians, they easily conform to the comfort zones of this world. Whereas, the Bible says:

"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 12:3

Peter did not notice that his location was not good enough for him to maintain his obligation of discipleship to Jesus Christ. And when he was confronted about being a disciple of Jesus, he denied it to the point of swearing.

Beloved, let us learn from Peter's mistakes, following Jesus from afar off is very dangerous to our spiritual life. We must not patronise spiritual unhealthy zones, no matter how attractive the place may be. We will be judged by the company we keep.

Prayer Point

Father, please help me never to deny you however tough the trial may be.

A BETRAYER? – Wednesday April 20th 2016

Posted: 17 Apr 2016 08:06 AM PDT

A BETRAYER?

Memorise: But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

Luke 22:21

Read: Luke 22:19-23, ¹⁹And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

²⁰Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

²¹But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

²²And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

²³And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

Bible in one year; 2^nd Samuel 18:1-19:15, Proverbs 13:1-14

MESSAGE

A betrayer is a covenant breaker and there is danger in being a covenant breaker (Romans 1:31). A betrayer is someone who knows the secret of the strong and / or the weak point of an individual through an intimate relationship and leaks example of a betrayer is Judas Iscariot. Reading the story of the betrayal of Jesus Christ will teach us many lessons. Firstly, the fact that someone is close to you does not mean he or she cannot betray you. As a matter of fact, it is the causal acquaintance be guilty of betrayal because there is hardly any secret to divulge. Secondly, a betrayal is a killer, betrayal is murderous.

"Yet stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers."

Acts 7:51-52

The Bible describes a betrayer as someone who reveals secrets (Proverbs 11:13). Proverbs 26:22 says

"The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost part of the belly."

Betrayal is not a Christian virtue. Before the Almighty God, it attracts a "capital punishment" as it is written:

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!"

Matthew 18:6-7

Beloved of God, let us not be caught-up with the spirit of the end-time as predicted by apostle Paul in his writings about the characteristics of the perilous times, when there will be blasphemers, boasters, trucebreakers, false accusers, despisers of godliness, traitors, and lovers of pleasures than lovers of God. I pray that as many as have been caught in these deadly habits shall be delivered today in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, deliver me from the spirit of betrayal; don't let me end up like Judas Iscariot in Jesus' name.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME – Tuesday April 19th 2016

Posted: 17 Apr 2016 08:03 AM PDT

IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME

Memorise: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my

body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 1^st Corinthians 11:24

Read: 1^st Corinthians 11:23-29, ²³For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

²⁴And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

²⁵After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

²⁶For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

²⁷Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

²⁸But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

²⁹For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 16:17, Proverbs 12:15-28

MESSAGE

There is one significant and fundamental reason (among other important reasons) why the Holy Communion (The Lord's Supper) was inaugurated by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us, shedding His blood to atone for our sins because it is written, "…and without shedding of blood there is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22). Consequently, when Jesus Christ said we should observe the Holy Communion often in remembrance of Him, but it takes a deep level of wisdom to understand and remember what He went through for our redemption. One important thing to note here is that Jesus Christ knew what He would go through to die for His friends. Having died for us, He surely doesn't want His gesture of love to be forgotten by the people He did it for. We unfortunately often forget the passion of our Lord, which led to His ignoble death. This is why we do things that, by implication, necessitate our Lord's going back to the cross frequently.

"If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

Hebrews 6:6

Most people backslide because of their loss of memory about the agony of the death that the Saviour suffered in order to procure salvation for us. The Bible says:

"If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained."

1^st Timothy 4:6

What should we put ourselves in remembrance of? Paul, the apostle wrote.

"Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the death according to my gospel: it is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us."#

2^nd Timothy 2:8. 11-12

In an ideal situation, communion should be taken as frequently as possible in order to enable us remember the death of our Lord and the reason for it. The Bible says we should not be forgetful hearers but doers of the Word (James 1:25). When we gather for Holy Communion, everyone is compelled to carry out a self-examination so that he or she does not eat to damnation according to our Bible text for today. May the passion, suffering and death of Jesus Christ avail for us through eternity in Jesus name.

Action Point

Do you remember what Christ went through for you often enough?

LESSONS FROM THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY – Monday April 18th 2016
ABUNDANT BLESSINGS – Sunday April 17th 2016
LET GOD HELP YOU II – Saturday April 16th 2016
LET GOD HELP YOU I – Friday April 15th 2016
WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE – Thursday April 14th 2016

LESSONS FROM THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY – Monday April 18th 2016

Posted: 12 Apr 2016 12:33 PM PDT

LESSONS FROM THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY

Memorise: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of

the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. Mark 11:10

Read: Matthew 21:1-9, 21 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

²Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

³And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

⁴All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

⁶And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

⁷And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

⁸And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

⁹And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 14-15, Proverbs 12:1-14

MESSAGE

A lot of lessons can be deducted from the historic entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Right from verse two of our Bible text, we are exposed to revelations from the Lord's actions. Jesus had not entered into the village, but He knew there was an ass tied; not alone but with its colt. We can see the omniscient attribute of Jesus Christ, like that of His Father. He said loose them, and bring them unto me. To soul winners, you are expected to loosen your converts before bringing them for the Master's use. He said:

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

Mark 16:17-18

We are not supposed to dialogue with the devil and his cohorts; all we need is to exercise authority (Luke 10:19). Since all these are written for fulfilment, we have a date with destiny to fulfil our divine mandate. As missionaries and soul winners, we must endeavour to go after our entire household to win them for Christ. It was not the ass alone but also its colt. The disciples decorated the ass and its colt for the use of the Master. Before our converts can be useful for the Master, we must work on them through the teaching of the Word. The Bible says:

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

2^nd Timothy 4:2

Another lesson from the story of the
triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem is the high praise of God through His beloved Son. Whoever will glorify God the Father must do that through the Son because God has given Him a Name that is above every other name.

Our Lord Himself said:

"….I am the way the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

He said,

"Behold I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me."

Revelation 3:20

If we do not shut Jesus out of our lives, we are bound to be happy like the inhabitants of Jerusalem in our Bible text for today. I implore someone reading this devotional; open your heart to Jesus, let Him have full control of your heart and you will find rest for your soul.

Prayer Point

Holy Father, take absolute control of my life today.

ABUNDANT BLESSINGS – Sunday April 17th 2016

Posted: 12 Apr 2016 12:28 PM PDT

ABUNDANT BLESSINGS

Memorise: Blessing shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Deuteronomy 28:3

Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 28 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

²And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 12-13, Proverbs 11:18-31

MESSAGE

Jesus Christ said; "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33). In other words, there are abundant blessings in the kingdom of God. It goes without saying that there is wisdom in seeking to please God above all other ambitions. The Almighty God revealed the secret of abundant blessings of His people in today's scriptural reading; abundant blessing is embedded in perfect obedience to the Word of God.

Many people think that the moment they become Kingdom seekers, they will enter into a world of penury. This is the deceit of the devil which has unfortunately been believed through the ages. The devil has succeeded in making many people believe that unless they serve him, they cannot make it in life. He even had the audacity to attempt deceiving Jesus Christ during the temptations in the wilderness, but our Lord defeated him (Luke 4:5-7).

Beloved, I want to announce to you that there are abundant blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ; my life is a living testimony of this.
Before I gave my life to Christ, I used to borrow money from my own drive to fuel my car two weeks into a new month. It was when I gave my life to Christ that I began to know the true meaning of prosperity. Deuteronomy 8:18 says:

"But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day."

The Psalmist says that unless the Lord builds a house, the builders build but in vain (Psalms 127:1). Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ also corroborates this when he wrote:

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

1^st Corinthians 3:6-7

May the abundant blessing from the throne of God be your portion in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, please let Your abundant blessings be my portion this season in Jesus' name.

LET GOD HELP YOU II – Saturday April 16th 2016

Posted: 12 Apr 2016 12:23 PM PDT

LET GOD HELP YOU II

Memorise: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the

Son of man be lifted up. John 3:14

Read: Numbers 21:7-9, ⁷Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

⁸And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

⁹And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 8:15-11:27, Proverbs 11:4-17

MESSAGE

The coming of sin into the human race brought about a lot of calamity into human life. One of the calamities is sickness. As sin can be very contagious in effect, so can sickness too. The good news, however, is that the Almighty God is also ready to help the human race get over this. He promised the people He chose for Himself through their progenitor, Abraham, that He would spare them the agony of sickness and diseases:

"And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all that hate thee."

Deuteronomy 7:15

From time to time, the devil causes man to sin against God so that he may be destroyed by the One who created him, thus frustrating the divine love which God bestowed upon humankind. As if this is not enough, the devil goes
ahead to deceive man not to accept the divine help that can rescue him from all his diseases. In the story we read in the Bible reading for today, the children of Israel sinned against the God of their fathers and God sent fiery serpents to kill them. After much plea by Moses, God decided to help them.

It is unfortunate that many refused to look and live when they were bitten by the fiery serpent. They did not allow God to help them (1^st Corinthians 10:9). Jesus said, just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness and those who looked up to it were healed, so also whoever will allow God to help him will look up to Jesus for healing (John 3:14). The reason is that He came to pay for the sin of humanity and so, by His stripes we were healed (1^st Peter 2:24). Beloved, what infirmities are you suffering from? Have you tired and suffered by the hands of physicians like the woman with the issue of blood? Come believing the Great Physician today. Jesus Christ will heal you as He did to the impotent man at Bethesda (John 5:1-9). For you to enjoy divine healing, however, you must belong to the Great Physician. The food meant for children cannot be given to dogs or slaves (Mark 7:26-30). Allow the Great Physician to help you today.

Prayer Point

Father, please heal my infirmities today in Jesus' name.

LET GOD HELP YOU I – Friday April 15th 2016

Posted: 12 Apr 2016 12:07 PM PDT

LET GOD HELP YOU I

Memorise: if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:19

Read: Isaiah 1:18-20, ¹⁸Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

¹⁹If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

²⁰But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 5:17-8:14, Proverbs 10:22-11:3

MESSAGE

There is one great barrier that stands between man and God; this barrier is sin. For thousands of years, man has struggled to get rid of this barrier, but all to no avail. However, God Almighty, in His infinite mercy decided to help man remove this barrier. Right from the Old Testament days, God has been offering individuals the olive leaf of reconciliation, but unfortunately many people have not responded to this gesture of love.

"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;"

Proverbs 1:24-26

This God that man blatantly sinned against in the Garden of Eden is the same God that is now inviting man back to His fellowship. He said:

"Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Isaiah 1:18

During the earthly mission of Jesus Christ, He still made this pronouncement of love;

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and
are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Matthew 11:28-29

I am appealing to a user of this devotional who has been struggling with the barrier of sin to stop struggling. You cannot help yourself; only Jesus Christ, can help you. All you need to do is to surrender your life to Him in genuine repentance and believe that He came to die for human race (1^st John 3:8; Romans 5:8, 11). Beloved, let God help you solve your problem of sin today accept sin to be sin; don't rationalise it but admit, confess and forsake it. It shall be well with you in Jesus' name.

Action Point

Father, have mercy on me and give me power over and above sin in Jesus' name.

WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE – Thursday April 14th 2016

Posted: 12 Apr 2016 12:02 PM PDT

WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE

Memorise: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt

glorify me. Psalms 50:15

Read: 1^st Samuel 1:9-13, ⁹So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

¹¹And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

¹²And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.

¹³Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Samuel 3:1-5:16, Proverbs 10:8-21

MESSAGE

There is one thing that a child of God needs to know and do when he or she needs a miracle. This is to call upon the Lord in prayer. What is a miracle and why do we need it? Simply explained, a miracle is the supernatural intervention of God in the affairs of men. This intervention basically alters the established laws of nature. At times, the devil manipulates some natural phenomena to deny human beings some basic things that make life pleasant. For example, when Jesus Christ was travelling in a ship with His disciples, the devil manipulated the wind against them so that they may suffer a shipwreck. The disciples went to Jesus Christ in the ship and cried for help. Matthew 8:26 says:

"And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great clam."

Some so-called children of God are so hypocritical that, even in the presence of the Lord, they still pretend as if all is well, whereas they have unimaginable issues with their spiritual, physical, material and financial needs. In the case of the disciples, they cried to Him for help; they told Him exactly how they felt about the tempest. The danger of death was imminent and the disciples did not pretend as if nothing was wrong. So, Jesus Christ responded to their cry and stilled the storm. I pray that as you cry to the Lord today, He will not just hear but also respond to your cry in Jesus' name. The storms in your life will miraculous cease today in Jesus' name.

In our Bible reading for today, we see what one must do when he or she needs a miracle. Hannah needed a miracle, but from year to year she had been going casually to Shiloh until that wonderful year when she realised she needed to do what she had not been doing before; she offered fervent and heart-rending prayers. She prayed so hard that she lost her voice and Eli thought she was drunk. At times when I see how some of my children pray at our periodic meetings at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria, I rejoice because the tempo of their prayers signifies that they are people who need urgent miracles.

"And she was in bitterness of soul, and

prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore… now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken."

1^st Samuel 1:10, 13

The amazing thing about the above story is that Hannah was not even offended, when she was misunderstood by the high priest who was supposed to know when an individual was in serious communion with God. With joy also I always pray with my children when I see them praying desperately in need of miracles. My prayer is that as you pray to God today, your miracle will reach you sooner than you expect in Jesus' name.

Action Point

Tender your deepest heart desires to God today in faith.

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