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

BEARING FALSE WITNESS II – Sunday December 20th 2015
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED – Saturday December 19th 2015
MISSION DISCOVERED – Friday December 18th 2015
PERSISTENCE BRINGS THE ANSWER – Thursday December 17th 2015
ALL FOR GOOD – Wednesday December 16th 2015
COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE – Tuesday December 15th 2015
LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES – Monday December 14th 2015

BEARING FALSE WITNESS II – Sunday December 20th 2015

Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:13 PM PST

BEARING FALSE WITNESS II

Memorise: A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. Proverbs 19:9

Read: Genesis 39:7-20,

⁷And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

⁸But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

⁹There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

¹⁰And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

¹¹And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

¹²And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

¹³And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,

¹⁴That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:

¹⁵And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.

¹⁶And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.

¹⁷And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

¹⁸And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

¹⁹And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.

²⁰And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

Bible in one year: Proverbs 8:1-11:15, 1^st Peter 4:12-5:14

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;"

Revelation 3:14

MESSAGE!

In the above Scripture, Jesus Christ is called the Faithful and True witness. Because He is the Truth, He hates lies. A false witness is a liar. It therefore implies that Jesus hates the bearing of false witness. If you are a false witness, your nature is at variance with that of Jesus who is the Faithful and True witness. If you claim you belong to Him and yet you bear false witness, you lie, and the truth is not in you. If lied against someone and got the fellow into trouble before you were saved, although God has forgiven you your sins at the point of salvation, you still need to make right the wrong deed. It is very worrisome to hear that false witnesses exist in the Body of Christ today. It is reported that some people arrange for some fellows to testify against particular individuals in order to discredit them or their ministry. Such testimonies have ridiculed and even disqualified some people from a particular office, position or imminent promotion. If you are guilty of such act, you must be prepared to restitute to the fellow you lied against. Yes, it could be humiliating, but you have to do it.

Another area where people are guilty of bearing false witness in the body of Christ today concerns the issue if sexual harassment. There are ladies who, for one reasons or another, decide to blackmail a servant of God. They may come to that servant of God with an issue, arrange a scenario of compromise, and then allege that he was about to rape them. They are like Potiphar's wife, who consistently tried to entice Joseph into adultery, but he kept resisting her. Eventually, when all her antics had failed, she falsely accused him of trying to rape her. Joseph went to prison because of that lie. Some pastors have lost their ministries to false witnesses. Some people have demoted because someone lied against them. Some families are suffering because of the lies a member of the extended family told against them. Some church leaders are fighting some innocent workers and ministers because of the lies told by somebody. Are you a false witness? God can expose your evil deeds. Go and straighten your crooked path or else, the journey you thought would lead you to Heaven will end in Hell.

Action Point

Are you a victim of false witnesses? Ask God to vindicate you and restore whatever you have lost.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED – Saturday December 19th 2015

Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:11 PM PST

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Memorise: So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and stote the Philistine, and stew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 1^stSamuel

17:50

Read: 1^st Samuel 17:45-50, ⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

⁴⁶This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

⁴⁷And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

⁴⁸And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

⁵⁰So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Bible in one year: Proverbs 4-7, 1^st Peter 3:8-4:11

MESSAGE!

A mission is a special assignment commissioned by a higher authority. Generally speaking, missions are known to involve some level of difficulty and challenges. Therefore, they are generally identified with uncertainty, opposition, criticism, anxiety, risk and fear. This fact is evident in all those who were commissioned for one assignment or the other in the Bible. Noah as a man on a mission experienced all these. Nobody believed him until the word of the Lord came to pass (Luke 17:27). Abraham's experience was the same. At a point, he risked losing his beautiful wife because of the fear of the unknown (Genesis 20:2-3). The assignment of Moses was especially marked with difficulties that made him experience negative conditions on a much higher level. Other importance negative conditions on a much higher level. Other important figures in the Bible like Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Nehemiah, and David were not left out; they all had terrible encounter on their mission to fulfil their assignments, but by the grace of God, they all accomplished their missions successfully. I therefore decree over your life: no matter how difficult your assignment, your mission will be accomplished successfully in Jesus' Name.

A person on a mission is usually misunderstood, especially when he or she is being controlled by the Holy Spirit. This is usually because the fellow receives divine instructions which are guaranteed to being success, but are usually at variance with human understanding. David, as a man on a divine mission, accomplished his mission in grand style by taking some specific steps. He did not allow opposition and criticism ton discourage him, but remained focus on his assignment. David identified with the Almighty God and relied on the power in the word of God as the ultimate weapon of war. He trusted completely in God for victory to the point of boasting about it. He was ill-equipped for battle because he had no sword, yet he confidently approached his assignment with boldness, and God crowned his efforts with resounding victory. Do you have a mission, vision, or idea that has become a passion in you? Are you in anyway handicapped because of lack of money, human connection, or assistance? Are you in a disadvantaged position because of your family background or upbringing? My friend, do not fret over your situation. Put your trust in God, and your mission will be accomplished in due time in Jesus' Name.

Prayer point

Father, accelerate the accomplishment of my goals in life by the wisdom of Your Spirit.

MISSION DISCOVERED – Friday December 18th 2015

Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:09 PM PST

MISSION DISCOVERED

Memorise: And David said, what have I now done? Is there not a cause? 1^st Samuel 17:29

Read: 1^st Samuel 17:28-30, ²⁸And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men;

and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

²⁹And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

³⁰And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

Bible in one year: Proverbs 1-3, 1^st Peter 2:13-3:7

MESSAGE!

In today's Bible reading, we see what seems to be a subtle undertone in Eliab's unprovoked anger against David. Let's take a closer look at what was actually going on. David happened on the battle scene by accident, because he was only there on an errand to deliver his father's message to his brothers and the captain of their unit. It is therefore interesting that David was able to identify his mission in the midst of an affair which appeared to be none of his business. He found his purpose in a remote and indirect call to duty. This is a very good example of how the purpose of God becomes manifest in a person's life. Despite the fact that Eliab railed accusations of pride and naughtiness of heart against David, he did not deny them or defend himself; he only asked his rhetorical question: "Is there not a cause?" A cause is a very important element of purpose, which usually develops into a passion for an objective, making it worth dying for. David so quickly reached the conclusion that confronting Goliath was a cause he was prepared to die for (1^stSamuel 17:32).

Looking at the sequence of events in this story, I have a feeling that David was acting under the influence of a power that was far beyond his control. I sincerely believe that he was very conscious of this fact, and he yield himself to the control of the awesome power of God. The power that moved Samson to tear up a lion with his bare hand. I pray that you will receive that power now in the Name of Jesus. David did not only discover his assignment, he also quickly identified with the One who predetermined the whole process. Let's consider a few of the steps taken by David. First of all, He ignored and discarded all forms of discouragement that came his way through his brother, Eliab, and through King Saul (1^st Samuel 17:28 & 33). In addition, he testified and boasted in the Lord of all the wonderful things God had accomplished in his life (1^st Samuel 17:34-37). Furthermore, being sure of God's support, he refused to rely on human technology (1^stSamuel 17:39). Beyond all this, he went ahead to identify with God by presenting himself as an emissary of the Lord of hosts. 1^st Samuel 17:45 says:

"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel. Whom thou hast defied."

Are you pursuing a cause? Are you a man or a woman with a purpose? If you are ready to identify with the Lord of hosts and employ the same strategy David used, success will be yours.

Prayer Point

Father, I don't want to wander through life without a mission; guide me to the cause in life which You have created and equipped me for, in Jesus' Name.

PERSISTENCE BRINGS THE ANSWER – Thursday December 17th 2015

Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:08 PM PST

PERSISTENCE BRINGS THE ANSWER

Memorise: Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Matthew 7:9

Read: Luke 18:1-8, 18 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

²Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

³And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

⁴And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

⁵Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

⁶And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

⁷And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

⁸I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Bible in one year: Psalm 144-150, 1^st Peter 1:13-2:12

MESSAGE!

There are many inventors in life whose names are never heard about because they gave up on the verge of their discoveries. Life is about persistence, and one man who was very persistent in his pursuit of greatness was Elisha (2^nd Kings 2). Elisha kept following Elijah ardently and many people thought he was wasting his time. Elijah moved from Bethel to Jordan and from there to Jericho, yet, Elisha would not let go. He was desperate for greatness, and his persistence in the pursuit of greatness paid off. You need to understand that you have a great role to play if you will ever get answers to your prayers. Also, understand that sometimes, there is a place of waiting before a prayer is answered. Some problems have a required number of hits they must receive before they become levelled. Naaman had to dip in the water seven times before He could get his cleansing. Thank God he did not stop at the sixth dip when he discovered there was still no change. It takes persistence to get the miracles you desire from God.

From the account of the woman in today's Bible reading, it is apparent that she continued to persuade the judge to assist her. There might have been many things the judge said which were sufficient to discourage her from returning to him, but she did not succumb. She persisted in her visits and cries for justice until she got the attention of the judge on her case. There is no problem in life without an expiry date. The faint in spirit cannot get anything significant from life. They give up at the point when they are so close to their blessing. God is a God of plan and purpose. He does everything according to His timetable. Some people conclude that their miracle is taking too long to come; they become impatient and begin to look for alternatives that will not give them the kind of joy they desire. Do not be like such people. You need to keep your hope alive. You need to push until you get what you want out of life. There are people who are so passive in life. They think life will automatically give them what they deserve just by speaking in tongues. No, it doesn't work that way! You have to involve your body, soul and spirit in the pursuit of your dreams. That woman in our Bible reading continued to press the unjust judge. Everywhere this judge went, he saw the woman there, pleading passionately that her case be looked into. Her appearance began to constitute a problem for him; so much so that he decided to grant her petition. In the Name of Jesus, you will get that which will glorify the Name of the Lord. Let your anchor of hope remain intact in Jesus Christ. Never allow the winds of adversity, doubt and fear deny you of your divine inheritance.

Prayer Point

Father, help me not to give up before my day of visitation.

ALL FOR GOOD – Wednesday December 16th 2015

Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:06 PM PST

ALL FOR GOOD

Memorise: 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

Read: Ephesians 1:3-6, ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Bible in one year: Psalm 137:143, 1^st Peter 1:1-12

MESSAGE!

The words of today's Bible reading should bring joy to the heart of every believer in Christ. They reveal that everything about God's plan for your life has been settled long before the foundation of the world was laid. If this is true, it means that the things you have experienced in the past, all you are currently going through and everything you will experience in the future are no accidents; rather, they are designed to help you fulfil God's purpose for your life. No wonder Romans 8:28 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."

If God has called you to fulfil His plan for your life, everything He allows to come your way, both good and bad, will work in your favour, even through on the surface, they may not appear to be working in your interest. In fact, some situations might appear so contrary and terrible, but in God's overall plan for your life, they are adding up to something great for you.

Let's look at the example of Joseph. He was born quite late by his beloved mother, and so he became his father's favourite son. His father made him a coat of many colours, which was a prophetic connotation of where God was taking him. God gave him a dream for his life and his envious brothers hated him for it. Joseph's dream was not just a desire or a goal he set for himself; it was God's plan for his life. Do you know that some people can be envious of you because of God's plan for your life? If every believer knew what God had planned for each of them, and accepted His plan, there would be no room for envy. Furthermore, notice that even though God has a great plan for Joseph's life, he still experienced great troubles. His troubles even started right from home. Nevertheless, if you take a look at his life, you will see how all the experiences of his life helped to take him to God's destination. If his brothers were not envious of him, they would not have sold him into slavery. If he was not sold into slavery, he would never have become Potiphar's servant. If he was not Potiphar's servant, he would never have met Potiphar's wife. If he had not met Potiphar's wife, she would never have lied against him. If she had lied against him, he would not have gone to prison. If he did not go ton prison, he would not have met Pharaoh's imprisoned servants, and if this had not happened, nobody would have recommended him to Pharaoh. Beloved, like Joseph, everything is working out for your good! Go ahead and thank God for this.

Prayer Point

Father, grant me grace to recognise the presence or absence of Your hand in any situation I'm confronted with, in Jesus Name.

COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE – Tuesday December 15th 2015

Posted: 11 Dec 2015 01:03 PM PST

COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE

Memorise: Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season. Job 5:26

Read: Psalm 91:10-16, ¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹³Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

¹⁴Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Bible in one year: Psalm 127:136, James 5

MESSAGE!

All-round security is of utmost importance to human beings. From a human viewpoint, the issue of security starts from concerns over the inner peace of an individual, to security issues within the family, and then to the safety of life and property in the larger society. In every society, people invest huge amounts of money on security and insurance, as a means of guaranteeing protection or safety. Some even invest in expensive offerings and sacrifices to appease the devil for protection and security. Yet, man has not been able to check the tide of natural disasters and tragedies of different categories for two major reasons. First, Revelation 12:12^b says:

"Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

The vicious anger of the devil is clearly seen in his determination to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). I decree that as the devil continues to unleash his wrath on the earth, you will be securely protected under the shadow of the Almighty in the Name of Jesus.

Secondly, security is of the Lord, the Omnipotent and Omniscient God, the Lord of hosts himself. That is why Psalm 127:1 says:

"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

All power belongs to God, and He has deployed His power to watch over his people. God is ever ready and nothing can escape His notice or happen with His knowledge (Psalm 121:4). God's promises regarding security and insurance are so vast that they cover virtually every area of life (Psalm 121:8). Besides protection against natural disasters, weapons of your enemies and plans of the devil, God's promises on security also guarantee longevity for your life (psalm 91:10-11). This season, the Lord will keep your soul, and every plan of your enemies shall be frustrated in Jesus' Name. The Lord will satisfy you with long life and you will not die before your time. However, you must meet with certain conditions in order to claim these wonderful promises for your life. You must first be born-again; this puts you on the same side with God (John 3:3). You must continually dwell under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). Also, you must love Him above every other thing and obey Him completely in all things.

Prayer Point

Father, please let Your wonderful promises of peace and security be fulfilled in my life.

LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES – Monday December 14th 2015

Posted: 11 Dec 2015 12:59 PM PST

LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES

Memorise: Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

Read: Isaiah 43:15-19, ¹⁵I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

¹⁶Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

¹⁷Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

¹⁸Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

¹⁹Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Bible in one year: Psalm 119:113-126:6, James 3:13-4:17

MESSAGE!

Jesus is the way into the very presence of God (John 14:6). Though Him, we have access to the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (Galatians 3:14). How much of these blessings have you received? Jesus Christ is also the way forward in life; He is the way where none exists. After the children of Israel left Egypt, at God's command, they stopped at the Red Sea. While they were by the Red Sea, the Egyptians came chasing hard after them. From the look of things, they had reached their wits' end. They could not go into the sea, and they could not turn back either (Exodus 14:1-18). They began to cry to Moses, and Moses cried to God. The Lord told them to go forward. He became the way across the sea, and they went through. Are you stuck like the Israelites? Do you feel you have exhausted all known avenues and possibilities? Does it appear there is no other way into your destination? Rejoice! There is still a way in! Jesus is the way that can take you to your destination where all else has failed. He will surely take you into your place of joy, blessing and favour.

It is amazing to know that the Lord can go as far as creating new things in old situations in order to make a way that takes you to your place of desire. He gave His word of assurance on this in Isaiah 43:19:

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

As long as the Way works in your favour, be prepared to see new things. If you desire to access promotion, but all existing seats on your next level are occupied, invite the Way in. He can create a new position for you. He can give you superiors the idea of a new department and move you into it. There is no limitation to the new things He can create just to make a way for you. Have the enemies blocked the way into your expected desire? The Lord will create a fresh way for you. He will do a new thing that will accommodate your good desires. As long as you have the Way with you, there are limitless possibilities for you.

Prayer Point

Father, I thank You for the limitless opportunities at my disposal, and for always making a way for me in all situations.