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

COMMANDED TO REJOICE – Monday February 15th 2016
FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE V – Sunday February 14th 2016
FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE IV – Saturday February 13th 2016
FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE III – Friday February 12th 2016

COMMANDED TO REJOICE – Monday February 15th 2016

Posted: 11 Feb 2016 12:27 PM PST

COMMANDED TO REJOICE

Memorise: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord,

thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected. Jeremiah 29:11

Read: Philippians 4:1-7, 4 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

²I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

³And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

⁵Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Bible in one year: Luke 2:22-4:15, Job 22: 1-11

The commandment to rejoice seems to be a repeated theme in the book of Philippians. First, Philippians 2:18, then 3:1, and 4:4. Why did Paul pay so much attention to the word rejoice? On a closer look at all, rather, Paul's emphasis is on the term "rejoice in the Lord". He was trying to draw a line between the common rejoicing that happens to all human beings and the art of rejoicing in the Lord. God wants us to know that joy is a matter of realm, because there are diverse types of joy and it is the realm of joy that makes the difference.

There is a rejoicing that is common to all men, it is a feeling of joy that depends on situations and circumstances around us and it is temporal and short-lived: this joy is unsubstantial and evanescent. However, there is a delight that comes with God's presence, it is divine and powerful; the joy of the Lord. This joy is also called the 'joy of salvation', it is real, it is a great kind of joy, it is endless, and an everlasting joy that brings down the presence of God into the hearts of men. Apostle Peter had this to say about this kind of rejoicing in 1^stPeter 1:8:

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:"

What makes rejoicing in the Lord so important that God had to repeatedly command us to rejoice? It is the very first miracle that happens to a person when he becomes born again. The joy of the Lord is immediately shed in the heart of the fellow. The unspeakable expression of the joy of salvation is therefore the most vital and undeniable proof that a person is genuinely born of God. The wisdom of God commanded it repeatedly in the Bible, and emphasised it in Philippians at least for two major reasons. First, being born again is a spiritual walk with God, the joy of the Lord is the token of our connectedness to God, losing the joy therefore, is another token of disconnection from God. You will never be disconnected from God in Jesus' name. Secondly, God knows that a genuine conversion to Christianity would cause a forceful separation and disconnection from the worldly system of thought and action, which naturally leads to rejection, persecution, and diverse temptations. Therefore, the joy of the Lord is provided as an offensive weapon of consolation, encouragement, and strength in the face of persecution. That is why Philippians 4:4 says;

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."

God commanded His people to rejoice, He was not giving a suggestion or permission, neither did He make it a matter of choice. We are compelled to rejoice in the Lord as a necessary ingredient to the Christian faith. Rejoicing is founded on and derived through the Word of God, it is needful in affliction, it brings comfort and strength to press forward in times of trouble.

Prayer Point

Father, please fill my heart with your heavenly joy, that is all I need from You today.

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE V – Sunday February 14th 2016

Posted: 11 Feb 2016 12:23 PM PST

FULFILLING GOD'S PURPOSE V

Memorise: A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his

mother. Proverb 15:20

Read: Psalms 127:3-5, ³Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Bible in one year: Luke 1:1-2:21, Job 21:17-34

MESSAGE!!!

Let me start by clarifying something about being alone. Being alone could be in two ways, by solitude and by loneliness. Solitude is by being alone on purpose; an international separation from people from a period, such a person can be alone by the river side or watching television without being lonely. There is a biblical basis for solitude (Exodus 33:7, 11; Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12-13; Luke 22:41), therefore, solitude could be a good thing. However, loneliness is usually never desired. Prolonged loneliness may sometimes is usually never desired. Prolonged loneliness may sometimes lead to desperation. Being alone is the very first aspect of creating that met with God's disapproval and His harsh judgment of not being good, and 1^stCorinthians 1:25 says,

"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

Therefore, God's assessment of "being alone" should be taken seriously. God in His infinite wisdom decide to solve the problem of being alone by providing a "help meet for the man". A perfect companion that is suitable for him, one that will cancel out the negative effects of 'being alone'. Now, fulfilling the purpose of God in life in general and marriage in particular depends largely on our understanding and total submission to the manufacturer's instructions. A simple, direct, Holy Ghost inspired and time tested meaning of this passage is clear to all. Help refers broadly to aid or assistance, the word 'helper' may connote subordinate, but does not necessarily imply inferiority. Hosea 13:9 refers to God as Israel's helper, also, Genesis 2:18-25, describes how God provided the suitable helper for the man.

The declaration of Adam, that Eve is the bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh is a pointer to the fact that marriage creates the closest of all human relationships and should be cherished as such. We are to note also that only one Eve was created and not several Eves or another Adam. This is a confirmation that God established heterosexual monogamy as the divine pattern for marriage at creation. However, the language of Ephesians 5:22-25 is probably clearer on the God given roles of husbands and wives.

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"

Every child of God that is determined to fulfil God's purpose must live according to the order of marriage ordained by the Almighty God. Marriage is the foundation of life according to the Bible. Consequently, marital failure may as well translate to failure in life and ministry.

Prayer Point

Father, Please help me to be obedient in all things and help me to fulfil your purpose for my life in Jesus' name.

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE IV – Saturday February 13th 2016

Posted: 11 Feb 2016 12:22 PM PST

FULFILLING GOD'S PURPOSE IV

Memorise: And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them

up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Read: Genesis 18:17-19, ¹⁷And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

¹⁸Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

¹⁹For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Bible in one year: Mark 14:43-16:8, Job 21:1-16

MESSAGE!!!

The Bible declared the father as the head of the home – head of the mother and the children. As such, fathers have complete authority within the household to direct the affairs of the family, and to administer discipline when necessary. However, Apostle Paul admonishes that fathers should handle authority over their children with care; they are to be careful not to provoke their children to wrath. Some fathers are guilty of using their authority unreasonably in ways that cause their children to harbour resentment. However, fathers have the responsibility to bring their children up in the way of the Lord. In many cultures today, parents have submitted and completely relinquished their God given responsibility to raise godly children to school teachers, Sunday schools teachers, pastors, or governmental institutions. Every Christian parent should know that God will hold them responsible for the success or failure of their wards. Children are God's heritage, we have an awesome responsibility and authority over them, we are responsible for them before God, and we will surely render our account to God over them.

Are there any particular reason(s) why parents, particularly fathers, are called by God to play such a crucial, God ordained role in the unbringing or discipleship of their children? Ephesians 6:1-4 given us a clue.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord".

God knows that from childhood, little children gradually learn to love and trust their parents because of the relationship they have. Children normally grow up to receive love and care from their parents in the form of feeding, clothing, washing, and protection from cold and other harmful circumstances. Therefore children naturally gravitate towards their parents. For the same reasons, children are more likely to learn the ways and manners of their parents by default. Most children would choose to learn from their parents because parents are the first heroes' children. God in His wisdom is fully aware of these factors; He therefore designed the family to take advantage of the opportunity provided by nature.

The Bible provides a very good balance here; children are to obey their parents, while parents are to treat their children with respect so that they will obey them without coercion. God expects children to obey their parents for Christ's sake, even if their parents are not believers. Also, children should not commit any sinful act just because their parents command them to. When faced with a choice between the two, children must obey God rather then man.

Prayer Point

Father, please make me a successful parent; don't let me fail You over my children.

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE III – Friday February 12th 2016

Posted: 11 Feb 2016 12:20 PM PST

FULFILLING GOD'S PURPOSE III

Memorise: And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I

will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18

Read: 1^stSamuel 19:9-12, ¹⁷And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

¹⁸Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Mark 12:41-14:42, Job 20:20-29

MESSAGE!!!

Let me start by clarifying something about being alone. Being alone could be in two ways, by solitude and by loneliness. Solitude is by being alone on purpose; an intentional separation from people for a period, such a person can be alone by the river side or watching television without being lonely. There is a biblical basis for solitude (Exodus 33:7, 11; Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12-13; Luke 22:41), therefore, solitude could be a good thing. However, loneliness is usually never desired. Prolonged loneliness may sometimes lead to depression. Being alone is the very first aspect of creation that met with God's disapproval and His harsh judgment of not being good, and 1^stCorinthians 1:25 says,

"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

Therefore, God's assessment of "being alone" should be taken seriously. God in His infinite wisdom decided to solve the problem of being alone by providing a "help meet for the man". A perfect companion that is suitable for him, one that will cancel out the negative effects of 'being alone'. Now, fulfilling the purpose of God in life in general and marriage in particular depands largely on our understanding and total subsmission to the manufacturer's instructions. A simple, direct, Holy Ghost inspired and time tested meaning of this passage is clear to all. Help refers broadly to aid or assistance, the word 'helper' may connote subordinate, but does not necessarily imply inferiority. Hosea 13:9 refers to God as Israel's helper, also, Genesis 2:18-25, describes how God provided the suitable helper for the man.

The declaration of Adam, that Eve is then bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh is a pointer to the fact that marriage creates the closest of all human relationships and should be cherished as such. We are to note also that only one Eve was created and not several Eves or another Adam. This is a confirmation that God established heterosexual monogamy as the divine pattern of marriage at creation. However, the language of Ephesians 5:22-25 is probably clearer on the God given roles of husbands and wives.

Prayer Point

Father, I believe in the institution of marriage according to the Bible, please help me to build a strong happy and joyful name in the mighty Name of Jesus.