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

APOSTATE OR REFORMER? – Monday February 22nd 2016
BLESSINGS OF KNOWING THE TRUE GOD - Sunday February 21st 2016
BEWARE OF DECEIVERS II – Saturday February 20th 2016
BEWARE OF DECEIVERS I – Friday February 19th 2016
THE GREAT HELPER – Thursday February 18th 2016
TIME TO FIGHT II – Wednesday February 17th 2016
TIME TO FIGHT I – Tuesday February 16th 2016

APOSTATE OR REFORMER? – Monday February 22nd 2016

Posted: 15 Feb 2016 12:54 PM PST

APOSTATE OR REFORMER?

Memorise: Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields,

which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. James 5:4

Read: 1^stKings 18:41-46, ⁴¹And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

⁴²So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

⁴³And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

⁴⁴And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.

⁴⁵And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

⁴⁶And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Bible in one year: Luke 14:25-17:10, Job 27:1-12

Apostasy in Christendom refers to religious rebellion. It is the withdrawal of loyalty or a breaking away from the leadership or authority of God. An apostate is a practicing Christian that once pledge allegiance to God and the Bible doctrines, then afterwards turned back to live contrary to his avowed belief and declaration of faith. On the other hand, a reformer refers to a person that is making efforts to bring back those that strayed from godly commitments, to the proper form of Christian life. A reformer would do everything possible to instruct apostates, Christians and unbelievers, in the complete renewal of biblical instructions of Christianity.

Apostasy occurred in several places in the Bible, and each occurrence reveals God's displeasure and terrible anger against apostates and anyone that incites the people to rebel against Him. I have frequently shared stories of several individuals who came to accept Jesus at the peak of their troubles when their situations were hopeless, and later decided to abandon God after they had received divine solutions to their problems through Jesus. Some years ago, when we tried to follow-up on one of such people, he said that a hospitalised fellow is usually allowed to go home after a successful medical treatment. He viewed the Church as a hospital and though he didn't have any business with God whatsoever after being healed. The end of such ungrateful and rebellious people is always worse than their beginning. I pray that you will not be overcome by the spirit of apostasy in Jesus' name. Hebrew 6:4-6 says:

"For it is possible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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."

It is important to note that apostasy is not a casual sin but a voluntary rejection of God's will. It is a conscious departure from the Fatherhood of God, and a deliberate walk away from Jesus Christ and everything He stands for. This is the reason why the above Bible passage presents apostasy as a terrible error that is virtually impossible to remediate. May the Lord deliver anyone that is in any form of backsliding today in Jesus' name.

On the other hand, the main assignment of a former is to call the Church of God and His people into genuine repentance and a careful reconciliation between contemporary Christian practice and Bible doctrines. The body of Christ must be delivered from end-time lukewarmness, modernism, and the doctrine of relativity that is presently holding it in captivity. May we yield ourselves to be used as the Lord raises reformers that will re-ignite the fire of revival in the body of Christ today in Jesus' name.

Key Point

Father, please set me on fire and use me as an instrument of reformation in Your Church in Jesus' Name.

BLESSINGS OF KNOWING THE TRUE GOD - Sunday February 21st 2016

Posted: 15 Feb 2016 12:53 PM PST

BLESSINGS OF KNOWING THE TRUE GOD - Sunday February 21^st2016

Memorise: And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by

flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Daniel 11:32

Read: 1^stKings 18:21-24, ²¹And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

²²Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

²³Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

²⁴And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

Bible in one year: Luke 12:35-14:24, Job 26

It is common amongst Christians to tell stories of our lifestyle before we became acquainted with the true God. Many confess being in bondage to various gods who ruled over them with an iron fist, through the observance of ridiculously expensive practices in terms of time and money. These gods include expensive lifestyles, unnecessarily plentiful entertainment, un-godly fashion, wasteful pastimes, membership of exclusive clubs and fraternities, etc. Furthermore, some were overcome by addiction and therefore were ruled by alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, smoking, nightlife and other dangerous habits. Worse still, many were enslaved to ideologies, taboos, cultism, idols, and demonic spirits. These gods exert their influence on people in different ways, as a result of which many fall into diverse sins, disappointments, stagnancy, sickness, demonic possession, fruitlessness, indebtedness, bankruptcy, failure, and death. Job 5:7 says, "man is born unto trouble" and Job 14:1 says: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." I prophecy to anyone that is facing one trouble or the other in this world, God will show mercy and deliver you today in the name of Jesus.

The Almighty God is fully aware of human helplessness in circumstances of life, therefore, out of love, He offered Jesus as a remedy to anyone that will accept Him as Lord and Saviour. This is the essence of the declaration of Jesus in Matthew 11:28&30 that says:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

This passage is an open invitation to anyone that is labouring under the heavy yoke of the devil, anyone that is oppressed or in servitude, anyone experiencing stagnancy or fruitlessness, and anyone that needs physical, mental, or spiritual healing. Jesus says, "come unto me and I will give you rest from all your troubles." Come to Jesus today for deliverance from the strong hold of sin, addition and all forms of immorality. Come to Jesus and He will put an end to your mysteries, disappointments and failures. Come to Jesus and He will turn your sorrows to joy.

Knowing the true God therefore translates to salvation from sin and deliverance from evil. It is not burdensome at all because the relationship is based on the love of God. Everything depends on a sincerity to accept the reality of your situation and ask God for help. First, you must accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, after which you must vow to walk away from your sinful lifestyles and embrace a life of holiness. From this moment, the abundant blessings of the Lord will begin to pour into your life without measure in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, please let me begin to enjoy the blessings of knowing you in Jesus' name.

BEWARE OF DECEIVERS II – Saturday February 20th 2016

Posted: 15 Feb 2016 12:50 PM PST

BEWARE OF DECEIVERS II

Memorise; But watch thou in all things, endure affitions, do the work of an

evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2^ndTimothy 4:5

Read: Romans 16:17-20, ¹⁷Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

¹⁸For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

¹⁹For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

²⁰And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Bible in one year: Luke 11:1-12:34, Job 24:21-25:6

The Bible repeatedly warns children of God to beware of deceivers in the form of false teachers and prophets, because their operations are usually so smooth that their activities could be very difficult to pin down as errors. They present their messages as divine revelations received after much perseverance in prayers and rigorous Bible study. Deceivers present their deadly errors as newly discovered secret information that was specially revealed by God, as the preferred way of relating with Him in this generation. 2^nd Timothy 4:5 says:

"But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."

It is an established fact that keeping the faith protected from the corruption of deceivers, requires the presence of the Holy Spirit, a knowledge of the Scripture, holiness, perseverance, Christian fellowship and spiritual maturity. This attributes must be present in a person's life before the instruction in 2^ndTimothy 4:5 can be effectively carried out.

The first essential step is to watch in all things. To watch, in this sense, it to pay close attention to the beliefs and practices of the Church, to ensure that they are ever in strict compliance with the Word of God. By so doing, even the slightest variation would be quickly noticed and corrected. Also, young believers will be protected from error. The second essential step is to do the work of an evangelist by demonstrating the full evidence of the ministry. If indeed the present generation of Christians would preach the gospel of Jesus Christ with power, such that miracle, signs, and wonders, are evident in our fellowships meetings, then the door shall be permanently shut against false prophets. Furthermore, 2^nd Timothy 3:16 says:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

This passage boldly declares that everything documented in the Bible is given by God as a revelation of Himself, His commandments and teachings. This confirms the Bible as the only divine manual containing everything we need to know about the Almighty God and His created universe. The passage also emphasizes the art of teaching, reproof, and correction as means of keeping the Church clear of false teachers and their messages. Teaching is the primary task of Christians as indicated in Mathew 28:19. We are called to teach the whole counsel of God, shedding the light of the gospel over every aspect of life, for the purpose of remodelling our lives to be in compliance with the word of God. In addition to teaching, we must reprove by speaking against false teachers and their heretic messages. At the same time, we must make serious effort to bring false teachers and those influenced by their messages back to the knowledge of the truth. Finally, there must be training in righteousness to learn how to do what is right, what is just and in accordance with godliness. Once again, beware of deceivers!

Prayer Point

Father, please let anything You have not planted in Your Church be uprooted today om the Name of Jesus.

BEWARE OF DECEIVERS I – Friday February 19th 2016

Posted: 15 Feb 2016 12:45 PM PST

BEWARE OF DECEIVERS I

Memorise: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for

doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2^nd Timothy 3:16

Read: 2^nd Timothy 3:1-8, 3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

²For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

³Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

⁴Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

⁵Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

⁶For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

⁷Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

⁸Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Bible in one year: Luke 9:21-10:42, Job 24:9-20

A deceiver is someone who practices deceit as means of seducing, misleading, or giving false impressions to people. A deceiver would try to impose a false idea that causes bewilderment, helplessness, or confusion in people's mind. Every act of deception is a direct attack against the truth for the purpose of distorting the original creative order and position of things by the Almighty God. Deception is therefore the devil's invention which has been carefully designed to create doubts and questions about the credibility of God in the hearts of men. This is the reason why deceit is condemned by God as an attempt to deny His sovereignty and the revelation of Himself. After the devil's successful attack on Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:1-7, God repeatedly warned humanity about the subtlety of Satan and his false prophets. Matthew 24:11 says;

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."

The whole of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is full of similar warnings about the deliberate plot of devil to send his evil agents of deception in form of false prophets and heretic teachers into the world, in order to deceive and mislead many. These deadly agents of deception have perfected the means of attacking unsuspecting individuals from two seemingly harmless fronts. One of their tactics is to preach the gospel of the alternative. They claim to be serving the same God through another saviour, and therefore present their religion as a better alternative to Christianity that only has the appearance of the Christian religion on the surface, but is full of heresy, ungodliness, and immorality in actual practice. To this end 1^st Timothy 4:1-2

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;"

In the above passage, the Word of God is making it very clear to us that the activities of these agents of darkness will become very concentrated and effective in the latter days, such that it will cause some believers to depart from the faith. This will happen because those affected would commit the error of giving heed to seducing spirits. They would be seduced through the preaching of other gospels, the gospel of relativism, modernism and post-modernism, and through attractive motivational messages. To counter the evil, we must turn to 2^ndTimothy 3:16. God has given us all scripture by His inspiration, to be profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, dangerous heretic teachings are in the air, but anyone that abides in the Word of God, can never be deceived. Be warned.

Prayer Point

Father, please don't let me ever give heed to seducing spirits in Jesus' name.

THE GREAT HELPER – Thursday February 18th 2016

Posted: 15 Feb 2016 12:44 PM PST

THE GREAT HELPER

Memorise: My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Psalms

121:2

Read: Psalms 121:1-8, 121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

²My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

³He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

⁴Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

⁶The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

⁸The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Bible in one year: Luke 8:1-9:20, Job 23:14-24:8

It has been said that one of the common features of Christianity is the diverse conflict that is targeted at a child of God from the moment of conversion; it presents itself as a permanent companion in the journey of life, and appears to become more intense as you progress in the Christian race. These conflicts may come in the form of physical, emotional, and spiritual attacks. They could sometimes be manifested as temptations, financial trouble, physical or health challenges, vocational problems, obstacles and obstructions, sickness or death of a loved one, stagnancy, discouragement, failure, depression, and family problems, many of these may appear normal, but some are direct attacks on children of God, to hate, despise, persecute, oppress, blackmail, and even kill them. Yet, in the face of such malicious attacks, many Christians have persevered and stood firm in their convictions, with great grace and in defiant faith. Such people were able to stand in the face of evil holding on to God's promises for help. One of such could be found in Hebrews 13:5-6 that says,

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

I pray that as you look up to God for help and assistance today, He will send help to you and you will never be disappointed in Jesus' name. Like the saints of old, we are expected to build our confidence on the sure promises of God. King David in his affliction said, "My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:2) thereby revealing the source of his confidence. In the above passage, the word of God says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee". Because of this sure promise of God which can never fail, we may say with confidence that the Lord is our helper, a sure and dependable help in times of trouble. I decree into your life today, God will always be there for you as a reliable ally against all evil attacks in the name of Jesus.

A simple analysis of the statement "I will not fear what man shall do unto me" implies the inevitability of determined evil actions of men, but the Bible is saying that even in the face of such evil threats, we should not become fearful but remain confident, knowing that God will never fail us. However, there are conditions that a true Christian must meet to guarantee His assistance. We must be free from covetousness, and be satisfied with whatever we have. People with uncontrollable desires for delicacies, designer wears, social status, high offices or positions, and other worldly attractions, are usually a little desperate and unstable. Such people will do anything, including lowering their Christian standards, in order to retain positions that support their livelihood at all cost. You will not be driven by fear to sell-out your birth right or backslide into error in Jesus' Name.

The promises of God are perfectly reliable because "God is not a man, that he should lie", if God be for us, who can be against us? Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? Our confidence rests absolutely upon the promise of God. Hallelujah.

Prayer Point

Father, my confidence rests upon Your Holy Word, please be there for me always in Jesus' name.

TIME TO FIGHT II – Wednesday February 17th 2016

Posted: 15 Feb 2016 12:43 PM PST

TIME TO FIGHT II

Memorise: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;

fornication, uncleanness, inordinate effection, evil concupiscence, and conetousness, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5

Read: 1^stTimothy 6:6-12, ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain.

⁷For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

⁸And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

⁹But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

¹⁰For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

¹¹But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

¹²Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Bible in one year: Luke 6:17-7:50, Job 23:1-13

Anyone that has been in the in the Christian race for some years would have discovered the militant nature of the average Christian. Every true Christian is fully aware of the on-going conflicts around us, physical, mental, and spiritual. We are confronted with contrary doctrines in our daily lives, we face diverse kinds of temptations, we are bombarded with many ungodly ideas and propositions; sometimes it could be vicious attacks from unknown people or aggression from neighbours. In addition to all these, we are constantly faced with attractive and seemingly profitable offers from the pit of hell to lure us into all kinds of sins. The devil is prowling around the world looking for Christians to destroy according to 1^st Peter 5:8

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

The survival of a child of God therefore depends on his or her preparedness for battle and the ability to fight. We must be ever-ready so that nothing will catch us unawares. We cannot afford to slumber or sleep, we are meant to be spiritual watchmen and scouts, constantly looking out for bands of approaching enemies that may try to take us by surprise. This is why the above passage counsels us to be serious minded and vigilant, carefully monitoring every move of the enemy around us, and to be fully prepared to counter and completely neutralise his evil attacks. However, one of the most dangerous places to be in a conflict situation is at the back. Whenever you see somebody dropping back in a war situation, be sure that the fellow will soon be hit very hard. King David learnt this lesson in a hard way. I pray that you will never backslide into error and be caught in the snare of the devil in Jesus' name.

In Matthew 16:18, the Lord Jesus declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. These gates are the access points that the enemy may use to penetrate our lives. To permanently keep these gates shut, Colossians 3:5 counsels us to subdue the flesh and its worldly desires through discipline, and put it under control. If we fail to discipline ourselves, then it becomes easy for pride, sexual immorality, inordinate ambition, covetousness, and other forms of indiscipline to creep into our lives and give opportunity to the devil to butcher us. May the Lord deliver you from every evil plan against your life in Jesus' name. Finally, 1^st John 3:8b says;

"…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of devil."

This instruction to fight becomes easy to carry out when we realise that Jesus Christ the Son of God came to this world for the sole purpose of destroying the works of the devil. I decree that every work of the devil in your life be destroyed now in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, please help me to stand. Don't let me ever fall for the devil in Jesus' name.

TIME TO FIGHT I – Tuesday February 16th 2016

Posted: 15 Feb 2016 12:41 PM PST

TIME TO FIGHT I

Memorise: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the

heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Read: 1^st Timothy 4:1-6, 4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

²Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

³Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

⁴For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

⁵For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

⁶If 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.

Bible in one year: Luke 4:16-6:16, Job 22:12-30

Fighting means to engage in a struggle against a perceived enemy or enemies either defensively or offensively. Most human beings, irrespective of who they are, what they know, where they have been, and their level of spiritual maturity, have something they would fight for. We fight for our fundamental human rights, we fight for possessions, we fight for our family, and we fight for our job. We are sensitive to criticism and insults, and sometimes we even fight for things we don't really own. The question is, should a true Christian fight for anything? And if you were to write a list of things worth fighting for, what would that list include? In this respect, Ecclesiastes 3:1&8, says:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

Conflicts come in different categories. Though we have the right of self defence, Christians are not called to take up arms against their offensive or aggressive neighbours because our weapon is not physical. However, God is under attack in today's world because His creative order, His principles and commandments are being maliciously attacked by heretics. Surprisingly, some of these enemies of the gospel of Jesus Christ have managed to rise to enviable positions of authority both in the Church and civil government. This has emboldened them and their supporters to intensify their evil attacks on the Christian faith. Do we fight for our Lord? Do we stand aloof or fight whenever these attacks occur around us? 1^st Timothy 6:12, says:

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."

Christians do not have any choice in this matter; we do not have the luxury of a personal decision on this one. In reality, the battle of the heretics and false prophets is raging right now and our Commander in Chief, the Lord of hosts, has commanded us to fight, and we must fight. The above passage started out by qualifying the kind of fight that Christians could engage in as the good fight of faith. It is a good fight because it prevents the rapid spread of heretic teachings, and delivers people from ignorance and false doctrine. It is good because we are on the winning side, we can never lose because we are more than conquerors. It is good because we will be handsomely rewarded for our efforts here on earth and when we get to heaven. It is a good fight because we are well fitted with the most potent weapon in the universe – the Word of God. Above all, though we are saved by grace, our performance in this battle will ultimately determine our rank among the host of heaven and the manner of our reward. Apostle Paul seems to have discovered this truth as reflected in his final declaration in 2^ndTimothy 4:7:

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith"

Only a general in the army of God who had fought valiantly for the truth could say this.

Prayer Point

Father, please let me finish well and be able to say that I have fought a good fight.