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

CHILDREN! FELLOW THE WAY – Monday February 29th 2016
LOVE, THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW II – Sunday February 28th 2016
LOVE, THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW – Saturday February 27th 2016
ABUNDANT LIFE AFTER DEATH – Friday February 26th 2016
HELL IS REAL – Thursday February 25th 2016
HEAVEN: ARE YOU PREPARED? – Wednesday February 24th 2016
HOW OLD ARE YOU? – Tuesday February 23rd 2016

CHILDREN! FELLOW THE WAY – Monday February 29th 2016

Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:44 AM PST

CHILDREN! FELLOW THE WAY

Memorise: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of

thy mother: Proverbs 1:8

Read: Ephesians 6:1-3, 6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

²Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

³That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Bible in one year: John 4:30-5:18, Job 30:16-23

The Bible teaches that children have mandatory responsibilities to their parents. As a matter of fact, Children owe their parents certain important duties that include the obligation to respect honour and obey them. Children are the heritage of the Lord and God has a special interest in their well-being. Meanwhile God is a disciplinarian as revealed in Revelation 3:19

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

God has decided to commit the discipline of children to their parents as caretakers for Him; therefore, children must cooperate with their parents to make easy for their own benefit. Obedience in this respect attracts long life and prosperity.

If you invested so much in your children, but have retired and they are gainfully employed, yet they ignore you, will you be happy with them? Some fathers have placed curses on their children for neglecting them. A righteous child will not neglect his parents at any time. He will make sure that those of them that are not saved are led to Jesus. After al, that is the greatest gift he can give them. Besides that, he will ensure that they have a roof over their heads and their needs are met in the area of feeding, clothing, healthcare, etc

God has joined children to their parents as partners in progress. For two people to work in agreement, they must see and mind the same thing. They must be focused on the same goal.

God's focus is that children have parents that will be godly examples to them, while making efforts to bring them up in the way of the Lord. God wants parents that will introduce their children to Him at very tender ages, so that they may learn to obey God and become familiar with His commandments, worship and fellowship. Children should be careful not to be a source of sorrow and pain to their parents. Proverbs 17:25 says:

"A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him."

I pray that God in His mercy will visit every Christian home and intervene in the life of every wayward child today in the Name of Jesus.

Prayer Point

Father, please help me to always accept correction joyfully in Jesus' name.

LOVE, THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW II – Sunday February 28th 2016

Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:43 AM PST

LOVE, THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW II

Memorise: By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God,

and keep his commandments. 1^st John 5:2

Read: 1^stCorinthians 13:4-7, ⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Bible in one year: John 3:16-4:30, Job 30:9-16

The memory verse for today tells us in very strict terms the godly means of measuring love among brethren. Any show of love that does not stem from the love of God and obedience of His commandments, should be considered fake and deceptive. It should be noted that the focus of Apostle Paul here is not on the fulfilment of the Mosaic Law, but rather about the biblical principle as established by God for Christian practice. This is to cement in our hearts the teachings of Jesus which emphasizes that we are not operating under the law anymore, but under the love of Christ. Living under the grace and liberty of Jesus empowers humanity first to love God and then to love one another.

The big question is, in what sense does love fulfil the totality of the law? And, how does the works of the law? Romans 13:9-10, says:

"For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

The answer to the above question is embedded in this passage. Accordingly, if the love of God is shed abroad in your heart, you will be able to fulfil the law without grumbling, but with joy. This is why Paul reduced the commandments to only one, "Love is the fulfilling of the law." As I have often counselled my children, Love can insulate you from the pain, discouragement, and difficulties associated with any given task. Love can reduce the length of an assignment from years to days by fulfilling each day with excitement, hope and fun. Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, because of the love he had for her (Genesis 29:20). No price is too much to pay for the one you love. Jacob served a total of 14 years waiting for Rachel, but did not realize he had waited that long, if a man truly loves a woman, he will be prepared to wait for her to be ready before marriage. The one who loves you will not compel you to sleep with him before you are married. To the world, one faulty yardstick for measuring love is one's readiness to go into pre-marital sex. Anyone who claims to love you but cannot wait for you to be ready before you go into marriage does not truly love you. Love is not hasty but patient. Anyone who is not ready to pay a price for you does not really love you.

Furthermore, obedience is the natural result of love. You will never want to disobey or rebel against the authority of someone you truly love. All the vices mentioned in the above passage such as adultery, murder, stealing, false witness, covetousness, and others are not compatible with love, rather, they are all contrary to love. It is absolutely impossible to think about doing any of these to your neighbour while also claiming to love God. This is contrary to the Word of God (1^stJohn 4:20)

Prayer Point

Father, please help me to love you and my neigbours in pratical terms in Jesus' name.

LOVE, THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW – Saturday February 27th 2016

Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:41 AM PST

LOVE, THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW

Memorise: These things I command you, that ye love one another.

John 15:17

Read: 1^st Corinthians 13:1-3, 13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Bible in one year: John 1:1-3:15, Job 29:21-30:8

The Bible takes the subject of love so seriously that love is equated to the sum total of all the commandments of God. The Bible goes further to say that love is the fulfilment of the law. The use of the word 'law' in the New Testament sense, is usually a reference to all the commandments and statutes recorded in the Old Testament and specifically those in the first five books of the Bible known as the books of Moses (Pentateuch). Now, the reality that God equates love to the whole of the Old Testament commandments is a serious food for thought. The Bible in 1^stCorinthians 13:1-2 says

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."

The above passage speaks clearly about the importance of love and how children of God should view or rate love on the scale of spirituality. Here, God compared some special spiritual gifts of uncommon value to love. Speaking in the tongues of men and angles seems to mean the ability to speak in heavenly tongues and at the same time interpret it in the language of men. This has always been a very rare gift which is highly sought after in the body of Christ, yet, anyone with this rare gift but without love, is described as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. In essence, such is viewed by God as a mere noise-maker. Furthermore, the Bible says if one should have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries and have all knowledge, even if the person should have enough faith to do great miracles, without love, such a person amounts to nothing in the eyes of God. This simply means that love is the golden rule by which whatever gifts we exhibit and whatever services we offer to God are measured. Therefore, love is the ultimate commandment. Romans 13:10 says:

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

As I always ask my children, do you truly love God? What price have you paid as proof of that love? If you love what you do, it will be easy to do it with all your heart. Love is missing in our fellowship with God today. All you get from some is lip service. This is professing love without backing it up with physical evidence. Colossians 3:23 says, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men". Your service to God must come from your heart, borne out of love. The service that pleases God is one from the heart rendered in love, as God is love. If you are born again, you have the capacity to manifest agape love. To what extent does this love manifest itself in your life and service? Do you know that faith requires the oil of love to operate effectively? (Galatians 5:6). Add love to your faith and you begin to bask in the glory of God, because He will equally respond out of greater love and your life will never be the same again.

Prayer Point

Father, help me to love You with all my heart in Jesus' name.

ABUNDANT LIFE AFTER DEATH – Friday February 26th 2016

Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:40 AM PST

ABUNDANT LIFE AFTER DEATH

Memorise: And he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the

beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Revelation 21:6

Read: Revelation 21:1-7, 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

²And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

³And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

⁴And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

⁵And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

⁶And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

⁷He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Bible in one year: Luke 23:6-24:53. Job 29:7-20

Some of the major quests of humanity are the search for the existence of God, the nature of religion, and the possibility of life after death. Out of deep concern for this topic, philosophers and the great world religions constantly debate specific views about life after death such as reincarnation, resurrection, and some other options. Over the years, philosophical speculations on life after death have yielded various theories on the immorality of the soul, to prove that the soul can exist apart from the body, and thereby suggesting that the human soul will live on after death. This view is well suited to our religious beliefs, because it is something like this that gives people hope in the face of death. The question that must be asked, however, is whether there is any good reason to believe in life after death. Is it a reasonable hope or nothing more than wishful thinking?

Though the average Christian does not need anyone to convince him about the reality of life after death, but generally speaking, it is necessary to consider some facts which are not widely known. There is actually empirical, observable and scientifically verifiable evidence about life after death. This evidence is usually provided by a phenomenon known as a "near-death experience" (NDE), which is an experience where a person who is considered to be clinically dead, is involved in a disembodied state of existence, or other aspects or forms of an afterlife. While in a state of the absence of any discernible signs of life, such as consciousness, pulse, or breathing, some have reported such experiences as having the sense that one is dead and looking down on one's body. Others have reported things like travelling down a tunnel or a dark passageway, meeting other persons or supernatural beings, seeing beautiful scenery, re-entering one's body, and experiencing feelings of peace. In some cases, some have shared their experiences about a terrifying visit to hell. It is important to note that most of these people give a very vivid account of their personal encounters.

On the basis of divine revelation, we are confident in the promise of everlasting life. As Christians, we affirm the biblical teaching that human beings do live on after physical death. We can therefore confidently answer the question of life after death in the affirmative. We can say beyond any reasonable doubt, YES, there is life after death. Not as an ordinary life devoid of the divine essence, but an abundant life in accordance with the Word of God in Revelation 20:6 that says:

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

Revelations 20:6

Life after death offers abundant life to all that will faithfully serve the Lord till death. First, we will partake in the first resurrection, and then the second death will have no power over us. We will automatically become priests of God, with the special privilege of reigning with Him for a thousand years. What a life to look forward to, I pray we will all make it there in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point

Father, please grant me the grace to faithfully serve you till the end in Jesus' name.

HELL IS REAL – Thursday February 25th 2016

Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:38 AM PST

HELL IS REAL

Memorise: And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth

Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. Luke 16:23

Read: Luke 16:19-31, ¹⁹There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

²⁵But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

²⁷Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

²⁸For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

²⁹Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

³⁰And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

³¹And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Bible in one year: Luke 21:25-23:5, Job 28:20-29:6

Hell is a term used in the Bible to describe the place of eternal punishment, originally created by God as the final destination for Satan and his angels, which is the second death. It is also used to define the prevailing circumstances of any human environment that is controlled by the devil. The Bible also portrays hell as the home of evil, a place of intense darkness, and an unquenchable fire that is burning with brimstone. Furthermore, hell is a state of final separation from God, and by extension, separation from life, light, love, peace, pleasure and fulfilment. However, some people do not believe in the reality of hell, which brings us to one of the most frequently asked question on earth, is hell real?

Our Bible passage for today tells us the story of two personalities, a certain rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. They both died at different times, as it has been appointed unto all human beings to die some day. At death, they were both faced with the reality of life after death, their status here on earth notwithstanding. Lazarus found himself cooling off at the bosom of father Abraham in heaven, while the rich man was being tormented in the flames of hell. Hell is very real because the Almighty God, who cannot tell lies, confirmed it so, though hell was originally created for Satan and his angels, it is also for human beings who choose to reject God and follow Satan. May the Lord deliver humanity from the illusion of the devil and open our eyes to the reality of hell in Jesus' Name. Matthew 13:40-42 says:

"As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angles, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Hell is usually presented in the Bible as the consequence of rejecting God, as evident in the above passage, Jesus, in several passage of the Bible, tried in every possible way, to illustrate to all humanity that hell is real, terrible, and something to be feared and avoided. All paths do not lead to God; Jesus is the only Way through which we can get to Heaven. Jesus is the only way that leads to God. A great man of God once said that the fastest road to hell is a pretentious and gradual one; it is like a gentle slope, a soft underfoot, which is without sudden turnings, milestones, or signposts. People on this path are ignorantly and innocently caressed to hell. Matthew 7:13 says:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in threat:"

Do not be deceived, hell is real and terrible. There is no possibility of amnesty or reprieve. Candidates of hell will suddenly resurrect to eternal condemnation without remedy. I honestly don't understand why anyone will risk going to hell when the God who never lies has said clearly that it exists and the only contrary opinion is from philosophies of unreliable men. Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today as the only way to escape the horrors of hell.

Prayer Point

Father, let the reality of hell be imposed upon my heart always in Jesus' name.

HEAVEN: ARE YOU PREPARED? – Wednesday February 24th 2016

Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:37 AM PST

HEAVEN: ARE YOU PREPARED?

Memorise: Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. Job

14:1

Read: 2^ndTimothy 4:6-8, ⁶For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

⁷I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Bible in one year: Luke 19:28-21:24, Job 28:7-19

In the Bible, the word 'Heaven' is often used in three ways: to described a physical part of the universe which is above the sky, the prevailing condition whenever God reigns in the affairs of men, and the invisible dwelling place of God, also known as paradise. Today's devotional focuses on the need to prepare for heaven, the dwelling place of God, and what such a preparation entails. First, the Bible presents heaven as the dwelling place of God, where His manifest presence is a permanent feature, as He is the only source of light there. Because of the constant presence of God in heaven, it is a place of extreme joy and peace. Heaven is also a place of recognition, reward, celebration, and total rest from trouble. Holiness is the only acceptable currency in heaven.

Several passages of the Bible stress life's mystery and brevity using two vivid metaphors of "a fading flower or withering grass" and "a swiftly passing shadow". That life offers little joy, peace and satisfaction is well known even to children. Also, all human beings are familiar with the progressive labour, pain, insecurity, sorrow, and disappointments that we all have to endure as long as we are alive. Furthermore, the concepts of death and the afterlife presented in the Bible reveals the God had purposely packaged heaven as the final destination for all humans that pass the entrance examination. John 14:2-3 says:

"In my father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

This is an expression of God's love and mercy to all human beings. Out of this everlasting love, the Almighty God has convincingly and systematically revealed His eternal plans and purposes to humanity, about how we are created to start our lives here on earth for the singular purpose of doing the perfect will of God. This is to enable us live our lives in ways that honour God in all things, for the ultimate goal of spending eternity with Him in heaven. Therefore, the above passage makes it very clear that heaven is being specially prepared only for those who are prepared to do whatever it takes to enter. I therefore pray that God will help our preparations and graciously admit us into heaven in Jesus' name.

Now, Matthew 19:23 says that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven, not because riches and wealth are evil, nor because heaven was made only for the poor, but because the typical characteristics of affluent people are contrary to the will of God. Such behaviours include pride and confidence in human wisdom, fame, achievements, money, and power. Another found with these will not enter into heaven. The truth is; Jesus extends the promise of heaven to all who come to Him by faith without classifications such as financial status, gender, age, culture or nationality. Matthew 18:3 says except a person is converted and becomes a little child in faith, total submission and obedience to the will of God, he or she will not enter into heaven. Finally, Matthew 7:21 says, not all churchgoers will be admitted into heaven, but only those that operate in the will of God. The big question is, are you prepared for heaven?

Action Point

Father, please whatever will make me miss heaven; take it out of my life in Jesus' name.

HOW OLD ARE YOU? – Tuesday February 23rd 2016

Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:35 AM PST

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

Memorise: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto

wisdom. Psalms 90:12

Read: Psalms 90:1-12, 90 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

²Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

³Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

⁴For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

⁵Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

⁶In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

⁷For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

⁸Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

⁹For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

¹⁰The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

¹¹Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

¹²So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Bible in one year: Luke 17:11-19:27, Job 27:13-28:6

The theme of Psalm 90 focuses on making the most of the short lifespan that we have as mortal human beings. The passage speaks of death as 'returning to dust', and discusses the total lifespan of man as being transitory, like an ordinary grass of the field. It also describes what humans proudly refer to as 'glorious years' as 'a short lifespan spent in serious labour and great sorrow'. Therefore, Psalm 90 discusses the concept of human life with such an unpleasant and derogatory language that it calls to mind the need to find a way of making the best out of life. The situation is made worse by the complimentary witness of other Bible passages such as Ecclesiastes 1:2:

"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity."

Job 14:1-2 that says:

"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not."

Furthermore, the experience of life tallies with the Word of God in the most perfect sense, as revealed in the biblical testimonies of people such as Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Esther, Ruth, David, Solomon, Elijah, John the Baptist, and the Apostles. The stories of the life of these people of God are full of hard labour, uncertainty, disappointment, betrayal, persecution, failure, and death. Though these people were mostly prophets and anointed kings, yet their stories show that they ended well only by divine intervention. Bible scholars generally identified Moses as the author of Psalm 90. The counsel of this great prophet who succeeded in life despite having his own fair share of troubles and tribulations should therefore be taken seriously. Psalm 90:12 says:

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

True wisdom comes from God alone and it is quite different from worldly wisdom that is based on human cleverness, insight, and intuition without God's revelation which brings little profit. This passage speaks of the ability to make the most of our time in this world, despite the brevity of life. To do this requires a new understanding of the meaning of life. To number our days is to value the time we have by using it for eternal purposes. Focusing on eternity which then produces a heart of wisdom, enables a child of God to live in line with the Word of God.

Godly wisdom is made available by digging deep into the Word of God. It is received through total submission to the will of God, imparted to Christians by God's Holy Spirit, and graciously given in responses to the fervent prayers of the saints of God. As you begin in response to the fervent prayers of the saints of God. Ad you begin to dig deeper into the Word of God in total submission to His will in prayers, He will pour down His heavenly wisdom upon your life in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, please fill me with the wisdom to excel in life and ministry in Jesus' name.