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

THE PEACE OF GOD – Tuesday May 17th 2016
WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES II – Monday May 16th 2016
WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES I – Sunday May 15th 2016
THE END OF THE LAW – Saturday May 14th 2016
LIGHT OF THE WORLD – Friday May 13th 2016

THE PEACE OF GOD – Tuesday May 17th 2016

Posted: 12 May 2016 03:57 PM PDT

THE PEACE OF GOD

Memorise: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your

hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Read: Philippians 4:4-8, 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.

⁸Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Kings 23:28-25:30, Proverbs 25:15-28

MESSAGE

We can know all the facts about God's provisions, but if emotions do not support our knowledge, we will not be able to act upon what we know to be true. The peace of God applies a balm of inner serenity to our emotions. If you have the peace of God, you will feel at peace in mind and heart – the total inner person. All of us know what it is like to lack inner peace. Some crisis comes into our lives – some worry, some danger - and a turbulent storm rages within. Many people seek peace through tranquilizers, depressants, and other drugs. Others turn to illicit drugs or alcohol. Some try pseudo-religious movements such as transcendental meditation to find a solution for their lack of peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 says:

"Do not be careful for nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"

How does the believer walk in the shoes of peace? Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us that it is through prayer. Time alone with God in thankful, prayerful petition is the most effective inner tranquilizer. There is no solution to inner disquiet as effective as prayer. It always works. The peace of God transcends all understanding. That means the peace of God is above and beyond what we understand. It is more than we really need to see us through.

The next time you sense a great inner shaking or even just a slight inner disquiet, try prayer. Shut yourself away for thirty minutes or an hour alone with God. Use doctrinal praying. Pray back to God the truth of being "in Christ," inseparably united with Christ in all of His person and work. Pray through your understanding of the Holy Spirit. Pray on each part of the believer's armor. Thank the Lord for all of His grace and goodness. Tell Him about your anxieties and concerns. God will intervene to change things. It may be so gradual, you will scarcely know how or when it happens, but when you finish, you will discover the peace of God within your emotions. A quiet inner serenity and calm reigns even though the storm may still rage around you. I know that to be true both by experience and by the Word of God. In fact, if you are practicing this kind of praying regularly, you will discover the peace of God already there before the crisis comes.

The Scriptures are utterly practical and workable. The Bible works when we use its promises in every circumstance of life. Have you ever considered that your lack of inner peace may be God's way of calling you to prayer? We have many marvellous electronic gadgets available to us today. A lack of inner peace could be God's beeper signals to you. God may be calling you for an audience with Himself. He wants fellowship with you, and in the process He will restore to you that peace that transcends all understanding.

Prayer Point

Father, let your peace like a river flow over my life today in Jesus' name.

WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES II – Monday May 16th 2016

Posted: 12 May 2016 03:54 PM PDT

WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES II

Memorise: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:

and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in

Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

Read: Acts 4:31-34, ³¹And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

³²And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

³³And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

³⁴Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Bible in one year: 2^nd Kings 21:19-23:27, Proverbs 25:1-14

MESSAGE

The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and the child of God is so vital that survival seems virtually impossible without Him. Jesus made several statements that emphasized the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christians.'

Based our memory verse of today, the great commission could not be carried out without the support of the Holy Spirit. But when the power of the Holy Spirit is active we become exceptionally empowered for soul winning even in very difficult situations. I have had some unbelievable experiences about how the Holy Spirit can empower a person. While preaching in one of our programs a few years ago, as I was about to pray,
I heard in my spirit a discussion between two witches – one on my right and the other on my left, saying it was time for them to operate. Immediately, I announced that if they came out they would be delivered, but if not, they would die within a week. Thank God they both came out and confessed. The presence of the supernatural would make men to see God the way He is. Quite a number of unbelievers believe that the testimonies they hear by testifiers are stage-managed – nothing but lies. But when they see the raw demonstration of God's power, they will not need to be cajoled before they surrender. A man once attended our monthly Holy Ghost Service in Nigeria. His son had been trying to persuade him to surrender his life to Christ, but he refused to listen. As soon as he came in, as instructed by the Lord, I said "there is a man coming for the first time who came late because he was feeding his snake". And that the Lord said before he gets home, his snake will die but if he loves himself he should surrender to Jesus or else he will die with his snake. Immediately he heard it, he ran out and was delivered. If you are in contact with the supernatural, soul winning would be 'piece of cake'.

However, some have been baptized in the Holy Ghost but are not able to function the way they should. This is because the right knowledge is required to get the best out of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. For example, it is difficult for you to be in the Spirit when you are overfed with physical food. So if you want to be in the Spirit, watch your diet. On the other hand, feed on the Word of God. Spiritual overfeeding is allowed. Be constantly in the mood for prayer. Pray in tongues. Focus on God and cut off every distraction. Take time to give God spirit-filled praise, worship and thanksgiving. Open your heart wholly to God. Be sensitive to His voice. As you minister to God, be full of expectations. Be sensitive to all Heavenly communications: visions, dreams, voice, scriptures, impressions on your spirit man, ideas, etc. It is also important to set yourself apart just to fellowship with the King of kings. Take time to meditate on key scriptures. When last were you in the Spirit? Nothing is impossible to the one who is in the Spirit.

Prayer Point

Father, please fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower me to do the impossible henceforth.

WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES I – Sunday May 15th 2016

Posted: 12 May 2016 03:52 PM PDT

WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES I

Memorise: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of

righteousness, and of judgment: John 16:8

Read: John 8:8-14, ⁸And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

⁹And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

¹⁰When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

¹¹She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

¹²Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

¹³The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

¹⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Kings 19:8-21:18, Proverbs 24:21-34

MESSAGE

In the story of creation, the Bible talked about the earth being without form and void, and darkness being upon the face of the deep. In the midst of darkness and apparent confusion, the Spirit of God stepped into the scene, the God said, "let there be light" and there was light. We can then safely say that when the Holy Spirit comes into any situation, He brings light. If you ignite a fire, no matter how little it is, there will be light around the fire. In the midst of the darkness, emptiness and chaos, the Holy Spirit stepped in and light had to be created immediately. In other words, it was His coming that brought about light at the very beginning. The beauty of this is that the light of the Spirit exposes the hidden contents of darkness. This is confirmed by our Lord Jesus Christ when He said in John 3:20:

"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deed should be reproved."

In Acts 28:3-6, when Paul gathered some firewood and lit it up, a serpent that was hiding in the wood suddenly reared up its ugly head, but Paul threw it back into the fire. If the fire of God is really burning in your ministry, it will expose every evil person in the church, and deal with them. When under the strong influence of the Holy Spirit, your personal problems will be exposed to you. Your greatest enemy is not the witch or wizard around, but yourself. Not many of us think we are part of our problems.
If you ask a student to mark his examination sheet, he will most probably award himself the highest grades. If you know that what is hindering your progress is in you, it is then important to deal with it. The fire in Acts 28:5 not only exposed the serpent, it also killed it. Every serpent that is hiding in any corner of your life shall be exposed and destroyed today in Jesus' name. Moreover, if you walk in the light of the Spirit, People will hate you. Don't be surprised that compromising brethren and church leaders would not only hate and persecute you; they may also want to get rid of you. If your presence does not allow them to steal, they will hate your guts. The more you allow the light of the Spirit to shine in and around you, the more difficult it is for your enemies to cover up their evil intents. This season, the Lord will expose all the hidden agenda of your enemies by the light of the Spirit.

It is obvious that without an encounter with the power of the Spirit, many will remain trapped and live far below their expected potentials. To fulfil your destiny, you must partner with the Holy Spirit. Another character who realized his potential was Peter. If you compare Peter before the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost with the Peter after Pentecost, you will notice some sharp differences. Before Pentecost, Peter was full of fear. He found it difficult to stand on his convictions. Even a maid could make him deny the Lord, but after Pentecost, he became so bold that not even the council's threat stopped him. Before Pentecost, Peter realized his leadership potential but lacked the fire, zeal, direction and divine backing of the Holy Spirit to fulfil it. As a result of this, he went back for fishing after Christ's death (John 21:1-3). But after Pentecost, he was able to perform according to Heaven's expectations.

Prayer Point

Father, ignite the Holy Ghost fire in me that I may reach my full potentials in Jesus' name.

THE END OF THE LAW – Saturday May 14th 2016

Posted: 12 May 2016 03:47 PM PDT

THE END OF THE LAW

Memorise; And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of

these is charity. 1^st Corinthians 13:13

Read: 1^st Corinthians 13:8-13, ⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Kings 17:24-19:7, Proverbs 24:8-20

MESSAGE

The Bible says Christ is the end of the law (Romans 10:4), and it is entirely correct in every respect. Christ is the object of the law, the reason why the law was given; He is the fulfilment of the law, the conclusion of the law, the finality of the law, and the termination of the law. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. There is no righteousness of any kind (justifying righteousness or sanctifying righteousness) to be attained by our personal obedience to the law because it is written, "for if righteousness by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21). However, Christ is not the end of the law for everyone. He did not fulfil the demands of the law for everyone. He is only the end of the law for the elects of God and all those who shall trust in His saving power. Christ is therefore the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes in Him.

"Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth."

Romans 10:4

When Apostle Paul declared the Christ is the end of the law, he was not telling us that the law is evil. Writing by divine inspiration, the apostle meant that those apostate religious leaders who try to mix law and grace, who try to put believers under the yoke of bondage, desiring to be teachers of the law, do not know what they are talking about, "understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." The law was never intended, in any sense, for those who are righteous before God.
The law was given for the unrighteous. The law is not evil. It is holy, just, and good. It would be well if all men lived in conformity to the law's commands, both in outward practice and inward principle. Indeed, it is ordained of God and used by all civil governments to protect society from those who would otherwise disregard all respect for the rights, property, and lives of others.

This passage should not be used to legalise immorality and corruption as many are doing. Jesus did not come to invalidate the commandments of God in anyway. He was a law abiding person while He lived here on earth. Jesus teaches liberty and freedom from the binding effect of sin in that the letters of sin enslaves in a very powerful way. Yet, man has a strange infatuation with the law. Like the gnat that is drawn to the candle that will destroy it, man by nature is drawn to the law for righteousness, when all the law can give is destruction. The law can do nothing else but reveal sin and pronounce condemnation on the sinner (Romans 3:19-20).

Still, we cannot get men to flee from the law. They are so enamoured with their own self-righteousness and their own self-worth that they will cling to the law with a death-grip, though there is really nothing to cling to. They prefer Sinai to Calvary, though Sinai offers them nothing but death. Listen to the Word of God. If the opinions of men or your own opinions contradict the Word of God, "Let God be true and every man a liar."

Prayer Point

Father, please give me the grace to live by Your righteousness and not my works

LIGHT OF THE WORLD – Friday May 13th 2016

Posted: 12 May 2016 03:41 PM PDT

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Memorise: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Matthew 5:14

Read: Matthew 5:14-16, ¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Kings 15:17-17:23, Proverbs 23:29-24:7

MESSAGE

Jesus introduced Himself to humanity in John 8:12 as the light of the world. Just as the sun is the physical light of the world, so also is Jesus the spiritual light of the world. As the light of the world, Jesus exposes sin and gives sight. Our memory verse for today shows that Jesus is the primary light, and we are the secondary light. As the light of the sun is to the moon, so Jesus is the source of light, and we are the reflectors of the Light. Jesus said in John 9:5

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Now that He is no longer here, we are His reflected light in the world. I have often told my children that light is a very powerful force. When there is light, darkness has no choice than to disappear. John 1:5 says;

"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended if not".

The truth is, not all light can outshine darkness. For instance, Genesis 1 talks categories of lights.

"And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also"

Genesis 1:16

There are lights of the sun, moon and stars. Then there are man-made lights of varying sizes. If you flick on the tiny bulb of a flash-light in the midst of total darkness, you will only see the spot that the torch is pointing at. Everywhere else will still be surrounded by darkness.
The size of a light determines the area it will dominate or rule over. The Sun rules over the day because it is far brighter than the moon. If the moon were to replace the sun during the day, there would be darkness during a period that should be day time. Similarly, if you bring the sun to replace the moon during night time, the night will turn into day. This tells us that what determines the result of a situation is the amount of light it is exposed to. This means exposing varying degrees of light on the same situation will give you different results. The volume of the light of God's Word that you are exposed to will determine the degree of change you can experience. Matthew 5:16 says:

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

The intensity and size of God's light in you will determine your sphere of domination. Although, God has commanded you to dominate everything (Genesis 1:28), the actual scope of your domination will be determined by the amount of God's Word that is in you. The Word is the Light of the world. If you lack the Word, you lack the Light that gives definition to your ability to dominate. As you increase your Word content, you enlarge your coast. Staying away from the Word automatically reduces your glow and ultimately, your ability to control forces, situations and circumstances. On the other hand, the moment you stop shining as light, darkness will swallow you up. If you want to be victorious over forces of darkness, be daily exposed to more light from His Word.

Prayer Point

Father, please fill me with Your Light and let me shine across the whole world in Jesus' name.