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

28 October 2016 Open Heavens:- God gets angry too

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 02:25 PM PDT

GOD GETS ANGRY TOO – Friday October 28^th 2016

Memorise: For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalms 30:5

Read: Psalms 30:1-5 (KJV)

1 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

²O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

³O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

⁴Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

⁵For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Bible in one year: Zechariah 1:1-6-8, Psalms 86:15-37

MESSAGE

A truth catches one's attention in today's Bible reading; God can be angry! If this wasn't the case, the Bible wouldn't have said; "For this anger endureth but a moment". Jeremiah 25:6 further corroborates this fact by saying that the God of love can be provoked to anger: Open Heavens 28 October 2016:- God gets angry too

"And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt."

It is only a false teacher or prophet that will teach that God is so lovingly holy, therefore, He can't be provoked to anger. This type of teaching makes children of God take the love of their heavenly Father for granted.

Having said this, we must also acknowledge the fact that His anger does not last forever. There is a condition though. When you don't take God and His mercies for granted, and you genuinely turn away from your wickedness, He will deal with you as if you have never sinned before. Proverbs 28:13 says:

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

When God is angry with an individual, that fellow cannot know joy. Psalms 32:10 says:

"Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about."

Going by this scripture, every man born of a woman is doomed for sorrow until Jesus Christ redeems him from the curse of sin. Our trust in the work of redemption without taking the One who made it possible for granted, will bring us unspeakable joy. When our relationship is cordial with God, we can boldly say like the Psalmist; "weeping may endure for a night…" (Due to the variable nature of life) "…but joy cometh in the morning."

When I first became General Overseer, anytime I returned from my missionary journeys, my wife would be eager to tell me about all the matters that needed my attention. After listening to them all, I would ask for my food and after the meal I would go to bed. My wife kept on wondering about my attitude. I had to explain to her the fact that joy will come in the morning because I was leaving everything to God while I sleep. Faithful is He who has promised us joy in the morning; it shall surely come. 28 October 2016 Open Heavens.

Prayer Point

Father, let my morning of joy come now.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

27 October 2016 Open Heavens:- Cost of Discipleship.

Posted: 25 Oct 2016 02:14 PM PDT

COST OF DISCIPLESHIP – Thursday October 27^th 2016

Memorise: And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27

Read: Luke 14:25-27 (KJV)

²⁵And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

²⁶If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

²⁷And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Bible in one year: Zephaniah 1-3, Haggai 1-2, Psalms 89:1-14

MESSAGE

Children of God are to decide wisely what they want to do with their relationship with Him. Jesus, in Luke 14:27 said;

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple."

A Cross is a symbol of responsibility, to say the least. It is a pointer to the fact that the path of discipleship is rugged and demanding. It demands a high level of determination to follow without looking back when faced with sufferings and temptations. Open Heavens 27 October 2016:- Cost of Discipleship. This is why Jesus said in Luke 9:62; "…No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

The cost of discipleship is also found in the blessed call of Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:28-39:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

It is costly to follow Jesus Christ for many reasons. Firstly, He has a yoke and whoever wants to follow Him must bear that yoke with Him. An example of this yoke is found in John 4:43 where Jesus said; "…My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." Whoever fails to share this burden with Jesus cannot be His disciple. Secondly, the one who wants to be a disciple of Christ must learn of Him, he must pattern His life Christ's life and one major way to pattern one's life after Jesus Christ is to be meek and lowly in heart. Philippians 2:5-8 says:

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

Beloved, you have to know that discipleship has its price, but it is highly rewarding. Jesus Christ said, "… and ye shall find rest unto your souls."(Matthew 11:29). 27 October 2016 Open Heavens.

Prayer Point

Father, help me to pay the cost of discipleship, so that I can gain the immeasurable blessing of a genuine disciple.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye