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

Open Heavens 7 October 2016:-The Lord; My Healer

Posted: 04 Oct 2016 01:13 PM PDT

THE LORD; MY HEALER – Friday October 7^th 2016

Memorise: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1^st Peter 2:24

Read: Isaiah 53:1-5, (KJV)

1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 40:41, Psalms 75

MESSAGE

The title of today's devotional requires deep thought. The Lord is asking us to personalise this truth today? The reason is not far-fetched; the healing virtue of Jesus Christ is very potent and available for YOU. Open Heavens 7 October 2016:-The Lord; My Healer

In today's Bible readings, we are reassured that Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Healer because He paid for our healing with His Blood. Apart from reassuring us, the Bible passage also draws our attention to some other truths; not believing that God heals His ailing people is an ancient unbelief that is meant to subject humans to perpetual suffering. In the book of Numbers 21:6-9, the serpents sent to the Israelites as a result of their sins had bitten them, God then directed Moses to make and lift up a serpent for whoever was bitten to look upon for healing; as many as looked lived. This is type of healing God provides through our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 3:14-15, Jesus Christ said:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

The power and secret of sickness and diseases which ultimately leads to death is hidden in sin. This is the reason why Jesus Christ often first of all attacked sin in the lives of the people He thereafter healed (Matthew 9:2-6). Healing is easily procured when the sick's sins are forgiven him. 7 October 2016 open heaven. This is why the Psalmist says:

"Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."

Psalms 32:1

He is our unfailing Healer because He paid the dues for our healing, in that He atoned for the cause of sicknesses and diseases (Matthew 26:28).

To access divine healing, therefore, we must have a covenant relationship with the Healer, because by His stripes only, can we be healed. In other words, by the atonement of Jesus Christ, our healing is forever settled. To have a covenant relationship with the Healer, therefore, we must respond to His call to repentance, and surrender the totality of our lives for Him to control. The body that has been dedicated to Jesus Christ shall be spared the sicknesses that make people miserable. When we give our lives to Christ, the next thing to do is to graduate to the level of belief that, henceforth, Jesus Christ will be our Healer. We now become candidates for divine healing and we can graduate to the level of enjoying divine health.

Action Point

Make sure your salvation is genuine by re-examining yourself to ensure that you have faith in the healing power of Christ.

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

Open Heavens 6 October 2016:-Thieves in the Sanctuary II

Posted: 04 Oct 2016 12:47 PM PDT

THIEVES IN THE SANCTUARY II – Thursday October 6^th 2016

Memorise: Thou therefore which teachest another; teachest not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, does thou steal? Romans 2:21

Read: 1^st Samuel 2:12-17, (KJV)

^2:12Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.

^2:13And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh hook of three teeth in his hand;

^2:14And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh hook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

^2:15Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

^2:16And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

^2:17Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 37:15-39:29, Psalms 74:12-23

MESSAGE

The worst of all thieves in the church are the ministers who take the tithes, offerings and the first-fruits collected from member for their personal use. You hear them say, "He who serves at the Altar must eat from the Altar." As true as this statement may be, custodians of the Lord's sanctuary should be wary of greed and the love of money. Open Heavens 6 October 2016:-Thieves in the Sanctuary II 1^st Timothy 6:10-11 says:

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

In the Bible reading for today, the children of Eli corrupted the people's sacrifice through greed. Unfortunately, the same thing is happening today; some ministers of God, through greed, have made the tithes, offerings and first-fruits that people bring to the sanctuary unacceptable to God. Sometimes, members of the congregation suspect this foul play and begin to ask the ministers in charge what they use their tithes and offerings for. Though the ministers should be accountable to God through men, however, the tithes and offerings become an abomination before the Lord when the givers monitor it to the extent of wanting to know what God does with it. This is the reason some people claim to be paying their tithes and offerings and there is nothing to show for their giving. 6 October 2016 open heaven.

In Matthew 6:3-4, Jesus Christ said:

"But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

It is dangerous when brethren are not being encouraged or motivated to give more because they do not have anything to show for their previous giving. This happens when they begin to develop a negative attitude towards the way their pastors handle the finances of the Church. Some people leave their local assembly to go and pay their tithes and offerings elsewhere. This is counterproductive. Hence, the ministers handling God's assets must be very careful. They must not become thieves in the sanctuary. The Lord enjoins us to fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life whereunto we have been called, and keep away from the love of this world. If it is dangerous to rob God by not paying our tithes and offering, it is deadly to steal out of the one that the brethren are faithfully contributing for the advancement of the Kingdom business. We must learn from the children of Eli and the children of Samuel himself (1^st Samuel 8:1-5).

Prayer Point

Father, please deliver me from the demon called mammon and don't let me end up like Judas Iscariot.

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