Saturday 30 August 2014

Devotional: When Revival Comes Part 1&2

MEMORISE : Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? PSALM 85 : 6.

READ : PSALM 85 : 4 - 7.

4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.

5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?

6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOHN 5 : 19 -6 : 59 & JOB 30 : 24 - 31 : 4.

In spiritual parlance, revival presupposes that backsliding has hitherto taken place. In other words, it is when people abandon their spiritual fervency that the need for revival becomes inevitable. In Christianity, revival is a term that generally refers to an increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a congregation or church, either regionally or globally. This should not be misconstrued with evangelistic meetings that churches conduct to bring about salvation of lost souls. May the Lord revive His church in Jesus’ Name. What happens when revival comes? According to our Bible reading today, people turn away from their wickedness when revival

Monday 25 August 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: WHAT SEEK YE?

MEMORISE : But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
MATTHEW 6 : 33.

READ : LukE 12 : 29 - 31.
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Topic: Importing Development to Africa.



Import Development to Africa.

The need for Africa development cannot be over-emphasized. Africa can only be truly developed by African within and Diaspora. Today I will be dwelling more on development of Africa by African in Diaspora, the Intellectuals, the high flyers in America, Europe, Asia and every other part of the world.

African Child
I write today as an African, black human race not as a Nigerian. The development we appreciate today in China and some major parts of

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Daily Devotional: DIVINE ENCOUNTER


 MEMORISE : But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
JOHN 1 : 12.

READ : John 1 : 11 - 13.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : LUKE 9 : 21 -10 : 42 & JOB 24 : 9 - 20.

Monday 18 August 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: DEPART FROM EVIL.

 
MEMORISE : For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 1PETER 3 : 10.
READ : 1 PETER 3 : 10 - 13.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Friday 8 August 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: DRIVING FORCE BEHIND GREATNESS.



MEMORISE : Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. MARK 11 : 24.

READ : HEBREWS 11 : 1 - 6
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Thursday 7 August 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SURE PATHS TO GREATNESS.

MEMORISE : Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. PSALM 48 : 1.
READ : EPHESIANS 1 : 17 - 21.
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Tuesday 5 August 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SUCCESSFUL THROUGH MEDITATION.

MEMORISE : This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. JOSHUA : 8.

READ : PSALM 1 : 1 - 6.
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Wednesday 30 July 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SUCCESSFUL THROUGH MEDITATION.


MEMORISE : This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. JOSHUA : 8.

READ : PSALM 1 : 1 - 6.
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Friday 25 July 2014

Have Faith.

MEMORISE : For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. MARK 11 : 23.

READ : NUMBERS 23 : 19 - 21.
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

Thursday 24 July 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: ACTIVATE YOUR FAITH.


MEMORISE : The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
EXODUS 14 : 14.
READ : EXODUS 14 : 13 - 14.
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Wednesday 23 July 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: RETURN!


MEMORISE : A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
EZEKIEL 36 : 26.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 7 : 3 - 4.
3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Friday 18 July 2014

THEME : BEFORE YOU ASK.


MEMORISE : And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. ISAIAH 65 : 24.

READ : ISAIAH 65 : 23 - 24.
23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

Thursday 17 July 2014

CONFRONT, DON’T RUN!

 
The Memory Verse : The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? PSALM 27 : 1.
Our Bible Reading: PSALM 27 : 1 - 3.
1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Saturday 12 July 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: PRAYERS MAKE THINGS HAPPEN

.
MEMORISE : And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8 : 28.

READ : ACTS 9:1-11
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

Friday 4 July 2014

The Platform 2014

The Platform hold tomorrow Saturday July 5, 2014 at THE COVENANT PLACE Iganmu Time:9am Speakers are:


Tuesday 1 July 2014

PEACE LIKE A RIVER.


MEMORISE : O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: ISAIAH 48 : 18.
READ : ISAIAH 48 : 18 - 19.
18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

Monday 30 June 2014

SEE YOURSELF IN A POSITIVE LIGHT.


MEMORISE : For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. Proverbs 23 : 7.

READ : JUDGES 6 : 11 - 16.
11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

Friday 27 June 2014

COMMANDED TO SHINE.

MEMORISE : Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5 : 16.

READ : EPHESIANS 5 : 8 - 14.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 7 : 84 - 10 : 10 & PSALM 140.
Light and darkness are antithetical. While light is welcome by everyone, darkness is shunned and rejected.

Thursday 26 June 2014

DIVINE COMPENSATION.

MEMORISE : But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5 : 10.
READ : Genesis 41:37-45
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath
shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of

Wednesday 25 June 2014

DIVINE SPECIFICATIONS FOR GOOD SUCCESS.

MEMORISE : Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6 : 38.
READ : 1 CHRONICLES 4 : 9 - 10.
9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 5 - 6 & PSALM 139 : 1 - 16.
Virtually everything on earth is guided by principles, rules and regulations. There are divine specifications (Biblical principles and rules) for whoever wishes to be successful in any area of life. It has been rightly pointed out by those who claim to be experts that one in every three

Tuesday 24 June 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.THEME : FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS.

 
MEMORISE : Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6 : 14. READ : ACTS 2 : 46 - 47.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did

Thursday 19 June 2014

PARENTING.

The focus of our lesson today is the responsibilities as expected of  responsible Parent according to God's standard.
 
Our MEMORY Verse : When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Matthew 2 : 14.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 1 : 22 - 23.

22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and

Wednesday 18 June 2014

PROVOKING POSITIVE CHANGE.

 
MEMORISE : Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Ephesians 3 : 20. READ : MATTHEW 15 : 21 - 28.
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have

Monday 16 June 2014

REFLECTING GOD’S IMAGE.


MEMORISE : So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1 : 27.
READ : PSALM 8 : 3 - 6.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

Wednesday 11 June 2014

EXCEPTIONAL APPRENTICE.


MEMORISE : Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. John 5 : 19.

READ : JOHN 5 : 5 - 9.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

Tuesday 10 June 2014

A STEP FURTHER.

MEMORISE : But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Hebrews 12 : 22.
READ : EPHESIANS 1 : 15 - 19.
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Friday 6 June 2014

CONTROVERSIAL BLESSING.



MEMORISE : When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Psalm 126 : 1.

READ : JOHN 9 : 8 - 16.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

Tuesday 3 June 2014

FIGHTER’S QUALIFICATION.


MEMORISE : And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Luke 3 : 9.

READ : JOHN 15 : 1 - 6.
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he

Monday 2 June 2014

WHY EXPECTATIONS FAIL.


MEMORISE : The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1 : 7.

READ : JEREMIAH 29 : 1 - 13.
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem,

Friday 30 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: POOR & PRECIOUS.

 
MEMORISE : But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Psalm 40 : 17.
READ : PSALM 40 : 14 - 17.
14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be

Wednesday 28 May 2014

The Power of Fear & Doubt



The major constraints to goal accomplishment are fear and doubt. The fear of failure, the fear of poverty, the fear of rejection. Do you know how many times a failure tries to accomplish a goal before he gives up? Less than one attempt. The moment a failure thought of a goal to achieve before he map out strategies to

Can this be REAL????



His Royal Highness (HRH), Igwe Uche Nnaji, the traditional ruler of Orba ancient kingdom is truly a man that has a special date with God! For 10years he waited on the Lord for the blessing of a child.

Tuesday 27 May 2014

THE SUPERNATURAL LIFE.




MEMORISE : But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2 : 14.
READ : 1 CORINTHIANS 2 : 12 - 16.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the

Monday 26 May 2014

Topic: Living On the Flip Side of Life


Life is the period of existence. Death is the opposite of Life. Great ideas have no value until it is implemented. There is no time to waste, if you have great ideas deposited in you do something

LUST: ENEMY OF GREATNESS.

 


MEMORISE : Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1 : 2.
 

READ : 1 JOHN 2 : 15 - 17.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of

Friday 23 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: LOVE & SPIRITUAL GIFTS.




MEMORISE : Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14 : 1.
 
READ : 1 CORINTHIANS 12 : 1 - 2.
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

Thursday 22 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: LENDING TO THE LORD!





MEMORISE : He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. Proverbs 19 : 17.
 
 READ : 1 SAMUEL 1 : 24 - 28.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was

Wednesday 21 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL :SAFETY IN CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING.


 When your heart is troubled.

MEMORISE : Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 11 : 14.
 
READ : ACTS 27 : 30 - 37.
30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,

Tuesday 20 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: TIME FOR MIRACLES.

MEMORISE : God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? Hebrews 2 : 4.
 

READ : MARK 4 : 35 - 41.
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other

Monday 19 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: WORKS OF THE DEVIL.


MEMORISE : He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3 : 8.

READ : DEUTERONOMY 18 : 9 - 14.
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,

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Sunday 18 May 2014

God Hates Divorce

MEMORISE : But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Matthew 5 : 32. READ : MALACHI 2 : 13 - 16. 13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 37 : 12 - 39 : 23;PSALM 106 : 32 - 48. The Church and the community at large are concerned with the stability of family life. Family instability contributes to human suffering, which can continue to the third and fourth generation. This is crucial because children need two actively involved parents who love them and each other, if they are to be emotionally prepared for future deep, personal relationships necessary for the making of a good marriage. Divorce represents a kind of bereavement because out of it comes severe damage and destruction of important personal relationships. Problems like deep mistrust of others, the fear of close relations and the fear of desertion are the result of divorce. Divorce is not an experience from which a sensitive person easily recovers. Its residual emotional scars may be life-long and may contribute to emotional warping in the next generation. God hates divorce. God’s ideal for marriage is that it be permanent. He stated this in Matthew 1 9: 6 which says, “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Marriage is a relationship in which two adults of the opposite sex make an emotional and legal commitment to live together. In today’s society, people engage in marriage for love, companionship, fulfilment of expectations and economic needs. Though marriage is a social institution that is cherished and highly revered in every culture of the world, it is sometimes afflicted with so many conflicts that often result in divorce. There is no denying the fact that marriage breeds more conflicts than most other social institutions, and that most couples frequently disagree, quarrel, nag or throw up the past at each other at one point or the other. This is an age of easy divorce. Many people enter marriage with an ‘escape hatch’ frame of mind: “if this doesn’t work out, we can always call it off and move on”. Consequently, termination of unhappy marriages by divorce is increasing; so also is the number of children in disrupted marriages. Every marriage has conflicts to be resolved. Whenever a conflict is not resolved, it feeds upon itself and gradually creates circumstances that could complicate the task of resolution. In effect, one quarrel leads to another and the vicious cycle of conflicts becomes difficult to break. Since God hates divorce, it is advisable that couples should always endeavour to resolve all marital conflicts and prevent their marriage from being destroyed. ACTION POINT : Always agree with your spouse on the need to resolve your marital conflicts promptly. AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE. Today at 6:03am · Shared with: Public

Saturday 17 May 2014

We Gist Lara









The artist of the week: Lara George!!! Lara was born in Lagos, Nigeria into a family of seven; she is the fourth child of Mr. and Mrs. Oluwole Bajomo. She began her musical career in alma mater school choir at

Friday 16 May 2014

Title: Living Beyond Your Limitation.






A man and his son went for a morning walk one day and while they were walking suddenly, the man stopped and looked at his son Mark, he asked do u want to be successful? And Mark answered and said, yes Dad. Then they continued walking, after some distance covered again he asked, Mark!!! (Now he was more serious and looked him eye ball to eye ball), do u really want to be successful? Considering the fact that you have no college degree; you are a single parent and presently jobless, do you really think you want to be successful? Now the young man went silence.

Nigeria My Supermom.








Our mother; Oh my Mother; my jewel of inestimable value; dignity of a man; audacity of hope; pride of a Nation; oh my Mother. You are the best mom in the world. You worked rather than consume all you worked for, you decided to starve. you gave us more than enough but; I know

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: CONVERSION OF THE PURSE.


MEMORISE : Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6 : 38.

READ : PHILIPPIANS 4:13-19
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Wednesday 14 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SOARING BEYOND THE SKY.

MEMORISE : In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11 : 6.
 

READ : GENESIS 26 : 8 - 15.
8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

Tuesday 13 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: THE COURTS OF BABYLON.

MEMORISE : But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1 : 8.
 
READ : DANIEL 1 : 1 - 8.
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

Monday 12 May 2014

Topic: A Purpose-Driven Man.



If you don’t live your Dream, someone else will live it for you……..

A man who lives a life of purpose is self-motivated; he doesn’t wait for anyone to motivate him he wakes up daily with so much joy and energy ready to go. He has an undefeated mentality; he sees himself as architect of his own destiny. He doesn’t envy people and he is not intimidated. The way he walks, work and speak express self-confidence that he has in himself. He understands that every man is made for different purpose. He is willing to help others to reach their goal also. A purpose-driven man has a short and a long term goal.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : TRUSTING IN THE LORD.

MEMORISE : Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37 : 5.
 
READ : PROVERBS. 3 : 5 - 8.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Saturday 10 May 2014

We Gist Frank Edwards

 

Who is Frank Edwards?

Mr. Edwards was born into a family of seven. His birth name is Frank Ugochukwu Edwards. He was born in Enugu state of Nigeria. He has five siblings. He began singing at the age of ten years. He

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: CONSCIENCE.


MEMORISE : How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9 : 14.
 

READ : ROMANS 1 : 18 - 32.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,

Friday 9 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: MAXIMIZING YOUR LIFE.

MEMORISE : The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Luke 12 : 23.

READ : LUKE 12 : 16 - 23.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room whereto bestow my fruits?

Thursday 8 May 2014

Our Mission

To educate people, both within the context of the Scripture and General Skills, until every man becomes PURPOSE-DRIVEN.

Our Vision

To give your life a PURPOSE and DIRECTION.

We Gist Tope Alabi





Our guest today is Evang. Tope Alabi popularly called Ore ti o common also known as Agbo Jesu born October 27, 1970 in Ogun State, Nigeria. She is a multi-platinum Nigerian Gospel Singer, Film Music Composer and actress.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: LABOURER IN HIS VINEYARD.


MEMORISE : Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4 : 2.

READ : 1 TIMOTHY 3 : 1 - 7.
1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Wednesday 7 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : TALKING TO JESUS.

MEMORISE : Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Matthew 7 : 7.

READ : MATTHEW 6 : 5 - 13.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Tuesday 6 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE.

MEMORISE : Bless the Lord Oh my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Psalm 103 : 1.
READ : PSALM 148 : 1 - 4.
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

Monday 5 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: FISHERS OF MEN.

MEMORISE : And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4 : 19.

READ : JOHN 1 : 40 - 42.
40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Friday 2 May 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: ANOINTED TO BE AN INTERCESSOR.

MEMORISE : And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Luke 18 : 1.

READ : 1 TIMOTHY 2 : 1 - 2.
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Wednesday 30 April 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : CARE FOR THE BRETHREN.

MEMORISE : But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4 : 19.
 
READ : ROMANS 15 : 25 - 27.
25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contributionfor the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
 

Monday 28 April 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SUFFICIENT GRACE.

MEMORISE : And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12 : 9.
 

Friday 25 April 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : GREATNESS IS COSTLY.

MEMORISE : How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10 : 38.
READ : JUDGES 13 : 2 - 5.
2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Do the Right Thing Part 1



Mathew 6:33 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you'. What does it mean to do the right thing? It means to believe God; to accept Jesus and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in all situations; It means to see all situations from Jesus’

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: HOME TRAINING.

MEMORISE : Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Proverbs 22 : 15.

READ : JOSHUA 24 : 14 - 15.
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ZEPHANIAH 1 - 3, HAGGAI 1-2; PSALM 89 : 1 - 14.
After Moses sent twelve people to go and spy on the Promised Land, ten of them returned to say it was impossible to take the land. The first person to speak against this line of thought was Caleb ( Numbers 13 : 30 ). God gave this testimony about Caleb in Numbers 14 : 24 :
“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
Many parents are content that they are serving the Lord but are not doing enough to make sure that members of their household serve the Lord too. In Genesis 22 : 7 - 9, we read about Abraham and Isaac. Abraham taught Isaac how to submit to him and to God. When Isaac asked Abraham where the item of sacrifice was, Abraham said God would provide one. Isaac did not ask any other question after this because his father had taught him how to submit to his God. After Abraham had prepared the altar, he told Isaac to lie on it and he obeyed. At this time, Abraham was over a hundred years old while Isaac was a strong youth. If Isaac had decided to run, Abraham would not have been able to stop him or catch up with him. Isaac submitted totally.
Do not use love as an excuse for not disciplining your children. If you do not discipline them, there will be trouble down the line. If you don’t believe me, ask Eli. In 1 Samuel 2 : 27 - 30, the purpose and plan of God for the house of Eli was changed on the ground that he refused to discipline his children. Some parents in the name of love, allow their children to do whatever they want, whereas they have only succeeded in destroying them. Proverbs 29 : 17 counsels us on this :
“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”
The way to train your children is not by giving them gifts only. When you promise to punish them, make sure you do so or else they will not take you serious. Children should submit to their parents. It is one thing to be corrected and it is another thing to take the correction. There are three kinds of children: those without home training, those who were trained but rejected the training and those who were trained and accepted the training. What kind are you? When you study the life of those who submit to their parents, you will see that they are usually greater than their parents. The point where their parents stop is where they begin from. The same is true spiritually. In Joshua 1 : 1 - 5, we see how Joshua submitted to Moses, and when Moses died, God promoted him and continued with him. If you follow this principle, it will also work for you.

PRAYER POINT :
Lord, give me a listening ear and a heart that accepts correction in Jesus’ Name.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Quote

Romans 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.  

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/normanvinc132560.html#2xcF7j7RPiGrFMtk.99

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/normanvinc132560.html#2xcF7j7RPiGrFMtk.99
Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/normanvinc132560.html#2xcF7j7RPiGrFMtk.99

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: TIME TO WAR.

MEMORISE : For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119 : 89.

READ : DANIEL 3 : 16 - 17.
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NAHUM 1 - 3, HABAKKUK 1 - 3; PSALM 88.
There are times when you have to make war. Sometime ago, I was walking round our Camp ground praying and I saw two snakes. Would you say I should leave the snakes to go on their own? If I leave them to go, they would grow to become bigger and who knows, they could come back and attack me or any of my children. When I see a snake, that snake must die! Cancer is a snake; if it is in your body, I curse it in Jesus’ Name. Barrenness is a snake opening its mouth and eating the seeds of husbands. It shall die in Jesus’ Name. There are times we need to speak for miracles to happen. If you keep quiet when you are expected to speak, your problem will remain quiet with you. After all, silence implies consent. If you have a sickness and it is okay by you, the sickness will stay. If you have demons in the form of a house help and you are willing to keep them, all well and good. Wait until they have poisoned your husband or until they have destroyed your marriage; if that is okay with you, then it is fine. However, such is not fine with me. No evil shall remain in my home or in the church of God in Jesus’ Name. If you would satisfy some conditions, then you shall decree a thing, and it shall be established unto you. The condition is that you should remain holy. Whenever it is time to decree, just make sure you link Jesus Christ with your decree. Once He backs up your decree, it shall be established.
In Genesis 22 : 7 - 8, Isaac said to Abraham that he could see the wood and the fire but not the animal to be used as a sacrifice. Abraham said the Lord shall provide for Himself a lamb for the sacrifice. He linked the Almighty God with the decree and by the time he got to the mountain top, there was a lamb already waiting. In 1 Samuel 17 : 45, David said to Goliath that he had come to him in the Name of the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, who would hand Goliath over to him for him to cut his head. He did not say he would kill Goliath himself, but that God would hand Goliath over to him. So when it is time to decree over your enemies, do not just say, “I am going to step over you’’ but say, “God will make you a stepping stone for me”. Whenever it is time to issue decrees, do not talk as if you are the Almighty. Hide within Him and then use Him to make your decree. Spoken words can be extremely powerful. If a nation wants to go to war with another nation, they declare war by speaking. When the war is over, they declare peace by speaking. If you are yet to be born-again, I urge you to come to Jesus today. If you say you are born-again and there is no accompanying change in your life, you better go to Jesus and declare war against everything that is incongruent with the nature of God in your life.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, do something new in my life today.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

Thursday 17 April 2014

CHRIST FOR YOU

Memorise:
 
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31
Read: James 4:5-8
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Message
Apart from Christ being in you, another dimension of Christ in relation to you is “Christ being for you”. The phrase “for you” in this context signifies approval of or support for you. The implication of ‘Christ for you’ is encapsulated in Romans 8:31:
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
I pray that God will give you the revelation of this in your spirit. With Christ for you, you become an unstoppable juggernaut. Every opposition against your forward movement is bulldozed away. It is a great thing when God is for you because anyone trying to curse you would merely be wasting his time. We see this manifested in the life of the children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land. Because God was for them, all attempts to curse them failed. In opposition to their onward journey to the Promised Land, Balak the king of Moab hired Balaam – a prophet, to curse them. God dealt with the prophet by warning him against his mission through the donkey that spoke like a man. Besides this, three consecutive times, at the point of pronouncing curses, God intervened and in fact made Balaam to pronounce blessings upon God’s people.
“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!”
Numbers 23:8&23
How then do you obtain His support? It is by drawing near to Him. James 4:8 says if you draw near to God, He would also draw near to you. This means that you don’t serve Him only with the mouth, but also with your heart. Drawing close to God means spending quality time in personal fellowship with Him. Fellowshipping with Him means you talk to Him and He talks back to you. Study how a man and woman in courtship get close to each other and apply this to your relationship with God. They talk to each other, they share moments of ups and downs together, they parade each other around, they express their feelings of love and dissatisfactionin songs, poems and letters, they study each other’s character and they shed relationships not approved of by their partner and several other things. If you apply this principle to your relationship with God, you will be shocked at how real He will become and for sure He will stand up in your defence just like a man will stand up for his woman if confronted by danger while in courtship.
 
Prayer Point
Father, fill my heart with your love, cancel any curse upon my life and bless me.

Wednesday 16 April 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: WHERE ARE YOU?


MEMORISE : And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? Genesis 3 : 9.

READ : GENESIS 3 : 7 - 10.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOEL 1 - 3 ; PSALM 82.
Where are you? I am convinced that this question God asked Adam long ago is still relevant today. It is not expedient to wait for God to ask you this question. Rather, as part of a self examination process, you should introspectively ask yourself this question. A sincere approach in answering this question would do you a lot of good both in this world and in eternity.
From the day of his birth, a man begins a return journey to where he is from ( Ecclesiastes 12 : 1 - 7 ). This is why, with regard to official matters, you are not asked “how young are you?”, but rather you are asked how old you are. No matter how young you are, you are growing old day by day. Hence, God Himself is asking you: where are you now? You should therefore ask yourself regularly, ‘how far have I gone in fulfilling the purpose of my creation and salvation?’
To answer this serious question, you need to first of all answer some other questions like: “where was I yesterday?” It could be last week, last year or when you first got born-again. Next, you need to answer the question: “where am I now?” Consider Samson, who went from being a terror to the enemy to grinding corn in the prison of the enemy. Ask yourself, ‘am I going on to greater heights, winning more souls than before for Christ?’ Materially, have you moved from thirty fold, to sixty fold or to hundred fold increase? Or is your case that of moving in the reverse direction?
Are you increasing spiritually or decreasing? Are you increasing financially or decreasing? It is God’s will and it is His plan for you to grow spiritually, financially and all-round.
“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Psalm 35 : 27
If you are not growing, could it be that you have been eating your seed? Or maybe you are sowing sparingly ( 2 Corinthians 9 : 6 )? Perhaps, because you have been defaulting in your tithe, you are now working under a divine curse ( Malachi 3 : 8 - 10 )? As the Lord said to His people who experienced decrease in time past, He says to you now: consider your ways ( Haggai 1 : 5 - 7 ).

ACTION POINT :
Carry out a self-evaluation and cry to God about your findings.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

Tuesday 15 April 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: HEART: LIFE’S CONTROL TOWER.

MEMORISE : Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4 : 23.

READ : PROVERBS 4 : 20 - 23.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HOSEA 11 - 14 ; PSALM 81.
Physically, the heart’s role in keeping a man alive cannot be undermined. This organ is very crucial to human existence. In the non-empirical world, the heart of a man is that part of his soul that directs his physical actions. Jesus made this clear in Mark 7 : 18 - 23. It is this “heart” we are considering in this study. It is popularly said that “the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart”. This means that the core issues of life are matters of the heart. This is the crux of what our Bible reading today is saying in verse 23.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
What moulds a life comes from the heart. Ordinarily, the Bible says the heart is evil – deceitful and desperately wicked ( Jeremiah 17 : 9 ). After a man experiences the salvation of Jesus, the heart is impacted and made available for working upon by the word of God. It’s supposed to be a dwelling place for the word of God so that it can be transformed to bring forth virtues, victories and success. For this to be experienced in reality, the child of God needs as a matter of duty to work constantly on the heart through studying, meditating and memorising the word of God.
Basically, the heart of a man can be in any of these four states :
1)The roadside heart
2)The stony heart
3)The thorny heart
4)The good heart

Our Lord Jesus Christ explained these states in a parable he defined as the key to all other parables ( Mark 4 : 13 - 20 ). The state an individual’s heart assumes is the choice of the fellow. The heart is the place to receive knowledge, besides the head. Until knowledge is obtained in the heart, a person will not benefit from it. What kind of knowledge do you receive into your heart?
A working relationship between the heart and the mouth charts the course of a man’s life – whether good or bad. The mouth is the outlet of the heart; thus, the issues that mould a life are coming out of the heart through the mouth. The state of the heart is the true identity of a man. It is the place God looks at to relate to a man ( 1 Samuel 16 : 7 ).

ACTION POINT :
Examine your thought pattern in the mirror of Philippians 4:8 and pray accordingly.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

Monday 14 April 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL :CONFRONT THIS ENEMY – FEAR.


MEMORISE : For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8 : 15.

READ : ISAIAH 41 : 10 - 14.
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HOSEA 6 - 10 ; PSALM 80 : 8 - 19.
The scripture is replete with statements of “fear not” from God to His people. Fear is one tool the enemy finds most useful in his hands in making the children of God suffer failure, pain and destruction of destiny. Often times, what people are afraid of is not real, but their minds paint an imaginary picture of the object or situation out of proportion and the enemy helps to blow it up. Thus people fear what they should not be afraid of.
On the other hand, there are some situations that are truly terrifying from a human perspective. Regarding such situations, the Lord our God still tells us not to be afraid. He expects us to know that with Him behind us and for us, no person, situation or thing can have us at its mercy. This is why in Isaiah 41 : 10 He says:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Fear is an enemy; it paralyses the potential meant to be deployed for activities that lead to greatness. The Bible says fear has torment ( 1 John 4 : 18 ). Fear makes its victim disobedient to God. It deceives its victim into magnifying a challenging situation above God. Such was the case of King Saul who confessed that he had sinned because he feared the people and obeyed their voice against the instruction of God (1 Samuel 15:24). Being fearful is a sin that can lead to an eternity in the Lake of Fire.( Revelation 21 : 8 ).
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Of all the listed sins above, being fearful is number one on the list. You have no business being fearful. Jesus our Lord is greater than any human being no matter his status. He is greater than any witch or wizard; Satan their master is no match for Him. In fact, Colossians 2 : 10 says Jesus is the head of all principalities and powers. Isaiah 8 : 12 - 13 says we should not fear any gang-up against us, rather, God alone should be feared. Once we fear God, we would have no one else to fear.

ACTION POINT :
Confront anything, person or situation tending to make you afraid in the Name of Jesus. Command the spirit of fear to depart from you in Jesus’ Name.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

Sunday 13 April 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : PEACE ALL-ROUND II

Memorise: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Hebrews 12:15


Read: Hebrews 12:14-15
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HOSEA 1-5 and PSALM 80:1-7
Message
Although there are different dimensions of peace, the highest level of peace a man can attain is peace with God through Jesus Christ. Know this however: the fact that you are a child of God and love God does not necessarily imply you will not have problems. A fearful situation automatically erodes peace of mind unless if as a child of God you put your trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3).
The character flaws of a Christian can be detrimental to the flourishing of the peace given by our Lord Jesus Christ. One character flaw top on this list is bitterness. Bitterness can grow and even take root in a heart. The root of bitterness stops the children of God from enjoying the peace of God. While the root of bitterness in the heart of an individual will affect other people around, a big chunk of the adverse effect of this evil root is on the individual harbouring it. The root of bitterness in a heart creates room for hatred, envy and anger; it is undoubtedly a harbinger of unforgiveness. It also makes for unhappiness. The phrase “root of bitterness” itself gives one an idea of what this stuff offers – all-round bitterness. It results in bitter experiences, smothering joy and peace. How does it originate? It comes when one feels unfairly treated by another person or an organisation. It comes from a feeling of being injured whether physically, emotionally or otherwise. For instance, a sister in courtship that is jilted, a spouse that is cheated upon by his/her partner, an employee that is short-changed, a case of great disappointment such that high hopes were dashed, death of a loved one, case of rape and others. All these are negative experiences that no one would desire, and I pray you will never experience anything of these sorts in Jesus’ Name. In case you are grappling with the root of bitterness resulting from whatever previous experiences you’ve had, please note that it is not in your best interest to keep it. Bitterness eats up its host; it affects the physical wellbeing of an individual, as well as causing a strained relationship with God.
There was a man whose wife died sometime ago, leaving behind an only daughter with a striking resemblance to the mother. The daughter was the only existing consolation to this man. This lady’s husband turned out to be something else, maltreating the lady to the point of threatening her life. The root of bitterness that sprang up in the lady’s father resulted in him becoming swollen, defying all medical care. He only became alright after forgiving his son-in-law.

Action Point
Check your heart to ensure no bitterness is taking root there. If there is any trace of it, let go of it and pray for the healing of your soul.
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE