OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: IT SHALL BE WELL.

MEMORISE : Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Isaiah 3 : 10.

READ : ISAIAH 3 : 10 - 11.
10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DANIEL 7 - 8; PSALM 78 : 40 - 55.
The importance attributed to a statement depends on who is making it.
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” Isaiah 3 : 10
The person that made the above statement is none other than the Alpha and Omega Himself. He made this statement because He knows tomorrow. Of course, He knows that the tomorrow of the righteous is beautiful in Him. There is no way anyone can be righteous without being in Christ. Basically, Jesus is our righteousness. He makes us righteous so that we can continue to live in righteousness by His power. Hence, “the righteous” that this statement applies to, is not the one who says that because Christ has been made our righteousness, it does not matter how we continue to live. No, it is a mockery of the whole sacrifice of Jesus, if He saved us from sin only for us to continue to live in sin, because He is our righteousness. People who live by this understanding are self deluded and have allowed Satan to deceive them. For the child of God living uprightly, it doesn’t matter how things may be around you now, your Father says “It shall be well with you”.
Not only is He faithful to His promises, He also has the power to bring to pass whatever He says. This statement can mean different things to different people. To the sick, it means he will be healed; to the poor, it means his wealth is on the way, for it is He who gives power to get wealth ( Deuteronomy 8 : 18 ) that says “all will be well”. To the captive, “all will be well” means freedom is here. His Name is the Lord of hosts ( Psalm 24 : 10 ). He will destroy all the forces behind your captivity. To the barren it means you shall conceive, for He is the One able to bring children out of stones ( Matthew 3 : 9 ). To the one who is a failure, it means success is coming: for He is the great promoter ( Psalm 75 : 6 - 7 ). How can we be so sure that all will be well, you probably would ask? It is because anytime He wants to do anything, He sends His word. For you a true child of God, who lives right and desires to please God always, I believe strongly that God wants to do something special in your life; divine intervention is around the corner. If your way has not been right with Him however, go to Him now in prayer and completely turn over your life to Him.

ACTION POINT :
Thank God for His deep concern, provision for your well being and for the assurance of a glorious tomorrow.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: THE BREVITY OF TIME.

MEMORISE : The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Romans 13 : 12.

READ : ROMANS 13 : 11 - 14.

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DANIEL 3 : 1 - 4 : 33; PSALM 78 : 9 - 16.

How recklessly this age speeds on to self destruction! The word of God is accurate and authentic in its prediction of the latter end of the world and in warning His saints of the end times, so that they are not overtaken by the prevalence of evil in this age! In virtually every facet of life, there is an overturning of rightness. Theologically and philosophically, there is a denial of the absoluteness of truth, hence they talk of relativism i.e. right is relative; what is morally right to a people of culture A is not necessarily right to people of culture B. Thus, the culture of people is held higher and given prominence above the word of God. They stretch human rights beyond scripturally accepted limits – anything anybody’s warped mind desires should not be denied him though it is self destructive. Things that would receive outright condemnation some thirty years ago are now fashionable. Otherwise, what would you say about homosexuality, where presidents are giving public recognition and approval to gay practices? Not only that, they are threatening other nations that would not do same. There is an increasing degree of selfishness at the highest level, which makes few people in government enrich themselves and impoverish the masses. Domestic crimes have taken a worse turn, with incidents of husbands driving knives into the throat of their wife. Knowledge is increasing at an astronomical rate, giving rise to changing trends of technological sophistication. This in itself has affected human behaviour greatly, and sometimes, these technologies enable men to commit sophisticated dirty and wicked acts.

No doubt, the enemy knowing that his time is short is not sparing anything in his arsenal to destroy humanity and to infuriate God. In all these, you will not be a victim in Jesus’ Name. I pray for you that the dragnet of evil in this present time will not catch up with you in Jesus’ Name. The Bible says we are kept by the power of God ( 1 Peter 1 : 5 ). You must realise that all these evil things that are rampant nowadays are indicative of the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, you must live every moment in earnest expectation of Christ ( Titus 2 : 11 - 14 ). As one of the five wise virgins ( Matthew 25 : 1 - 9 ), you must have no time for idleness or idle talk. You should be busy serving the Lord, winning souls and living holy. You must also be prayerful, interceding for your family members and others.

ACTION POINT :

Check your commitment to Jesus and meditate on how you can fulfil the instructions in the memory verse.

AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: INGREDIENTS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER.

MEMORISE : If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Psalm 66 : 18.

READ : MATTHEW 6 : 9 - 13.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 44 : 15 - 46 : 18; PSALM 77 : 1 - 10.
Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us an outline of the pattern our prayers should follow in what is called the Lord’s Prayer. We must draw some eternal lessons on how to get answers to our prayers by studying the few words of this outline. The first lesson is that, we must acknowledge the Fatherhood of God if we want to receive answers to our prayers. This is why those who argue that God has no children are short-changing themselves. Jesus Christ in Matthew 15 : 26b said :
“It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”
Who are the dogs? The Bible defines them in Revelation 22 : 15 :
“For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
Another lesson from the Lord’s Prayer is that only those who hallow or honour, or have regard for the Name of the Lord can have their prayers answered. The Bible in Exodus 20 : 7 says :
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
How do you take the name of the Lord in vain? By not living out the life of a Christian you claim to be. Apostle Paul wrote this concerning such people in Romans 2 : 21 & 24 :
“Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.”
Also, is it not an exercise in futility if you pray earnestly for the kingdom of God to come and when it comes, you are nowhere to be found in it? Because it is written :
“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”Ephesians 5 : 5
Finally, every child of God must seek the will of God to be done here on earth in this perverted generation as if we were in Heaven. Contrary to the dictates of this world, its fashions and manner of living, children of God who want to be effective in their prayer life must ensure that they are not influenced by the present day so-called civilization, modern ideas and unfounded fundamental human rights that are not given by our Father Who Art in Heaven.

PRAYER POINT :
Holy Spirit Divine, teach me how to pray effectively.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : WHY THE WORLD RAGES.

MEMORISE : And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
Luke 21 : 17.

READ : LUKE 6 : 22 - 23.

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 42 : 1 - 44 : 14; PSALM 76.

The Psalmist in Psalm 69 : 8 wrote:
“I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.”

Why this sorry situation? He gives the reason in Psalm 69 : 9 :

“For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.”

This is equally the lamentation of those who would live a righteous life in this world. The world is becoming more ungodly than ever before. Wickedness is becoming the accepted norm of our society. Worldliness is the order of the day in present day Christianity. Ruminating on this reality, one cannot but ask the following questions: If this continues, is there any hope for godly living? For how long would the wicked continue to hold sway in our society? The answers to these questions are: this ugly situation will not continue perpetually, there is hope for those who are on the Lord’s side, and a doomsday of judgement awaits the ungodly.

When you decide to live a godly life, there is bound to be persecution from the ungodly. The most painful aspect of this is that, the ungodly who once were outside the Church are not just in Church today, but are also taking positions and are “persecuting” those who are trying to go the extra mile for the Master. The Lord in our Bible reading foretold the persecutions, shunning and reproach that will befall those who will live godly lives in this world. He did this in order to comfort us. The Psalmist also was perplexed by this situation until he received insight from God.

“Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.” Psalm 73 : 12 & 16 - 18

Our Lord Jesus Christ explained to us the reason why the world will hate us in John 15 : 19 :

“If ye were of the world, the world would love is own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Beloved, in spite of all these, keep your eyes on the Lord. Every persecution ends at His coming. To someone using this devotional, the Lord is encouraging you to endure the present persecution you are facing. The next phase of your life is all-round promotion. Praise the Lord.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, give me the grace to identify with you in this evil generation in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL :DIVINE INSURANCE.

MEMORISE : Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26 : 3.

READ : ISAIAH 26 : 1 - 3.
1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 37 : 15 - 39 : 29 ; PSALM 74 : 12 - 23.
The promises of God in Christ are yea, and in Him, Amen. This means that any promise that God makes to all believers in Christ will definitely come to pass (2 Corinthians 1 : 20). Some promises of God to His genuine children include: the assurance of eternal salvation, safety in the face of imminent calamities and perfect peace of mind. In our Bible reading for today, the Lord made some wonderful promises concerning peace of mind that comes from dwelling in a place secured by God. For a fellow to enjoy these benevolent benefits, some conditions must be met. First and foremost, you must be righteous. Righteousness is a gift you receive from the Lord Jesus Christ when you give your life to Him (Romans 5 : 17), this gift then empowers you to live a life of righteousness. Simply put, you must be born-again (John 3 : 3 & 5). Secondly, you must believe every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. It is the word of God that you believe that can work for you. How can you prove that you believe God’s word? Simply, by doing according to what the word says.
When a man does the will of God as contained in His word, he is emboldened to trust the Lord for miracles, and his faith will make him whole. The story of Daniel is a case in point. When the king erroneously made a decree that affected his friend Daniel, the latter went boldly to the den of lions and nothing harmful happened to him. When the king went early in the morning to verify how great and mighty the God of Daniel was, he asked :
“O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” Daniel 6 : 20c
Instead of the lions roaring back at the king, it was Daniel who roared back in triumph. He said :
“O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” Daniel 6 : 21b - 22
This shall be your portion in Jesus’ Name. However, be sure you are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High in righteousness.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, please keep me in your perfect peace; I trust in you.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: VESSEL OF HONOUR?

MEMORISE : If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
2 Timothy 2 : 21.

READ : 2 TIMOTHY 2 : 20 - 21.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 35 : 1 - 37 : 14 ; PSALM 74 : 1 - 11.
Our God is a God of purpose and plan. He does not do anything just for the sake of doing it. When He wanted to create man in Genesis 1 : 26 He said:
“...Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Also, when God sent His only begotten Son to the world, it was for this purpose:
”…for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1 : 21c
In the same vein, when God saved you and called you to Himself, it was for a purpose. You are not in Church just to add to the numbers. Every child of God must find out the purpose of God for his or her life within the community of believers. Also, every child of God must ensure that he or she is qualified to perform such duties as required of honourable vessels. While some vessels are shameful and ignoble, there are others that are glorious and majestic. The striking thing about this truth is that it is inevitable to have both honourable and shameful vessels in the Church! The task before every sincere child of God is to ensure that he or she is a vessel of honour.
How can one be a vessel of honour? The memory verse for today answers this question. Every child of God must purge himself or herself of anything sinful. Jesus Christ gave the standard we must attain to be vessels of honour when he said in Matthew 5 : 48 :
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
How can we practically attain this? Part of the process required is found in 2 Corinthians 6 : 14 - 18, which says that we should not touch the unclean thing but rather, we should separate ourselves from the world of darkness. A vessel of honour according to the Psalmist does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1 : 1). Beloved, if you want to be used of God for good works, be ready to pay the price of a true disciple and live holy. The Lord will not only use you, He will also reward you handsomely according to Mark 10 : 28 - 30. Our Lord Jesus Christ promised a hundredfold return of everything we consider good that we have left for the sake of serving Him, alongside with eternal life.

ACTION POINT :
Examine your life to know what you need to purge from it, and pray that God will make you a vessel of honour in His vineyard.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SHEPHERD OR WOLF?

MEMORISE : Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 1 Peter 5 : 2.

READ : LAMENTATIONS 4 : 1 - 5.

1 How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.

5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 33 - 34; PSALM 73 : 18 - 28.

Our Bible reading for today is a grim lamentation of Prophet Jeremiah. It concerns both the spiritual and physical state of affairs of the people of God of his time. This state of affairs sadly reflects the current state of affairs of God’s people in our time. The Bible says that all these were written as examples for those upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Corinthians 10 : 11). This state of affairs is therefore indicative of the times we live in; these are the end-times. Let us learn one or two lessons from this lamentation to deliver our soul from impending doom. In this end-time, many pastors and preachers are no longer building with precious stones on the Sure Foundation – Jesus Christ. Rather, they are building with rubble, i.e. the philosophy of men and modern ideologies in order to make Christianity “intelligible” to a 21st century audience. Even the sea monsters draw out the breast and give suck to their young ones, but the teachers of God’s people have become cruel – denying the flock the sincere milk of the Word, not even when sincere seekers of truth demand for it.

Many modern day pastors and ministers of the gospel of all categories are failing to live by the injunction of the dying Apostle Paul to Timothy, his son in the Lord, and by extension, to all ministers of the gospel in 2 Timothy 4 : 2 & 5 :

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”

The Bible warns ministers of the gospel against negligence or dereliction of duty in Ezekiel 3 : 18 - 21. Ezekiel was also told not to consider the unfriendly countenance of his audience but rather to deliver the word as he was asked to (Ezekiel 2 : 6 - 7). The reason we have worship centres all over the place without godly impact is because God’s watchmen are not doing their duty right. Some pastors don’t consider if members of their congregation are heaven-bound or not. In as much as they keep on bringing their offerings, “all is well”. This is not right. As a Christian parent, you need to take today’s message as yours as well. Your home is your God-given flock. It is for you to nurture in the fear of the Lord. Are you a shepherd or a wolf? Think about this, and may the Lord grant you understanding in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT :

Pray for all ministers of the gospel around the world, that God will grant them the grace to preach the gospel without fear or favour.

AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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