THE POWER OF MISSIONARY MANDATE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : SUNDAY 10th JANUARY 2016

THEME : 

THE POWER OF THE MISSIONARY MANDATE 

Memorise: 

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

shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

Read: Mark 16:15-18, 

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Message

The power of the missionary mandate has been trivialized in many quarters of the Church. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the inevitability of this qualification. It is amazing that the letters of the New Testament have been reduced to mere words of counsel and not the law. We are so scared of the phenomenon called the “law” that we try to avoid mentioning it, not to talk of enforcing it. The “freedom gospel” that the devil preached to our first parents has become the order of the day in the Church. The effect is our not paying close attention to the inescapable instructions given to us by Jesus Christ who is Himself, Grace Personified.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge… Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do those things, ye shall never fall:”

2nd Peter 1:5, 10

When our Lord Jesus Christ was going to be with His Father, He gave us a mandate to reach the world with His gospel. However, He was not presumptuous and we should not be too.  We cannot afford to jump the gun. He said; “wait for the promise of the Father …” (Acts 1:4). Pursuing missionary mandate without the power of the Holy Spirit is suicidal. This is the reason why we have casualties among the modern day missionaries because some of them are not spiritually equipped. They have zeal without knowledge; the type Uzzah had when the Ark of Covenant was in transit.

“And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.”

2nd Samuel 6:6-7

Presumptuous sin killed Uzzah. This is the reason David prayed that God should deliver him from presumptuous sin (Psalms 19:13); the type that destroyed King Saul when he performed the sacrifice before the arrival of the designated priest, Samuel (1st Samuel 13:9). We need to be endued in the Holy Spirit before we can be effective missionaries. The irony of this is that the missionary mandate must be kept by genuine children of God. So, this fact leaves us without the option of whether or not to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I pray that as many as are thirsty for the baptism of the Holy Spirit will be satisfied with it today in Jesus’ name.

 Action Point:

Ensure you rid yourself of all impurities that may hinder Him from coming into your life today. The Holy Spirit is willing to baptized you if you are willing.

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DEUTERONOMY 1:1-2:25 and JOB 1:13-19

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

THE SECRET OF DIVINE BLESSING

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : SATURDAY 9 JANUARY 2016

THEME : THE SECRET OF DIVINE BLESSINGS

Memorise : 

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5

Read : DEUTERONOMY 7:12-18

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

Message 

When God said,"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness", little could an uninformed person know that this goes with a lot of responsibilities. For instance, by this divine decision, man is made responsible for his actions and inactions because he is a god. This is the reason why man, consciously or unconsciously takes his life in his hands and works out his own well-being, even to a fault, and Jesus Christ warned us against this extremism.

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Mathew 6:31-33

The Scripture above reveals the secret of divine blessings. Although man is a responsible carrier of God's image, however, he is dependent on the God whose image he is carrying. At the creation of man, when man lived in accordance with God's Instruction, he lived in all-round abundance, because God bestowed His blessings upon him and his wife. With little effort, man got great harvests. Therefore, man must live according to the dictates of God to enjoy divine blessings. Jesus Christ, the incarnate of the Almighty God pointed this out in our memory verse today.

For us to be divinely blessed, we just make Jesus Christ our Lord; we must be born again; that is, we must admit what scripture says in Romans 3:23:" For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" and quickly do something about it. What we must do is to repent according to the admonition of Peter : 

"  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord". Acts 3:19

It is high time all men, particularly the children of God, understood the secret of divine blessing; that is, abiding in the son of the living God, the True Vine. Let us stop be anxious of what we want to become. The Bible says:

" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

2nd Corinthians 8:9

With His benevolent act which was climaxed at the cross, we are abundantly blessed without any addition of sorrow ( Proverbs 10:22 ).

Prayer Point : 

Father, please open my eyes to see the secret of divine blessings and let me align myself with it. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 34-36 and JOB 1:6-12

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

DRESS IT AND KEEP IT

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : FRIDAY JANUARY 8th 2016

THEME : DRESS IT AND KEEP IT

Memorise : 

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15

Read : DEUTERONOMY 18:9-13

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, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORDthy God.

Message 

The Almighty God is the most efficient conservationist. With Him, there is no wastage or corruption unlike many so-called children of God. Right from Genesis, we read about how God commanded Adam to make sure the beautiful garden did not suffer decay or any pollution. There are many ways in which one can preserve or pollute a God-given gift. The 'land' can be polluted by sin of all sorts particularly idolatry and/or witchcraft. In the text of today, we are confronted with the seriousness God attaches to the preservation of His creation. 

"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.There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanger, or a witch," Deuteronomy 18:9-10

According to Exodus 20:3, idolatry is the most grievous sin against God. Adam automatically chose another god for himself when he decided to obey the devil rather than God. This is what many people don't know; they think until they put an image on the ground and they begin to bow to it, they have not committed idolatry. It is obvious that there are idolaters in the church; they always attend Church programmes but they never do what God want them to do. The Bible says: 

" And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness." Ezekiel 33:31

By disobeying the Word of God, people pollute the land and being eternal curses upon themselves and generations after them. This was exactly what the first man did and God cursed the land for his sake ( Genesis 3:17 ). To keep the land which the Lord has given us to inhabit, we must obey Him and live according to His Word. When we do this, our land will be free from evil and it will yield great increase for our pleasure ( Deuteronomy 28 ). I encourage you reading this devotional to give your life to Jesus Christ today and begin to live according to His Word from now on. The seemingly barren or polluted land upon which you are living will turn out to be fruitful and blessed. 

Action Point : 

Think about how you have lived your life in the past; see if you have polluted the land in anyway, repent and call on God for forgiveness so that God's time of refreshing will come upon your life. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 23-33 and JOB 1:1-5

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

DAY SEVEN BLESSING

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : THURSDAY 7th JANUARY 2016

THEME : DAY SEVEN BLESSING 

Memorise: 

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:3

Read : GENESIS 2:1-3

1 THUS the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Message 

Rest is the divine blessing which God bestowed upon His creation, particularly man. Even the land he gave to man to inhabit must enjoy sabbatical rest ( Leviticus 25:2-4 ).

Many people do not know that rest is a divine benevolence which God Himself demonstrated  as vital to good life and longevity. It is also  obligatory for us to observe sabbatical rest.

" Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11

Some children of God are not benefitting from this sabbatical ordinance because they are obsessed with the goal they have set for themselves. While it is good to set goals for yourself because the Bible in Proverbs 10:4 says : " He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.", at the same time, you must not set goal that makes you a sabbatical law breaker. You must take time to rest as at when due.

Another reason God would want us to observe sabbatical rest is that we may find time to enjoy the fruit of our labour. God desires that man should enjoy the labour of his hand. Our benevolent God sees it as evil when a man labours and dies from lack of rest and someone else enjoys the fruit of his labour. Solomon said:

" There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God." Ecclesiastes 2:24

I pray that you will not labour and miss out on the fruit of your labour in Jesus' name. This prayer can only be answered if you respect the sabbatical law and always find a day to rest and commune with your God who gives you power to make wealth.

Action Point : 

Choose a day of the week when you rest from all your labour.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 30-31 and PSALMS 149-150

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

OUR GOD IS A PERFECT GOD

Gen. 1: 26

"And God said, ' let us make man in out image after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing over all that creeps upon the earth'"

God made man on the 6th day in His image and likeness. He gave us dominion and power over all creation but this power is limited to ensure that we are dependent on Him for His unlimited power. No matter how powerful a man is, he cannot achieve perfect holiness without the constant help of the Holyspirit. 

I come from a background where one does not have a choice but to worship God. If we live independent of God, diseases and sorrow is literally waiting for one to step out of God's grace and then the demons pounce on and afflict One's soul, spirit and body. Thats the story of my life. 

So each day, i thank God for the gift of life and then i pray for His Grace to empower me to live righteous because i cannot do it by myself.

Lets Pray for God's power each day to enable us to overcome the temptations of the devil and ultimately bring glory to God's Name.

TESTIMONY

Our God is a God of possibilities

This Testimony is long overdue so i have decided to share it on here to encourage you.

I was running a law programme in the university and the entire period of the programme was turbulent. Problems ranging from accreditation problems to financial problems. But God was faithful.

I later switched my course of study from law to International Relations. But at that time was g.p was 3.3 and i had one session before graduation. I had already made up my mind that i was going to graduate with a second class lower. 

However i went for a church programme and the minister told us to ask one thing from God. I told God that i want to graduate woth a second class upper. Honestly, i had a little doubt in my heart and after i said the prayer, i forgot about ot entirely. I got back to school and i got the best results in both semesters which 

have me a great leap from 3.3 to 3.5. 

DAY SIX MIRACLE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : WEDNESDAY 6th JANUARY 2016

THEME : DAY SIX MIRACLE 

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 : GENESIS 1:24-31

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God 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.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Message

Man is the major miracle of the sixth day of creation.on this day, God decided to create of all His creations- man. This was In order to make man the overseer of His created order. God is the most perfect creator and Administrator of both animate and inanimate creation. However, as the perfect Adminstrator who knew the magnitude of the universe He has created, He decided to make a "small" god ( a similitude of Himself ) to rule the earth on His behalf ( Psalms 82:1-6, John 10:34 ). To be called "gods" is marvellous; it is indeed a miracle to make a "god" out of the dust of the earth. 

" And God 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." Genesis 1:26

God created man in His own image, blessed man and inaugurated the dominion of man over all creations. However, this was not without clear-cut instructions on how man should exercise his dominion. This, of course, is where the first couple missed it when they craved for unlimited dominion ( Genesis 3:5-6). It is unfortunate that  the 21st century man is guiltier of this than any other generation before them. It is even more unfortunate that the 21st century church is guiltier of exercising unlimited freedom, thinking that Jesus Christ saved us into lawlessness and unguided freedom. This is the reason why human beings must live up to God's expectation as gods to other creation. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ asked rhetorically:

"  WHAT shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Romans 6:1-2

We must jealously guard our position in God's creation and redemption. Our first parents lost it; we found it in Christ, so we must be careful not to take the grace of salvation for granted anymore. The Divine assessment of the entire six day effort is: " And God saw everything that he has made,and, behold, it was very good..." Every perfect thing that has gone bad in your life will be restored today in Jesus ' name. 

Action Point : 

Find out those things that God declared good in your life that have gone bad. 

Pray that God who redeemed you will restore those good things today in Jesus ' name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 27:12-29:40 and PSALM 148

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

OUR GOD IS A GOD OF ABUNDANCE

Our God is a God of abundance. Philipians 4:19

"And my God shall supply all my needs according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus"

The truth is that God has blessed mankind with the power to prosper and be fruitful. He has given us the power to make wealth because He is the owner of the cattle upon a thousand hills.

However many believers do not have access these blessings. This is why it is necessary to always pray. Ask God for access to His blessings. He will bless you. As a believer, you are entitled to prosperity and abundance. 

Its not rocket science. Ask and you shall receive! 

I have decided to include daily testimonies on this blog from now on. You can write me to share your testimonies on here for the glory of Almighty God.

I went to church today and i had the opportunity to rededicate my life to God. I do not take this opportunity for granted. I bless the name of the Lord.

DAY FIVE MIRACLE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : TUESDAY 5th JANUARY 2016

THEME : DAY  FIVE MIRACLE

Memorise:

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. Genesis 1:22

Read : GENESIS 1:20-23

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Message

Our God is not just the God of creation; he is also a God of abundance. When God creates, He does not create sparingly. This is why the provision He made in the universe has not been exhausted.

"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." Genesis 1:20

The Almighty created moving creatures because He Himself is dynamic. In other words, stagnancy is ungodly; it is evil. I pray for someone using this devotional; an end has come to your stagnation today in Jesus name. If lower creatures were created to move about, human beings, especially children of God, must not suffer stagnation. Our God is also a God of variety and abundance. He created both great and small in different shapes and colour. This knowledge must have informed Paul the apostle to assuredly tell the Philippians that the Almighty God would supply their needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus ( Philippians 4:19 ). 

Another lesson we can learn from today Bible reading  is that God blessed His handwork to be fruitful and to multiply. Therefore, we see how foolish anyone would be if he or she agrees with the devil that God hates him or her. Our God is interested in the prosperity of His creation! The Psalmist understood this and wrote:"...Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant." ( Psalm 35:27 ). Nobody cares more about us than God. His care, mercy and love are incomparable. Jesus said:

" Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

The Bible also says: "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" ( Romans 8:32 ). This is why Jesus said in the gospel according to Luke:

"  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things" Luke12:29-31

The God of Abundance will meet all your needs this season in Jesus ' name.

Prayer Point : 

Father, meet me at the point of my needs today according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 25:1-27:11 and PSALMS 147

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

GOD IS PERFECT

GOD IS A GOD OF DISTINCTION

He is not an Author of confusion. He is perfect in all His ways. One of the most controversial issues in the world today is the acceptance of the LGBT Community( lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender)

The sole reason for the non-acceptance of this community is borne out of the fact that God does not make a mistake neither is He an author of confusion. If He makes you a man, then you are a man. If He makes you a woman, you are a woman. It is absolutely wrong to question the Master of creation. It is an insult on God for anyone to have a sex change.

He made us in His image and likeness and He created everyone for a purpose. If He created you as a man, then the purpose of your existence started with your foundational creation of being a man. His plans for our existence are of good to give us a future and hope. Jer. 29:11

 If you therefore have a sex change, you have not only insulted God, you have also distorted His purpose for your life.

 Isaiah 45:9

"...shall the clay say to Him that made it, what maketh thou?....

Romans 9:20

...o man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?

Let us not permit the devil to deceive us and consequently set confusion in our hearts. If you are feeling confused about anything, you need Jesus to come into your life and the Prince of peace will fill your heart with the peace that passeth all understanding.

Say this simple prayer:

Lord Jesus, i am nothing without you. Please come into my life and be My Lord and Saviour. Redeem my mind from every confusion of the enemy. I surrender to you.

DAY FOUR MIRACLE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : MONDAY 4th JANUARY 2016

THEME : DAY FOUR MIRACLE 

Memorise:

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. Genesis 1:16

Read : GENESIS 1:14-19

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

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

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Message 

Our God is a God of distinction; He is not an author of confusion. A man chooses to be in confusion when he does not do the right thing as ordered by God. When God creates, He creates with precision and purpose. He created light for a purpose and darkness for another purpose. God commanded:

" And let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:" Genesis 1:14

Today, the philosophy of relativism is giving the Christian faith deadly blows, and believers, particularly custodians of the Christian faith ( the ministers ), are doing almost nothing about it. The miracle of the fourth day saw to it that there would be no confusion on the earth. When God wanted to create man for example, the Bible says:

" 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

It is amazing that some theologians and Bible scholars these days say that some men are trapped in women's bodies and vice versa, hence their craving for same sexual relationship! They put the blame of homosexuality on God by implication. Please let them know that God does not make mistakes, unless their God is different from the Christian God. The Christian God is a perfect God of distinction. He created the day for work and the night for rest. If by any reason we do not rest in one night, the following day should be compensated for that loss of rest. Failure to observe this produces   stress, sickness and ultimately death. Little wonder the life expectancy in the last fifty years has been in decline. The achievements of forty years is realised in fewer than thirty with a price of dying early. The God of distinction in His Word commanded:

" Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:17-18

The Implication of this scripture is that the church must begin to see life the way God sees it. We have mixed many profane things with sacred ones. We have been engulfed with the idea of relativism. This is not the mind of God. As a believer, how far have you been carried away by the present age? We should not be deceived that the God of distinction has lowered His standard. He has not. 

Action Point : 

Look into your life and see where you have compromised the expected distinctive life you ought to live as a Christian. Repent and come on board the train of holiness again.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: NUMBERS 22:22-24:25 and PSALM 146

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

OBEDIENCE IS KEY

Gen. 1:10

 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. 

It is important we pay close attention to God's Word and obey them. This is because our God is a God of order. He requires our attention and obedience.

He is also the God of both creation and provision: He creates to provide. However we need to completely obey His Word in order to access his provision. 

Isaiah 1:19

"If ye be willing and obedient, you will eat the fruit of the land".

Let us come before God today in obedience and total submission and we will enjoy His divine provisions.

GOD BLESS YOU!

SUNDAY DELIGHT

After feeding my spirit man with the ever satisfying Word of God and because this is the first Sunday of year 2016, i have decided to share the recipe of my thanksgiving meal; FRIED RICE!

Ingredients:

Rice
Green pepper
Onions
Carrot
Grounded Garlic and ginger(optional)
Seasoning cube, 

salt, 

curry & thyme
Peas
Sweet corn
Diced liver/corn beef
Green beans
Green bell pepper(tatashe)
Spring onions
Broth/stock(chicken or beef)
Cabbage for garnishing(optional)
Red scotch pepper(atarodo)
Soya/olive/veg oil for frying.

HOW TO PREPARE...
Boil beef or chicken using seasoning(ginger,garlic,thyme,curry,salt,seasoning cube, onion)

 When done, drain and set the broth/stock aside. 

Fry the chicken or beef and put aside the used oil.
If u choose to use liver, Chop it up, boil and set aside. You can even cook it with your broth/stock but you have to get it out first because it doesn't take time to be cooked.
Parboil your rice for 5mins, drain water then cook the rice with the broth/stock little water,seasoning and enough curry to give it a great colour. Cook till its almost soft, pour into a sieve and set aside.
If using fresh vegetables, chop the carrots,onions,green bell pepper, green beans,spring onion, cabbage and liver(if not chopped before cooking). Open up your peas from the pod.

if using canned vegetables, rinse all, drain and set aside.
Now,get the oil used to fry the chicken or beef...put it into a fry pan on medium heat, when oil gets hot, in this order pour in your carrots,liver,peas,green beans,sweet corn,green bell pepper,red scotch bonnet pepper, onions and spring onions( please, don't include the cabbage). After pouring all in that order,season with little salt,seasoning cube and curry to give it a nice taste. Fry for few minutes like 2-5minutes depending how soft you want it. DON'T DEEP FRY!
Pour this fried mixtures in a separate container,put little oil in your fry pan and start frying your vegetables and cooked rice together in batches/portions.( this is depending on the quantity of the rice)

When a batch is done, pour into a serving dish or pot and start again with the next batch till the last batch is done.
Garnish with your chopped cabbage if desires, serve and enjoy.

DAY THREE MIRACLE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : SUNDAY 3rd JANUARY 2016

THEME : DAY THREE MIRACLE 

Memorise : 

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:10

Read : Genesis 1:9-13

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Message 

Many Children of God do not know the depth of the common saying, " Order is the first thing in heaven."

They quote this statement awkwardly without giving it the necessary importance it requires. In the real sense of it, orderliness is the nature of divine administration. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that if your life is disorganised, it shall be divinely fixed in Jesus Name.

Our God is the God of order; He ordered the course of the universe by His Word. This is the reason why we must give the Word of God pre-eminence in our lives. The Lord said to Jeremiah; "... I will hasten my word to perform it." (Jeremiah 1:12 ). The Almighty God does not take His own Word with levity like some of us do. Bible teachings come in form of doctrines and living by them is inevitable if we are to live orderly. Jesus Christ said in John 7:17: 

" If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

Disobedience to God's order brings Choas and unimaginable calamities as the story of Adam and Eve's fall reveals ( Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3:9-19). I encourage the user of this devotional to begin to place a high premium on the Word of God, even as God Himself does. In the second pastoral epistle of Paul to Timothy we read: 

" All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

On the Third day, God set in order the course of the universe by His Word and things began to work, even till this day; the seas in their places, the dry land, a variety of vegetation and fruit bearing plants. 

Our God is the God of both creation and provision: He creates to provide. This means lack was not originally planned to characterise the life of man. I pray that everything that you need shall be orderly provided for your pleasure this season in Jesus' name. However, pay close attention to the Words of Great Provider. 

Prayer Point : 

Father, please set my life in order, and don't allow me to do things against Your will.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NUMBERS 20:10-22:21 and PSALM 145:14-21

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

CREATIVE POWER IN THE WORD

Yesterday, we learnt that there is power in the Word of God. It is our duty therefore as Christians to speak the word.

The lesson from today open heavens daily devotional is that there is creative power in the Word of God.

Gen 1: 6-8. All we need is faith to activate the creative power of the Word.

The Bible passage shows that the firmament was created from nothing after God spoke forth. Gen 1:6

When faced with a difficult situation, we do not need to complain or murmur. The best solution is to talk to God. That is why it is important for us to go to God in prayers. Matthew 7:7 states that we should ask and we shall receive... Trust Him enough to talk to Him about the situation you are passing through and He will make a way when there is no way.

DAY TWO MIRACLE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : SATURDAY 2nd JANUARY 2016

THEME : DAY TWO MIRACLE 

Memorise : 

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Genesis 1:6

Read : Genesis 1:6-8

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Message 

The Word of God has creative power. According to our Bible reading for today, the power in the Word of God created space where there was none. It seemed like there was no space for further creation and the Almighty God wanted to create what now constitutes the present day universe. So the Word created the space ( firmament) between the water and dry land for further creation. The Bible says :

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:1-3

There are lots of lessons we could learn from this creation story: The Word of God, when allowed to do His work, will always make a way where there is no way and a space where there seemed to be no space. When the Isrealites got to the Red Sea and it seemed like they were stuck between the host of Pharaoh and the Sea, the Lord, through Moses, told them to move on. It takes faith in God to obey such a command, and thank God they did and their obedience paid off, because the Word made an expressway for them to pass through: 

"And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." Exodus 14:15-16

Another lesson to be learnt here is ; people of God should always talk to God about their challenges. Moses did this effectively and God spoke at every given time. he became a problem solver because he heard from  God always. Also when God speaks, a miracle is potentially performed, but its ultimate manifestation is dependent on human agents. We short change ourselves of miracles when we fail to heed the Word of God. We should not forget our positions in the Created Order i.e. Image of God. It was Moses who divided the Sea not God, though under the influence of God's Word. The Word empowered the process by decree, "and the children of Isreal shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." Settled! My prayer for you is that, as you obey the Word of God this year, you will begin to do the impossible in Jesus' name.

Action Point : 

Examine your life and see if there are ways in which you have not been taking heed to God's Word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: NUMBERS 18:1-20:9 and PSALMS 145:1-13

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

THERE IS POWER IN THE WORD

Gen 1:3

And God said "let there be light" and there was light!

In the beginning of creation, God demonstrated the power in the tongue. This should be an example to believers everywhere.

The devil does not want you to know that his major weakness is God's spoken words. It literally paralyses him. God has put his power into his Word. Therefore, believers have access to God's power by speaking the word against the devil.

Because i am not ignorant of the devices of the devil, i have decided to start every day of this year reciting some psalms. 

Psalms 91 for divine protection.

Psalms 121 for divine intervention.

One way of using the word of God as a weapon against the devil is by memorising the scriptures. So it is easier to speak them out whenever you are confronted with any uncomfortable situation. 

God help us in Jesus name. Amen

DAY ONE MIRACLE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : FRIDAY 1 JANUARY 2016

THEME : DAY ONE MIRACLE 

Memorise : 

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:3

Read : Genesis 1:1-5

1 IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Message

We read in the Book of Genesis that God created heaven and the earth in six days. Going by the account of the book of Genesis, we can assuredly say that the miracle of the universe was performed in six days! I pray for someone using this devotional; by the time you go through the first six days of this year, listening to God through this devotional, the everlasting miracles you need for the rest of your life shall be yours in Jesus name. 

The first challenge that confronted the universe was darkness and this was the first thing God dealt with. When an individual gropes in darkness, he is likely to fall into a ditch and thereby end his life. In other words, darkness is potentially harmful. This is why there must be light; and there will be light in your life today in Jesus name. God said in Genesis 1:3

" Let there be light: and there was light "

One lesson we must learn here is that it was when God spoke His Word that the miracle of light occurred. Many people do not know what they lose when they refuse to allow the Word of God to penetrate their lives. Those outside the church do not allow the Christian witnesses  and evangelists going around their neighbourhood to reach them with the Word for God that will librate them from darkness. Even, modern day Christians close up their hearts to the Word of God. This is the reason why many have been in church for years and their lives have remained the same. They came sick and they have remain sick; they came poor and they have remained poor; they came bound and they have remained bound. What a waste of opportunity. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that the Word of God will penetrate your life forcefully today, and you will have the miracle of the light of the living God.

When there is darkness, there will be no activity. God know this, and that's why He first tackled the problem of darkness which the devil brought upon the earth when he was cast down.

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Revelation 12:12

When there is darkness, stagnation is inevitable. Also, we should take note of this phrase in the above scripture " because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." It's simply reveals that the devil work round-the-clock to get his victims before they discover the light of God in Christ. So, if you are reading this devotional and you have not come to the light of God in Jesus Christ, today is your day of salvation; now is the acceptable time ( 2 Corinthians 6:2 ). I decree the miracle of first day into your life in Jesus'name.

Prayer Point : 

Father, send your Light into the darkness of my life today in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PSALM 144 and NUMBER 16-17

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Its a season of thanksgiving. May God's grace abide in our lives and guide our hearts this year and years to come.

I have decided to share the OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 2016 written by Pastor E.A Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. This devotional has helped me through the darkest period of my life. I am certain it will also help you.

Do not read this devotional like you read a "useless" book.( i wont say 'novel' because some novels inspired some ungoldly revelations like ..." omg, really? This is what happens when x does this to y? Olalalala...lol"... Yes some novels are crazy especially mehn!

But sometimes when we read the bible, its like we are reading an ordinary book. This is because the scriptures are sometimes veiled. 2 Corinthians 3;14

Therefore it is IMPORTANT that we pray for God's insight before we read the Bible  or any gospel related materials.

Therefore, i will share the inspired revelations i get from each daily sermon through the help of the HolySpirit. 

THANKSGIVING

I am grateful to God for His Grace. This year has been tough but God has been so faithful. 

See you in the new year.