OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: ABIDE IN CHRIST.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:  SUNDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2017

THEME:  ABIDE IN CHRIST.


MEMORISE:
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. John 15:7


READ: John 15:4-7

15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

15:5 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.

15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.


MESSAGE:

The lord Jesus Christ gave out several great invitations while He was on earth, and these invitations are still open to us today. If only you can accept them, your life will never be the same again. He says to us “Come and eat”, “Come and drink”, and “Come and follow me” (John 21:12, John 7:37, Mark 8:34). To follow Him, you must deny yourself of certain desires and lusts, take up your cross daily by being ready to live the sacrificial life that He demands, and put your feet where He trod, while carefully studying the paths that He walked (1 Peter 2:21). May God grant you the grace to truly follow Him! Today, on different social media networks, quite a lot of people have a great followership. There is no better person to follow than Jesus Christ! Following some of the characters on social media networks cannot add anything good to your life, but following Jesus will add both earthly benefits and eternal rewards to you (Mcark 10:29-30). The best thing that can ever happen to you is to follow Jesus! A good follower of Jesus is a good disciple of Christ.


In addition, the Lord invites His children to abide in Him. In John 15:5, Jesus says if you abide in Him, you will bear much fruit. Abiding in him is one secret of fruitfulness in the kingdom of God. If you want to be able to win a lot of souls to Christ, you must take time to ensure that He permanently resides in you and you in Him. It is only then that His life will fully and freely flow through you. If you are still toying with sin, you cannot be fruitful from God’s perspective. Also, abiding in Him gives you the assurance that all your prayers will be answered (John 15:7). When all your requests are granted, what more can you wish for? This is where God wants all his children to be and not just some of them. Are all your prayers being answered? If only some have been answered, then you really need to look at your present relationship with Christ and do some more work on your love towards Him, your faith in Him, your devotion to Him, and your obedience to Him, and study of His word. You need to look at how consistent you are in His presence and go deeper in Him. Don’t stop until all your prayers are answered! Don’t stop until you are most fruitful!


ACTION POINT:
On social media networks today, so many people who are being followed are leading their followers to Hell. Watch who you follow!


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Revelation 17-19
Zachariah 4:1-5:4
                                                                                                         

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 14: TAKE MY LIFE

1.  Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.  Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

4.  Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Marriage Insight: Marital Harmony at Family Gatherings

Marriage Insight: Marital Harmony at Family Gatherings

Christmas is time when multitudes of families from all over the world gather together to celebrate. But even though this is supposed to be a time of joyful celebration, some family gatherings also include times that are not at all enjoyable. It’s a sad truth. So, below are a few tips to help you & your spouse survive and even enjoy marital harmony at those difficult family gatherings:

• “Holidays can be stressful. We’re often with people who are difficult to be around. You don’t have to like what family members do. But you do need to show love and grace. Dr Minirth, a Christian psychiatrist, warns that this is NOT the time to try to fix your family. There are 364 other days of the year to address problems.” (Keryn Horwood)

• Keep in mind: “You and your spouse don’t have to go to a party just because you’re invited to it. Be good stewards of your time and energy. Even Jesus, the Son of God knew He had to retreat from the clamor of the crowds for quiet times with His Father to renew His strength. Pace yourselves and find the balance between togetherness and separateness.” (Deborah Tyrell)

• Please know that: "Every family has their own ‘unique’ family members. Part of your plan should anticipate these family members and how you will respond to them when they show off just how unique they are. Plan these out ahead of time so no one is caught off guard. Also, make sure to plan out what time you’re going home. This gives you & your spouse an excuse to leave instead of getting caught as you make your way to the door." (Aaron Anderson)

• And if you do “get caught”: "When you’re confronted with what feels like a no-win situation involving an in-law, use the 'drop the rope' theory. Imagine a rope, the kind used in tug-of-war. If you find yourself provoked, see that rope in your hands. You can choose to continue yanking on it —or drop it. Dropping it may sound as though you’re giving in or giving up, but it’s actually very empowering. It’s also much more effective than tugging back and forth." (Romie Hurley)

• "Because unconditional love doesn’t naturally exist between in-laws [& some family members], it’s a decision that must be made and then acted on daily. 'Love your enemies,' we’re instructed (Matthew 5:44). This command crushes all our legitimate reasons for negative feelings toward an in-law. Regardless of those 'feelings,' we’re to act in love." (Elisabeth Graham)

To help you even more, we include a lot more tips within this Insight posted on the Marriage Missions web site at: https://marriagemissions.com/marital-harmony-family-gatherings/  But for this mailing, we want to close with one last tip that is especially important to note and apply:

 • "Put it all into perspective: 'First & foremost, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ. When we lose sight of that & focus on our family get-togethers and the obligations of smiling and hugging people with whom we hold grudges, we take our eyes off of Christ. When we remember that Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of Christ, we are able to more clearly see others through His eyes. This means that we aren’t as likely to see the hurt in our relationships but the way that Christ loves that person who has hurt or harmed us.” (Cheryl Dickow)

This applies whether it is family members that are causing problems or perhaps it’s even your spouse. Put it all in perspective. Celebrate Christ. Look over the tips again and do what you can to keep your eyes on Jesus so you reveal and reflect the love of Christ to everyone God brings into your life during this blessed time of celebration! May God bless you all the more as you do!

Cindy and Steve Wright

Marriage Insight: Peace on Earth and a Peaceful Home

Marriage Insight: Peace on Earth and a Peaceful Home

As people all over the world are turning their eyes and activities towards Christmas, we often hear the angelic phrase repeated, “Peace on earth and goodwill to men.” But what about experiencing peace within our homes? Isn’t that to be our goal, as well? The Bible says: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.“ (Hebrews 12:14) "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." (Romans 12:18 ESV)

So, in the pursuit of peaceful moments this Christmas season, we would like to share with you a few tips that we pray will help. First, remember: ~ “The holidays can be especially stressful. The expectations are high, the demands unrelenting, and the pressure ever-building. When there seems to be no way to alleviate the pressure, a CHANGE IN OUR OUTLOOK is the secret to making the holidays more than just an anxiety-inducing frenzy of greedy kids, visiting family members, and never-ending church activities.” (Keryn Horwood)

~ “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“(Philippians 4:5-7)

~ “This year, when you’re planning your gathering of family and friends, I urge you to set aside a ‘fellowship’ time when everyone can sit in a circle and take turns really listening to one another. Ask these questions: ‘what were you most thankful for this past year? What have you learned from the past year? How would you like to grow next year?’ If you take the time for authentic fellowship with your family and friends, I guarantee that everyone will remember it far longer than if you merely socialize with them.” (Rick Warren)

~ “Accepting others as they are can be the biggest gift you give yourself. Holidays can be stressful because we’re often with people who are difficult to be around. You don’t have to approve or like what your family members do. But you do need to show love and grace to them. Dr Minirth, a noted Christian psychiatrist, warns that this is also not the time to try to fix your family. You can have a personal goal of showing love and peace to a difficult family member, however. There are other days of the year to address other problems.” (Keryn Horwood)

~ Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:32-35) These are words we must always keep as our goal—to reveal and reflect the love of Christ with our spouse, and everyone we are with.

We have more tips that can help us to live in peaceful homes and bring peace into other homes, as we visit them. Please go to https://marriagemissions.com/peace-earth-peaceful-home/ to read them. And as You strive to make yours a peaceful home: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory for ever and ever.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Cindy and Steve Wright

Marriage Insight: Rearranging Our Hearts in Thankfulness to God

Marriage Insight: Rearranging Our Hearts in Thankfulness to God

We just celebrated a wonderful holiday known as Thanksgiving. It's one of our very favorites. That is because it is an official holiday dedicated to focusing our hearts, sometimes rearranging our hearts in thanks to God. Yes, we should ALWAYS give thanks to God, according to scripture, & in the tugging of our hearts. We are told in Colossians 3:17: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." But too often we forget. And when we do remember to be thankful, we often forget to thank GOD. 

On that note, & in honor of our gracious Lord, we want to share something our dear friend, Debi Walter, shared on her web site—The Romantic Vineyard. It's a web site we encourage everyone to visit. You can gain a lot of great romantic ideas. But a few years back Debi posted something we've been thinking about a lot lately. Please prayerfully consider the following with us:

"Have you noticed how thankful people are this time of year? It used to be refreshing to hear people actually thanking God for His many blessings in their lives. But there has been a subtle change that I’ve noticed. Many no longer thank God. Instead they thank their co-workers, their boss, their spouse, their friends, and anyone who makes their lives better. They simply give thanks! Now of course it’s good to give thanks to those who mean the most to us. But Thanksgiving is primarily about setting aside time to thank God for His abundant provisions, His glorious kindness and His amazing grace to us throughout the year.

"May we encourage you that as you go about planning your menu and family gatherings to be sure and set aside time to thank God specifically for the ways in which He has made a difference in your life. Why does it matter? Because thanking God glorifies His name. And when we glorify His name He is exalted. And when He is exalted we in turn are blessed all the more. It is part of His nature, to return blessings upon us as we praise His holy name."

We couldn't have said it any better. Yes, it's important to thank our spouse, co-workers, boss, friends, etc., for the ways in which they bless us. We encourage it. But even then, none of those blessings would be possible without them first passing through God's hands. After all, our every breath is in his hands. Steve's near fatal heart attack made this point all the more real to us last year. Thank you God for your grace in allowing us another year plus together… happy & healthy! But Heaven help us... actually GOD help us, if we forget the One who is the originator of every good gift we have. We're told in James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

So thank you God, from the depths of our hearts for all of the many blessings that You give to us. Thank You LORD... Thank You... for our very breath, THANK YOU! We hope you will join us in giving thanks now, and throughout the year. And if you can make the time & take the opportunity, ask your spouse (perhaps your family too) a very important question. Then listen with a grateful heart. It's a question that Steve posed to us at our Thanksgiving Day table. Here's it is: "Where have you seen God's goodness at work in your life this year?" Think about it, talk together about it, and then thank God for all of it. Even in the midst of our difficulties, God is watching, and will redeem every tear shed as you keep your eyes on Him. Thank Him for that, if for no other reason …thank God for that. In the midst of Doubt Storms, in the midst of trials, God loves you. Please don’t ever forget that fact because it is true. For that reason and beyond, THANK YOU GOD!

And please know that we “thank God for our every remembrance of you”… Cindy & Steve Wright