HOW TO KEEP YOUR HEAVEN OPEN

Bishop David Abioye

Today: 2016-09-06

Open heaven is the cure to earthly dryness.

You can never run dry with an open heaven.

Prayer is key to open heaven.

Jesus didn’t suffer dryness once because He kept His heaven opened by His prayer. Lk.3:21

When situations around you is indicating dryness, turn your heaven with the key of prayer.

Prayer brings heaven to the earth.

By prayer heaven comes to intervene in earthly matters. The earth will always bow to heavenly injunction.

Faith Food Devotional

September 6

REDEEMED

In whom [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood . . . . — EPHESIANS 1:7

Webster defines the word “redeem” as (1) To buy back; (2) To free from captivity by payment of ransom. To walk in the highest kind of faith, you must know the reality of your redemption in Christ not as a doctrine, a philosophy, or a creed, but as an actual redemption out of the authority of Satan. When Adam fell, mankind went into captivity. But God had a plan — a great plan of redemption! And He sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate it. (Webster defines “consummate” as complete in every detail: perfect.) Now God’s Word tells us, “In whom [Jesus Christ] we have redemption . . . .” How thankful we can be that we’re not trying to get redeemed. We already have redemption! We are redeemed and delivered now from the authority of darkness; from the power of Satan!

Confession

I am redeemed! In Christ I have redemption! Through His blood I have redemption! I’m not trying to get it; it’s mine. I have it now! Jesus bought me back. Jesus freed me from captivity by the payment of a ransom — His own life!

Open Heavens Tuesday 6 September 2016:- The Lord is in Charge.

Open Heavens Tuesday 6 September 2016:- The Lord is in Charge.

THE LORD IS IN CHARGE – Tuesday September 6^th 2016

Memorise: The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice. Psalms 21:1

Read Daniel 4:30-35, (KJV)

³⁰ The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

³¹ While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

³² And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

³³ The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

³⁴ And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

³⁵ And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 25-26, Psalms 50:16-23

MESSAGE

To be in charge or in control is the exercise of authority and restraint over individuals, events, situations, or circumstances of life. The Bible stresses the fact that God is sovereign over all creation; He has absolute authority and control over everything in Heaven and on earth. But a limited degree of control over creation is delegated to humanity. However, man has gained tremendous knowledge of the universe over time and this has translated to an increase level of authority and control over situations and circumstances in life. Man has acquired advanced knowledge in computer science, geography, medicine, mathematics, genetic engineering, archaeology, and space technology, to mention but few. As a result of these achievements, humanity has wrongly assured that they are the master of the universe and therefore in ultimate charge.

Contrary to this human belief, the Bible teaches that God controls the affairs of Heaven and earth. Deuteronomy 4:39 says:

“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”

Also, Daniel 4:35 says;

“And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou?”

From these passages, it is clear that God is unquestionable; He does as He pleases in the distribution of His mercies, blessings, and favour. He gives strength, He makes great, He promotes, He gives knowledge and wisdom, all at His pleasure.

The Lord controls human hearts, He controls time and seasons, He removes kings and sets up others in their place. He controls the weather and fixes human destiny (Daniel 2:22). He is the source of every creation, the Fountain of life, the Channel of goodness from whom all blessings flow. All hail the true Master of the universe, the Redeemer of human kind and the Saviour of the whole world.Matthew 25:34 says:

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”  

Prayer point

Father, please silence every opposition to your authority as the master of the universe in my life in Jesus’ name.

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

Faith Food Devotional

September 5

THE WITNESS

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. . . . And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life . . . . — 1 JOHN 5:9,11,12

Faith in God is simply faith in His Word. Study God’s Word with this determination: I will find out what God says and agree with it. You can’t expect the things of God to work for you if you take sides against His Word. This may mean unlearning certain “religious” ideas. Too often we’ve been religiously brainwashed, instead of scripturally taught. Find out what God says in His Word regarding: (1) What God has made available for us in His plan of redemption; (2) What the Father is to you; (3) What Jesus is doing for you now at the right hand of the Father; and (4) What the Holy Spirit is doing in you. Then find out from His Word what God thinks about the following: (1) What He says you are in Christ; (2) Who you are in Christ; (3) What you have because you’re in Christ. Even though it may not seem real in your life, start confessing, “Yes, that’s mine, according to God’s Word.” You will then find that faith’s confession creates reality.

Confession

I agree with the witness of God. What He says I am, I am. What He says I have, I have.

OPERATE ON A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT

Bishop David Abioye

Today: 2016-09-05

Beware of polluters

Beware of defilers

Get rid of agents of evil in your environment.

If you don’t get them out they will choke you. Neh.13:28

“And one of the sons of Joida…was son-in-law to sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chase him from me.”

There are people who cant be allowed to hang around; they are dangerous.

Don’t be sentimental in dealing with such issues act decisively!

II Chr.15:8,16

“And when Asa heard these words…H took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land…”

“And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, He removed her from being queen, because she made an idol in a grove: and asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it…”

remove from you anything or anyone that can remove you from God!

Learn a lesson from Lot he was righteous but live among unrighteous people.

He lost His wife and sons-in-laws to the pollution of Sodom. II Pet.2:6-8; Lk.17:32; Gen.13:12, 13

Monday September 5, 2016

His Looming Judgment

-REVELATION 15:1-8

Key Verse:

"Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest" (Revelation 15:4).

Among the most delusional aspects of life is the assumption that things will continue as they are, and no one would be held accountable for their conducts here on earth. Some even assume that life begins and ends in the world. But these are tricks of the devil to lure people into carelessness and eventual retribution. Judgment day is nearer than many people realise. In the considered text, Jesus gave a preview of what will happen in the future. God is prepared to pour His plagues on those whose lifestyles and actions are offensive to Him and refuse to change their evil ways. The plagues would be universal and no sinner can escape from them. God's purpose then will be to abolish evil once and for all when He decides to bring the world to an end. The time is imminent; the angels are ready, only waiting for command from the almighty God to unleash divine terror. But not all humanity will suffer from the plagues. Those who lived to please God stand above the evil that would befall the rest of sinful humanity. While they would be singing songs to God's glory and rejoicing in heaven for their deliverance from the power of Satan, the inhabitants of the earth would be facing an indescribable horrific judgment. The angels who would bring these punishments are free from all forms of human frailty, corruption and injustice, as symbolized by their white attire. They would do exactly as God tells them and no sinner would escape from that judgment. The time to seek escape from the wrath to come is now! There is no other way to escape the punishment that would be unleashed on all evil doers, except to quickly retrace one's steps from all evil activities, plead with the Lord to have mercy and forgive, obtain grace from Him to shun all forms of evil and make up one's mind to live henceforth, only as God prescribes.

Thought for the day: Judgment day will still catch up with many people unawares.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 89 - 91

A Bubble Break

September 5, 2016

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7–18 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 146–147; 1 Corinthians 15:1–28

We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. 2 Corinthians 4:18

A young boy showered my husband, Carl, and me with bubbles as he came running by us on the Atlantic City boardwalk. It was a light and fun moment on a difficult day. We had come to the city to visit our brother-in-law in the hospital and to help Carl’s sister who was struggling and having trouble getting to her doctors’ appointments. So as we took a break and walked along the seaside boardwalk we were feeling a bit overwhelmed by the needs of our family.

Then came the bubbles. Just bubbles blown at us whimsically by a little boy in the ocean breeze—but they had a special significance to me. I love bubbles and keep a bottle in my office to use whenever I need the smile of a bubble break. Those bubbles and the vast Atlantic Ocean reminded me of what I can count on: God is always close. He is powerful. He always cares. And He can use even the smallest experiences, and briefest moments, to help us remember that His presence is like an ocean of grace in the middle of our heavy moments.

Jesus provides an oasis of grace in the desert of trials.

Maybe one day our troubles will seem like bubbles—momentary in light of eternity for “what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).

What gifts of grace has God given to you in a difficult time? How might you be a blessing to others?

Share with us on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/ourdailybread

Jesus provides an oasis of grace in the desert of trials.

INSIGHT:

In fulfilling his calling as an apostle (Acts 9:15), Paul endured great suffering. But in the midst of great opposition, persecution, and painful suffering, Paul’s refrain is: “We do not lose heart” (2 Cor. 4:1, 16). His confidence is not rooted in himself but in God’s sovereign power, in His sustaining grace, in Christ’s resurrected life, and in the expectation of future reward and eternal glory (vv. 7–18).

Above Only Daily Devotional
http://cgmglobal.org/aboveonly

Monday, September 5

Your Walk is Before God

Genesis 17:1-2, Psalm 119:168 (GNB)
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. * I obey your commands and your instructions; you see everything I do.
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Today, God wants you to be conscious of the fact that your walk is before Him. When scriptures refer to your “walk,” they don't simply only refer to your physical footsteps; they refer to everything you do and/or the way you live your life. To walk in the Spirit (Gal.5:16) is to live your life by the dictates or leading of the Spirit of God and to walk in the flesh is to live your life by the lusts and dictates of your flesh.

In our first text above, God wanted Abraham to remain conscious of the fact that He was aware of everything that he was doing. Being conscious of God's eyes produces a consciousness in you that enhances the way that you live your life. Godliness or godly living is a righteous and holy lifestyle that is produced by your continuous consciousness of God. It is easier to obey God and to walk in His ways when you are deeply conscious that God is watching you. God is with you and He is watching your ways because He loves you and He wants to bless you. He wants to manifest His covenant grace and blessings in your life. Righteousness and godly living will promote and uplift you just like it promoted and lifted people like Joseph and Daniel in the Bible.

Be very conscious of the fact that it is before God that you do 'everything' that you do. Heb.4:13 says that all creatures are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him before whom we must give account. Do everything you do as if you are doing it for God, even the things you do in your closet. Colossians 3:23 says that whatever you do, do it heartily as to the LORD and not unto men. Worship God with everything that you do.

PRAYER FOCUS: Dear Lord, I am conscious of Your eyes that are on me and Your presence that is with me. I will walk in your ways always.

BIBLE IN A YEAR READING PLAN: EZEKIEL 32-34

Empowered to Occupy Till He Comes...

Open Heavens 5 September 2016:- The Good Side of wealth.

Open Heavens 5 September 2016:- The Good Side of wealth.

THE GOOD SIDE OF WEALTH – Monday September 5^th 2016

Memorise: The rich ruleth over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

Read: 1^st Chronicles 4:9-10, (KJV)

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: Jeremiah 22:11-24:10, Psalms 50:1-15

MESSAGE

Wealth is generally interpreted as the abundance of goods or money. However, Biblical reference to wealth is always within the framework of economic, social, cultural, spiritual and political settings of the people. Therefore, terms such as ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ are relative to the context in which they are used in the Bible. Wealth is mostly attached to people or nations but the Bible also mentioned wealthy individuals such as Abraham, Job, David, Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, etc. The New Testament Bible occasionally mentioned wealthy individuals such as Joseph of Arimathaea, the rich man in Luke 16:1, Cornelius in Acts 10, Prisca and Aquila, etc.

However, positive references to wealth are few in the Bible; references to personal wealth almost always carries some negative implication. Many statements of Jesus could be viewed as unfair criticisms of wealth. In Mark 10:23-25, He said it is extremely difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. In Mark 4:19, He said the quest for wealth chokes God’s Word.Matthew 6:24 and some other Scriptures says, one cannot serve God and Mammon. In Luke 21:1-4, a poor widow is more generous than rich people. 1^st Timothy 6:10declares that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. To wrap it up, Luke 6:24 concludes by saying “woe to you who are rich”.Revelation 3:17:18 says; 

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed….”

However, there is a good side to wealth, having material prosperity or being wealthy is not a ticket to hell after all. God has created an abundance of good things for human enjoyment, but those who have material wealth should understand the true nature of earthy riches and acknowledge God as the source of all blessings. Hence, riches should be thankfully received, and Christians must value Heavenly riches more than earthly wealth. Those that are wealthy in this world must be generous to the poor and ensure that their hearts are not set on their wealth. Finally, in appreciation to God for His blessings, they should devote their riches to God’s service by sponsoring the gospel and the work of the ministry.

Prayer Point

Father, please send poverty far away from me and make me a divine treasure.

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

Resilient Marriages

Photo by Danilo Rizzuti, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Wouldn’t you like to have a resilient marriage? The word resilient means to “spring back into shape, to be elastic, and to have the ability to recover after being pressed.” So, after reading that definition, wouldn’t you like to have a resilient marriage —one that can recover from whatever attacks it?

But how do you have a resilient marriage?First off, you work at it. It’s not something that comes easily. It takes determination and commitment maturity and intentionality to make it happen.

The following are a few points that John Thurman made in an article in Marriage Partnership Magazine on building a resilient marriage. We can only give you a portion of what he wrote so if you want to read more you can read in his article,Bounce Back, now posted on the Today’s Christian Woman web site. But for this message, here are some important pointers:

1. Resilient Couples Don’t Fall Prey to Misconceptions About Marriage. One thing that can damage our resilience is the mistaken notion that a good marriage equals a calm and peaceful one. In the 10 years Larry and Sara had been married, five jobs, one miscarriage, five harsh financial seasons, four moves, and two adventure-filled boys had taken their toll. Not to mention the fact that they came from two different family styles: Sara’s parents were divorced. Her dad had cheated on her mom multiple times, and then abandoned the family when she was ten.

Larry, on the other hand, grew up in an intact family —his parents are still together more than 40 years later.

As we talked, Larry nailed one of the great Christian misconceptions about marriage: “We had no idea how difficult marriage would be. If you listen to people at our church talk about their marriages, it would be easy to believe nobody has been through what we’ve experienced.”

It amazes me that in this day when marriage ministries and materials are so prevalent, couples still believe a great relationship will be a peaceful one. They often feel invincible, especially in the early stages of marriage. This can lead them to deny the impact of stress and family history.

2. Resilient Couples Find Help When They Need It. Many couples “go it” alone —trying to deal with their issues without outside help from a trusted source who can offer biblical encouragement, guidance, and support. Those are typically the couples who end up with broken relationships…

3. Resilient Couples Remember Good Things About Their Marriage and Each Other. “He’s a good father to our boys,” Sara mentioned when I asked them to list each other’s qualities. “And he’s patient. He puts up with my quirks.” “I love how loyal and passionate she is,” Larry added. “Sometimes she goes overboard, but I know her heart’s in the right place.”

…Resilient couples choose to focus on the good as opposed to camping out on the bad.

(Philippians 4:8 comes to mind: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.“)

4. Resilient Couples Accept the Differences in their Personalities, Views, and Ways of Getting Things Done. Sarah entered marriage fearing the painful conflict she’d watched her parents experience, while Larry entered expecting the intimacy and commitment he’s seen his parents enjoy. For several years, they acted out based on the marriage models and communication styles they brought with them.

Sara tended to over-talk everything. Then if she felt Larry didn’t “get it,” she’d become angry. “When I try to talk to Larry,” she told me, “he always seems to run and hide. He’ll either collapse in the recliner and be sucked into the television, or he’ll retreat to the computer room. When he does that I feel like going ballistic, and sometimes do.”

Larry responded, “She has an opinion about everything, and when I don’t engage in the conversation, she gets heated, so I retreat. Then she throws a shoe at me!”

Men and women really do have different needs. For guys, we want to feel competent and needed. We want to feel respected. One friend of mine used to say, “Men are like dogs, they need three things: someone to feed them, play with them, and occasionally say, ‘Good boy.'”

…For women, the key is to help her feel valued and cherished. If she feels her husband can love her the way she is, then she feels more secure. When a man listens to his wife, without trying to fix her, for instance, he’ll be amazed to see how she can engage him physically.

Larry noticed that as he listened intentionally to Sara, she actually talked less. He even began to buy her flowers, knowing how much she appreciated the gesture. “We’re not the same,” Sara mentioned. “And I’m starting to appreciate the fact that that can be a good thing.”

5. Resilient Couples Develop and Maintain an Internal Focus of Control Rather Than an External Focus. I asked Larry and Sara to recount some of the difficult times in their marriage and how they got through. They told me that six months into their marriage, Larry lost his job. It could have been devastating, especially since Sara’s part-time job didn’t bring in enough money to cover the bills.

When many couples would take out their frustrations, fears, and worries on their spouse, Larry and Sara decided to focus on the possibilities.

…Larry [said], “We believe God can and will help us work things out, but it’s tough.” They both took their marriage vows seriously and didn’t want to become another statistic. They hoped to survive this rough time and were committed to the process.

6. Resilient Couples Manage their Emotions. Larry admitted to me that he can be a “control freak” at times. Sara, on the other hand, is a “free spirit.” As the weeks went by, Larry and Sara started to focus on their personal responsibility for their portion of the relationship’s troubles and move forward.

After Sara’s fourth overdrawn check, Larry had had enough. Instead of blowing up or withdrawing from her, which had previously proved unsuccessful, Larry took another approach. He waited for a day or two so he could calm down. Having a measure of control over his emotions, he could talk to her in a calm, rational way and they were able to resolve their money issues.

7. Resilient Couples Reinterpret Past Failures and Use Them as Growing Points Instead of Perennial Negatives. In other words, they look at past mistakes in order to make positive, life-changing applications.

We hope that whatever is a problem in your marriage, you will work together to make your marriage resilient —using past failures as “growing points” instead of as weapons. Please give each other the grace you want from your partner and receive from Christ our Lord!

Cindy and Steve Wright

Above Only Daily Devotional
http://cgmglobal.org/aboveonly

Sunday, September 4

Unlimited Obedience

Jonah 1:2-3
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
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Do you only obey God's leading when He wants to bless you and meet your needs? Or do you also obey when He urges you to go out of your way to make sacrifices or to be a blessing to others? God is not a servant who is meant to do everything we want whenever we want. We are servants of the Most High God. Our utmost desire must be to please Him and do His will always, just like Jesus did; whether it seems convenient for our flesh or not. As God's servants, we must not grow weary in well doing because God is not unrighteous to forget our labour of love, Heb.6:10. In due season, we will reap great fruits, harvests and blessings if we do not faint, Gal.6:9.

The Bible tells us that there is more blessing in giving than in receiving, Acts 20:35. This should cause us to want to give more and be an even greater blessing unto others. Had the servant that didn't use his master's pound in Luke 19:20-27 been aware of the blessings and promotion that his master intended to give him, he might have indeed occupied with his master's pound as his master initially instructed him to do. You are blessed to be a blessing. You are saved to save others. You are called to serve with the gifts and abilities that God has given you. God also wants us to esteem or value others more than we esteem or value ourselves, Phil.2:3. Do not permit any excuses that will discourage you from going all out to bless others as God leads you. Do not view any task that God gives you as impossible. As you step forward in faith, signs and wonders will follow you.

PRAYER FOCUS: Yield yourself to God and tell Him you are willing to go where He is leading you to reach and be a blessing to others.

BIBLE IN A YEAR READING PLAN: EZEKIEL 28-31

Empowered to Occupy Till He Comes...

Faith Food Devotional
September 4

THE WORD

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. — ROMANS 10:17 “I just don’t have any faith,” some Christians say. “I’ve prayed and fasted for faith, but I just don’t have any.” Asking for faith will never produce faith. Why not? Because faith doesn’t come by asking; faith comes by hearing. By hearing what? The Word of God! Having to encourage Christians to have faith means that the Word of God has lost its reality in their lives. None of the New Testament Epistles encourage believers to have faith. Why not? Because the Epistles were written to the Church. And its individual members are actually born into the family of God. Believers have received the Holy Spirit as their Teacher, Guide, and Comforter. And the measure of their faith will be the measure of their knowledge of the Father — and their knowledge of their privileges. Simply study the Bible and get acquainted with your Heavenly Father. Walk in the closest possible fellowship with Him. Become familiar with your privileges as His child. As you become one with the Word, and the Word becomes one with you, you will become mighty in faith.

Confession

As I study the Word of God, I am becoming one with it. I am feeding upon it; I am hearing it; and faith is coming to me.

Doing What He Says

September 4, 2016

Read: Deuteronomy 5:28–33 | Bible in a Year:Psalms 143–145; 1 Corinthians 14:21–40

Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you. Deuteronomy 5:33

I needed an underground water tank and knew precisely how I wanted it constructed, so I gave clear instructions to the builder. The next day when I inspected the project, I was annoyed when I realized that he had failed to carry out my instructions. He had changed the plan and therefore the effect. The excuse he gave was as irritating as his failure to follow my directives.

As I watched him redo the concrete work, and as my frustration diminished, a guilty conviction swept over me: How many times have I needed to redo things in my life in obedience to the Lord?

Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you. Deuteronomy 5:33

Like the ancient Israelites who frequently failed to do what God asked them to do, we too often go our own way. Yet obedience is a desired result of our deepening relationship with God. Moses told the people, “Be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you . . . . Walk in obedience to all that [he] has commanded you” (Deut. 5:32–33). Long after Moses, Jesus urged His disciples to trust Him and to love one another.

This is still the kind of surrender of our hearts that leads to our well-being. As the Spirit helps us to obey, it is good to remember that He “works in [us] to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13).

Lord, thank You for second and third chances. Please help us to want to follow Your ways and to follow through in obedience.

The closer we walk with God, the clearer we see His guidance.

INSIGHT:

The Bible’s overarching story is the loving God reaching down to rescue His broken, rebellious creation and His ultimate expression of love in His Son, Jesus. Jesus Christ came to rescue and restore us to the relationship with the Father we lost in the fall. Deuteronomy, which is part of that story, is the final book of the Pentateuch, the opening five books of the Bible. These books form the platform for the entire Bible, which is God’s instruction to us. They are also known as “the five scrolls” and, in Judaism, as the Torah (the “instruction” of Moses). They cover both a long and short period of human history.

Sunday September 4, 2016

Revenge Kills

-2 SAMUEL 3:12-25

Key Verse:

"Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?" (2 Samuel 3:24).

Many things people do today are not as simple and innocent as they appear. Beneath their actions are often a hidden motive, which is in itself the by-product of a corrupt mind. This is why believers must pause to ponder over what people urge them to do, even when they appear to be protecting their (believers') interest. Joab, the commander of David's army, was very angry when he returned from battle and learnt that his enemy, Abner, the military power behind Saul who had prevented David from reigning over Israel, had visited David in Hebron and made a deal with him. His impudence and self-confidence were very clear when he spoke insolently to the king, as he sought to convince David that Abner did not mean well. What he didn't know or refused to accept was that Abner had concluded that it was impossible to continue to prevent David from reigning over all Israel. He was therefore, genuinely seeking a peaceful way to bring all Israel under David's rule. In essence, he was working in David's interest. But Joab was blinded by a long-standing bitter grudge he had against Abner for killing his (Joab's) brother in battle. To think that a man he had been seeking to kill can be welcomed by David enraged him. He later tricked Abner and killed him in cold blood. But the consequence of his action continued in his family for generations. We must not be blinded by bitterness and anger that we overlook the interest of our Saviour Jesus Christ; neither should grudge or prejudice against people influence us into preventing them from making peace with God by accepting Christ. A child of God does not harbour malice or bitterness against anyone, whatever their past offence towards him. There are dire consequences for those who hold grudge even while claiming to be children of God.

Thought for the day: Allow God alone to repay those that hurt you.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 85 - 88

LIVE LOCAL, THINK GLOBAL

Bishop David Abioye

Today: 2016-09-04

Every one of us live in a local settings but in other to make global impact we must think global.

Our individual bodies are confined to certain locality per time but our minds must be free to travel globally by continuous intercourse of our mind with the global world.

You cannot succeed at using common sense to carry out special duties.

If you must go global, think global.

If you must make global impact, reach out for global knowledge. Job.36:3

Local knowledge will limit you to local impact.

Stretch forth for deeper knowledge to spread wider in effect.

Open Heavens Sunday 4 September 2016:- Diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit.

Open Heavens Sunday 4 September 2016:- Diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit.

DIVERSITY OF GIFTS BUT THE SAME SPIRIT – Sunday September 4^th 2016

Memorise: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:12

Read: 1^st Corinthians 12:1-7, (KJV)

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

² Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

³ Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

⁴ Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

⁵ And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

⁶ And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 19:1-22:10, Psalms 49

MESSAGE

The Kingdom of God on earth, the Body of Christ, or the Church are synonyms that symbolize an organized Christian population worldwide or a group of Christians in a particular location. The management and administration of the Church in the twenty-first century, calls for diverse skills and talents required to administer any civil organisation. These skills consist that of professionals and artisans from various works of life including, public administration, accounting, engineering, law, etc. The Scripture provides examples of individuals who have been equipped to carry out tasks or responsibilities of professional nature. Exodus 31:2-4 says:

“See, I have called by name Bezaleel the Son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass.”

It should be noted here that the deployment of skills for the construction of the tabernacle, production of interior decorations, fabrication of garments and worship utensils, were considered as spiritual assignments. God in His infinite wisdom has deliberately endowed men and women, young and old, with special gifts and abilities for the work of the ministry. Consequently, the deployment of every gift in the service of God should not be viewed as secular only, but as a spiritual assignment that requires spiritual commissioning to ensure success. Also, Christians should view their gifts and special abilities as deliberate endowments from God for the primary purpose of promoting the work of the ministry.1^st Corinthians 12:7 says:

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

I pray that your service in the House of God will be a blessing to the Body of Christ and will be profitable to God in Jesus’ name.

Using myself as an example, I consider it a great honour to be counted worthy as vessel of honour in the hands of the Almighty God. It is also an unmerited favour because everyone that has yielded himself to be used of God in any capacity has been mightily blessed in return. I am thankful to God for how far He has used my skills, education and expertise; I also pray that my service will bring maximum profit to the kingdom of God in Jesus’ name. What about you?

Prayer Point

Father, please pour your spiritual gifts upon me and use me for your glory in Jesus’ name.

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