OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL SATURDAY 31st JANUARY 2015 THE WONDERS OF DIVINE VICTORY

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

SATURDAY 31st JANUARY 2015

THE WONDERS OF DIVINE VICTORY

Memorise:

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

Read: 1st Samuel 17:44-50,

44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 19:1-22:10, ACTS 18:1-23

Message

The wonders of divine victory are inexplicable. How do you explain the victory that King Jehoshaphat recorded in 2nd Chronicles 20:15-24? How do you explain confronting the armies of three kings with an orchestra and yet securing total victory? This victory was a wonder because it was divinely procured. Instead of organising bow and arrow, shield and spear, and other war implements, Jehoshaphat organised an orchestra that sang about the praise and mercies of God. This is what the wonders of divine victory look like:

“And when Judah came forward the watch tower in the wilderness, they look unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.”
2nd Chronicles 20:24

The story of David’s victory over Goliath is another classical example of the wonders of divine victory. If it is not a wonder, how else would you describe a tiny boy killing a giant man as if he was killing a straying lizard on the wall of his father’s house? When the Almighty God fights on the side of a person, apart from the fact that victory is sure, the way and manner the victory would be secured will produce wonders. When Goliath saw David, he disdained him and cursed him by his gods. David responded with these words:

“… Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”
1st Samuel 17:45

There was a spiritual power-play going on here. While Goliath cursed David by his gods, David confronted him with Jehovah Sabaoth. David knew that warfare is not won by physical preparation alone. He knew it is even more spiritual than physical, so he quickly switched on his spiritual antenna. The story ends with the wonders of divine victory. An ordinary stone in the hands of anointed of God fell a giant who a whole nation dreaded for 40 days. As a matter of fact, it was the sword of Goliath that eventually severed his head from his body. David believed in his God and he was not disappointed. The Lord fought on David’s side, and the battle was decisive.

Prayer Point :

Father, please fight my battles for me and don’t let me be a victim of the battles of life.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY 30th JANUARY 2015 WONDERFUL RESTORATION

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

FRIDAY 30th JANUARY 2015

WONDERFUL RESTORATION

Memorise:

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:12

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-10,

1 THE hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 16:14-18:23 and ACTS 17:16-34

Message

When the earth was in shambles in the beginning, the wonder-working God restored it by His word (Genesis 1:1-3). It is interesting to note that the Almighty does not only create, He also restores. I command the restoration power of the Almighty to come upon you today in Jesus’ Name.

Our Bible text has a narrative that described the wonderful restoration that God will give you today. It describes the wonder of the restoration of very dry bones. Ezekiel here was taken to the valley of dry bones. Dry bones of course signify a state of hopelessness and lifelessness. Thank God it was the Spirit of the Lord that carried Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones; if it were an evil spirit, he himself would have become one of them. When Ezekiel got to the valley, there was a dialogue between him and the Almighty! It is not amazing to discover that whenever God wants to perform wonders, He dialogues? He also demonstrated this character in the story of the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:15-18). This character of God does not mean that He does not know what to do at any given time; He just likes fellowshipping with man. From His dialogue with Ezekiel, the wonder –working drama began.

The first lesson I will like to point out in the story is that whenever the Spirit of God is upon an individual, the fellow is empowered to do the impossible, like in the case of Ezekiel here. He was not even sure whether the dry bones could live or not. He pushed the answer back to God when God asked him if the dry bones could live. This is the second lesson we should learn. We must learn to acknowledge the sovereignty of God in all matters, no matter how pressing the need maybe or how ridiculous He may sound (1st Corinthians 1:25&27).

Whenever we acknowledge and put the sovereignty of God at the forefront, faith in the God of wonders will come. Ezekiel responded positively to the instructions God gave him concerning the dry bones. He prophesied as he was commanded, and the result was a mighty army. We can also learn from this story that without the Holy Spirit, there is nothing we can do, but with Him, all things are possible. Wherever the Spirit of God is, there is liberty, signs and wonders. Signs and wonders will be your portion this season in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point :

Father, please speak to my situation and restore to me all that the enemies have destroyed in my life in Jesus’ Name.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY 29th JANUARY 2015 STOREHOUSE FOR WONDERS

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

THURSDAY 29th JANUARY 2015

STOREHOUSE FOR WONDERS

Memorise:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not went. Psalm 23:1

Read: 1st Kings 17:12-16,

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 14:1-16:13 and ACTS 17:1-15

Message

You will observe that ever since God rested from His work in Genesis 2:2, He has been working on and through His earlier creations in propagating His purpose. For example, God never created another set of man and woman after the first man and woman had been created. Rather, he charged those He had already created to be faithful, to multiply and to replenish the earth (Genesis 1:28). When God is confronted with a need, He will use what is already available in His creation to meet the need.

When God was confronted with the need to feed His prophet for a number of years during a famine, He needed a storehouse of wonders to meet this need. The widow of Zarephath’s house become this storehouse for wonders. The man of God, Elijah, discovered a barrel of flour and a cruse of oil that were almost empty in this house. However, it was not the prophet but the God of wonders who located that storehouse for wonders, and He sent His prophet there (1st Kings 17:8-9). We must learn some lessons from this story of the storehouse for wonders. First, the house was available for the God of wonders to use. My prayer for you is that whenever the God of wonder wants to turn a house to a house for wonders, it will be yours in Jesus’ Name. The question is: will be yours in Jesus’ Name. The question is: will you be ready to surrender your house to the God of wonders to use for His glory?

Secondly, the widow did not shy away from a difficult assignment. Although it was a difficult thing for her to give Elijah her last meal, she obeyed the command for God and did as the prophet said. Hence her house became the storehouse for wonders. Her barrel of flour and her cruse of oil became instruments of wonders. Thirdly, this woman did not only know the wonder-working God, she was a sincere and straightforward woman of faith. She stated her case as it was. She said, “This is our last meal; we can’t with it. “ if it were some of us, we would not even admit that we have anything at all. This woman seemed to be saying to herself,

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want, even if I surrender my last meal to Him.”
This woman exposed her miracle meal to the wonder-working God to work with. This was the exact thing the young led in Matthew 14:17-20 did, and he went home with twelve basketfuls as the interest on the five loaves and two fishes he lent to the wonder-working Lord. I pray that the Lord will feed your fat even in the time of famine in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point :

Determine to lend to God by way of sacrificially giving to His work this year, and you will see the glory of God.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY 2015 WORKSHOP FOR WONDER

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY 2015

WORKSHOP FOR WONDER

Memorise:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

Read: John 9:1-7;

1 AND as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Jeremiah 11:13, Acts 16:16-40

Message

A potential recipient of uncommon miracles is a workshop of wonders. A classic example is the man born blind in today’s Bible reading. No artisan or craftsman can do his work effectively without a workshop. It may amaze you that candidates for miracles are workshops for the miracle-working Jesus. When the disciples confronted Jesus on whether the blind man was born blind as a result of sin, He said neither the man or his parents did sin. Jesus said he was born blind so that the works of God might be made manifest in him. Jesus swung into action immediately; with His creative divine ability, He produced brand new eyes for this man.

You too can be a workshop for the great Miracle-worker provided you are willing to receive your miracle today. There are several things we should learn from the blind man that qualified him as a workshop for wonders. One of these is that this man was available for the wonders. One of these is that this man was available for the miracle. Before someone can be a workshop for wonders, he or she must be available. The blind man was there at the right time when the Miracle-worker was to do His work! Another thing about this man is that he surrendered himself for Jesus to work on. The Bible says:

“When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”
John 9:6-7

This blind man did not only surrender himself to be worked upon, he carried out all the actions necessary for the actualisation of his miracle. The miracle would not have taken place if he had not cooperated with the Workman – Jesus, by washing at the pool of Siloam. Naaman was another workshop for wonders who cooperated with the process required for the actualisation of his miracle; although this came after his initial self-aggrandisement that would have robbed him of his miracle (2nd Kings 5:13-14). My pastoral advice to you is that you should exercise complete obedience in humility of God, His word and His ministers if you want to live in the miraculous this year.

Prayer Point :

Father, please make me a workshop for your miracles. Let not my hour of miracles elude me.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY 27 JANUARY 2015. WONDERFUL SAVIOUR

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

TUESDAY 27 JANUARY 2015.

WONDERFUL SAVIOUR.

MEMORISE : For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ISAIAH 9 : 6.

READ : ACTS 2 : 22 – 24.

22. Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 8 : 18 -10 : 25 AND ACTS 15 : 36 – 16 : 15.

Message

A major difference between Christianity and other religion is the availability of the Saviour for anyone who needs salvation. As a matter of fact, the essence of true religion is the salvation that it guarantees. Any religion that does not offer the assurance of salvation, particularly salvation from sin, is a base contraption. Concerning Jesus, the Bible in Matthew 1 : 21 says that :

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Why is Jesus Christ the wonderful Saviour? His confessions and testimony about Himself make Him wonderful. No man ever spoke the words that Jesus did. In John 15 : 13, He said this about His mission here on earth :

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

No man ever did such a thing before Him, and after Him, nothing of such as happened.

In Acts 2 : 22 – 24, Peter plainly declared the mission, the passion and the perfect atonement that Jesus accomplished for humankind. Hebrews 9 also corroborates the perfect redemption that Jesus Christ brought to us. For this reason, the apostles declared in Acts 4 : 12 that :

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

In light of the foregoing, the author of the book of Hebrews asks this fundamental question :

” How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” Hebrews 2 : 3.

The Lord Jesus came with a specific assignment that distinguishes Him from the caricature of religious leaders. Even the Pharisees admitted that He taught as someone with authority ( Luke 4 : 18 – 22, Mark 1 : 22 ). Jesus Christ is not only the Saviour of the soul; He delivers the body from demonic torment too. Those who witnessed His life testified that He went about doing good ( Acts 10 : 38 ). My prayer is that if you have not accepted Him as the wonderful Saviour, you will do so today.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, I accept your offer of salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord today. Receive me and forgive me as I ( re )dedicate my life to you today.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY 26 JANUARY 2015. CURE FOR DEFEAT.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

MONDAY 26 JANUARY 2015.

CURE FOR DEFEAT.

MEMORISE :

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. PSALM 51 : 1.

READ : 1KINGS 21 : 17 – 29 .

17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

23 And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.

27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 7 : 1 – 8 : 17 AND ACTS 15 : 12 – 35.

Message

When a man continues to transgress the law of God, he becomes a profane person, and unless he quickly retrace his steps to the Word of God, he may suffer permanent defeat like Samson who died with his enemies. I pray for someone using this devotional, you will not die with your enemies in Jesus’ Name. If you have suffered defeat due to carelessness, the Lord is interested in getting you back on your feet. The roadmap for your recovery can be found in the manufacturer’s manual – the Bible. Let’s take a look at the Bible therefore to see how you can recover from a defeat.

The first thing you need to do is to pay close attention to the voice of the Lord ( Deuteronomy 28 : 1 ). If you are in a state of defeat, the Lord will send a word to you on how to get out of that state. This word could come through the Bible, through His messengers or by Him speaking directly to your spirit. But you need to be listening in order to hear and recognise His voice. One problem of modern day so-called Christians is their non-readiness to listen to the voice of the Lord. The reason for this is not far-fetched. It is because the word of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing ( 1 Corinthians 1 : 18 ). Some people have erred to the extent that they teach people not to pay attention to the epistles anymore. To them, the contents of the epistles are meant for the original audience to whom they were written and not for those in the 21st century. To come out of your state of defeat, you are not only to pay close attention to the Word, you must also be diligent enough to observe and follow its instructions.

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2 : 5.

This is another thing you must do to pull yourself out of any defeat you may have suffered. David knew this secret and he employed it to his advantage. My prayer for you is that, in whatever area you have suffered defeat, the Lord will restore and grant you permanent victory in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT :

Take a spiritual inventory of your life and determine in what areas you need revival. Call upon God to revive you in these areas.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL SUNDAY 25th JANUARY 2015 EX-CHAMPION?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

SUNDAY 25th JANUARY 2015

EX-CHAMPION?

Memorise :

Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. John 5:14

Read: Joshua 7:1-5

1 BUT the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 5:6 and ACTS 14.19-15:11

Message

Although it is an unpleasant experience to be a defeated contender, becoming an ex-champion is a ymuch more grievous experience. When you are not a champion, only a few people pay attention to you. But by the time you become a champion, you will be on the radar of many people, including your enemies. A champion has more enemies to contend with than an ordinary contender. I pray you will not be an ex-champion in Jesus’ Name.

The story in our scripture reading is a sad one. The people of God had just recorded victory over a great city called Jericho, and they forged ahead to occupy a small village called Ai. To their surprise and consternation, they were beaten silly! Their leader, Joshua, was downcast. But after making enquiries from God, he discovered the cause of their defeat. What great lessons we can draw from this story! There is always a reason for every set-back suffered by a child of God. Therefore, it is expedient that periodic, self examination becomes a lifestyle among children of God.

The Almighty had warned the children of Israel not to take anything from Jericho as booty, but Achan defied this instruction and stole part of the accursed materials. Joshua did not know about this. This singular act brought a lot of war causalities to the Israelites and turned the whole nation to ex-war champions. The nation remained defeated until the accused thing was removed form the congregation of the people of God, including the culprit and his household. Beloved of God, I want to encourage you to abstain from any form of ungodliness because it is deadly (Romans 6:23). After a man’s sins are forgiven, the next thing is for the fellow to stop living in sin and to perform restitution. In John 5:14, our Lord Jesus Christ told the man He graciously healed to go and sin no more so that a more terrible thing does not come on him. In conclusion:
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates? 2nd Corinthians 13:5
May the Lord be with your soul.

Prayer Point :

Holy Spirit, please help me to be vigilant in maintaining my victory in Christ and help me not to fall into any temptation.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL SATURDAY 24th JANUARY 2015 ENEMY OF DIVINE BLESSINGS

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

SATURDAY 24th JANUARY 2015

ENEMY OF DIVINE BLESSINGS

Memorise:

The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringth low, and lifeth up. 1st Samuel 2:7;

Read: Hosea 5:3-9,

3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.

7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 3:6-4:31 and ACTS 13:48-14:18

Message

At the beginning of Ephraim’s history, Ephraim was God’s favourite and a symbol of blessing. In Genesis 48:20, Jacob pronounced these blessings of Ephraim:
“… In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.”
David also spoke about the blessings of Ephraim in Psalm 108:8. Without any doubt, Ephraim was indeed a beneficiary of divine blessings. But at some point in history, Ephraim became an object of ridicule (Jeremiah 7:15). How did Ephraim come to this state? The answer is in Hosea 4:17:
“Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.”
What is idolatry? Idolatry is the act of reverencing anything other than the Almighty God. It can take the form of esteeming your culture, race, idea, achievement, etc over and above the Almighty and His Word. Idolatry can also be an insatiable craving for the material things of this world (1st John 2:15-17). When you esteem your children, your cars or your educational qualifications so highly that you make them “no go areas” for the One who gave them to you in the first place, then you are guilt of idolatry. This was the undoing of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30-33).

Idolatry is one of the archenemies of divine blessings. The Almighty God warned His people against idolatry in Exodus 20:3 saying:
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
When the children of Israel become comfortable in the Promised Land, they joined themselves with the natives to worship their gods. For this reason, they suffered series of servitude under neighbouring kingdoms. At some point, they were even carried away into captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians. A nation that had hitherto enjoyed divine blessings in the land flowing with milk and honey became slaves all over again because of their sin of idolatry. This was exactly what turned Ephraim’s divine blessings into a curse.

The word of the Lord is coming to you today to beware of idolatry. Put God first in all you think, say or do, and you will not be a victim of the sin of idolatry.

Prayer Point :

Father, today, I put down every strange altar I have consciously or unconsciously erected to compete with you in my life, home, business or ministry, in Jesus Name.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY 23rd JANUARY 2015 IRREVERSIABLE DIVINE BLESSINGS

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

FRIDAY 23rd JANUARY 2015

IRREVERSIABLE DIVINE BLESSINGS

Memorise:

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

Read: Genesis 22:15-18,

15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 1:1-3:5 and ACTS 13:26-47

Message

The blessings that can be regarded as irreversible are those which come from God. God Almighty decided to give irreversible blessings to Abraham. In Genesis 22:16-17, God declared thus:
“…By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;”

The condition nature of divine blessings makes some of them irreversible. When you fulfil some spiritual conditions for divine blessings, God will show Himself mighty, faithful and dependable in your life. Nobody is able to reverse a divine blessing, except God Himself. He will only reverse it if the recipient defaults in the terms of His covenant. For example, God reversed the promise He made to Eli when he and his sons failed to live to live by the terms of the covenant that made them God’s priest (1st Samuel 2:30). If God decides to bless you and you mess up, He can change a blessing to a curse.

The faithfulness of God in keeping His promise to Abraham is demonstrated in Genesis 26, while the irreversible nature of this promise is demonstrated in Genesis 35. In these two instances, the Almighty God reiterated to Isaac and Jacob that the promise He made to Abraham was an everlasting covenant.

Before a person can enjoy irreversible blessings, there are certain conditions he or she must fulfil in Jesus Christ. These include remarkable love towards God, sacrificial giving and commitment to holiness and worship. All these attributes are found in Jesus Christ, and they can rub off on anyone who accepts him as Lord and personal Saviour. The Bible in Colossians 1:19-20 says:
“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”
To enjoy irreversible blessings therefore, you must establish a lasting relationship with the Almighty Father, from whom all blessings flow, through Jesus Christ.

Action Point :

Identify some irreversible blessings you have access to through Christ in the Bible, and ask God to bring about their manifestation in your life.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY 22nd JANUARY 2015 A PEACEMAKER?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

THURSDAY 22nd JANUARY 2015

A PEACEMAKER?

Memorise:

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

Read: 2nd Corinthians 5:18-20,

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ISAIAH 65-66 and ACTS 13:1-25

Message

When Adam and Eve fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, this brought enmity between the Creator and His human creator. The first man and woman decided to love when God hated (Genesis 3:6). It is unfortunate that this spiritual depravity has continued till date. Men tend to love the world more than their Creator as a result of the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1st John 2:14-14).

“Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Genesis 3:23-24
The enmity and separation symbolised by the scripture above lingered for a very long time until God decided to reconcile mankind to Himself. God’s expectation is that men will get reconciled to Him by accepting the hand of love He has stretched out to humanity. Like the father of the prodigal son, God is expectantly waiting for mankind to come home to eternal bliss. God wants to make children out of his human creation.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
Who are the peacemakers? The peacemakers are those who realise their state of enmity with God and endeavour to forsake their sinful ways of life in order to please Him. Apostle Paul wrote that:
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ , and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself , not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

2nd Corinthians 5:18-19
Have you been reconciled with your Lord and Maker? Do not forget that the peacemakers are blessed; they will enjoy the benefits associated with being a child of God.

Action Point :

Are you struggling with God on any issue in your head or heart? Be reconciled to God today by submitting to his will.