The Righteousness That Speaks...

Romans 10:5-6, "For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”  But the righteousness of faith speaks.."   You can be righteous either by doing the law or by speaking the Word.  In keeping the righteousness of law, you are to observe to do all the commandments of God and if you break one, you've broken all. Nobody could really become righteous by keeping the law, hence Christ came fulfilled the law and ended it. Romans 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

A new type of righteousness has been revealed, this is the righteousness of faith..all you need do to obtain this righteousness is to speak. Romans 10:8-10, "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."  You get to be a Christian by speaking and you must keep speaking to enjoy the Christian life. Christian are talkers. Words brought you into the Kingdom of God, Words will sustain you. To live a victorious Christian life here on earth you must keep talking the Word of God. Find out what God says about you and keep talking, remember the Righteousness of faith speaks!

Prophecies in 2013 by Pastor Adeboye

A) General
This year shall be better than last year.

B) Individuals
No matter the darkness around you, your star will shine brighter.
God will speak peace to your storm.
The reasons for stagnation will become known, addressed and eliminated. Therefore progress will follow.
In many senses of the word, this year shall be a year of completeness.

C) Nigeria
The prayers for some of you minimized the deaths of prominent Nigerians in the last year. Don’t stop praying.
Before the middle of the year, many will say hope rising.
Learn from the disasters of 2012 and take precautions soonest to advert bigger ones.

D) International
Prominent world leaders need lots of prayers as not to die in office.
Prominent church leaders need prayers against planned scandals.
Weather conditions may get worse, much worse, unless prayers intensify.
Expect a major breakthrough in medicine.
Nations who pass unholy laws, will have a taste of divine fury.

Open Heavens Devotion Friday 1st March 2013 ANTIDOTE TO DISCOURAGEMENT by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE - Matthew 14 vs 29 : And he said, Come, And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 

Read: Matthew 14:22-23
Bible in one year: Acts 13-14

Discouragement is a terrible thing. Apart from beclouding one's vision, it drains one of strength. When you are discouraged, there will be no energy to do the good things you had earlier set out to achieve. Many of God's children are battling with different levels of discouragement. The work of the Lord is slow, sluggish and suffering because many of God's children have been hit by discouragement. Check your level of commitment and service to God, if it is dwindling, it is possible somewhere along the line, you have been hit by discouragement. Discouragement is a spirit. It is scientific in its approach to attacking people. It is capable of providing you with facts, figures, faces, graphs, photographs and other evidences to buttress why you should give up hope. To counter this spirit, the Lord instructs us not to operate by sight. Anyone who walks by sight will be an easy prey to the spirit of discouragement. The one who is discouraged cannot be looking unto Jesus at the same time. In other words, if you are discouraged at all, it is evidence that you have taken your eyes off Jesus.

Discouragement works hand in hand with fear. When you are afraid, you become very unsettled in your emotions. Fear leads to discouragement. Take the example of Peter who was stuck at mid-sea with the other apostles, they were battling with the wind which was contrary; but when Jesus came by, though afraid, Peter quickly conquered his fears and asked to come to meet Jesus walking on water. The Lord gave the word to come. He came down on the water, faced Jesus and began to walk on water. As long as he looked on Jesus, the water remained solidified under his feet. But immediately he took off his gaze from Jesus, he saw the boisterous wind, became afraid and began to sink. Before fear hits you, you will either see something or hear something. If you can watch what you see and hear, you can checkmate fear. And to checkmate discouragement, focus on Jesus. Focus on His promises to you. Focus on His Word. Refuse to shift focus in spite of the contrary circumstances and you will overcome. This season God is releasing fresh grace upon you to help you overcome fear, doubt, and discouragement. Stay focused on Jesus!

KEY POINT: The target of discouragement is to steal your hope. As long as Christ remains your hope, you cannot be discouraged. 

Open Heavens Devotion Thursday 28 February 2013 NOW OR NEVER! by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE - John 9 vs 4 : I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

Bible in one year: Kings 16-19

On earth, certain things are urgent and as a result, must be attended to immediately. Among such things are kingdom assignments. When God gives you an assignment to do, the realisation of the brevity of life should compel you to hasten its performance. 1 Samuel 21:8 says the king's business demands haste. If the errands of earthly kings require haste, how much more that of the King of kings. While on earth, the Lord Jesus never wasted time while attending to His Father's business, hence He said in John 9:4:

"I must work the work of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work "

You can hear the sense of urgency in the voice of the Master. Souls must be saved now not tomorrow. You must give now. That tithe must be paid now: That convert must be visited now. That praying and fasting must be done now. Working with a sense of time means operating a NOW philosophy, just like it is done in Heaven. In the Heavenly planet, you do not have a tomorrow appointment but a now appointment.

"For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation"

2 Corinthians 6:2 Certain heavenly priorities cannot wait for earth's time schedule. Everything has its appointed time and season (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Anything done outside its season may be completely void of its supposed benefits. The sou! you fail to win to Christ this moment, may be called home to face an eternity without Christ the next moment. If God asks you to meet the need of somebody now but you choose to meet the need later, somebody else could have been brought in to satisfy that need. Even if the need has not been met, it might have lost its urgency. Giving or obeying at your own time instead of God's right time, may completely rubbish your efforts. Whatever you have to do for the Lord, do it now. If you can serve the Lord, let it be now. If you want to give for God's work, let it be now. If there is a soul that should be saved, preach to the fellow today. Never move to the next day what you can do for the Lord today. As much as possible, let time serve you and not the other way round

 

Action point: Draw up a list of things you should do before you die or before the rapture takes place. Go ahead and do them now!

Lifting Up Our Hands To God.

1 Timothy 2:8 KJV, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."   There's something about lifting up our hands to God in prayer...it is a spiritual sacrifice, it is a form of worship that is acceptable to God.  According to the scripture above, God wants us to practice lifting up our hands in prayer not just in church on Sundays, but everywhere!  Some people even find it difficult to lift up there hands in church on Sundays.  I have learned that being a true Christian is a conscious effort, you don't have to feel good about it, just do it because the Word of God says so.  If you consider your feelings, you will not pray, you will not go go church, you will not give, you will not read your Bible etc. But God told us not to live by our feelings.   Psalms 63:4 KJV, "Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name."

The Bible is for us, not for God, but for us. Everything written in the Bible is given for our own benefits. Lifting up our hands to God always is a sign of our total surrender to God, it is a sign of victory. The Bible states that Israel and Amalek were at war,  God through Moses the Isreali leader did something to help Israel win...Exodus 17:11 KJV,"And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed."  Because of this,  Moses' hand had to be supported to stay up until Israel won that war. My question; what does Moses raising his hand have to do with his people winning the war? If you can't figure it out, then you don't need to figure out why God wants us to be lifting up our hands everywhere in prayer to Him. It means it's for our benefit..it moves God to move on our behalf, it activates His anointing to work on our behalf.  Try it today, make it a habit, always lift up your hands in worship, thanking God for what He has done in your life. Let's cultivate this act of worship and watch our lives move from glory to glory in Jesus name..Amen!

How Many Times Do You Praise God In A Day?

Psalm 119:164 says, "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments."

Most people have concern for lot of things; it's either the job, school, health issues, money problem, enemies of progress, even church activities, kids, spouse, getting married..etc  So many things to worry about.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:27, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?"  God is not moved by your situation. He is not moved about what your going through..what you are going through is meant for your promotion!  All we need is to find out what God wants is to do about it in His Word. That's why we need to be in a good church to teach us God's Word. 

God inhabits the praises of His people..Psalm 22:3. Praising God when you are in a very unpleasant situation increases your faith which is all you need to win.  Praising God always helps you cultivate an atmosphere of gratitude instead of grumbling and complaining always.  
You can praise God anywhere, anyhow..if you are at work, you can lower your voice and just slightly lift your hands and praise Him, you can praise God while, cooking, cleaning, driving etc. When the enemy put negative thoughts and pictures in your mind, reject it in Jesus name and praise God for your victory. See with the eyes of the spirit and never keep your mouth shut always speak the Word and be praising God anyhow.  Don't worry about how people will feel about this, if you are a Christian, you are NOT supposed to be normal. We are not normal, we are not of this world but from above! We hail from God, we are born of His Word and we are different! We have a different way of doing things, we play by a different set of rules which is strange to the world, but remember,1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Don't Magnify The Problem

It is important to know that God created us to be and function like Him, esp now that we are born again.  God  gave us His nature, ability and His life!  As God created the world with His words (Genesis the 1st chapter), like Him, we are to create our world with our words.  We need to learn how to create good things, bless our day, bless, bless, bless...never say anything negative!   
Talking about your problem magnifies it..even though you are trying to express what you are going thru, do it with wisdom, always talk about what God is doing.   Someone will say, 'how can I say something different when am in a bad situation?'   Well, that's how you know if you have faith!   I believe you must have prayed for whatever situation you are passing thru and according to the scriptures, it says, 'ask and receive' John 16 : 24.  If you did receive, then by faith act like you did receive..how? Instead of talking about the problem, now talk about what God did, believing that that which you asked for has already been done.

Will the enemy tell you otherwise, oh yea!  When you start acting your faith, he will come and tell you, 'are you sure? How come you still feel sick? How come, you still don't have the money? How come this, how come that?'  Refuse to be moved by what you see, be fully persuaded that God is able to do that which He said he will do.  It's called the fight of faith. This is when you start dancing and praising God for it.   Remember our papa Abraham, never considered the deadness of his body nor of his wife Sarah's womb, he did not stagger in his faith, he believed God and was praising him..knowing that God was able to do what He promised. Read Romans 4 verse 16 to end.

Open Heavens Devotion Wednesday 27 February 2013 DESTINATION OF SIN by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memory Verse - Revelations 21 vs 8 : But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

READ: Romans 6:21-

 

Bible in one year: 1 Kings 13-15

 

This season, all will be well with you if you allow the Lord Jesus Christ to take charge over your life and situation. Are you poor or desperately in need? Poverty will soon become a thing of the past in your life because Philippians 4:19 says God will supply all your needs according to His heavenly abundance. In other words, even when your personal, local or national economy is out of shape, God's heavenly economy continues to bubble: it never goes out of shape. If somebody tells you that you cannot achieve your God- given goal because you are out of funds, tell the fellow that the One who commissioned you on that assignment never runs out of funds. The Lord will provide for every task He has given you to do this season. He will also supply the needed strength because Philippians 4:13 says you can achieve virtually anything because of the strength Jesus supplies. You shall not lack both spiritual and physical strength with which to serve the Lord this year.

Our assurance that all will be well is also hinged on the fact that the Lord deals with problems starting from its root. Romans 6:23 says,

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord?

The immediate or remote destination of any act of sin is death. A thief who is caught stealing may be shot dead. A fornicator who sleeps with one who is not his or her spouse could contract venereal diseases or even the AIDS virus, which can culminate in death. What of anger, malice and bitterness? If you take stock of those who died prematurely, you will be shocked to know how many people are victims of these sins. Hypertension, high blood pressure, heart failure, heartache, and some other sudden death dispensers have their links with such emotional sins. Even lies, no matter how small, tiny or insignificant will keep the sinner from heaven and cause the fellow to die the second death (Revelation 21:8). So when God says you should keep away from sin, He is only making a clarion call to life; He wants you to live. For you to live, you must deal with the problem of sin in your life. Any sin that is present in your life is simply leading you to hell. Break away from it today!

 

Prayer point: Father, according to Romans 6:12, Let sin no longer reign over my spirit, soul or body. Lord, terminate sin's death mission in my life.

Open Heavens Devotion Tuesday 26 February 2013 MOVE YOUR SPOUSE ALONG by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE Romans 15 vs 1: We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Read: Job 2:8-10

It is not everyone who starts a race that reaches the finishing line, no matter how skilful they may be. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” The race we are called to run is a peculiar one, hence Ecclesiastes 9:11 says the race will not necessarily be won by the fastest, nor the battle won by the one adjudged the strongest. Why is it that one way or another some people will fall by the way side? It is because that is Satan's special assignment.

There are certain ways the devil could get a Heaven- bound believer to derail from his trip. It could be through one's spouse or partner. In Genesis 16:1-3, Abraham got into big trouble when he took the counsel of his wife. Today, the problem we are having in the world between the Muslims and the Christians is as a result of that advice. Before accepting an advice from your partner, cross check it with the Word of God. This is why ministers of the Gospel must encourage their wives to grow spiritually as they move up the ecclesiastical ladder; otherwise, they can become a drag on them. When a pastor is going up but fails to carry his wife along, the day he crashes, he will find himself at the level his wife is. As righteous and God-fearing as Job was, he could not carry his wife along. The aftermath was that when he was going through his trial, instead of encouragement, his wife discouraged him, advised him to curse God so that when God kills him, she will be free to marry someone else. That was the level Job left her. Thank God he did not heed the evil advice of his wife. Beloved, this simply shows that your true level is that of your wife. Take time to work on her prayerfully, patiently with everything you can use to motivate her to climb up the spiritual ladder. If you can do this, if you crash, she will help you up.

KEY POINT: In ministry, if you relegate your wife to the background, all in the name of being head, you are shooting yourself in the foot.

Open Heavens Devotion Monday 25 February 2013 EVANGELISM: WHAT PACKAGING? by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE -  John 4 vs 15: The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not; neither come hither to draw. 

READ: John 4:7-15

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 5-8

In today's bible reading, we see that our Lord Jesus Christ while sitting by a well asked for water from a woman that came by the well to draw some water. In other words, Jesus asked her for a favour. He used this approach to start a conversation with her. The lesson here is that although there are several approaches in evangelising, there is a right approach for each person that can easily deliver the message and win that soul to Christ. This requires you to be led of the Holy Spirit in order to know the right approach for everyone you meet. -

In addition, we see that even though the Samaritans and the Jews had no dealings with each other, the Lord Jesus broke the ice when it came to evangelism. John 3:16 says He came for the whole world and consequently He does not want any of His creatures to be lost. There are some Christians who have the opportunity to share the good news of the Gospel with certain unfriendly folks, but deliberately refuse to, because they prefer they died in sin and went to hell than hear the Gospel, become saved and go to Heaven. They are the brothers of Jonah! Don't forget that the Gospel should not only be preached to our friends and relations but also to our enemies. As far as the Gospel is concerned, there is no enemy other than Satan and his cohorts. Any enemy you preach to that yields to your message becomes your friend.

Moreover, we can also learn from the way Jesus packaged the salvation message. He made salvation so attractive that the one who had something with which to fetch water, soon began asking the One who had nothing to fetch water, to give her water. Jesus made her to know that there was superior water that could quench one's thirst permanently. On hearing this, she began to salivate. Many people fail to lead unbelievers to Christ because there is nothing attractive about the Gospel they are presenting to them. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us repackage the Gospel message in a way that it becomes irresistible to the hearers. On the other hand, in a bid to make the Gospel attractive, some people tell lies by saying: If you come to Christ, you will have no trouble, and you will have a smooth ride in life. It is not true! Problems will come but Jesus will help you to overcome

How attractive is that Gospel you preach?

Action point: The Gospel eradicates lines of enmity. Lead someone at war with you to Christ.

GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU READ AND SHARE

Open Heavens Devotion Sunday 24 February 2013 WHEN HAPPINESS INTOXICATES by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE- Luke 21 vs 34: And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

 

READ: Matthew 14:6-11

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 1-4

 

Some people make silly mistakes when they are experiencing their happiest moments. At such times, some youths grow wild, uncontrollable and fearlessly daring. Never be controlled by happiness but be controlled by joy. Those who are controlled by the momentary pleasure that happiness offers end up pleasing the flesh, while those controlled by their inner joy end up pleasing the Lord. In Esther 1:10-15, Ahasuerus was so merry that he ordered his wife to come and virtually exhibit herself before everyone. This means that it is possible to be so happy that you will not realise it when you are doing something that will cause you shame and disgrace.

Similarly, in Matthew 14:6-11, King Herod was so happy with the way his stolen wife's daughter danced that he swore with an oath to give her anything, which led to the untimely death of John the Baptist, who was then a check on his conscience even in prison. This also tells us that happiness can so grip an individual that the fellow would not know when he sets a trap for himself. By the time King Herod heard the request, verse 9 says he felt so sorry but he had no choice other than to kill an innocent man. Do not ensnare yourself because of one moment of happiness - you may never recover from it! Watch your words, promises and utterances when you are very happy! Many times when you are happy, you would want to flaunt it. The" flesh likes to flaunt itself. King Herod was marking his birthday, and it led to the death of a prominent man of God! When you mark your landmark birthday, what transpires? Do you use the occasion to feed the flesh, or to show off some wealth? Do you organise a party where some well wishers will indulge in smoking and drinking of liquor, or where you may even have a night party that will create room for immorality? Birthday is good but if it displeases God or makes others to displease God while marking it, you have made a good thing bad. What is wrong if you mark your birthday by organizing a crusade in your town or village, leading to salvation of souls? Or you visit the orphanage or motherless babies' homes to positively touch their lives? You can take that day off with your family just to oraise and thank God for His faithfulness. How do you handle your moments of happiness?

 

ACTION POINT: If while celebrating an event, those you invited are allowed to drink what could kill them and to engage in works of the flesh, you are destroying lives.

Open Heavens Devotion Saturday 23 February 2013 PLAYERS IN THE SPIRIT WORLD by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE - Ephessians 6 vs 12 : For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 

READ: Daniel 10:10-14

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 18-21

 

The third gift under the revelational gifts is the gift of discerning of spirits. The presence of this gift provides the ability to identify the particular spirit in operation, and the ability to see into the spirit realm. John 4:24 says God is a spirit. Believe it or not, there is a spirit world where angels and demons operate. This world is very real even though we may not be able to handle certain things there physically. This spirit realm largely controls or affects the physical realm. Therefore for you to be successful on earth, you must be an active player in that realm. When you are born-again, your spirit man is recreated in Christ Jesus. This provides you the platform to operate in the spirit world. Witches and wizards, the occult and negative supernatural powers, all play active roles in the spirit world.

The operation of the spirit world is different from what we are used to in the physical world. The value system in the spirit world is quite different from ours. The laws are different from the laws of men and so are the goals of actors in this realm. You must know that both the positive supernatural world of God and His heavenly hosts, and the negative supernatural world of Satan and his cohorts are very organised. Both realms want to control the human plane, and the one you yield to will determine how you will end up. If you operate in either of these realms, you will be superior to those operating at ordinary human level. But thank God that the positive supernatural is far more powerful, and long lasting than the negative side. For instance, while the positive supernatural realm is an eternal kingdom whose operation is not subject to the control of time and space, the negative supernatural is very limited and their operations is in time and space. The Devil, who is the head of the negative supernatural world, has a specified period to operate, after which he will be cast into the lake of fire to serve his eternal judgement. But our God and His Heavenly Kingdom continue forever (Revelation 20:3, 10). Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost characterize the positive supernatural realm, while evil, wickedness and hatred are the hallmarks of the satanic kingdom. In Satan's kingdom, the more wicked you are, the higher your use will be, while in God's Kingdom you only rise when you are holy, willing and obedient. Any of these kingdoms you allow into your life will compel you to accept their values, priorities, laws and goals. Which of these realms do you want to be active in?

ACTION POINT: Have you said: 'Good morning Holy Spirit¹ today? Consciously cultivate fellowship with Him.

Open Heavens Devotion Friday 22 February 2013 SAY NO TO DISCOURAGEMENT by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE : 1 SAMUEL 30 vs 6 : And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: butDavid encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

 

READ: 1 Kings 19:4-8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 14-17

 

There is time for everything. There is a time for war and a time of peace. There is a time to be at the vanguard of the Gospel and a time to retreat in order to re-launch at a later time. As you work with the Holy Spirit and follow His leading, you will not miss out what to do at the right time.

Looking at the story of Elijah and how after two outstanding victories, he fled for his life, requesting to die, as recorded in 1 Kings 19:4-8, you will discover how he moved from hopelessness to hope. He asked for God to take his life because he had reached the peak of discouragement but instead of death, God sent him food. From this we learn that discouragement can make you pray amiss. Every negative prayer you have prayed against yourself as a result of desperation, disappointment and discouragement shall be ignored by God in Jesus name. While discouraged, some people have decided to ask God to wipe them out and even their entire family. While discouraged, the thing that gave them the greatest joy suddenly turned into something totally bereft of pleasure. Also, while discouraged, you can take some wrong decisions. At the height of discouragement, you can begin to help the devil do his work. You can get to a point where you will begin to hinder God's will in your life.

Are you discouraged? Is your present state clouding God's earlier promises to you? Are you taking or about to take some wrong step? Are you discouraged because you met with disappointment over a promise for marriage 4 or 5 times, and it was so devastating to you that you have decided to call it quits with anything called marriage? Don't! What you are going through is just a passing phase. If you hold on to God a little longer, the coast will be clear again. There is a user of this Devotional who has been disappointed by several suitors that after the last disappointment, you have decided to call it quits with marriage. You have resolved to have a baby by all means and live as a single parent for life. The Lord is saying that you should not give up. Your husband is around you. Those who disappointed you were wrong suitors. If you will hold on to the Lord and praise Him, thank Him and serve Him more, your husband will meet you in the place of service and your wedding will come.

GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU READ AND SHARE

 

KEY POINT: The intensity of discouragement is one way to determine what is ahead. If it is very intense, do know that there is something great ahead of you.

Have You Praised God Today?

Psalms 150:1-6 KJV

Praise ye the Lord .
Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord . Praise ye the Lord .

You Can't Be Defeated!

The life of a Christian is a growing process.  When we come to God in Christ Jesus as born again Christians, we are babies in Christ. As babies, we are expected to grow to maturity. 1 Peter 2 vs 2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."  It's more than going to church on Sundays, we have make out time to study the Word of God always. As parents, we want our kids to grow, fix their own meals,clean the house, get a job, marry etc. Likewise..God wants us to grow, be like Him and change things if we don't like them. 

To grow in Christ, we must belong to a good Bible teaching church. Ephesians 4 vs 11-13, "And he(God) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
God wants us to grow, and come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..to be completely like Jesus, act like Him and think like Him, talk like Him, etc.
Most Christians don't know what to do when they encounter bad situations.  You are busy crying to God to help you, while God is telling you to grow up.  We can't afford to think that these things don't matter, they do.  Lukewarm Christianity won't work, the world is evil, you gotta know your rights and authority in Christ to be able to stay victorious always because a Christian CANNOT be defeated!

Open Heavens Devotion Thursday 21 February 2013 - BE TIME CONSCIOUS By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE Psalm 90 vs 12 : So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

READ: Psalm 90:12-15

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 11-13

 

When Job approached God's Throne of Grace amidst his trial in Job 10:20-21, he was open and down-to earth. There was nothing to hide. He asked God, ‘How many days have I on earth that I will continue to go through these evil times without ending? Let me have a break so that I can recover from my trial¹. One thing to note here is that because our days are few, whatever problems we go through, are timed and must come to an end at some point in time. Are you going through a persisting negative experience? Or are you hit on all sides like job, and you are thinking of giving up? Don’t! That problem has come to pass. No problem can extend its life span hence, Ecclesiastes 3:1 says everything has its season. Every problem that God allowed you to go through as a trial of faith, whose duration the enemy wants prolonged shall lose its hold over you. I command it to expire now in Jesus name. Besides, when God allows you to go through a trial of faith, He also allows some temporary suspension or reliefs to enable you endure it. Are you going through a trial of your faith, God shall give you the grace to overcome. That trial will take you to a higher level.

However, because of the brevity of life on earth, there is a need to be prudent with time. Moses prayed in Psalm 90:12 that,

"So teach us to number our days, that we may

apply our hearts to wisdom "

To get the best out of life, you must operate daily with a sense of time. This is wisdom. Life is all about what you can achieve for your Creator within the time you have been given. You do not have eternity to perform any particular task; hence you should attend to issues with a sense of urgency. Each time you do a particular assignment at the appropriate time, Heaven applauds you. If you continue this way, at the end of your time on earth, you would have achieved all God wants you to achieve within the time you were given. The truth is: God may not extend your time on earth like King Hezekiah so make sure you fully utilise every fraction of time at your disposal. Don't waste that second or minute! Every second or minute you waste today will become wasted years tomorrow. Profitably engage your seconds and minutes from today!

 

ACTION POINT: If you do not know that your trial of faith is for a moment Satan will make it last for a lifetime. Resist any unauthorized extension of your trial.

Open Heavens Devotion Wednesday 20 February 2013 THE UNBROKEN CHRISTIAN By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORY VERSE: Pslam 138 vs 6 : Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. 

READ: Psalm 138:6-8

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 22-24

PRAYER POINT: Father, every trace of un-brokenness in my life, please uproot today. Break me, mould me and make me what You want me to be.

“therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called”

Ephesians 4:1

Paul was a good example of Christ's bond servant. He was also His friend. He was able to achieve great heights for the Lord because he was broken. Every believer has been called to brokenness to enable us fulfill the purpose of God for our lives. The truth is, until you are broken, you may never fulfill God's plan for your life. Whether you like it or not, God will have to take you through the path of brokenness for you to reach your peak point in Christ. If you cooperate with Him, you will get there, but if you refuse to be broken, you may like Moses, see the Promised Land but not be able to enter it.

Today, there are young converts who are broken and believers of several years, even those occupying high ecclesiastical positions who are unbroken. How do we identify the one who is broken and the one who is unbroken? One way of identifying an unbroken believer is if the fellow harbours pride, or still boasts or shares in God's glory. One fellow God cannot stand is the one who is proud (Psalm 138:6). If you cannot humble yourself under the leadership of the church, to obey laid down rules and guidelines, and to be disciplined when you err, you are not broken. If you have a proud look and thereby feel you know it all, or feel too big to learn from others, you are not yet broken. If you feel you are always right, you are not broken. If your earthly possessions, achievements and status in the society are making you think that you are more superior to others, then you do not know what it means to be broken. Do you in any way share God's glory with Him when He performs some miracle or work of grace in and through you? Then you are not broken. If you are boastful you are not broken. Some leaders are so full of what they have achieved for God that they are blinded from doing more. It is because they are not broken. What are the traces of un-brokenness in your life?

OPEN HEAVENS TUESDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2013 - GIVE LIFE TO YOUR FAITH by Pastor E.A. ADEBOYE

MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 21:25 : The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

READ: Proverbs 21:25-26

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 19-21

KEY POINT: With Cod there is no cheating. If there is a harvest - good or bad, you can almost always trace it to a seed somewhere along the past.

Most people on earth believe in something but many do not have living faith. Your inability to back up your faith with commensurate work kills your faith and turns it into dead faith. Today, many people are perishing with their faith. You desire to have a good job and you have faith that God can give you one; where are the works to back up your faith to transform your expectations into reality? You are trusting God for a good job that will pay you so well and yet you have refused to further your education and acquire a good degree or post graduate degree? You expect to take up a job as a top management officer i n a blue chip organisation with your secondary school certificate, OND or NCE? You may wait for a longtime! You want God to give you a near-perfect spouse but you have not invested time and money in books, messages and counselling on how you can be a perfect wife or husband? Or do you want to succeed and come out in flying colours in your examination, yet you have not invested in attending all classes, ensuring you understand all you were taught, copying or developing your notes, studying both note books and text books, seeking answers or clarification of areas of doubts; how then will you fly?

          "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour” Proverbs 21:25

Lazy people may be lazy but they have desires: this implies they could also have some measure of faith. The problem with the lazy is that they lack works so their faith dies. You want to be a king in Heaven, yet you make excuses for not serving God or winning souls to Him: such fellow will end up as an ordinary citizen if he ever makes it to Heaven. You want to be a great leader, where are the works of service, love and humility done to your subordinates? You desire God to open doors for you to earn in dollars and pounds, where are the seeds you have sown in God's house in dollars and pounds? Always back up your desires, expectations and faith with the right kind of works.

Open Heavens Monday 18 February 2013

MEMORY VERSE : ACTS 17 VS 23 : For as I passed by, and behold your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

READ: ACTS 17: 16-23

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 16-18

KEY POINT: Some people see artefacts, shrines and monuments as demonic and therefore avoid anyone associated with them, while others use them to evangelise to those who are associated with them.

We have seen that one great time to preach the word is when you are tired or weary. Most people would rest at such times, but the truth is: whenever your body is too tired to preach and an opportunity presents itself, there may just be a breakthrough of souls at the corner. The Lord Jesus Christ knew this and that was why He did not allow tiredness to rob Him of that great harvest. May you not lose your hidden harvest in Jesus name.

Another lesson from John 4:1-42 has to do with the location. Jesus went to a historical site that had great significance with Jewish history. It was the city of Sychar, on a piece of land that belonged to Jacob which also had Jacob's well. When Jesus got there, He sat on a well connected with history and began to preach to the woman. From this we learn that there is hardly anything that cannot be used in evangelism. National or local historical monuments can be used in preaching the Gospel. Today, in various countries, there are historical spots or monuments that symbolise independence, democracy, or some form of common struggle for the people. Such places can become great leads into the salvation message. Even folklores, local anecdotes and humorous stories of creation and life in times past, can easily be exploited by the evangelist in order to win souls. You can begin with an African story of how the tortoise got his wife and end up with a salvation message.

Local temples, gods and goddesses are not left out. One great evangelist who could easily connect with local beliefs and tie it up with the Gospel was Paul. While in Athens, He went to observe how the Greeks worshipped their gods. They had several altars for each god, and thereafter dedicated an altar to any other god that might exist which they are yet to know. On that altar, they inscribed: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. When Paul was brought before them, he immediately told them he served that unknown God that they had a shrine for, and he used the opportunity to preach Jesus Christ to them. By the time he finished, he had converts who immediately followed him and became disciples. When you use what people are familiar with to preach the gospel of Christ to them, they will find it easier to accept the Gospel. Exploit such opportunities today!