OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY 28 AUGUST 2013. THEME : DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!

MEMORISE : But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1 : 8.

READ : DANIEL 1 : 8 – 16.

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : SONG OF SOLOMON 4 – 6.

To shine is to be peculiar according to 1 Peter 2 : 9. Those who are peculiar are usually different. It also means to stand out from the crowd. In 2 Kings 2 : 1 – 8, there were many sons of the prophets but only Elisha stood out and shone all the way. To shine you must be willing to be special. Acts 19 : 11 – 12 says God performed special miracles through one of His servants who was willing to shine. Do you know that God is ready to use you to do the impossible? Do you know that everything you need to succeed in life and ministry is already prepared by God? The problem is that we are not willing: we are often not ready. Do you know some of us keep God on His toes? He is ever ready but are we? Before God ever sent you on an errand, He had provided everything for you to successfully carry out that assignment. Even when you are faced with lack, God does not see any lack because He has made provision for all things. All you need to do is to go to Him in all sincerity and ask.

Another reason many of us cannot shine is because we refuse to pay the price to shine. God will not ask you to pay the price that you cannot. He is no taskmaster. If you are special, your standard must be quite high. You cannot afford to eat what every other person is eating. Daniel was special and he refused what others ate and at the end, he and his pals had a different result from every other person. If you want to end differently let your consecration level and loyalty level be different. If you do what every other person is doing, but expect to end somewhere else, then you must be a joker. Are you prepared to pray more intensively, worship more in spirit and truth and study the Word as never before? Are you prepared to make sacrifices for the Kingdom? It is what you are prepared to give up or to give in that will determine what God is willing to give out to you.

ACTION POINT :

Ask God for the grace to be positively different.

SET UP

MEMORISE : Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6 : 11.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 11 : 1 - 5.

1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 KINGS 11 - 14.

In 2 Kings 5 : 20, Gehazi not only resolved to pursue Naaman but also to take something from him. Little wonder he got what he sought! Matthew 7 : 7 says it is what you seek that you will find. What are you seeking? When this question was thrown at Paul, he said he was seeking to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection, and he got it. Be careful of what you are searching for! However, there is a dangerous twist when Naaman turned to receive and attend to Gehazi.

This simply tells us that the devil makes backsliding very easy. Gehazi did not have to run after Naaman for too long. If he did, he would probably have grown tired and could have changed his mind. It is common knowledge that you don't need much strength or effort to descend a hill. Usually, while facing a temptation, the devil makes it so alluring and easy to get. He tells his potential victim to go ahead and immediately feed on his or her lust. This is one reason to suspect any thing that seems good but appears so easy to achieve; it could just be a satanic booby trap!

Satan easily plans the fall of men and women. He sets people up. Have you ever wondered what Uriah's wife was doing naked at that time of the day, considering it was not yet night? David got up from bed and he felt like taking a stroll; unknown to him, Satan had set up both of them to fall into the sin of adultery. Every satanic setup to bring you down shall fail. Many years ago, while I was still young in the village, I overheard the native medicine man saying that if one is preparing medicine to heal the sick and seven leaves are required, which must be arranged in a particular order; that if one misses the order by one step, the healing charm would not work. But that if one requires seven leaves to prepare an evil charm, by the time the fellow gets five, the charm will take effect. James 4 : 8 says if you choose to pursue God, He will equally simplify the process for you. For every step you take towards God, He will take a longer stride towards you. In other words, if you truly want to serve God in the midst of difficult circumstances, He will be there to back you up with His grace.

KEY POINT :

To sin is like going down a slope, while to live holy is like climbing a hill.

REFLECT JESUS

WEDNESDAY 14 AUGUST 2013.

THEME : REFLECT JESUS.

MEMORISE : Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5 : 16.

READ : 1 THESSALONIANS 5 : 4 - 9.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 KINGS 7 - 10.

God is calling every believer to arise and shine. You can shine like the sun by burning a bit of yourself bit by bit through giving. You can also shine like the moon. How? The moon receives light from the sun and reflects it to the world. Shortly before His ascension, the Lord gave an instruction to His disciples in Mark 16 : 15 - 18. He was simply asking them to go in His name, take the light from Him and reflect it to the world. You need to reflect His light because of the gross darkness that will cover the earth. 

One characteristic of light is that it attracts all kinds of things, both good and bad. If you turn on a light bulb in the midst of the night, it will attract different kinds of insects. Just as light attracts good things, so does it also attracts bad, ugly and evil things. In effect, the moment you begin to shine, be on your guard. The moment your church begins to grow or to achieve for God, get ready for those who will want to pull it down. 

Someone once said there are witches in The Redeemed Christian Church of God and I told him there are many of them. Some of them may even be among workers, choir, wives of ministers and pastors. I also added that the church is God's hospital and in every good hospital, you will have the worst or most challenging cases. However, light also attracts kings, princes and nobles and you need these in your church. Do you know that we are yet to have the best singers, instrumentalists, prayer champions, ushers and ministers? Do you know that those who may be used of God to take your church to the next level are yet in the world as unconverted souls? If your light does not attract them, what a disservice that would be to the body of Christ! Some sisters are praying for husbands meanwhile God's right choice for them may still be 'enjoying' the world. It is when we reach out to these that such prayers may be answered. In the same vein, some helpers that God will use in taking you to your next level might still be unsaved. The more souls are saved, the greater our chances of accessing such potential brethren.

ACTION POINT :

That convert may be a potential helper to you. Win more souls today!

PRAYER IS KEY.

THEME : PRAYER IS KEY.

MEMORISE : And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Genesis 32 : 26.

READ : GENESIS 32 : 24. - 30.

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 KINGS 4 - 6.

Apart from making sacrifices and sowing seeds, another step you must take to enter your next level is prayer. You need to pray because it is only God who can bring you from the past to the present and take you from the present to the future. He is the One who is totally in charge of the elements of time and chance that are required to move you to your next level (Ecclesiastes 9 : 11). John 15 : 5 says without God, we can do nothing. If you look at the lives of patriarchs of old, you would see the role prayer played. Abraham and Isaac were great intercessors and Jacob too was a prayer warrior. After wasting several years, it got to a point that he realised he could no longer continue without prayer; so he tarried in God's presence and wrestled with God until his name was changed and his destiny was released.
Do you realise that if he had refused to breakthrough in prayers, he could have been shut out of the destiny that had been earlier prophesied about him? Many people who claim to know Jesus are still separated from their next level because they have refused not just to pray but to pray through. What is the essence of praying without getting results?

Looking back in retrospect, I can tell you that my father-in-the-Lord Pa Akindayomi was a seasoned prayer champion. Many years ago, Baba came to visit me in Ilesa (south-west Nigeria). Then, I lived in a small house on the outskirts of the town and the toilet was outside the house. When I was going to bed that evening, Baba was on his kneels praying. I woke up at night to go to toilet and he was still praying. On rising up the following morning, Baba was still praying. I became afraid and began to wonder how I could cope with a man like him. I also wondered what he was praying about, but today I know better. Are you really keen on entering your next level? Then you cannot afford to ignore prevailing prayers. Arise today and hold on to the Lord in prayers until your answer is delivered.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, help me to pray my way through to my next levels.

WILL PEOPLE CELEBRATE YOUR EXIT?

MONDAY 12 AUGUST 2013.

THEME : WILL PEOPLE CELEBRATE YOUR EXIT?

MEMORISE : When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting. Proverbs 11 : 10.

READ : PROVERBS 11 : 10 - 11.

10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 KINGS 1 - 3.

Are you a professing believer in Christ and it seems a small thing to you when you tell a lie? It is doubtful if you are still saved. You cannot be genuinely saved and find it easy to lie. Today, I wonder if it is the same salvation that some of us got that such people have, or whether there are different versions of salvation nowadays. Nonetheless, let us pray persistently for the salvation of those at the helms of affairs - be it religious or secular. If those in secular authority refuse to be converted and to rule in the fear of God, the alternative is to convert the voters who will cast their votes for the righteous. Why? This is because thieves will always vote for thieves like themselves.

“When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.”

Proverbs 11 : 10

From the above scripture, two events are mentioned that bring joy to people: when the righteous is given the privilege of ruling, joy comes; and when wicked rulers are sacked or moved out of the way, there is jubilation. Every wicked ruler over your life or destiny that has refused to change shall be uprooted in Jesus name. However, it is important you look at yourself and ensure that you are not wicked to others. If you are a lecturer and you refuse to let any of your female students to pass your course for turning down your sexual advances, you are a wicked fellow. If you are asking for bribe before you perform the duties you are paid for, you are a wicked fellow. If you delay or deny your staff their entitlements, you are a wicked fellow. If you gang up against others or blackmail or lie against them so that you can takeover their job, contract or opportunity, you are a wicked fellow, you are not a Christian. If you are making life unbearable for those under you, you are a wicked fellow. Do know that those you are maltreating are crying to God, and one day you will be shown the way out and people will celebrate your exit? In any way you have been oppressing others, repent today and restitute your ways.

KEY POINT :

Go and restitute to all those you have oppressed.

RICHES CAN DISAPPOINT

WEDNESDAY 7 AUGUST 2013.

THEME : RICHES CAN DISAPPOINT.

MEMORISE : Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” Proverbs 23 : 5. 

READ : PROVERBS 23 : 4 - 5.

4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PSALM 103 - 105.

When you make people pay for spiritual services, you paint God in very bad light; you paint Him as One who demands pay for what He has offered freely. Also, whenever people 'pay' for the healing, baby, deliverance, promotion, etc. they have received, it will erode their need to be grateful and thankful to God. If you go to a car shop and pay for a car, do you continue to thank them? If anything, you will feel that you are doing them a favour buying from them and not from another car shop. Do you know that when people are cajoled to 'pay' for their miracle, they feel like God is either indebted to them or that there is no basis for Him to be appreciated. Moreover, it is those who freely receive a miraculous touch of God that will feel indebted to God and will easily give their lives to Christ. The one who has 'paid' might hardly give a thought about yielding his or her life to Christ.
In addition to this, some people are busy chasing after wealth like Gehazi. It is impossible to chase after two rats going in different directions. You can't catch one of them, how much more the two. Jesus says you cannot serve God and mammon. In other words, the kind of devotion, love and commitment that is required in serving God is also required when that fellow chooses to serve money. However Proverbs 23 : 5 says unlike serving God, those who pursue money should prepare for disappointment because the wealth they are accumulating can suddenly develop wings and take its flight. If you ask some people what they are seeking after, they may be uncertain but not David. Unlike his son Solomon who sought several things at the same time, David sought one thing. In Psalm 27 : 4 he says,

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

He pursued his focus and found Him. What are you seeking? What is uppermost in your heart today? Is it God or wealth?

KEY POINT :

When God gives you true riches, they transcend you to future generations.

IT'S YOUR TURN TO SHINE.

TUESDAY 6 AUGUST 2013.

THEME : SOW TOWARDS YOUR NEXT LEVEL.

MEMORISE : Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass. Isaiah 32 : 20.

READ : Isaiah 32:15-20

15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PSALM 100 - 102.

Everyone has a next level. As successful as you may consider yourself to be, there is a level you have not attained, a height you have not climbed, a feat that has not been achieved. No matter how anointed you are, there is a level of anointing you have not reached. The earlier you realise and accept this, the better for you. Many people like Moses saw their next level but could not enter in. May you never be a victim of seeing but not possessing your blessing in Jesus name.

 To enter your next level, you must be prepared to sacrifice your Isaac. The next level comes by sacrifice. How much are you willing to give to enter into your next level? Similarly, you can enter into your next level by sowing. In Genesis 26 : 2 - 14, we see how Isaac entered into his next level through sowing the seed he had at a period of famine. There are seeds and there are fruits. Seeds are meant to be sown while fruits are meant to be eaten. Seeds are for the future while fruits are for today. If you are wise like Isaac, you will never convert the seed that should give you a tomorrow into a fruit that should sustain you for the moment. Isaac virtually starved when he sowed what others should have eaten. He suffered a while but when the yield came, he became greater than the nation which ate their seeds. Those who sow their seeds will always be greater than those who eat their seeds. In The Redeemed Christian Church of God, there is a track record of meaningful sowing. It is the sowing of the past that has brought us to our present location. In Port Harcourt, a woman sowed three of her houses and landed property. Sometimes, some people would empty their pockets for the work of the Lord. I have had to sow my car too. What are you willing to give to move to your next level? If what you are prepared to sow is far from what God expects you to sow, your seed will be unable to deliver your next level.

KEY POINT :

No matter how high you have gone, there is still a height you have not reached.

LOSING YOUR BEARING?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

MONDAY 5 AUGUST 2013.

THEME : LOSING YOUR BEARING?

MEMORISE : 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? 2 Corinthians 13 : 5.

READ : 2 CORINTHIANS 13 : 3 - 5.

3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.

4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

5 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?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PSALM 97 - 99.

“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.”

Matthew 12 : 33

Anyone in authority that lacks the fear of God is of great danger to the populace. Going by the above scripture, we have an obligation to such persons – be they in the church or in the secular world – to lead them to Christ. There are some of us who have those in authority as friends, relations, spouses, etc. Ensure you pray and lead them to Christ because, as you make a tree good, the fruit will also become good.

You may not believe this but I discovered a long time ago that it is possible to become a General Overseer or District Overseer without even knowing Christ. I once preached in a church on what it means to be born-again, after which I made an altar call. The pastor approached the altar followed by everyone else. Surprised, I said, “Sir, this is not an altar call for transfer of the anointing or power”. He replied, “Now that you have explained what it is to be born-again, I have realised the need to return to the altar”.

Thank God for people who are honest who are ready to amend their ways when they realise they have missed it. Even today, many ministers will need to pay a visit to the Cross of Calvary, because this is an era of holiness. How can you be holy if you are not born-again? Some people gave their lives to Christ but presently, they have withdrawn their commitment to Him. Are you still saved? To lie is the easiest sin for some ministers and their wives but they have forgotten that just one lie is enough to drown a soul in eternal hell. One lie a couple told in Acts 5, led to their untimely death. If you are a bona fide minister of God, your mouth will feel very heavy if you want to tell a little lie. But if you say it with nothing pricking you, it shows your heart is already hardening. Run to the Cross and begin again. Some people think they are still running the race but they have lost their bearing.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, in any way I have lost my bearing, in Your mercy, bring me back to the right path.

Your week is blessed @>--

POWER IN THE BLOOD

THURSDAY 1 AUGUST 2013.

THEME : POWER IN THE BLOOD:

MEMORISE : For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26 : 28.

READ : MATTHEW 26 : 26 - 28.

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : LAMENTATIONS 1 - 2.

Wrong use of the tongue can be so destructive that it can forever severe one's link with the Saviour in a situation such as blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. May this never be your portion in Jesus name. However, avoid everything that attracts you into sin as they are targeted at breaking your link with the Vine. Just feeding your eyes lustfully for a few minutes on pornographic materials and websites could have the end result of breaking the tree-branch relationship that exists between Jesus and you.

At the first Holy Communion service with the disciples, the Lord said,

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Matthew 26 : 28

In other words, He was saying that if you have been detached from the Vine and already withering, when you reconcile with God and receive the blood, you will be revived. The blood is so powerful that it can flush out every stranger hibernating in your body. Matthew 15 : 13 says,

“But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”
The doctors will tell you that one reason you bleed after cutting your skin is because the body system recognizes that once there is an opening in the body, strangers can come in; so the blood rushes out to prevent strangers from coming in. Is there any contamination in your system? It shall be uprooted. Every virus, germ or bacteria hibernating in your system shall die and be flushed out as you partake of the blood of Jesus Christ made available through the Holy Communion. Revelation 12 : 11 says the blood of Jesus can give you victory over the devil. As you partake of the Holy Communion, key into it in faith and receive your victory over forces of darkness. As soon as the sick branch is healed, it begins to bear fruit again (John. 15 : 5). Are you a sick branch? Or have you become detached through compromising with sin? Repent from your heart, dump that sin that broke you away from the Vine and reconnect today. If you are not yet born-again, it means you have never been connected to the Lover of your soul. Confess your sins, forsake them and invite Jesus Christ into your heart and confess Him as your Lord. As you do so, you will be attached to the Vine.

ACTION POINT :

The blood of Jesus is under utilised by believers today. Apply this blood on every area of life, using it to attack every opposition you are facing.

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