LET GOD HELP YOU II

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

SATURDAY 16 APRIL 2016

THEME: LET GOD HELP YOU II 

MEMORISE:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. John 3:14

READ: Numbers 21:7-9

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

MESSAGE:

The coming of sin into the human race brought about a lot of calamity into human life. One of the calamities is sickness. As sin can be very contagious in effect, so can sickness too. The good news, however, is that the Almighty God is also ready to help the human race get over this. He promised the people He chose for Himself through their progenitor, Abraham, that He would spare them the agony of sickness and diseases:

“And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all that hate thee.”

Deuteronomy 7:15

From time to time, the devil causes man to sin against God so that he may be destroyed by the One who created him, thus frustrating the divine love which God bestowed upon humankind. As if this is not enough, the devil goes ahead to deceive man not to accept the divine help that can rescue him from all his diseases. In the story we read in the Bible reading for today, the children of Israel sinned against the God of their fathers and God sent fiery serpents to kill them. After much plea by Moses, God decided to help them.

It is unfortunate that many refused to look and live when they were bitten by the fiery serpent. They did not allow God to help them (1st Corinthians 10:9). Jesus said, just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness and those who looked up to it were healed, so also whoever will allow God to help him will look up to Jesus for healing (John 3:14). The reason is that He came to pay for the sin of humanity and so, by His stripes we were healed (1st Peter 2:24). Beloved, what infirmities are you suffering from? Have you tired and suffered by the hands of physicians like the woman with the issue of blood? Come believing the Great Physician today. Jesus Christ will heal you as He did to the impotent man at Bethesda (John 5:1-9). For you to enjoy divine healing, however, you must belong to the Great Physician. The food meant for children cannot be given to dogs or slaves (Mark 7:26-30). Allow the Great Physician to help you today.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please heal my infirmities today in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 Samuel 8:15-11:27 and proverbs 11:4-17

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

LET GOD HELP YOU I

DATE: FRIDAY 15 APRIL 2015

THEME: LET GOD HELP YOU I 

Memorise:

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:19

Read: Isaiah 1:18-20

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

MESSAGE

There is one great barrier that stands between man and God; this barrier is sin. For thousands of years, man has struggled to get rid of this barrier, but all to no avail. However, God Almighty, in His infinite mercy decided to help man remove this barrier. Right from the Old Testament days, God has been offering individuals this olive leaf of reconciliation, but unfortunately many people have not responded to this gesture of love.

“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;Prov 1:24-26

This God that man blatantly sinned against in the Garden of Eden is the same God that is now inviting man back to His fellowship. He said:

“Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Isaiah 1:18

During the earthly mission of Jesus Christ, He still made this pronouncement of love;

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29

I am appealing to a user of this devotional who has been struggling with the barrier of sin to stop struggling. You cannot help yourself; only Jesus Christ, can help you. All you need to do is to surrender your life to Him in genuine repentance and believe that He came to die for human race (1st John 3:8; Romans 5:8, 11). Beloved, let God help you solve your problem of sin today accept sin to be sin; don’t rationalise it but admit, confess and forsake it. It shall be well with you in Jesus’ name. 

Action Point

Father, have mercy on me and give me power over and above sin in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 5:17-8:14 and Proverbs 10:22-11:3

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE

DATE: THURSDAY 14 APRIL 2016

THEME:  WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE

Memorise:

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Psalm 50:15

Read: 1 Samuel 1:9-13

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.

13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

Message

There is one thing that a child of God needs to know and do when he or she needs a miracle. This is to call upon the Lord in prayer. What is a miracle and why do we need it? Simply explained, a miracle is the supernatural intervention of God in the affairs of men. This intervention basically alters the established laws of nature. At times, the devil manipulates some natural phenomena to deny human beings some basic things that make life pleasant. For example, when Jesus Christ was travelling in a ship with His disciples, the devil manipulated the wind against them so that they may suffer a shipwreck. The disciples went to Jesus Christ in the ship and cried for help. Mathew 8:26 says:

“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?  Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”

Some so-called children of God are so hypocritical that, even in the presence of the Lord, they still pretend as if all is well, whereas, they have unimaginable issues with their spiritual, physical, material and financial needs. In the case of the disciples, they cried to Him for help; they told Him exactly how they felt about the tempest. The danger of death was imminent and the disciples did not pretend as if nothing was wrong. So, Jesus Christ responded to their cry and stilled the storm. I pray that as you cry to the Lord today, He will not just hear but also responded to your cry in Jesus’ name. The storms in your life will miraculous cease today in Jesus’ name. 

In our Bible reading for today, we see what one must do when he or she needs a miracle. Hannah needed a miracle, but from year to year she has been going casually to Shiloh until that wonderful year when she realised she needed to do what she has not been doing before; she offered fervent and heart-rendering prayers. She prayed so hard that she lost her voice and Eli thought she was drunk. At times when I see how some of my children pray at our periodic meetings at the Redemption Camp on Nigeria, I rejoice because the tempo of their prayers signifies that they are people who need urgent miracles. 

“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore… Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 1 Samuel 1:10, 13

The amazing thing about the above story is that Hannah was not even offended when she was misunderstood by the high priest who was expected to know when an individual was in serious communion with God. With joy also I always pray with my children when I see them praying desperately in need of miracles. My prayer is that as you pray to God today, your miracle will reach you sooner than you expect in Jesus’ name. 

Action Point: 

Tender your deepest heart desires to God today in faith.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 3:1-5:16 and Proverbs 10:8-21

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

THE SOVEREIGN GOD

DATE: WEDNESDAY 13 APRIL 2016

THEME: THE SOVEREIGN GOD

Memorise: 

I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Isaiah 43:15

Read: Daniel 5:20-21

20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

Message

After King Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his kingly throne, his glory was taken away from him and he was disgraced to the point of eating grass like oxen, he came back to his senses to realise that the Most High God is the ultimate ruler in the kingdom of men. The problem with the king was that he got carried away with his achievements, thinking that they were the bye-products of his wisdom and physical power. This is the problem with many people like him through the ages. Any achievement that will not lead us back to the original Achiever could be very deadly. Jesus Christ spoke of a rich farmer who was boasting of his achievements in agriculture, only for his life to be taken away from him that same night. 

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” Luke 12:19-20

Apostle James warned against being boastful without giving consideration to the sovereignty of God in James 4:13-15.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

It is presumptuous for someone who does not know whether he will survive the next day to commence planning a programme that will take place in six months time. It is only the Almighty God that has the power to will and to do. One can see the cause of the calamity that befell kings Pharaoh and Herod. In case of King Herod, he took not only the glory that belonged to God but God’s sovereignty. The consequence was fatal because he was stricken by an angel of the Lord and he was eaten up by worms immediately. 

“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” Acts 12:21-23

May the sovereignty of God be made positively manifest in our lives so that we can live in the supernatural from now on in Jesus’ name. 

Action Point:

Always acknowledge the sovereignty of God in all you do so that you may be guided aright. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 1-2 and Proverbs 9:13-10:7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

THE UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER

DATE: TUESDAY 12 APRIL 2016

THEME: THE UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER

Memorise:

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8

 

Read: Genesis 32:24-32

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.

31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

Message

One thing every man, especially a child of God must always remember is that our God is the unchangeable changer. In the Genesis account of the beginning, we see how the Unchangeable Changer effected miraculous changes without Himself being changed. 

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:2-3

In Genesis 21, the Unchangeable Changer changed the unfruitful situation of Sarah to fruitfulness. He did the same in the case of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2, proving that what He did in the life of the father of faith, He could do in the life of his descendants also. This is why I know that someone using this devotional will encounter this Great Changer that cannot change. As He did for those who sought and called Him in the past, so will He do for you as you call upon Him today in Jesus’ name. 

The Almighty God has changed numerous unpleasant situations for the better in the past. For example, He changed the slavery of the children of Israel to freedom (Exodus 13). Also, Jabez prayed that the Lord should change his situation for better and the Unchangeable Changer heard him.

“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren:  and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

One of my daughters in Church heard the story of how my wife miraculous gave birth to our last two children naturally and decided to believe God for a natural child delivery, like my wife did after three Caesarean sections. The God who never changes did the same for that daughter of mine. I have good news for someone reading this devotional today, as Jesus performed miracles in those days, so He still does today. I encourage you, beloved, to put your trust in Him and He will not let you down because He is the Unchangeable Changer. He will change your situation for better and you will glorify Him in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point:

Father, please change my situation for the better from today in Jesus’ name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 29-31 and Proverbs 9:1-12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

THE UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER

DATE: TUESDAY 12 APRIL 2016

THEME: THE UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER

Memorise:

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8

 

Read: Genesis 32:24-32

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.

31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

Message

One thing every man, especially a child of God must always remember is that our God is the unchangeable changer. In the Genesis account of the beginning, we see how the Unchangeable Changer effected miraculous changes without Himself being changed. 

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:2-3

In Genesis 21, the Unchangeable Changer changed the unfruitful situation of Sarah to fruitfulness. He did the same in the case of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2, proving that what He did in the life of the father of faith, He could do in the life of his descendants also. This is why I know that someone using this devotional will encounter this Great Changer that cannot change. As He did for those who sought and called Him in the past, so will He do for you as you call upon Him today in Jesus’ name. 

The Almighty God has changed numerous unpleasant situations for the better in the past. For example, He changed the slavery of the children of Israel to freedom (Exodus 13). Also, Jabez prayed that the Lord should change his situation for better and the Unchangeable Changer heard him.

“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren:  and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

One of my daughters in Church heard the story of how my wife miraculous gave birth to our last two children naturally and decided to believe God for a natural child delivery, like my wife did after three Caesarean sections. The God who never changes did the same for that daughter of mine. I have good news for someone reading this devotional today, as Jesus performed miracles in those days, so He still does today. I encourage you, beloved, to put your trust in Him and He will not let you down because He is the Unchangeable Changer. He will change your situation for better and you will glorify Him in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point:

Father, please change my situation for the better from today in Jesus’ name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 29-31 and Proverbs 9:1-12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

THE NEW MAN II

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 11 APRIL 2016

THEME  THE NEW MAN II 

Memorise:

And that ye put on the new man, which after God created in 

righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24

Read: Ephesians 4:22-25, 

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Message

The Bible says;

“… they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5)

This us why there is a need to put on the new man. As our memory verse states, we must put on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness. This is made possible through our reliance on the grace made available by Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.

“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such they also that are heavenly.” 1st Corinthians 15:47-48

To put on a new man, we must accept the Lord from heaven. The reason is that He is the One that can quicken our mortal bodies and transform them to the original image of God in us which has been altered by sin. When one encounters Jesus Christ, his or her testimony will be like that of the apostles when he wrote:

“I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

There is danger in living a life void of faith in the Son of God, because without faith no man can please the Lord. It is by faith that we know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It is by faith that we can run away from all appearances of evil. It was lack of faith in God that made Adam and Eve doubt the warning that God gave them concerning the forbidding fruit. Ever since then, this act of disobedience has remained a contagion within the human race. Are you among those who think the law of God has become outdated and so you break it with impunity? Repent today because tomorrow may be too late. Paul, an apostle, further wrote that we should walk in the Spirit so that we may not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Beloved, let us consider today’s memory verse as an express command from God, and let us put on, Jesus Christ, the perfect image of the Almighty Father.

Prayer Point:

Father, let my life reflect the image of Your Son Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 Samuel 26-28 and Proverbs 8:22-36

AUTHOR: Pst E.A ADEBOYE