OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE,2018 Saturday 13 January 2018

THE LORD MIGHTY IN BATTLE

Memorise: If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. Daniel 3:17

Bible Reading: Psalm 24:7-10

7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 29-30 and Revelation 12

Hymnal: Hymn 11

Message (Saturday 13 January 2018)

To live a fulfilled life worthy of their election, children of God must know their God as the Lord who is mighty in battle. The story of the three Hebrew boys is a classical example of what God is capable of doing for His children who know who He is (Daniel 3). They confronted the whole emperor of their time, Nebuchadnezzar, with faith in the supremacy of the power of their God over the affairs of men. There is a lesson we must learn from the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, which the Lord spelt out for us in clear terms in Luke 17:33, saying:

“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

Note that it was after King Nebuchadnezzar had threatened to burn the three Hebrew boys that they declared that they were not afraid for their lives, even if they had to die defending what they believed in. What an amazing statement of faith this is:

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.” Daniel 3:17

It takes truly knowing God to make such a bold statement. No wonder Daniel 11:32 says,

“And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

Do you know your God as a weakling or as a mighty warrior? To the three Hebrew boys, the God of Israel was more than able to deliver them, because they knew Him to be the Lord of hosts. He specialises in fighting all manner of battles in all realms. On the ground, He fought for the children of Israel against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16).

In the midst of the sea, He fought for the Israelites against the Egyptians (Exodus 14:13-30). In the air, He fought for Joshua and the children of Israel against the forces of the five kings who gathered against them (Joshua 10:1-20). The awesomeness of this God made the Psalmist to describe Him as the Lord mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8). Beloved, what is that battle confronting you? You would be wise to run to God Almighty to fight for you. He is mighty in battle and has never lost any war. He will be your sure ally and you will be victorious in Jesus’ Name. Surrender your life to Him and hand over those battles of life to Him, and you will begin to enjoy victories without sweat through His involvement.

PRAYER POINT (Saturday 13 January 2018)

Father, please fight the battles of life confronting me today, and in every situation I will encounter this year, don’t let me be a victim but a victor, in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Open Heaven 13 January 2018

HYMN 11: O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST

1. O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.

2. Under the shadow of Thy throne,

Still may we dwell secure;

Sufficient is Thine arm alone,

And our defence is sure

3. Before the hills in order stood,

Or earth received her frame,

From everlasting Thou art God,

To endless years the same

4. A thousand ages in Thy sight

Are like an evening gone,

Short as the watch that ends the night

Before the rising sun.

5. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away:

They fly forgotten, as a dream

Dies at the opening day.

6. O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Be Thou our guard while life shall last,

And our eternal home.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTUONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE, 04/01/2018

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 4TH JANUARY 2018

THEME: ONLY BELIEVE 


MEMORISE:

1. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18 

READ: Romans 8:31-39

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or unclothedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


MESSAGE 

Whenever I ruminate over the many-sided blessings embedded in the Good News that came through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, my heart is filled with great joy. I equally find it fascinating that no elaborate process involving complexities is required for us to access these blessings. Jesus did the hard work and made things simple for us. One of such blessings is freedom from condemnation. The righteous judgment of God against sin has brought all of mankind under condemnation. This is the reason why no man can escape the pain of guilt that results from sin, or the consequences that follow it. Romans 3:23 says,
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23 further says, 
“For the wages of sin is death,”

However, the Good News is that Jesus Christ gives us freedom from the condemnation that had put a seal on the destiny of all mankind. In Romans 8:1, this Good News says,

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Those who are in Christ Jesus can now live a life free from guilt of sin or the feeling of inadequacy resulting from past misdeeds. Their conscience is liberated from condemnation because they know their sins have been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus (Revelation 1:5). What does it take to access this blessings of freedom? Only Believe! Believe in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, believe He is who He says He is, and believe in the work of salvation He has completed. How do you know you truly believe all these? When your actions and confessions reflect what you claim to believe, that is when you truly believe.


Another blessing of the Good News that you can have access to by faith is the truth that Jesus Christ, though rich, became poor, so that through His poverty, you might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Your faith in this article of the Good News will prevent you from doing diabolical or criminal things to get rich, because you know that your prosperity lies in the sacrificial life that the Master has lived. Believing in the words and works of Jesus gives us contentment, the absence of which brings many sorrows to those who want to be rich by any means (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Beloved, do you believe all these? If you do, live your life by the ideas of the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will forever be free from condemnation, now and in eternity. 


PRAYER POINT: 
Father, please help me to live according to Your will, so that I may not be condemned with this world. Grant me grace not to lose sight of the words and works of Jesus. Amen.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 8-10 and Revelation 3:7-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE 


HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4.Whenlife’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!