OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E.A.ADEBOYE 14/03/2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2017

THEME: STILL KEEPING OLD PALS?

Memorise: 

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24

Read: Ephesians 4:17-24 (KJV)

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,


18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

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.

MESSAGE:

An encounter with Jesus Christ is such a powerful experience that it can bring about a change of name (Mark 3:16). This change of name indicates a change of destiny. His power of transformation changes you from a sinner to a saint (Romans 1:7). There is no greater change than that of a changed life made possible by the redeeming power in the blood of Jesus Christ. If you were known as a night crawler before encountering Jesus, you will become known as a more responsible person after encountering Him. The truth is, if you really encounter Jesus Christ, you will lose most of your old friends because it would be difficult for them to relate with the new you. They won’t understand you anymore, because you won’t talk the way you used to talk, drink like you used to drink or even dress the way they dress. Following a definite encounter with the person of Jesus Christ, what you like and hate will change, so much so that if you fail to leave your old friends, they will be the ones to desert you. If you say you are born again, and all of your old pals still feel comfortable around you, your salvation is most likely not genuine.

Before I became born again, I had many friends, some of whom were sailors. When they returned from their trips, they brought me assorted alcoholic drinks. Therefore, when my friends wanted to drink alcohol, they would visit me because they knew I would have a lot in store. They sometimes said they could not pass by the house of the king without saying hello to the king. I never knew I was king of alcohol in those days. However, after my conversion, when my old friends visited me, I would offer them soft drinks. They would protest, saying that I already knew the choice alcoholic drinks they normally enjoyed, but I simply told them that I did not stock such anymore. Consequently, I lost most of my friends, but today, God has given me like-minded, godly people as replacements. Have you truly encountered Jesus? What changes have you noticed in your life? Are you still keeping all your old friends, or have they observed the changes in your life and dumped you? Sometimes, some people are afraid of losing their old friends, and as a result, they do everything to hide their new found faith from them. This is unacceptable in the Kingdom of God. The reality is that if you have met Jesus, you are linked to the greatest Friend anyone could ever have. You should be proud of that and let all your friends know about it. If you are ashamed of Him here on earth, He too will be ashamed to talk about you in Heaven (Mark 8:38).

Action Point:

Some people have bars in their houses. If you are truly saved, such bars should not accommodate any alcoholic drinks. Get rid of that alcohol!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 4-6, and Isaiah 59:16-60:7

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE 


HYMN 11: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. Though none go with me, 
I still will follow;
Though none go with me, 
I still will follow;
Though none go with me, 
I still will follow;

No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back. 

4. The world behind me, 
The cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, 
The cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PASSAGES
And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.  And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.  And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.  And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:  That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.  And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.  And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.  And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.  And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.  And Moses said unto the Lord , O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.  And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord ?  Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.  And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.  And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.  And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.  And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.  And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.  And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.  And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.  And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.  And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.  And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord , Israel is my son, even my firstborn:  And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.  And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.  Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.  So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.  And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.  And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.  And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:  And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.  And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
Exodus 4:1‭-‬31 KJV

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.  And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord , that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord , neither will I let Israel go.  And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.  And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.  And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.  And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,  Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.  And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.  Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.  And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.  Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.  So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.  And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.  And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?  Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?  There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.  But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord .  Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.  And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.  And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:  And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.  And Moses returned unto the Lord , and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?  For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

Exodus 5:1‭-‬23 KJV
Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.  And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord :  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.  And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.  And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord , and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:  And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord .  And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.  And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,  Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.  And Moses spake before the Lord , saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?  And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.  These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.  And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.  And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.  The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimei, according to their families.  And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.  And the sons of Merari; Mahli and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.  And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.  And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.  And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.  And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.  And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.  And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.  These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.  These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.  And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,  That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord : speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.  And Moses said before the Lord , Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
Exodus 6:1‭-‬30 KJV


And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.  For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.  According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.  So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.  And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord .  As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord ; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord , from henceforth and for ever.
Isaiah 59:16‭-‬21 KJV

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.  Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.  The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord .  All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
Isaiah 60:1‭-7KJV

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E.A.ADEBOYE 13/03/2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 13th MARCH 2017

THEME: CONSPIRACY & FORNICATION

Memorise:

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18

Read: Job 5:12-14, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (KJV)

12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

14 They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (KJV)

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

MESSAGE:

A conspiracy can be defined as a secret plan by a group of persons to do something unlawful or mischievous. Whenever you agree or partner with one or more persons to do something against God’s express word or will, you are guilty of conspiracy. The attitude of the Holy Spirit towards conspiracy is clear from His judgement against Ananias and Sapphira, who conspired to test Him with their lie (Acts 5:1-11). Ahithophel and Absalom also engaged in conspiracy against the Lord’s anointed, King David (2 Samuel 15:12). They paid for this sin with their lives, and they both died similar deaths through hanging (2 Samuel 17:23, 2 Samuel 18:9-14). Do you know that many people still conspire to lie to the Holy Spirit today? When auditors are visiting some churches, their pastors will connive with accountants to present doctored records. On arrival, when the auditor asks the accountant if the books presented are the actual financial records, they would affirm that they are. That is conspiring to lie to the Holy Spirit! Those who engage in conspiracy often die together, just like it happened to Ananias and Sapphira, Absalom and Ahithophel, and Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 26:9-10). This is where married couples need to be extremely cautions. If your spouse is going the way of destruction, never follow him or her. Do all you can to deliver him, but if the fellow refuses, let him or her take the evil step alone. Are you engaged in a conspiracy to defraud your employer or government? It’s time to pull out of such schemes and repent.

In like manner, the Holy Spirit hates adultery and fornication. Why? It is because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are His dwelling place. Adultery separates God from His temple. It keeps God outside His throne in your heart. Some people erroneously think that they can fornicate without affecting the presence of the Holy Spirit in them. No way! How can you expect the Holy Spirit, whose personality is defined by holiness, to dwell in a body yielded to filthiness? The Bible in James 4:4 says,

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Fornication strips the glory of God away from you and clothes you in rags and shame. There is nothing glorious about sexual sin. It never adds anything to you; rather, it always takes away your prized possessions. Repent and flee fornication daily! Whatever separates God from you is something to resist by all means!

Action Point:

Confess and repent of any form of conspiracy or sexual sins you are involved in. Break away from every form of relationship that facilitates these.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 1-3 and Isaiah 58:13-59:15

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: ON THE HILL AWAY

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary. 
Refrain

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me. 

Refrain

4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share. 
Refrain

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PASSAGES

Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.  Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,  Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.  And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.  And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.  And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.  Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.  And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:  Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.  Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Rameses.  But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.  And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:  And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.  And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:  And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.  But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.  And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?  And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.  Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.  And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.  And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
Exodus 1:1‭, ‬3‭-‬22 KJV



And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.  And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.  And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.  And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.  Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?  And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.  And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.  And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.  And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.  And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.  And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?  And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.  Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.  Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.  And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.  And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?  And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.  And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.  And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.  And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.  And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.  And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
Exodus 2:1‭-‬25 KJV



Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.  And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.  And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.  And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.  Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.  And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?  And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.  And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.  Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:  And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.  And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.  And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.  And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.  And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:  But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
Exodus 3:1‭-‬22 KJV

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord , honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:  Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Isaiah 58:13‭-‬14 KJV


Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.  For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.  None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.  They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.  Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.  Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.  The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.  Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.  We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.  We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.  For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;  In transgressing and lying against the Lord , and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.  And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.  Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE, 06/03/2017

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE : MONDAY 6th MARCH 2017

THEME : STEALING AND LYING

Memorise: 

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

Read: 2nd Kings 5:20-27 (KJV)

20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.


21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?

22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

MESSAGE:

Holiness is so integral to the person of the Holy Spirit that the word “holy” is attached to His Name. You cannot live the Christian life without having a relationship with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9); but to have a good relationship with the Holy Spirit, you need to understand that He detests sin. Part of His assignment in this world is to liberate you from the power of sin and to help you live above it (John 16:8, Romans 8:2, Galatians 5:16). Two sins entangling a lot of Christians today and fast eroding their character are stealing and lying. Stealing has its origin in covetousness and it leads to betrayal. The life of Judas Iscariot, a man who walked with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, is a case study of this (John 12:6). Today, due to covetousness, even ministers of God are stealing from the Church purse, thereby betraying the huge trust reposed in them by God. Have you been stealing from God or from men? Repent, restitute and turn a new leaf today (Ephesians 4:28)!


In today’s Bible reading, Gehazi lied to Naaman and received the gifts his master had rejected. Thereafter, his master sent for him and asked him where he had been. He lied again saying he went nowhere. He however did not get away with that lie. There are lies you tell and it may appear you got away with them, but there are also lies you will tell that will leave their sting on you perpetually. Gehazi lied to his master and his master and his life changed negatively and irreversibly from that day.
Similarly, Ananias and Sapphira may have told lies in the past and escaped the consequences. However, on the day they lied to Peter, they never lived to tell another lie (Acts 5:1-10). If you consider the punishment that followed the supposedly “little” lie of this couple, many people would be of the opinion that it far exceeded their offence. Why? It is because they see lying as a regular, common sin that is inconsequential if weighed on a scale with “heavier” sins like murder. This is why many people engaged in it, even those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. Some people have even categorised lies by colour and size! If God could bring leprosy on Gehazi and kill Ananians and Sapphira because of lies, it means that He does not take lies lightly as we do. God even says He will exclude all categories of liars from the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:8, Revelation 21:27). Run away from lies and embrace Jesus Christ, the Truth!

Action Point:

That seemingly harmless lie has grave repercussions that you may not see today. Ask God for grace to flee from every lie.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 36-37 and Isaiah 51:17-52:12


AUTHOR : Pastor E. A ADEBOYE 


HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

Chorus:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

Chorus:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

Chorus:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

Chorus.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PASSAGES

Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.  Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;  And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth.  And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel;  And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.  And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.  For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.  Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.  And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:  These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.  And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.  And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.  And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.  And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.  These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,  Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah.  And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.  And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau's wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.  These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.  These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,  And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.  And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna.  And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.  And these are the children of Zibeon; both Aiah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.  And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.  And these are the children of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.  The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.  The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.  These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,  Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.  And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.  And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.  And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.  And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead.  And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.  And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.  And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.  And Saul died, and Baal–hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.  And Baal–hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.  And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,  Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,  Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,  Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is Esau the father of the Edomites.
Genesis 36:1‭-‬43 KJV



And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.  These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.  And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.  And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:  For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.  And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.  And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.  And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?  And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.  And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.  And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.  And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.  And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?  And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.  And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.  And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.  And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.  Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.  And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.  And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.  And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;  And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.  And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.  And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?  Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.  Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.  And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.  And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?  And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;  And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.  And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.  And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.  And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.  And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
Genesis 37:1‭-‬36 KJV


Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.  There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.  These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?  Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord , the rebuke of thy God.  Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:  Thus saith thy Lord the Lord , and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:  But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.
Isaiah 51:17‭-‬23 KJV


Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.  Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.  For thus saith the Lord , Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.  For thus saith the Lord God , My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.  Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord , that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord ; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.  Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!  Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.  Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.  The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.  Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord .  For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.
Isaiah 52:1‭-‬12 KJV