Christian Devotional

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY JULY 4TH 2017

 

THEME: HAVING A SERVANT SPIRIT

 

Memorise:

 

For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Luke 22:27

 

Read: Luke 22:24-27

 

22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

 

22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

 

22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

 

22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

 

Message:

 

Signs and wonders easily flow in an atmosphere where authority is respected. The moment a person becomes rebellious or refuses to submit to the authority of leaders, God withdraws and so do His signs and wonders. If you want God to use you in the miraculous, learn to remain submissive to the authority of those set over you by God. Moreover, another attribute of the fellow God will use to perform signs and wonders is the possession of a servant spirit. If you take a critical look at the person of Philip as recorded in the book of Acts, chapters 6 and 8, you will see a man who happily obeyed when he was sent to serve food as an usher, even though he was full of faith, power and the Holy Spirit. If some people had such credentials as these, they would suddenly become very choosy in the nature of assignments they are willing to carry out. If a pastor asks some workers to clean the toilet today, they may give the pastor a look that says, “Don’t you know who I am? Is it because I am a worker in your church? In my place of work, I am a Managing director” Nobody is contesting with you. The truth remains that in God’s kingdom, a worker is a servant. When you get to your office, you can be the boss there, but when you are in God’s house, you must be prepared to serve. Do you know that anyone who is unwilling to serve can never reach the top in God’s house?

 

You need to always remember that even the Lord Jesus Christ came as a servant! In Luke 22:26, He admonished us with these words:

“But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”

 

Not only did He instruct us to serve, He himself did exactly that. He came as one who serves (Luke 22:27). Do you remember He washed the feet of his disciples (John 13:5)? This is why I teach my students at the School of disciples that the hands that cannot do manual labour cannot heal the sick. Some people have abandoned house chores to their domestic workers and other helpers. If you really want God to use your hands to perform signs and wonders, then you must engage them in manual labour. By virtue of my position as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, people try to keep me from doing chores. However, do you know that even with all the help and assistants at my disposal, when I realized they are not around, I quickly iron some of my wife’s clothes or go to the kitchen sink to wash some plates? I know what I am doing. Are you a servant or a lord that everyone must obey?

 

Prayer Point:

 

Father, give me the servant spirit of Jesus Christ, so that I may serve others just as He did.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

1 Samuel 14

Lamentation 4:19-5:22

 

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

 

HYMN 14: TAKE MY LIFE

 

1. Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

 

2.  Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

 

3. Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

 

4. Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

 

5. Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

 

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

JOSEPH PRINCE DAILY GRACE

SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM

AND HE WILL SOLVE

YOUR PROBLEMS

 

Romans 14:17

…the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Are you troubled by many things today? For

example, are you concerned about your

rebellious teenager? Perhaps you see him as

your problem, so you do your best to discipline

him, only to end up with a heart full of worries

and pain. And he is no better!

God says to you, “Don’t focus on controlling your

rebellious teenager. Instead, seek first My

kingdom, which is righteousness, peace and joy

in the Holy Spirit. Be conscious of the

righteousness you have as a gift from My Son.

Keep your inner man flowing with My peace and

joy, and I will take care of your child.”

We tend to think that the people around us are

the problem. When we don’t get the promotion

we want, we blame our bosses and colleagues.

When we lose our temper, we blame our wives

and kids. However, God wants us to stop looking

outside and to start looking within because His

kingdom is within us. (Luke 17:21)

The abundance of the kingdom of God is already

inside you. As you seek first God’s kingdom, and

follow His righteousness, peace and joy, the

abundance within you will flow out and become a

reality in your circumstances. (Matthew 6:33)

You will find that God has not only taken care of

what is troubling you, but has also added

blessings to you, be it a promotion, well-behaved

kids or a loving wife.

“But Pastor Prince, how do I keep my inner man

flowing with righteousness, peace and joy?”

Be conscious of your righteousness in Christ.

Don’t be conscious of your sins and problems.

Listen to anointed sermons that remind you of

how righteous you are because of the perfect

sacrifice of Christ. Peace and joy flow when you

know that all your sins have been forgiven

because of Jesus’ finished work.

So the next time something troubles you, don’t

focus on correcting the problem. Instead, seek

first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Make

it a priority to have your inner man flowing with

His peace and joy, and He will take care of that

problem for you!

Thought For The Day

Have your inner man flowing with God’s peace and

joy, and He will take care of that problem for you.

GOD MAKES ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD

06
Dec
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
In this verse, “all things” is literally all things—the good, the bad and the ugly! Now, it does not mean that all things are from God. Some things, such as accidents, sicknesses, and broken relationships are not from Him. They are just part of the fallen world that we live in. But what this verse does tell us is that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”. That is our inheritance as God’s beloved children.

Do the people of the world have this inheritance? No. When bad things happen to them, they are what they are—bad things. But when bad things happen to the children of God, it does not end there. God can make those bad things work together for good. In other words, the devil may throw lemons at you, but God can take those lemons and make refreshing lemonade for you!

For example, if you have been retrenched, believe that God, who makes all things work together for good, has a better job for you. Indeed, we have received testimonies from church members who have ended up with better jobs and higher salaries after they were retrenched.

It is important you remember that God is not behind anything bad or ugly. But when those things happen, know that He can make all things work together for good. And don’t let anyone tell you that all things will work together for good only if you love God and are called according to His purpose. These two things are not conditions but descriptions of believers. Believers are those who love God because they know that God first loved them. (1 John 4:19) And they are called according to His purpose for they have been born again and belong to Him.

My friend, because you have been born again, all things in your life will work together for good. This is your inheritance as a beloved child of God!

Thought For The Day
God is not behind anything bad or ugly. When those things happen, know that He can make all things work together for good.

HOW MUCH MORE WILL GOD TAKE CARE OF YOU!

03
Dec
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Perched on a tree branch, two birds were observing passers-by rushing from one place to another. Looking at their faces, one bird asked the other, “Why is man so full of worries and cares?” The other bird answered, “Maybe they don’t have a heavenly Father like we do.”

I believe that the Lord made birds to tell us that we are of more value than many birds put together. In Matthew 10:29, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?” Then, in Luke 12:6, He said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?” If you do the math, you will realize that these sparrows are so cheap that you can buy four of them for two copper coins, and you get one thrown in for free!

Sparrows are common creatures in Israel. Yet, not even one of these cheap birds falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge. (Matthew 10:29) Not one of them is forgotten before Him. (Luke 12:6) So will He forget you who are of more value than all these birds put together?

Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” And if your heavenly Father feeds the birds of the air, how much more will He feed you, His precious, beloved child!

“Why don’t I see the supply then?” you may ask.

The answer is worry. That is why Jesus also said, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:31–32)

Beloved, if your heavenly Father cares for cheap, common birds, and feeds them every day, how much more will He care for you, His dear, precious child! Let your heart be at rest as you hear Him say to you, “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:31)

Thought For The Day
If your heavenly Father cares for common birds and feeds them every day, how much more will He care for you, His dear, precious child!

FROM ‘DELIVERANCE’ TO ‘NO EVIL SHALL TOUCH YOU’

18
Aug
Job 5:19
He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.
God will deliver you from all your troubles. (Psalm 34:19, 2 Timothy 4:18) But deliverance is actually not the best that God has for you because it implies that you are in trouble. God’s best for you is the place where no trouble or evil can touch you. And with His help, you will come to that place because the Bible says, “He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.”

This does not mean that God will only deliver you six times. It just means that as you keep believing God’s promises of protection, after some time, you will come to a place where no evil will touch you!

So when trouble comes, God does not want you to be discouraged. He wants you to know that it is only the devil trying to steal His Word from your heart. The devil is afraid of leaving God’s Word in your heart for even one second because he knows that it will lead you to a place where no evil will touch you. That is why he comes immediately to steal God’s Word from your heart.

He will do so by telling you, “Look, your child is sick. Where is God now?” You must not respond by saying, “Well, I guess it does not work. Maybe God’s promises of deliverance are not for my family.”

No, you must continue to stand on God’s promises. Say, “The previous flu my child had did not stay. God promises me deliverance and He did deliver my child then. So I will live life believing His promises of deliverance because His Word is true. And I will come to a place where no evil can touch me and my family!”

Beloved, even if in the next moment you happen to stub your toe against something hard, don’t be discouraged and wonder why God did not protect your toe. The devil had meant to cause greater harm to you, but thank God that he could not because God is watching over you. And keep standing on His promises until you come to the place where no evil will touch you!

Thought For The Day
Keep believing God’s promises of protection and come to a place where no evil will touch you!

REMAIN STEADFAST IN THE FAITH

17
Aug
1 Peter 5:8–9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith…
When I was a teenager, I was taught that if I wanted to resist the devil, I had to rebuke him. So whenever an evil thought came to my mind or I was tempted, I found myself saying, “I resist you, devil, in Jesus’ name! I bind you, devil! Go away from me, devil! I rebuke you in Jesus’ name!”

This went on until God showed me one day that though I had “resisted” the devil, I had spent more time talking to him than to God! I was more conscious of the devil than of God throughout the day.

I checked the Word of God and realized that we resist the devil not by focusing on resisting him, but by being established in the faith that we are made right with God through Jesus’ blood, that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Yes, the devil will continue to remind you of your mistakes, failures and sins. And he will tell you that because of these things, you cannot receive your healing, that you will have to pay for your mistakes or that something bad will happen to your family. He will accuse you, condemn you and try to persuade your heart to believe that he can do bad things to you.

But the truth is that the devil cannot enforce anything in your life if he cannot persuade your heart. And your heart cannot be persuaded if it is “steadfast in the faith”, if it is established in righteousness. God says that once you are established in righteousness, “You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you”. (Isaiah 54:14)

So now that my heart is established in righteousness, I can boldly declare, “Yes, I may have these problems in my life, but I am not guilty in God’s eyes. I am justified in God’s eyes by faith because of what Christ has done. I am righteous by Jesus’ blood!” My friend, that is how you resist the devil and become undevourable!

Thought For The Day
We resist the devil not by focusing on resisting him, but by being established in the faith that we are the righteousness of God in Christ

Be Ready to Be Interrupted by Joyce Meyer – posted August 17, 2016

I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.
– John 10:11

The more I study the men and women in the Bible whom we consider to be “great,” the more I see that they all made huge sacrifices and there was nothing convenient about what God asked them to do.

Abraham had to leave his country, his relatives, and his home and go to a place God would not even tell him about until he went there. Joseph saved a nation from starvation, but not before he was violently removed from his comfortable home and put in an inconvenient place for many years. Esther saved the Jews from destruction, but God certainly interrupted her plan in order for her to do so.

The list of individuals who entered into sacrificial obedience could go on and on. The Bible calls them people “of whom the world was not worthy” (see Hebrews 11:38). These people we read about were inconvenienced so that someone else’s life could be easier. Jesus died so we could have life and have it abundantly. Soldiers die so that civilians can remain safe at home. Fathers go to work so their families can have nice lives, and mothers go through the pain of childbirth to bring another life into the world. It seems quite obvious that someone usually has to experience pain or inconvenience for anyone to gain anything.

If you make the decision that you don’t mind inconvenience or interruption, then God can use you. You can make a difference in the world. But if you remain addicted to your own comfort, God will have to pass you by for someone who is more willing to endure the hard things in life in order to do God’s will.

Trust in Him: Think about a situation in which God is asking you to do some things you would rather not do—stay in a situation, leave a situation, spend time with someone you don’t get along with . . . Are you willing to trust the “interruption” from God in order to do His will?

HOW TO ATTRACT RESPECT Today: 2016-08-17

You loose respect with people when your works contradict your words.

Respect is earned only by those whose works match their words.

It is your works that validates your words.

People no longer take your words serious when your works are far apart from words.

Enliven your words by your works.

People may applaud your words but will give you standing ovation for your works.

YOU HAVE THE SAME FAVOR JESUS HAS

14
Aug
Romans 4:16
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…
God’s grace is His undeserved, unearned and unmerited favor. And because it is undeserved, unearned and unmerited, all of us qualify for it. But how do we walk in it?

Just as a password gives you access to a computer program, faith enables you to walk in God’s unmerited favor. Now, faith has nothing to do with what you do or what you can do. Faith is simply believing and declaring what God has done and is doing for you.

When you believe that the favor of God is on you because of Christ’s finished work, His promises of provision, healing and restoration become sure to you. They are not just sure to the Jews, but also to you and me because we are “of the faith of Abraham”.

Ruth was a Gentile widow who put her faith in God’s grace. She believed and declared that God’s favor would lead her to the right field in which to glean, where she would find favor in the owner’s sight. (Ruth 2:2) Because she depended on God’s unmerited favor, God not only placed her in wealthy Boaz’s field, but also in the genealogy of Jesus! (Matthew 1:5)

Ruth’s faith in God’s favor opened up a whole new world for her. She went from poverty to supply, widowhood to marriage, and from being childless to having a complete family. She also became a respected member of the community. (Ruth 4:13–15)

If Ruth, a Gentile who was under the old covenant, enjoyed God’s favor, how much more will we who are under the new covenant of grace enjoy the blessings that the unmerited favor of God brings! In fact, because God sees us in the Beloved today, we enjoy the same favor that Jesus has! (Ephesians 1:3–6)

My friend, when you believe that you have the same favor that Jesus has, a whole new world will open up to you—a world where all of God’s promises are “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ! (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Thought For The Day
When you believe that the favor of God is on you because of Christ’s finished work, His promises of provision, healing and restoration become sure to you.

Devotional by Creflo Dollar

“But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior” (Philippians 3:20, AMP).

As Believers, although we are physically living in the world, this type of living arrangement is temporary. As God’s children and members of His divine family, our true and permanent residency is in heaven.