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Open Heavens …22nd , November 2015 by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

 

TOTAL COMMITMENT: A MUST 

Memorise: Simon Peter saith unto them,

I go fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. John 21:3

Read: 2nd Kings 2:1-8, 2 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
 Bible in one year: Psalm 9-16, 2nd Timothy 3:10-4:22
MESSAGE!

 

If you must walk with God, you must be prepared to meet the conditions He has set; one of which is total commitment. To be committed is to be completely given to a cause. It involves facing a particular direction without turning back, irrespective of the challenges that come your way. This character trait was present in Elisha. After following and serving his master, Elisha, for years, Elisha called him one day and said this to him: “Elisha, I am about to be taken home; it would be a good idea for you to go back to your family, your abandoned farming business and your old lifestyle. “Elisha laughed and replied him, saying “My father, I have left all these for several years and followed you with all my heart. If I go back now, where do I start my large scale farming business again? Sir, wherever you go, I go. “Nevertheless, Elijah did not stop there; he tested him two more times.
Beloved, do you know that your pastor or leader can be used to test your commitment? He or she could cut your wages or salary, deny you certain allowances or even give you an almost impossible condition to fulfil in order to continue an assignment you have been doing, just to test your commitment. If you consider the test with a natural mindset, you will be discouraged and miss out on what God wants you to see. Sometimes, unknowingly or deliberately, your leader or pastor may even be very mean to you. Would you say because he or she is mean to you, you will abandon the assignment God has given you? When God has an assignment for you, He can use your pastor, boss or other superiors to assign it to you, but the work is not from them; it is from God. If your pastor or leader is making it impossible for you to perform that assignment, report the matter to God and ask Him for more grace to be committed. If you compare Elisha with Peter, you will discover that the former was more committed than the latter. When there was no more action and Jesus was not around, Peter chose to return to his fishing business, and he took some people along with him. If you return to the place or condition you were called out from, how committed are you (Hebrews 11:13-16)?
Action Point
As close as John Beloved was to Jesus, when Peter decided to return to fishing, he followed. Never let any man be your yardstick for divine service except Jesus Christ.

 

Freedom from Anxiety by Joyce Meyer – posted November 21, 2015.

Freedom from Anxiety

by Joyce Meyer – posted November 21, 2015


Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. 
—Philippians 4:6

I highly recommend speaking the Word of God when a “worry attack” comes upon you. Doing this is what it means to wield the two-edged sword against the enemy (see Hebrews 4:12 and Ephesians 6:17). A sword in its sheath won’t do any good during an attack; God has given us the sword of His Word so we can use it! Learn scriptures like Philippians 4:6, and when the enemy attacks, counter his attack with the same weapon that Jesus used: the Word.

The Word coming from a believer’s mouth, with faith to back it up, is the single most effective weapon that can be used to win the war against worry and anxiety.

Power Thought: I am free from worry and anxiety.

KEY TO REST by Bishop David Abioye

KEY TO REST

Today: 2015-11-21

The key to rest in life is rest in the Word.

Rest of mind proceeds from rest in the Word.

So, to access absolute rest in life, rest absolutely on the Word of God.

God’s Word is tested and proven, those who rest upon it cannot be shaken.

Men are troubled because they haven’t found the Word to rest upon.

Rest upon the Word to find rest in the world.

“…And the people rested upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”

2 Chr 32:8

OUR DAILY MANNA BY PASTOR W.F KUMUYI…SATURDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2015 ..Punishment for ungodly

-REVELATION 18:21-24

Key Verse:

“And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” (Revelation 18:21).

Our text captures what God prescribed as the total destruction of Babylon, which shall be sudden and catastrophic. The sins of the city were that she deceived many nations and killed saints. God had a controversy against her and brought her beneath the surface where nobody could see her again. The city, which was once basking with socio-economic activities became a shadow of herself. John the Beloved, in this vision, saw a mighty angel throw a stone, like a great millstone, into the sea, aptly portraying the downfall of the great city and its system. The angel, as a confirmation of this declares, “Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all”. Entertaining sounds of harps, singers, flutes or trumpets ceased on her streets, while craftsmen, who furnished the items of luxury, were no more. Industrial activities was totally destroyed; the millstones, which grind the grain for flour, could not get grains, thus affecting food supply. Lamps, which lit the homes and businesses were permanently put out and darkness engulfed everywhere. The merry voices at wedding parties ceased. The destruction of Babylon is a note of warning to everybody, particularly as we conduct our lives in this world, with the prevailing mindset that money is everything. Even after the Bible had clearly warned that “the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”, many remain adamantly wedded to committing heinous crimes because of money. What happened to Babylon is instructive to all: great destruction awaits those who have made mammon, (money) their god.

Thought for the day: Love of money ensnares and kills.
Bible Reading in one Year: 2 KINGS 20 – 21

Open Heavens …21th, November 2015 By Pastor E.A Adeboye

ENTERING HIS PRESENCE 

Memorise: He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Psalm 24:4
Read; Psalm 24:3-4,3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Bible in one year: Psalm 1-8, 2nd Timothy 2:24-3:9
MESSAGE!

 

It is always a great experience to be in God’s presence, because the fullness of joy and everlasting pleasures resides there. Psalm 16:11b says:
“…in thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures of evermore.”
However, the state of our lives determines what we derive from God’s presence. According toPsalm 68:2-3, while the righteous received joy in God’s presence, the enemies of God or those with wicked schemes will melt like wax before the fire of His presence. While the fire of God’s presence protects His own, it acts an incinerating agent against the enemies of God’s people. As you live in obedience to God from now on, the fire of God that protects you will destroy your enemies in Jesus’ Name.
With this knowledge of the potency of God’s presence, every child of God should desire at all times to be in His presence. Nevertheless, you don’t enter the presence of a king just anyhow; there are certain protocols you must fellow. How much more, when entering the presence of the King of kings? How then do we enter God’s presence? Going into the presence of God is not about going into a place of worship. In a gathering filled with God’s glory, it is possible that some people there will not have access to God’s presence due to their nonchalant and standoffish attitude. From our Bible reading, we understand that if you truly want to benefit from the pleasures at His right hand, you must have clean hands and a pure heart. In other words, entering the church auditorium is just not enough; likewise, praising and worshipping God with the lips is just not enough. This is so because when God’s presence descends upon an assembly, God will ask His angels to carry out a personality check on everyone present, to know those who have met His conditions, and only those found worthy will be the beneficiaries of His presence that day. Beloved, you must have clean hands. Your hands must not be tarnished with the blood of anyone or with the filth of a foul means of livelihood. Your hands must have been washed by the Blood of Jesus for them to be deemed clean. Similarly, your thoughts, plans and motives must be pure before you can enter into God’s presence. Prepare yourself and ensure you follow heaven’s protocol whenever you want to access the presence of God.    
Prayer Point

 

Father, cleanse my heart and my hands with the Blood of Jesus, as I access Your presence today to partake of the pleasures at Your right hand.

ASK IN JESUS’ NAME AND RECEIVE

21
Nov

John 16:23

“…Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

Do you always end your prayers with “in Jesus’ name”? Maybe your Sunday school teacher taught you to do this, or maybe you have heard church leaders and other believers utter it at the end of their prayers.

I used to say “in Jesus’ name” very quickly as if those were magic words that would get my prayers answered. Then, one day, I heard the Lord asking me why I was doing that.

The Lord wanted me to realize that whenever I pray and say “in Jesus’ name”, I am putting my entire faith for my prayer to be answered not in who I am or what I have done, but in the person and name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and what He has done at the cross!

Whenever we ask God for anything in Jesus’ name, Jesus says to us, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.” This means that in your prayer for healing, when you say “in Jesus’ name”, healing comes over your sick body because it is by His stripes that you are healed. (1 Peter 2:24) In your prayer for protection, when you say “in Jesus’ name”, you are kept safe because the blood of Jesus protects and delivers you from evil. (Exodus 12:13)

Beloved, the good name of your family cannot save you. Your pastor’s name cannot save you. Even the name of the latest medical breakthrough cannot save you. Only one name under heaven can save you—Jesus! And the good news is that His name in Hebrew, Yeshua, means salvation—healing, preservation, wholeness, wellness, provision, safety and deliverance for you and your family!

So these days, whenever I pray, I slow down at the end of my prayer and say, “Father, I ask all this not based on what I have or have not done, but based on Jesus and His finished work at the cross. I ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen!”

Thought For The Day

Jesus assures us that whatever we ask the Father in His name, the Father will give to us.

Open Heaven Sunday 15th, November 2015… By Pastor E.A Adeboye

AM I FOREVER SAVED?
Memorise: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4
Read: 1st Timothy 1:18-20,
 18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

 

20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Bible in one year: Job 20-22, 1st Timothy 1
MESSAGE!
When Paul embarked on his Christian race, he focused on it wholeheartedly, so that nothing would derail him from the race. That is why in Acts 20:24,he said:
“But none of these things move me, neither count I myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
The possibility of starting the Christian race and not reaching the finish line is obvious from Paul’s statement in the Scripture above. However, across the globe today, several preachers are teaching erroneous doctrines, saying all that matters is to believe in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved forever, irrespective of your conduct after you are saved. They teach that if you are saved today, you will surely make it to Heaven, even if you continue to live like the devil. Some say that any work of righteousness on your part, even after you has been saved, amounts of self-righteousness, which according to them, and cannot take you anywhere. They also teach that you are automatically made perfect once you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. They will want to tempt you by asking if you are righteous. If you sincerely say you still have some areas of your life you are working on, they will discredit you and say that you are depending on your works to make it to Heaven. Such preachers say that it is okay to sin occasionally, as long as you do not do so very often. These are all lies.    

 

You need to know that it is possible to fall from grace, as stated in our memory verse. Do not let teachers with itching ears deceive you. They will tell you what appeals to your flesh and call it “the good news”. No! It is called deception. They mix the truth of God’s word with a bit of deception. Some will tell you that the day you were born-again, all your sins, past, present and future, have been forgiven, and so if you commit any sin afterwards, there is no need to confess it. It is all a lie! If indeed you are saved and therefore forever saved, why does the Bible instruct you to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)? Why does scripture repeatedly say that only those who endure to the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:13)? Why did the lord of the unprofitable servant banish him to outer darkness in Hell (Matthew 25:30)? Take heed, lest you fall! It is possible of fall from grace. Be careful how you run the race!
Key Point
Believing that consistent, righteous works are not needed after salvation is taking the grace of God out of context.

CALLED FROM YOUR MOTHER’S WOMB

15
Nov

Galatians 1:15

…God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,

Beloved, you are not an accident with no destiny. God has called you from your mother’s womb. You have a special calling and a destiny in Christ, and it is all by His grace!

There are Christians who are called by God to be doctors. But I believe that among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs for the healing ministry. They are passionate about seeking cures to alleviate the sufferings of humanity.

Likewise, I think that there are Christians who are called by God to be teachers in secular schools. But among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs to be Bible teachers. What gives them tremendous fulfillment is seeing lives saved and transformed under their teaching.

What about those famous magicians you see performing tricks on television? They have a love for the mystical and supernatural. If they were to become Christians, they might just become prophets with ministries marked by the miraculous!

The apostle Paul knew that he was called from his mother’s womb. He had a misguided passion for God though, as he was persecuting the church, until he had his encounter with Jesus. (Acts 8:3, 9:1–6)

If Paul, a terrorist to the early church, could be touched by Christ to become an apostle of grace, what about today’s terrorists who blow up people in the name of their god? For all you know, if they receive Christ, they might just become trailblazers in the kingdom of God!

Now, don’t think that your calling has to do with your qualifications, abilities, achievements or even your walk with God. You were called from your mother’s womb by His grace. As a fetus in your mother’s womb, there was not much you could do—good or bad. That is why your calling is all by His grace. And since He has given you a calling, ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern the desires that He has placed in your heart, the passions that drive you in life, and fulfill your calling and destiny in Christ!

Thought For The Day

By the grace of God, you have a special calling and destiny in Christ!

CLAIM YOUR RESTORATION

13
Nov

Acts 3:20–21

…that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things…

As a believer, you have a right to expect restoration of the things that the devil has stolen from you. It may be your health, marriage or finances, but payback time is definitely coming!

Acts 3:20–21 tells us that before Jesus comes back for His church, we will experience “the times of restoration of all things”. What a hope that gives us, knowing that God will restore to us all things before Jesus returns!

My friend, if the devil is attacking you in any area, tell God, “Father, I will not allow the devil to rob me of my health, marriage, children or finances. These blessings are blood-bought and paid for by Your Son!” Claim your restoration in Christ and heaven will hear you.

There will be such times of restoration of all things to the body of Christ that His people will only get better, stronger, healthier, and more successful and glorious! When God restores, even under the old covenant, His people always received much more than what they had originally lost, in terms of quality and/or quantity. How much more will our restoration be under the new covenant because of the shed blood of the Lamb of God!

A divorcee with a teenage son came to our church and accepted the Lord in May 2003. She began to pray for the restoration of her marriage and the reunion of her family. She knew that the chances of this happening were close to zero since she had not met nor spoken with her ex-husband since their divorce 10 years ago. She did not even know if he had remarried. But God caused their paths to cross at a wedding at the end of 2003. Today, their relationship is healed, and together with their son, they worship as a family in church.

Even though what happened for that sister may not happen for every divorced person (God can give you a better spouse and marriage), I believe that God wants you to know that your times of restoration are here. Heaven is waiting to hear you stake your claim for restoration!

Thought For The Day

You have a right to expect restoration of the things that the devil has stolen from you.

https://youtu.be/vnS9FwwQrLQ

Open Heavens By Pastor E.A Adeboye … 8th, November 2015.

BEFORE THE MANIFESTATION OF SIGNS

Memorise: God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? Hebrew 2:4
Read: Psalm 34:1-3
, 34 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.


3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
 Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 31:14-32:47, Colossians 3:18-4:18
MESSAGE!
There are certain criteria God looks out for before choosing a fellow through whom His signs and wonders will be manifested to the world. He saw meekness and humility in Moses. If the Lord will use you to do the greater works He promised (John 14:12), you must be meek and gentle. You must also be humble to the end. Some people start off being humble, and God begins to lift them up; but at some point, they became so full of themselves that they commit the grievous sin of taking or sharing in God’s glory. Because of this, God takes His leave from them. Those who will go far with God must start, continue and end with humility. Take note that when the Lord sent Moses back to Egypt, He did not send him back alone. God instructed him to go with his rod; a rod which God decided to make His own. Exodus 4:17 says:
“And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.”
He obeyed and with that rod, God performed signs and wonders. He never parted with that rod. God may want to take over your rod too. He may want to convert something that is dear to you to His own as an avenue for the performance of signs and wonders. What is most important here is that whatever He asks of you must be done in all humility. When you do this, the signs will follow.


Similarly, if you check closely, you will find out that God chooses worshippers.
triumpmobile
He chose David; the one who said he would bless the Lord at all times and continually praise Him with his mouth. How committed are you to the worship of God? Some worship Him only when the going is good, but when they go through trying times, they cease to don so. Instead, they begin to grumble, murmur and complain. There is a user of this devotional: God chose you for signs and wonders, and He even started using you in the miraculous until you began to grumble and complain. If you can repent of this and embrace the regular worship of God, appreciating Him for His works in your life, the working of miracles that stopped in your life will begin to flow again. When this happens, testify to God’s glory before the congregation of God’s people. Are you a worshipper? How often do you worship God? Is there quality in your worship? If you will see signs and wonders in your life and ministry, you must be prepared to live a life of quality worship. 
Prayer point
Your willingness to obey all of God’s commands is what you need to enter the realm of the miraculous.