Open Heavens 29 January 2017: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Direction for True Seekers

Open Heavens 29 January 2017: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Direction for True Seekers

Topic: Direction for True Seekers [Sunday 29, January 2017]

Memorise: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. – Acts 10:35

Read: Acts 10:1-8 (KJV)

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;

8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

Bible in One Year: Luke 8, Isaiah 26:1-19

MESSAGE:

“27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” - Romans 1:27-28

From the scripture above, it is true that nature abhors a vacuum. Your mind was designed to retain the knowledge of God. However, if it is not used for that purpose, do not be surprised that it will become filled with junk and warped reasoning. How true the word of God is throughout the ages! What this scripture foretold centuries ago is exactly what we find being manifested right before our very eyes today. One reason why some people attach themselves to sodomy, lesbianism, bestiality and all kinds of abominable acts today is because they have shut their hearts to the truth of God’s word. This includes those gays who profess to be religious. Such people do not have a true, inward relationship with God. Are you battling with evil thoughts? Then fill your mind with the knowledge of God, His word, His ways and His testimonies, and there will be no space for junk and the lies of the devil in it.

Do you know that God is seriously searching for those who are seeking for Him? The Bible in Psalms 14:2 says:

“The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.”

Wherever He finds them, irrespective of the religious sect they belong to, one way or another, He charts a path for them to come out, get to know and serve Him in the right way. This was the experience of Cornelius. This officer in the Roman army was still practicing Judaism after Jesus had come to introduce salvation by faith in Him. Despite the fact that Jesus had come and had finished the work of salvation, and the gospel was being preached, Cornelius continued worshipping God the same way he had always done before. Nevertheless, God saw the sincerity of his desire for Him, and He arranged for Him to meet Apostle Peter, who taught him the new and living way to God. There are people in different faiths who are truly seeking God but are doing so wrongly. Pray that like Cornelius, God will lead them the right way, out of where they are into His kingdom.

Key Point: Having a PhD in an academic discipline does not necessarily make you wise before God. Wisdom comes from seeking God.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Open Heavens 7 January 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Be Thou Perfect

Open Heavens 7 January 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Be Thou Perfect

Topic: Be Thou Perfect [Saturday 7, January 2017]

Memorise: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. – Matthew 5:48

Read: Genesis 17:1-9 (KJV)

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 14-5 and Isaiah 5:24-6:7

MESSAGE:

There are many misconceptions about God’s demand for perfection. These misconceptions have led some people to erroneously conclude that perfection is an unrealistic aim in the Christian walk, and should therefore be abandoned. To debunk this line of thought, our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s memory verse re-echoes His Father’s demand for our perfection. My prayer is that the power of God will come upon you today, and you will begin to live in perfection as God demands in Jesus’ Name. Why do people see God’s demand for our perfection as being unattainable? It’s because they think that perfection is to be attained by our strength. However, the truth of the matter is this: if man did not create himself but came to existence through the power and wisdom of God, by this same wisdom and power, God will help him to meet His demands. The problem with such people is unbelief. For this reason, the Bible inHebrews 11:6 says:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Unbelief breeds disobedience. The case of the first man and woman shows this. They fell into imperfection through their unbelief in the efficacy and infallibility of God’s word! This is in contrast to Abraham, of whom God also demanded perfection, who responded to God’s demand in faith. This is why the Scripture say this about him:

“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” - Galatians 3:6

From God’s point of view, perfection is total obedience to His instructions in faith. You are perfect if you obey what God asks you to do, even if it seems illogical or is politically incorrect. Obedience in faith brings justification, which is the key to perfection.

Do you find yourself in a state of unbelief? Are you one of those who don’t believe perfection is attainable? If you are, you must pray today like the man whose child was tormented by the devils in Mark 9:24:

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Action Point: The Spirit of Jesus Christ helps us into perfection. Therefore, accept Jesus today and ask Him to give you His Spirit, and His Spirit will make you perfect.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Open Heavens 1 January 2017: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Starting A New Year

Open Heavens 1 January 2017: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Starting A New Year

Topic: Starting A New Year [Sunday 1, January 2017]

Memorise: Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. – Ecclesiastes 7:8

Read: Job 8:5-7 (KJV)

5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 1-3, Isaiah 1:1-17

MESSAGE:

Welcome to this New Year! It is always good to experience something pleasantly new. At the dawn of a new year, hopes are renewed, aspirations are born and expectations are high. But when the ups and downs of life take their toll in the course of the year, many people are not able to sustain the zeal and zest that they started the year with. Does this sound familiar? For some, it appears as if the events they experience in the course of the year are set up to completely dash their hopes. If this has been your experience, it shall be different this time around in the mighty Name of Jesus.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” - Jeremiah 29:11

As you take in the fresh New Year breeze, know for sure that God has something great in store for you which will unfold in the course of this year. Something huge is coming your way, so let your hope be fixed on the Lord. God wants you to end this year big and great, and to have your heart overflowing with joy. Remember that in the Kingdom of God, the end of a thing is always of greater significance than its beginning. Hence, the Holy Ghost in Job 8:7 said:

“Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.”

Because some people start a new year with little or nothing, they don’t expect anything great to come their way that year. If you find yourself in such a situation, know that if you settle some key issues in your life, you can be assured of a greater, bigger and glorious year. First, start the year with God (Proverbs 8:17).If you are still living in sin, the greatest way to start this year is by going on your knees, confessing your sins to God, asking for His forgiveness and inviting Jesus Christ to be your captain and pilot from now onwards. Also, you need to cultivate a personal relationship with God by studying the Bible regularly, fellowshipping with other believers in a Bible-believing Church, worshipping God and taking time to pray on daily basis. In addition, daily ask God for direction, wait to receive it, and be sure to follow as He leads. Utilise all opportunities that come your way and give your best to God and His work. If you do all these, I assure you that this year will end very well for you.

Action Point: Thank God for granting you access to this New Year. Let your thanksgiving be a daily offering to God this year.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.