Open Heaven 20 June 2018 [Wednesday] – Not from God

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 Memorise
But every man is tempted , when he us drawn away of his own list , and enticed. James 1:14

Bible Reading Open Heaven 20 June 2018: James 1:12-16

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 Bible in one year: 2 Kings 21-22, Acts 13:48-14:18

The message from the Holy Spirit to you today is that you must take responsibility for your actions in life. It is important to note that many trials and temptations we encounter in life are neither from God or from thr devil. You may then want to know where temptations emanate from. The Bible is clear on this: we cannot put the blame at God’s doorstep. James 1:13-14 says

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away do his own list, and enticed.”

It is expedient for us to differentiate between temptation and examination. Examination is intended to yield a positive result whereas temptation is intended to yield a negative result. Concerning temptations, if you are unable to overcome, you end up in a worse place or state compared to where you were before being tempted. Open Heaven 19 June 2018.

Open Heaven 20 June 2018

However, with regards to examinations, you usually get promoted once you successfully complete the examination. We can conveniently say that God examines those He wants to entrust with divine assignments (Genesis 22:1, Deuteronomy 3:2). Conversely, the devil, also referred to as the tempter takes advantage of a man’s list and vulnerabilities to tempt him or her, using the list of the eyes, the list of the flesh and the pride of life (1 Thessalonians 3:5, 1 John 2:16).

The truth of the matter is that man is responsible for his actions and inactions. However, the problem with us is that while we love to enjoy the freewill divinely bestowed on us, we are often not comfortable with being held responsible for whatever repercussions our actions bring to our lives. We can see a classic example of man denying responsibility in the way Adam responded to God’s query as to why he ate the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:11-13 says

“And he said, who told thee that thou east naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

Beloved you are responsible for your own actions and inactions. Adam misused his freewill, and his descendants are still suffering the consequence. Misuse of freedom leads to bondage, so beware

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 Prayer point:
Father, please give me the wisdom to make the best use of the liberty I have obtained through Christ my lord

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 Hymn 15
HYMN 15 – The Comforter Has Come

1 O spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound.
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

Refrain:
The Comforter has come! The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n, the Father’s promise giv’n,
O spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found:
The Comforter has come!

2 The long, long night is past; the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

3 Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;
And thro’ the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

4 O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine –
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine?
The Comforter has come! [Refrain