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Open Heaven 17 April 2018 – WHAT TO DO TO FINISH WELL

Open Heaven 17 April 2018 Tuesday – WHAT TO DO TO FINISH WELL

Open Heaven 17 April 2018 Memorise: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. Genesis 17:1

Read: Hebrews 12:1-8 Open Heavens 17 April 2018

1 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,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Open Heaven 17 April 2018

Bible in one year: Judges 5-6, 1st Timothy 6

Hymnal: Sing hymn 5

OPEN HEAVEN 17 APRIL 2018 TUESDAY DAILY DEVOTIONAL

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:” Ecclesiastes 7:8a

The devil is not bothered about how well we start our Christians journey, but he is concerned about how we end it. His ultimate desire is for us to end badly. From the above passage of scripture, we can see that it is important to ensure that we have a better ending in life.

Open Heaven 16 March 2018

I pray that you will end well and strong in Jesus’ Name. The secrets to ending well in life are contained in today’s memory verse and Bible reading. The first secret is to live a perfect life as demanded by the God of Abraham in Genesis 17:1. To live a perfect life is very simple if we can study those who have successfully gone ahead of us.

Father Abraham is a typical example of someone who obeyed God. Beginning from leaving his comfort zone in his father’s house to the point of sacrificing his only son, Isaac, Abraham obeyed God all the way (Genesis 12:1; 22:1-14). In other words, simple childlike obedience to God and His word is a secret for finishing well.

This was what enabled my father-in-the-Lord, the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, to finish well. Even when he was grievously wronged by the head of another church, God commanded him to make peace and he obeyed.

OPEN HEAVENS 17 APRIL 2018 TUESDAY

Another secret for finishing well is to look up to no one else but the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrew 12:2). The Almighty God has given Him to us as a better example than father Abraham. He is the Sinless One who suffered shame for the sinful. Some people try to justify themselves on some wrong actions they take by using the wickedness of other men around them as an excuse.

Today’s Bible reading is saying that we should follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ, who was falsely accused and subjected to shame but did not retaliate, because He believed that vengeance belonged to His Father.

He did not try to defend Himself in order to fulfil His destiny as our Redeemer. The Holy Spirit encourages us to consider Him who endured such opposition of sinners against Himself, lest we become weary and give up (Hebrews 12:3).

In addition, we are encouraged to resist the opposition of sin and strive against it to the point of death. May the good Lord strengthen us in this regard in Jesus’ Name. Beloved the key to living a perfect life for the successful ending of your Christian journey lies in your obedience to the word of God (Psalm 119:9).

The devil is trying to derail the Christian faith by faulting the word of God, describing it as a moribund treatise of the Jewish religion. Beware of this if you want to finish well and strong.

Prayer Point – Open Heaven 17 April 2018

Father, help me to finish well by giving me the grace to uphold Your word in its rightful place in my life.

OPEN HEAVEN 17 APRIL 2018 HYMN

SING HYMN 5 – I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

I have decide to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

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.

Through none go with me, still I

Will follow;

Through none go with me, still I

Will follow;

Through none go with me, still I

Will follow;

No turning back, no turning back.

My cross 1’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

My cross 1’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

My cross 1’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

Will you decide now to follow

Will you decide now to follow

Will you decide now to follow

No turning back, no turning back

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Open Heaven

OPEN HEAVEN 16 APRIL 2018 – ABBA FATHER

OPEN HEAVEN 16 APRIL 2018 – ABBA FATHER

Memorise: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8:15

OPEN HEAVEN 16 APRIL 2018 Read: Romans 8:14-17

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit
of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit, that we are the children
of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Bible in one year: Judges 3-4, 1st Timothy 5

There are many names used to describe God in the Holy Scriptures.
While all His names
are important in many ways, the name “Abba” is one of the most significant names of God in understanding how He relates with
mankind. The word Abba is an Aramaic word that means “Daddy” in common parlance. It is a loving name that young children use to address their father. This name shows the intimate relationship that exists between
father and child, and it conveys the absolute trust children have in their fathers.

It is important to recognise that although all those who believe in the Almighty can call Him God, not all of them can call Him Abba. Who then can refer to the Almighty as Abba?

Only those who have the boldness to call Him “Daddy”. These are people who believe in
Jesus, the Son of the Living God, and in the work of atonement He has accomplished for
all mankind (John 1:12-13) . Galatians 4:6 says,

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

Furthermore, only those who honour God as a child honours his or her daddy can call the
Almighty Abba. Malachi 1:6a says,

“A son honoureth his father, and a
servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour?”

Your attitude towards God as a Father will determine whether you can call Him Abba, because Abba is an appellation that confirms your intimate relationship with the Almighty. You may want to ask: How can I honour God
as Abba? You honour Him by keeping His
commandments.

Some so-called children of God erroneously believe that grace means
lawlessness. They couldn’t be further from the truth (Romans 6:1-2) ! There are many
blessings we receive when we are true children of the Great Abba. In Genesis 17:1 , Abba Father declared Himself as the Almighty God. Because He is almighty, He grants His children their requests and daily loads them with blessings ( Psalm 3:4, Psalm 68:19 ).

Beloved, do you belong to this loving Daddy? I congratulate you if your attitude towards Him is that of total disregard for His person or
blatant disobedience to His commandments,
then you need to change your ways today.

You stand to lose a whole lot if you don’t have God as your Father.

Prayer point –
Abba, Father, transform my attitude towards
You and draw me close to You in Jesus’ Name.

SING HYMN 15 – NEARER MY GOD
TO THEE
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee;
E’ en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.

Though, like a wanderer
The sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me,
My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer to Thee.

There let me see the sight,
An open heaven;
All that thou sendest me,
In mercy given;
Angles to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer to Thee

Then, with my walking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise,
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee

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