Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Tuesday, June 20, 2018) – Not From God

Sing a worship song and exalt the name of Jesus for the gift of life and the liberty you’ve obtained in Christ Jesus. Bless the lord for who He is and who He will continue to be in your life, family, career and business.

1.Thank you father for the privilege and honour to be called your child. Thank you for your Love, Mercy and Faithfulness upon my life.

2.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus’ name.

3.Father, I thank you for the freedom I enjoy in Christ Jesus. Thank you for saving me from the hands of the evil one.

4.Father, I ask for your understanding upon my life. I want to know you more.

5.Father, Father, please give me the wisdom to make the best use of the liberty I have obtained through Christ my lord, in Jesus’ name.

6.Lord, I thank you for the forgiveness of my sins and your redemption.

7.Father, I take responsibility of my actions. Holy spirit I ask for your divine guidance.

8.Father, Help me to never misuse the freedom You have given unto me in Jesus’ Name.

9.Father, thank You for Your divine understanding. I ask the Holy Spirit to give me deeper understanding of Your Word, in Jesus’ name

10.Father, I’ll pass all the examinations set ahead of me with the help of the Holy Spirit in the Name of Jesus.

11.Father, help Pastor E.A. Adeboye to cover more grounds, in his divine assignment and fulfil his destiny, in Jesus’ name.

12.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)
13.In Jesus’ name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Open Heaven [24 June 2018] Sunday – The two-legged instructions

Open Heaven 24 June 2018 Memorise
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore Got, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Hebrews 1:9

Bible Reading Romans 1:28-32

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,

30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;

31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Open Heaven 24 June 2018 Bible in one year: 1 Chronicles 4-5, Acts 16:16-40

During a solemn Assembly at the Redemption Camp, Nigeria, the Lord instructed me to teach my children who were present some pairs of “two-legged ” divine instructions which every Christian should adhere to. What we see today is that most Christians are obeying only one of  these instruction pairs while deliberately ignoring the other. Today, we will be considering the pair of instructions revealed in our memory verse

While it is easy for every Christian to love righteousness, hating iniquity is what is beginning to fade away. Christians are beginning to give consideration to and show sympathy for iniquity. Issues that are clearly called out as iniquity in the Bible are being tolerated by Christians and have even become subjects of discussion in Church of God. Such acts of iniquity include sexual immorality like fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality and the likes. These two passages of the scripture reveal the danger of harbouring such disposition:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do this things which are not convenient;”
Romans 1:28

“Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death , not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Romans 1:32

Based on the truth contained in these verses, a lot of Christians have fallen from the position of grace , and God has give them over to reprobate mind. Although they are usually still able to speak all the right Christian words and phrases, their doctrines and principles are no longer in line with the Scriptures. Some have even gone ahead to start their own congregation where these false doctrines are being taught. Open Heaven 25 June 2018

Open Heaven 24 June 2018

The Lord warns us against false prophets in Revelation 2:20. The only way to avoid falling prey to false prophets and ensure you remain on the straight and narrow path is to have a personal relationship with God. You need to study thr word of God yourself to know what it says is right or wrong. Your Christian life should not be built on your pastor’s interpretation of the Scriptures.I pray that you will grow in your knowledge of God as you study your Bible more.

Open Heaven 24 June 2018 Prayer Point
Father, please grant me grace to be diligent in doing Your bidding when it is convenient and when it is not

We sincerely hope you’ve been blessed by today’s devotional message. Click the WhatsApp or Facebook button below the Hymn to share with your friends, families and colleagues. Please, drop a comment if you’ve truly been blessed by Pastor E A Adeboye’s message. God bless you! 

Open Heaven 24 June 2018 Hymn 4

Through the love of God our Saviour

Verse 1

Through the love of God our Savior,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favor;
All, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us;
Perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us;
All must be well.

Verse 2

Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Ours is such a full salvation;
All, all is well.
Happy still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy through the Spirit’s guiding,
All must be well.

Verse 3

We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well.
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Or in living, or in dying,
All must be well.

Open Heaven [22 June 2018]  Friday – A Shepherd Or A Hunter

Open Heaven 22 June 2018 Memorise:
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 1 Peter 5:4

Bible Reading 1 Peter 5:1-4

1. To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

2 Be shepherds of God’s flockthat is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;

3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Open Heaven 22 June 2018 Bible in one year: 2 Kings 24-25, Acts 15:12-35

It is disheartening to note that many hunters have crept into the Body of Christ, disguising themselves as shepherds. How do we distinguish a hunter from a shepherd? A hunter is an opportunist who feeds on the flesh of animals he did not rear. He kills his game indiscriminately without consideration for the wellbeing of the animals he kills. Open Heaven 24 June 2018 (Sunday)

A Shepherd, on the other hand , knows even the smallest  details about the state of his or her flock. His disposition to the flock is captured beautifully in psalms 23. Psalms 23:1-3 says,

“The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie in green pastures : He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

All this occupying the office of Shepherd in the Body of Christ are instructed on God’s expectation of them in today’s Bible reading. They are expected to feed the flock of God and watch over them without any constraints or covetousness. Open Heaven 23 June 2018

Open Heaven 22 June 2018

Unlike a hunter that goes after a kill, the shepherd must nurture, preserve and ensure the safety of the sheep. He pampers the lambs and leads the sheep towards green pastures. The shepherd defends the flock against external aggression of wolves and other carnivores. Jesus Christ is our perfect example of a shepherd. In John 10:11, He said

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

God expects us to be good shepherds just as our Lord Jesus Christ is. In the Body of Christ today, it is unfortunate that we have unsuspecting sheep who are being led by hunters instead of shepherds. Paul wrote concerning them in Philippians 3:18-19 saying:

“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”

Beloved, you need to identify the shepherds and the hunters in the Body of  Christ and ensure you are not being led by a hunter. Any pastor whose primary concern is what he or she can get out of you and not how you would be nurtured and built up in christ is a hunter. I pray that God will open your eyes of understanding and enable you to discern if you are under a hunter or a shepherd

Open Heaven 22 June 2018 Prayer Point
Father, please rid your Church of hunters disguising in the coat of shepherds in Jesus’ Name

We sincerely hope you’ve been blessed by today’s devotional message. Click the WhatsApp or Facebook button below the Hymn to share with your friends, families and colleagues. Please, drop a comment if you’ve truly been blessed by Pastor E A Adeboye’s message. God bless you! 

Open Heaven 22 June 2018 Hymn 12

How sweet the name of Jesus

Verse 1:
How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

Verse 2:
It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.

Verse 3:
Jesus! My Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
O Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Verse 4:
Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.

Verse 5:
Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!

Open Heaven [23 June 2018] Saturday –Defiance is Allowed

Open Heaven 23 June 2018 Memorise
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. Acts 4:19

Bible Reading Daniel 3:13-26

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,

14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?

15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.

17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.

18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual

20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.

21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.

22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,

23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,

Open Heaven 23 June 2018 Bible on one year: 1 Chronicles 1-3, Acts 15:36-16:15

The narrative in today’s Bible reading highlights one of those instances where we can go against secular and religious authority. This story tells of how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to obey the law of the land. There is a time for everything under heaven.

There is a time when in order to obey the law of God, you have to disobey the law of the land. These three young men were accused and found guilty of religious anarchism. In simple terms, they were tagged criminals because they were found guilty of breaking the Law, and the penalty for this was death by burning.

Open Heaven 23 June 2018

Nevertheless these young men defied the threat of torturous death in a fiery furnace. Their attitude made it seem as if they had listened to the teaching of Jesus Christ in Mark 9:45-46, where He said:

“And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

As seen in Acts 4:19, a similar act of defiance was exhibited by the early disciples. Peter stood up to the religious leaders of that time, giving them a rhetorical question to ponder on. He asked for their advice on whom to obey: earthly leaders or God. Beloved, you need to be defiant whenever you are asked to go against the law of God.The time to stand up for your faith a d values is when you are asked to go against it.

If at the expense of standing up for God, you melt in the face of threats to your life. Comfort or career, you cannot call yourself a Christian. Are you in a situation where you are compromising on the truth? Are you falsifying records in your office or business to make money? Are you collecting bribe before you do your work? Are you covering up for corrupt colleagues or friends? If you find yourself in such circumstances, you need to search deep within your heart and choose whom you will serve today.

Serving God means that every moment of your day, every acton that you take and every utterance that you make are viewed as service to Him. Always be conscious of the fact that your actions at your place of work or business counts as service to God. Your attitude towards everyone around you is also service to God. I pray that the Holy Spirit will convict your heart and enable you to stand up for Jesus every day

Open Heaven 23 June 2018 Action Point
Read Joshua 1:8 meditatively and pray for God’s wisdom to apply His law to your day-to-day activities.

We sincerely hope you’ve been blessed by today’s devotional message. Click the WhatsApp or Facebook button below the Hymn to share with your friends, families and colleagues. Please, drop a comment if you’ve truly been blessed by Pastor E A Adeboye’s message. God bless you! 

Open Heaven 23 June 2018 Hymn 16

GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES

Verse 1:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

Verse 2:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyful with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

Verse 3:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

Verse 4:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

Open Heaven [25 June 2018] Monday – Let Your Obedience Be Complete

Memorise
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:6

Bible Reading 2 Kings 5:8-14

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.

10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”

14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Open Heaven 25 June 2018 Bible in one year: 1 Chronicles 6-7, Acts 17:1-15

In the Body of Christ, we often talk about how Noah found grace in the sight of God, but we hardly ever mention what the Bible says about him in Genesis 6:22

“Thus did Noah ;according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”

Noah was an obedient instrument in the hands of the Most High God, and God cherished him for that. To show the extent to which God cherishes obedience, Prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:22 said:

“…Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Naaman’s story teaches that only complete obedience to divine instructions is rewarded. Prophet Elisha had instructed Naaman to go and wash in River Jordan seven time in order to receive healing from his leprosy. When he first heard this , he felt insulted for not being given a dignified reception, as Elisha did not even grant him face to face audience.

Open Heaven 25 June 2018

He also felt insulted at the simplicity of what he was asked to do and where he was asked to do it. He was instructed to wash seven times in “dirty” River Jordan. His initial response to God’s instructions is captured in 2Kings 5:12 as follows:

“Are not Ababa and Pharpa, rivers of Damascus, better than all the water of Israel?may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”

Thank God he had servants who persuaded him to do what the prophet had said. After his servants succeeded in persuading him, the result that followed shows that the pains of complete obedience pale in comparison to its benefits. 2 Kings 5:14 says

“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

Beloved, only after Naaman’s obedience was complete did he receive his miracle. The loss would have been great if Naaman had stopped dipping his body in the river after the fifth or sixth attempt, since nothing about his situation had changed. I pray that your obedience to the word of God would be complete, and you will receive your miracle thereafter in Jesus’ Name

Open Heaven 25 June 2018 Prayer Point
Father, make my heart a fertile ground that is yielded to the complete obedience of divine instructions in Jesus’ Name.

We sincerely hope you’ve been blessed by today’s devotional message. Click the WhatsApp or Facebook button below the Hymn to share with your friends, families and colleagues. Please, drop a comment if you’ve truly been blessed by Pastor E A Adeboye’s message. God bless you! 

Open Heaven 25 June 2018 Hymn 4

Through the love of God our Saviour

Verse 1

Through the love of God our Savior,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favor;
All, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us;
Perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us;
All must be well.

Verse 2

Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Ours is such a full salvation;
All, all is well.
Happy still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy through the Spirit’s guiding,
All must be well.

Verse 3

We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well.
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Or in living, or in dying,
All must be well.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TEENS AND CHILDREN TUESDAY 19TH JUNE 2018: READY TO GO

MEMORISE: And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give Every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12

Please read:John 14:1-3

MESSAGE:
Apart from the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, He is coming back again. John 14:1-3 says one reason He went away was because of you and I. He went to prepare a place for us. He is coming to take us to those prepared mansions. Are you ready? He is coming.

The signs of His return surround us: the move towards
increase in knowledge, lots of people growing cold in the Lord. Even if He tarries, when your time comes to leave you will go.

Each time somebody dies, for that fellow, the Lord has returned.

Jesus Christ is coming back soon. Are you prepared?

ACTION POINT:
What is that thing that can disqualify you from Heaven? Deal with it today before it is too late.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Nehemiah 9-11
Acts 4:1-22

Hymn 7
1. I am Thine 0 Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Chorus
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Tuesday, June 19, 2018) – Deep Thoughts, Deep Thanks

Sing a worship song and exalt the name of Jesus for mercy. Bless the lord for who He is and who He will continue to be.

1.Thank you father for the privilege and honour to be called your child. Thank you for your Love, Mercy and Faithfulness upon my life.

2.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus’ name.

3.Father, fill me afresh to the brim with your Holy Ghost, in Jesus’ name.

4.Father, I ask for your understanding upon my life. I want to know you more.

5.Father, I want to be like David. Give me the grace to praise you like David did, in Jesus’ name.

6.Lord, I thank you for the forgiveness of my sins and your redemption.

7.Father, I surrender to you my life and everything that you have blessed me with. Do a new thing in my life

8.Father, thank you for your lovingkindness: a kindness that is not ordinary but full of love

9.Father , thank you for Your tender mercies: mercy that is affectionate and adds no sorrow?, in Jesus’ name

10.Father, thank you for everything. For the food I eat everyday of my life. Lord, help me to make thanksgiving habitual alk the days of my life in the Precious Name of Jesus.

11.Father, help Pastor E.A. Adeboye to cover more grounds, in his divine assignment and fulfil his destiny, in Jesus’ name.

12.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)
13.In Jesus’ name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Prayer Points For Today’s Open Heavens 18 June 2018 – Want Your Prayers Answered?

1.Thank you, Father, for your promise to supply all my needs, according to your riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.

2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus’ name.

3.Father, grant the grace me to make myself and my resources available for soul winning today in Jesus’ Name, in Jesus’ name.

4.Father, If You could do it for Peter, You can also do it for me, in Jesus’ name.

5.Father, give me the grace to go and win souls to your kingdom, in Jesus’ name.

6.Father, I will use my tongue to prophecy good tidings, to sing a new song unto my King and to tell the world how great you are, in Jesus’ name.

7.Father, I make myself available for your use. Make use of me as s vessel unto honor in Jesus’ name.

8.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)

9.In Jesus’ name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

10.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

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

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 [Thursday] – Judging or Teaching

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 Memorise
My brethren , be not many masters , knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. James 3:1

Bible Reading Acts 28:1-6

1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.

2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.

3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.

4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.”

5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 Bible in one year: 2 Kings 23, Acts 14:19-15:11

In a bid to evade the verbal chastisement of the word of God coming from the mouth of fellow believers, some Christians quote these words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Such Christians conveniently forget the words of 2 Timothy 4:2, which says

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

While it is true that some Christians today are quick to judge others for situation they are passing through, which is an attitude the Lord warned us against, it does not mean that we cannot declare the counsel of God whenever we are so moved by the Spirit of God to do so. The question is, what is the difference between having a judgemental attitude and declaring the whole counsel of God through teaching or preaching? Just like vengeance, judgment also is the prerogative of the Almighty God. Open Heaven 20 June 2018

As demonstrated in the story of the adulterous woman, He alone is the accurate and righteous Judge. From the story, we see that man’s judgement can be faulty, because the one judging others may be guilty of the same sin (John 8:7-9). Only God is without sin, therefore He alone is competent enough to pass judgement. Indeed, He has passed judgement through His word, and He will confirm this judgement through the Lord Jesus Christ on a day he has appointed ( John 12:48, Romans 2:16).

To be judgemental is to judge wrongly. Many are prone to doing this, and this is the reason why we are warned not to judge. Paul’s experience in today’s Bible reading is a typical example of the error of man’s judgement.

Open Heaven 21 June 2018

The Lord had just spared the lives of Paul and those whom he was travelling with on account of Paul’s right standing with Him. While the apostle was gathering sticks to increase the heat of the fire that was keeping them warm, a poisonous snake caught him by the hand. Some of the native people of the land where they were shipwrecked jumped to the conclusion that Paul was evil and that was why nemesis was still after him, even though he had managed to survive a shipwreck (Acts 28:4).

How wrong they were! Let us therefore be cautious before drawing connections between events because our knowledge is limited. Let us allow the word of God speak the judgement of God by itself and not insert our own speculations and motives into the fray.

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 Action Point
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2Timothy 2:15).

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 Hymn 7
Hymn 7 – O Jesus, I have promised

1. O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment:
Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me,
My Savior and my Friend