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Showing posts from April, 2016

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: FRIDAY JANUARY 17TH 2025

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TOPIC: DON'T OUTGROW CORRECTIONS MEMORISE:  While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Hebrews 3:15 READ : Proverbs 15:10-12 10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. 11 Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men? 12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. MESSAGE For every action or inaction, there are consequences. This is why you should consider it a great privilege when you have people around you who can correct you whenever you do something wrong so that you do not have to suffer terrible consequences. Unfortunately, some people do not listen to corrections. The Bible refers to such people as servants. A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer. Proverbs 29:19 You can choose between being corrected by words or by consequences. If you...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THE LORD, MY FORTRESS. SATURDAY 30 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. 2 Samuel 22:2 Read: Psalms 91:1-8 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Message The experience of the Psalmist concerning divine protection is worthy of study. Accordin...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. OVERCOMING TRIALS II. FRIDAY 29 APRIL 2016

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Memorise :  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 Read : James 4:6-10 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Message Submitting to the perfect will of God is a great weapon against trials and temptations. It is wisdom for us to submit to the One who is our present help in time of trouble. Jesus Christ is our closest ally in the battle of life. This is why those who do not have Him as their personal Lord and Saviour are vulnerably disposed to sorrow, frustration and death. For Us to enjoy the support and the defence of our great Ally , Jesus Christ , Apostle James wrote to say tha...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. OVERCOMING TRIALS I. THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12 Read: Proverbs 1:11-15 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: Message: The irony of the spiritual realm is that the tempter is the prosecutor. The Bible says: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and ...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. KNOW YOUR ENEMY II. WEDNESDAY 27 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24 Read : Romans 7:18-25 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Message: The flesh is another deadly enemy of...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. KNOW YOUR ENEMY I. TUESDAY 26 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Proverbs 1:10 Read : Genesis 3:1-5 1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Message: One of the earliest weapons of the devil against both spiritual and physical well-being of a man is enticement. He has, from time immemorial, been successfully using this weapon against humanity. The first time he used it was in the Garden of Eden. "And the serp...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. BELATED OFFERING? MONDAY 25 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. Luke 24:1 Read: Luke 24:1-8 1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, Me...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS? SUNDAY 24 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:10 Read: John 19:38-42 38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. Message From the beginning of the New Testament Church, ide...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. UNGODLY SORROW. SATURDAY 23 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. Luke 27:5 Read: Matthew 27:3-8 3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Message The type of sorrow that Judas Iscariot experienced is undesirable. I pray that you will not experience such a sorrow in your life in Jesus’ name. We...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.. GODLY SORROW? FRIDAY 22 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2ndCorinthians 7:10 Read: Luke 22:60-62 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. Message When Peter realized that he did not fulfil his promise to not deny Jesus Christ, the Bible says: “…he went out, and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75). This is what we call godly sorrow and it has its blessings. When an individual is confronted with reality of his sinful life and the certainty of hell, if he is not a reprobate, he will mourn of his woes. The best way to mourn for one’s sin is to confess and forsake them. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.. DENYING JESUS? THURSDAY 21 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalms 1:1 Read : Luke 22:54-60 54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. Message: The company you keep det...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. A BETRAYER? WEDNESDAY 20 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. Luke 22:21 Read: Luke 22:19-23 19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. Message A betrayer is a covenant breaker and there is danger in being a covenant breaker (Romans 1:31). A betrayer is someone who knows the secret of the strong and/or the weak point of an individual through an intimate relationship and leaks or exposes it to that individual’s opponent. A typical example of a betrayer is Judas Iscario...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME. TUESDAY 19 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 1 Corinthians 11:24 Read : 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 2...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. LESSONS FROM THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY. MONDAY 18 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. Mark 11:10 Read: Matthew 21:1-9 1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cu...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. ABUNDANT BLESSINGS . SUNDAY 17 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: Blessing shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Deuteronomy 28:3 Read: Deuteronomy 28:1-2 1 : And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Message: Jesus Christ said; “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). In other words, there are abundant blessings in the kingdom of God. It goes without saying that there is wisdom in seeking to please God above all other ambitions. The Almighty God revealed the secret of abundant blessings of His people in today’s scriptural reading; abundant blessing is embedded in perfect obedience to the Word of God...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. LET GOD HELP YOU II. SATURDAY 16 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. John 3:14 Read: Numbers 21:7-9 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Message The coming of sin into the human race brought about a lot of calamity into human life. One of the calamities is sickness. As sin can be very contagious in effect, so can sickness too. The good news, however, is that the Almighty God is also ready to help the human race get over this. He pr...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. LET GOD HELP YOU I. FRIDAY 15 APRIL 2015

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Memorise: If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:19 Read: Isaiah 1:18-20 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Message: There is one great barrier that stands between man and God; this barrier is sin. For thousands of years, man has struggled to get rid of this barrier, but all to no avail. However, God Almighty, in His infinite mercy decided to help man remove this barrier. Right from the Old Testament days, God has been offering individuals this olive leaf of reconciliation, but unfortunately many people have not responded to this gesture of love. “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. WHEN YOU NEED A MIRACLE. THURSDAY 14 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Psalm 50:15 Read : 1 Samuel 1:9-13 9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. Message: There is one thing that a child of God needs to know and do when he or she nee...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THE SOVEREIGN GOD. WEDNESDAY 13 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Isaiah 43:15 Read: Daniel 5:20-21 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. Message After King Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his kingly throne, his glory was taken away from him and he was disgraced to the point of eating grass like oxen, he came back to his senses to realise that the Most High God is the ultimate ruler in the kingdom of men. The problem with the king was that he got carried away with his achievements, thinking that they were the bye-products of his wisdom and physical powe...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THE UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER. TUESDAY 12 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8 Read: Genesis 32:24-32 24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun ro...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THE NEW MAN II. MONDAY 11 APRIL 2016

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Memorise: And that ye put on the new man, which after God created in  righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24 Read: Ephesians 4:22-25, 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Message The Bible says; “… they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5) This us why there is a need to put on the new man. As our memory verse states, we must put on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness. This is made possible through our reliance on the grace made available by Jesus Christ the Son of the living God. “The ...

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