Open Heavens 7 October 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Be Faithful

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 7TH October 2017

THEME: BE FAITHFUL

Memorise:

"But godliness with contentment is great gain". 1Timothy 6:6

Read: Luke 16:10-13

16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Message:

A lot of people think it is impossible to live a life of faithfulness, and for this reason, unfaithfulness has become a norm in today’s world. The world may tolerate unfaithfulness and live with its consequences, but we as children of God cannot afford to live a life of unfaithfulness. The Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 4:2 notifies us of God’s requirement in this regard:

  “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Faithfulness has a secret which many may not recognize because its simplicity. This secret is revealed in today’s memory verse. It is contentment. Discontentment - an off-shoot of godlessness - makes a person live an unfaithful life. When you are contented with what you have, you won’t indulge in ungodly or immoral acts in order to get what you do not have. When you live a life of contentment, you won’t like King Ahab misuse your position to entrap an innocent person, so that you can take over what belongs to him or her (1 Kings 21). Contentment will prevent you from being envious of people under you who are being celebrated for faithfully discharging their duties to the glory of God. Lack of contentment made Haman hate Mordecai, so much so that he planned to get rid of an innocent, dutiful but uncompromising doorman (Esther 5:11-14). Haman misused his position as a member of the king’s cabinet to pursue the destruction of innocent people (Esther 3:8-11). This is exactly what some people in privileged position are doing today, even though this is their own peril.

Faithfulness applies in terms of money and position, but it is also applicable in the use of your time. This is manifested in such areas as the time you are expected to spend at your place of work. It is ignorance that makes a child of God to think that he or she can spend just two out of the required eight hours at work, and then expect commendation by the God of Justice, when he or she brings the tithes of wages he or she did not work for. The Name of the Lord is blasphemed when a so-called child of God absconds from work for days - pursuing “missions”- only to come back and collect full wages covering the period of absence, in the full glare of unbelievers. God’s requirement of our faithfulness in stewardship applies to every area of our lives. My prayer is that the Almighty God will open your eyes to see the different areas of life you are lacking in faithfulness, and grant you grace to live faithfully in all areas. Through faithfulness, unbelievers will see the light and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. This virtue of faithfulness was the reason why employers of labour came to our Church in those days to recruit workers for their secular establishments. May God bring such days back to us in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, through Your Spirit, please help me to be faithful in life as a steward of the Name of Jesus Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

1 Corinthians 4-6

Daniel 4:4-18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus

Daily let me go;

Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,

More of grace to know.

Refrain:

Oh, deeper yet, I pray,

And higher every day,

And wiser, blessed Lord,

In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,

Take me deeper still,

Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,

And His perfect will.

Refrain:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,

Deeper let me go!

Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,

Let me fruitful grow.

Refrain:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,

Till all conflict past,

Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image

Perfected at last.

Refrain:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,

Holy faith and true;

In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom

Let me peace pursue.

Refrain:

Open Heavens 6 October 2017: Friday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Living In Death?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 6TH October 2017

THEME: LIVING IN DEATH?

Memorise:
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 1 John 3:14

Read: 1 John 3:11-16

3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Message:

Do you know that it is very possible for one to be alive but living in death? Any man who does not have the life of God, manifested as a new life in Christ Jesus, is dead even though he or she is physically alive. If you have received the new life of Christ, you have the nature of God, and one of the defining characteristics of this nature is love (1 John 4:16). This is why the Lord Jesus Christ emphasized that there is no greater commandment than that which is anchored on love for God and love for fellow men (Matthew 22:37-40). You cannot claim to love God when you have hatred and bitterness towards your fellow men. Where there is no love, there will be deceit. There is a lot of deceit in the interpersonal relationships between people today. Do you really love, or are you pretending to love? If you live a life of love, you are living in Christ; but if you are only pretending to love when deep inside you there is so much hatred and evil-plotting against your brother, then you are living in death. The new life in Christ is a spiritual experience that puts an end to all forms of bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness in your heart.  Manifesting love for God and love for others around you showcases the real image of God in you, which is characterized by purity, holiness and righteousness.

At the root of all the displacement, destruction and crime witnessed all over the world is the absence of love. Love is at the core of man’s existence. Love is the root of our salvation, and so, nothing genuine can be achieved among brethren if there is no love. When you have love, you will show compassion for those suffering and be willing to help. When you walk in love, you will no longer keep record of wrong done against you by others. Rather, you will let go and let God have His way in your life. True love is not easily offended, and it is always willing to forgive. It is this love that enables you to show kindness to those who hurt you, even though you have the power to harm or punish them. You choose to ignore their deeds because you know that there is nothing you have that you have not received from God. the word of God says prophesy and knowledge will fail, but love will always stand the test of time. Don’t envy others to the point of getting bitter with them. It is not a sign of love. Instead, let us encourage one another. You should not take other people for granted or malign others because you feel superior to them. A child of God should not revenge anything done against him or her, because vengeance is the Lord’s. Are you walking in love, or are you living in death?

Key Point:
If you love God, you won’t hate your fellow men.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Corinthians 1-3
Daniel 3:24-4:3                                                                                        

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: ON THE HILL FAR AWAY

1.  On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

2.  Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain:

3.  In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain:

4.  To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.


Refrain: