OPEN HEAVENS 2017

IMPEDIMENTS TO PRAYER – Tuesday February 28th 2017

Memorise: If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Psalm 66:18

Read: Isaiah 59:1-4 (King James Version)

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

Bible in one year: Genesis 25-26, Isaiah 47:1-13, Hymn: Sing hymn 6

MESSAGE

The fact that God answers prayers is without doubt. Anytime you call on Him, as long as it is in the Name of Jesus, you can be sure the answer will come. Jesus in John 14:14 said,

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

To God, answering prayers is a question of keeping His word. He said if you call upon Him when you are in trouble, He will deliver you, and He is bound by His word (Psalm 50:15, Hebrews 6:18). There was once a contest between the prophet of God, Elijah, and 450 prophets of an idol called Baal (1st Kings 18:19-24). Each side was to call on their God or god; the goal was to see which side would receive a response by fire. The prophets of Baal called on their god from morning till afternoon, but there was no answer. The moment the man of God called on the Lord, fire fell from heaven. God is still in the business of answering prayers, but are you still in the business of obeying Him? Be assured that God is still in the business of stilling raging storms. If you remove iniquity from your heart, you will call on Him and He will answer and deliver you.

As much as God desires to answer your prayers, if you still enjoy a life of sin, your prayers cannot be answered. We must make conscious efforts to remove all impediments to our prayers. Such impediments include what the Bible describes as “the sin which doth so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1). The pleasures of the flesh run against God’s expectations (Galatians 5:17). Such pleasures will not allow us to receive answers to our prayers. We must be weary of gossip because there is great danger in every idle word we speak (Matthew 12:36). Jesting should also be avoided (Ephesians 5:4). Jesting refers to unholy jokes. God is not against laughter and humour as some people wrongly believe. Open Heavens 2017 Tuesday 28 February 2017:-Impediments to prayer. He is pleasantly humorous, but we must keep ourselves from unhealthy jokes that hinder holy living or make fun of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is not just looking for those who are calling on Him for miracles and signs; He is searching for those who will lift up holy hands and a pure heart before Him (Psalm 24:3-5). He is looking for those who are ready and committed to walking in His footsteps. God is holy, and He has called us to holy living. We are to do as He commands because we are light of the world. God in Heaven is glorified when our light shines in the midst of the darkness of this world. If you don’t want any impediment of your prayers from now on, you must amend your ways. If you have been stealing, repent and steal no more. If you have been involved in questionable transactions and dealings, you have to repent and forsake such ways. Rccg devotional 2017. If your life is right with God, your prayers will not be hindered.

Action Point

Confess every pleasure of the flesh you have yield to, asking for grace to live above them.

Tuesday 28 February 2017, Open Heaven Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

DCLM Daily Manna, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 TWO DESTINIES, ONE WAY

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017

TWO DESTINIES, ONE WAY

-MATTHEW 7:13-20

KEY VERSE:

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:14).

One of the difficulties travelers on first visit usually face is finding their way. The difficulty becomes complex if the traveler comes to a crossroads where he/she has to take a decision which way to go. At such a time, it becomes imperative to seek a guide. The same is true of every person who is a stranger in the journey of life. Two ways are before us all. One is straight and narrow which leads to eternal life; the other is broad with a wide gate. The first way leads to eternal life with God but the latter to hell with Satan. The text gives an example of broadway travelers - the false prophets and their followers. These are easily identified by the evil fruit they bear. Their evil character and conduct are manifest to them, to onlookers and God. Jesus Christ is the true and only way to life. To find Him, you must humble yourself, turn from your sins and accept Him as Lord and Saviour. That is why the way is narrow but not impassable. When you come on this way, your life is transformed and you are able to bear fruit of righteousness. You cannot be born into this way nor come on it by good works. Entrance is only through repentance and faith in Christ. The broadway is the way of the world. It is so wide that there is no restraint. All men are born into it. Broadway travelers are also known by the works of the flesh they manifest. The choice is yours today, and your choice will ultimately determine where you will spend eternity; either in hell or in heaven. Are you on the narrow or on the broadway? Are you living a righteous or sinful life? If you are still on the broadway, it is not difficult to come into the narrow way. Jesus has paid the price for your redemption. Come now, for all things are ready for you.

Thought for the day: The way of the cross leads home.

Bible Reading in one Year: 1 SAMUEL 1-2

Our Daily Bread Monday, February 27, 2017 Ring of Invisibility

Our Daily Bread

Monday,
February 27, 2017

Ring of Invisibility

Read:  John 3:16-21

Everyone who does evil hates the light. John 3:20 

The Greek philosopher Plato (c. 427–c. 348 bc) found an imaginative way of shining light on the dark side of the human heart. He told the story of a shepherd who innocently discovered a golden ring that had been hidden deep in the earth. One day a great earthquake opened up an ancient mountainside tomb and revealed the ring to the shepherd. By accident he also discovered that the ring had the magical ability to enable the wearer to become invisible at will. Thinking about invisibility, Plato raised this question: If people didn’t have to worry about being caught and punished, would they resist doing wrong?

In John’s gospel we find Jesus taking this idea in a different direction. There, Jesus, known as the Good Shepherd, speaks of hearts that stay in the cover of darkness to hide what they are doing (John 3:19–20). He isn’t calling attention to our desire for cover-up to condemn us, but to offer us salvation through Him (v. 17). As the Shepherd of our hearts, He brings the worst of our human nature to light to show us how much God loves us (v. 16).

God in His mercy calls us out of our darkness and invites us to follow Him in the light. — Mart DeHaan

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the light of Your presence in my life. May I walk obediently in the light of Your truth in all that I do this day.

Sin’s darkness retreats when Christ’s light is revealed.

Bible in a year: Numbers 17-19; Mark 6:30-56

OPEN HEAVENS 2017 SINCERITY – Monday February 27th 2017

OPEN HEAVENS 2017

SINCERITY – Monday February 27th 2017

Memorise: In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity. Titus 2:7

Read: 2nd Corinthians 2:14-17 (King James Version)

14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Bible in one year: Genesis 24, Isaiah 46

MESSAGE

Insincerity is one of the greatest reasons behind the downfall of many believers today. Some people claim to love God, but the kind of fruit they manifest makes people question the genuineness of their salvation. Loving God is not just by words, it must reflect in all that we do and in our approach to life. The moment we are saved, we should no longer walk as those who are heading for eternal damnation. The word of God must be obeyed in its entirety. There are believers today who cherry-pick the aspects of the Bible they want to obey. This should not be so! After we are saved, it is expected of us to immediately renounce all the hidden things of dishonesty (2nd Corinthians 4:2). We cannot afford to be careless in our Christian walk, because we have an adversary (1st Peter 5:8). To be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, we must be sincere with ourselves. One of the things that gave David victory over Goliath was his sincerity. Although King Saul offered David his armour, David was sincere enough to admit that he had never tired that approach (1st Samuel 17:38-39). His sincerity made him stick to his familiar strategy of using smooth stones and a catapult, rather than wasting his time on an untested line of attack that would not produce results.

Today, there are many ministers of the gospel who have abandoned the true gospel for a social message. They believe that people are not interested in hearing the truth. This is false! Some believe that if they preach the true gospel to people, they will find it very hard and most will turn away, hence, they water down their messages. Such ministers need to learn from Jesus (John 6:60-67). If Samson had been sincere with himself, he would not have died the kind of death he died (Judges 16:21-30). The devil had tested Samson several times and had found out that he had no wisdom. Samson knew he had a weakness for women, but he refused to admit it. He felt things would always remain as they were (Judges 16:20). If he was sincere, he would have built a wall of defence between himself and his weaknesses. He kept a relationship he knew God did not approve of. He kept visiting places he should not visit, just like some Christians today who visit bars; even though they know ungodly things happen there. Are you finding it difficult to stop stealing, yet you still join others in counting offering money? Are you finding it difficult to keep your eyes off your female secretary, despite speaking in tongues, and yet you have not eased her out? Are you competing with the grace of God in other people’s lives, despite the fact that God has told you your own area of strength? If any of these describes you, then you are not being sincere with yourself!

Prayer Point

Father, grant me the grace to sincerely deal with every weakness in my life.

Monday 27 February 2017, Open Heaven Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

My Utmost For His Highest, Monday February 20, 2017 Taking the Initiative Against Daydreaming

My Utmost For His Highest, 

Monday February 20, 2017

Taking the Initiative Against Daydreaming

Daydreaming about something in order to do it properly is right, but daydreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong. In this passage, after having said these wonderful things to His disciples, we might have expected our Lord to tell them to go away and meditate over them all. But Jesus never allowed idle daydreaming. When our purpose is to seek God and to discover His will for us, daydreaming is right and acceptable. But when our inclination is to spend time daydreaming over what we have already been told to do, it is unacceptable and God’s blessing is never on it. God will take the initiative against this kind of daydreaming by prodding us to action. His instructions to us will be along the lines of this: “Don’t sit or stand there, just go!”

If we are quietly waiting before God after He has said to us, “Come aside by yourselves…” then that is meditation before Him to seek His will (Mark 6:31). Beware, however, of giving in to mere daydreaming once God has spoken. Allow Him to be the source of all your dreams, joys, and delights, and be careful to go and obey what He has said. If you are in love with someone, you don’t sit and daydream about that person all the time— you go and do something for him. That is what Jesus Christ expects us to do. Daydreaming after God has spoken is an indication that we do not trust Him.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him. 

Our Daily Bread Monday, February 20, 2017 River Tree

Our Daily Bread

Monday,
February 20, 2017

River Tree

Read: Jeremiah 17:5-10 

They will be like a tree planted by the water.Jeremiah 17:8 

This was a tree to be envied. Growing on riverfront property, it didn’t have to worry about weather reports, withering temperatures, or an uncertain future. Nourished and cooled by the river, it spent its days lifting its branches to the sun, holding the earth with its roots, cleaning the air with its leaves, and offering shade to all who needed refuge from the sun. 

By contrast, the prophet Jeremiah pointed to a shrub (Jer. 17:6). When the rains stopped and the summer sun turned the ground to dust, the bush shriveled into itself, offering no shade or fruit to anyone.

Why would the prophet compare a flourishing tree to a withering bush? He wanted his people to recall what had happened since their miraculous rescue from the slave yards of Egypt. For forty years in a wilderness, they lived like a tree planted by a river (2:4–6). Yet in the prosperity of their promised land they had forgotten their own story; they were relying on themselves and on gods of their own making (vv. 7–8), even to the point of going back to Egypt looking for help (42:14).

So God, through Jeremiah, lovingly urged the forgetful children of Israel, and He urges us, to hope and trust in the Lord and to be like the tree—not the bush. — Mart DeHaan

Father, in so many ways You have taught us that You alone can be trusted—even when it seems like You are nowhere to be seen. Please help us to recall today what You have already shown us along the way.

Let’s remember in good times what we have learned in days of trouble.

DCLM Daily Manna, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2017 FINISHING WELL

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2017

FINISHING WELL

-2 CHRONICLES 20:20-30

KEY VERSE:

"And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD. And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly" (2 Chronicles 20:32,3

No one knows the complex paths through the patch of life. Not many people know how to determine these things. It takes God’s grace and divine wisdom to know what is just and right to plod the appropriate path at any point in time and end-up successfully in the wilderness of life. King Jehoshaphat started very well with good testimonies. But he almost lost everything to a foolish affinity with the house of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel. Joining Ahab was unequal yoke, unequal affinity that was capable of ruining and decimating the godly biography of Jehoshaphat. He obviously started well, but was almost ending sadly. In the race of life, it is very tragic to begin well and end badly. Scripture abounds of many people who began the Christian race well, but ended in misery because of personal choices that run contrary to God’s will. What may be said of Esau, Jeroboam, Jehu, and Uzziah in the Old Testament, may be said of Judas Iscariot and Demas in the New Testament. They all started well, but ended miserably. They fell out of the race of life, because of personal choices and partly because of worldly or ungodly affinity. How we started the race is as important as the way we finish. Someone had said that men like nail, begin to bend the moment they lose directions. Are you on the right track? Or on the wrong track? You cannot leave the right track and hope to end well. Come on to the right track and keep looking unto Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of our faith. You can be sure to finish well and breast the tape.

Thought for the day:Starting well is good, finishing well is better!

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 107-109

OPEN HEAVEN 2017 PERILOUS TIMES ARE HERE – Monday February 20th 2017

OPEN HEAVEN 2017

PERILOUS TIMES ARE HERE – Monday February 20th 2017

Memorise: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 1st Timothy 4:1

Read: 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV)

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Bible in one year: Genesis 3-5, Isaiah 41:21-42:9

MESSAGE

With all that we see and hear happening in different parts of the world today, it is no longer news that we are already in perilous times. This is why it is very urgent that we maximise the time that we have left in propagating the gospel of the Lord to those who are yet to know Him. We should carefully study the words of Ephesians 5:14-16 and obey its instructions. In these verses of Scripture, the Holy Spirit says,

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

 In this modern age, where people are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, believers must watch against satanic wiles and temptations. Open Heavens guide 2017 Monday 20 February 2017:- Perilous times are here. We must avoid all forms of false doctrine that abound in churches today. Let us remain in the simple gospel of Jesus which is capable of seeing us through to the very end. There are false teachers rising up every day with different kinds of teachings and beliefs, using their influence to spread erroneous doctrines to unsuspecting believers. This is why you need to be selective of where you go and who you listen to. Those who go to church today only get excited when they are told what they want to hear. The Holy Spirit forewarned us of this in 2nd Timothy 4:3:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.”

Let us therefore run with the message of the gospel into every part of the world; reminding everyone that those who are not on the Lord’s side on the last day will be eternally destroyed. Let us do the work of an evangelist, and go after those people who have strayed from the straight and narrow way. Open Heavens guide. Let us bring back those sheep which are carelessly grazing on their fields, away from the presence of their Shepherd. These are those who started well but have become consumed by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. The signs of the second coming of Christ are daily being fulfilled before our eyes. In order not to be caught unawares, you must prepare yourself daily through self examination. The enemy of your soul is out there seeking how to devour you; don’t allow him to truncate your destiny. Ensure that you make no provision for the flesh, and put out all the works of darkness around you. Be prepared for His second coming!

Prayer Point

Father, fill me with the consciousness of the second coming of Christ at all times.

Monday 20 February 2017, Open Heaven Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Our Daily Bread February 19, 2017 Better Than a Piñata

Our Daily Bread
February 19, 2017

Better Than a Piñata

There cannot be a Mexican party without a piñata—a carton or clay container filled with candies and treats. Children strike it with a stick and try to break it, hoping to enjoy its contents.
Monks used the piñatas in the sixteenth century to teach lessons to the indigenous people of Mexico. Piñatas were stars with seven points that represented the seven deadly sins. Beating the piñata showed the struggle against evil, and once the treats inside fell to the ground, people could take them home in remembrance of the rewards of keeping the faith.

But we cannot fight evil on our own. God is not waiting for our efforts so that He will show His mercy. Ephesians teaches that “by grace you have been saved through faith, . . . it is the gift of God” (2:8). We don’t beat sin; Christ has done that.
Children fight for the candies from the piñata, but God’s gifts come to all of us when we believe in Jesus. God “has blessed us . . . with every spiritual blessing” (1:3). We have forgiveness of sins, redemption, adoption, new life, joy, love, and much more. We don’t get these spiritual blessings because we have kept the faith and are strong; we get them because we believe in Jesus. Spiritual blessings come only through grace—undeserved grace!

Thank You for Your mercy, Lord, which is great and free!

We have been saved by grace. Now we enjoy the many blessings that come by grace.

Daily Manna, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2017 LESSONS ON EXPEDIENCY

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2017

LESSONS ON EXPEDIENCY

-LUKE 14:1-11

KEY VERSE:

"And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?" (Luke 14:5).

The teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Jews of His time were very unconventional and these often baffled them. In a number of ways, they punctured the man-made spiritualities instituted by the Scribes, Pharisees and the Sadducees. Their teachings were predominantly based on ordinances framed around some aspects of the Mosaic Law. They were mechanical and difficult observances that had little or no respect for human existence. In our text, Christ establishes two lessons. The first lesson on expediency is based on a question Jesus asked some lawyers and Pharisees on whether it was "lawful to heal on the Sabbath day" (Luke 14:3) or not. He was referring to the instruction in Exodus 20:8, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy", upon encountering a man who had the dropsy. His question was whether all forms of work, including those that could glorify God or challenge the works of darkness, should be avoided on the Sabbath day. Just like the good Samaritan who did the expedient by saving a dying soul when religious men that passed by fixed their attention on the duty of ritual observances, Jesus healed the man with the dropsy. He therefore teaches us, as the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), that it is more praiseworthy before God to do a saving work than to merely work on keeping safe on the Lord’s day. He emphasises loving the Lord with all our being and loving our neighbours as ourselves. The second lesson on expediency concerns humility. Jesus observed the way certain guests at a wedding feast "chose out the chief rooms" (Luke 14:7) for their own selfish advantage (which was a social practice), and counselled on a more honourable and spiritual alternative. By humbling ourselves, we attract heaven’s honour. Indeed, this was the path the Saviour Himself took to earn the honour of "a name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:9).

Thought for the day:Unpretentious humility is the antecedent of great elevations.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 105-106

OPEN HEAVENS 2017 GOD HAS SUBSTITUTES – Sunday February 19th 2017

OPEN HEAVENS 2017

GOD HAS SUBSTITUTES – Sunday February 19th 2017

Memorise: For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. Acts 1:20

Read: 1st Samuel 15:16-34, 16:1 (KJV)

16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

22 And Samuel 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.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

28 And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.

31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the Lord.

32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

 35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

16 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

Bible in one year: Genesis 1-2

MESSAGE

One truth that everyone born of God must have at the back of their minds is that God has substitutes. He can therefore never be held to ransom by anyone. Whenever God decides to use a person, if that fellow does not yield to God at the time of His requisition, God will move on to use another person to fulfil His purpose. More often than not, such substitutes are better than the original recipients of God’s mandate. Such was the case with King Saul.

“And Samuel said unto him, the LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 1st Samuel 15:28

When a man feels too big to obey God’s instruction, he is not fit for God’s use. Open Heaven 2017 Sunday 19 February 2017:- God has substitutes. In the family of the works of the flesh, pride, stubbornness and rebellion and kinsmen, with witchcraft as their first cousin (Galatians 5:19-21). The Lord through Samuel reminded King Saul that there was nothing special about him before He made him king over Israel. King Saul himself did not see himself as qualified, yet God’s grace preferred him, despite the fact that he came from the least of the tribes of Israel (1st Samuel 9:21). This is the reason why whosoever God decides to use should not allow himself or herself get carried away by the glamour of the office he or she is occupying. The fellow should always keep in mind where he or she is coming from and what he or she used to be. God does not use the qualified; rather, He qualifies the fellow He wants to use.

When King Saul began to feel too big to obey the Lord’s commandment, he was replaced with a ready-made substitute, whom the Lord declared to be better than King Saul. Open Heavens 2017. My prayer for you is that you will not be replaced in the scheme of things in God’s kingdom in Jesus’ Name. Beloved, we should know that God has substitutes that can readily replace us if we fail to yield to His instructions. Never see yourself as being indispensable before God. Take heed to what the Lord Jesus Christ said concerning this in Matthew 3:9:

“And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

Prayer Point

Father, please help me to overcome anything I am doing now that may eventually make You find a substitute for me in Your Kingdom. Please don’t replace me with anyone or anything.

Sunday 19 February 2017, Open Heaven Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

My Utmost For His Highest, February 18, 201-

Taking the Initiative Against Despair

February 18, 2017

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, “Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point in trying anymore.” If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair. But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, “Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can’t change that. But get up, and let’s go on to the next thing.” In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing— they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, “Get up, and do the next thing.” If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption.

Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

Re-state to yourself what you believe, then do away with as much of it as possible, and get back to the bedrock of the Cross of Christ.

Our Daily Bread Saturday, February 18, 2017 The Lighthouse

Our Daily Bread

Saturday,
February 18, 2017

The Lighthouse

Read: Isaiah 61:1-6  

[The Lord bestows] on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning. Isaiah 61:3

By its very existence, a ministry center in Rwanda called the “Lighthouse” symbolizes redemption. It sits on land where during the genocide in 1994 the country’s president owned a grand home. This new structure, however, has been erected by Christians as a beacon of light and hope. Housed there is a Bible institute to raise up a new generation of Christian leaders, along with a hotel, restaurant, and other services for the community. Out of the ashes has come new life. Those who built the Lighthouse look to Jesus as their source of hope and redemption.

When Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath, He read from the book of Isaiah and announced that He was the Anointed One to proclaim the Lord’s favor (see Luke 4:14–21). He was the One who came to bind up the brokenhearted and offer redemption and forgiveness. In Jesus we see beauty coming from the ashes (Isa. 61:3).

We find the atrocities of the Rwandan genocide, when intertribal fighting cost more than a half-million lives, mind-boggling and harrowing, and we hardly know what to say about them. And yet we know that the Lord can redeem the atrocities—either here on earth or in heaven. He who bestows the oil of joy instead of mourning gives us hope even in the midst of the darkest of situations. — Amy Boucher Pye

Lord Jesus Christ, our hearts hurt when we hear about the pain and suffering that some endure. Have mercy, we pray.

Jesus came to bring us hope in the darkest of circumstances.

Bible in a year: Leviticus 23-24; Mark 1:1-22

Deeper Christian Life Ministry Daily Manna, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 BE UNDAUNTED

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

BE UNDAUNTED

-EXODUS 5:15-23

KEY VERSE:

"And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us" (Exodus 5:21).

No lasting achievement ever comes easy. There will be resistance and obstacles to overcome. You may have to endure the misunderstanding of friends and close associates. Be assured that if the task is of God, the devil will seek to discourage you and present God’s promises as unreliable. But in it all, you must remain focused. After repeated visits to Pharaoh with the demand to free the Hebrews from slavery, all Moses and Aaron got was intense suffering for Israel. They were beaten and punished mercilessly for not accomplishing what is clearly an impossible task. Had Moses remembered God’s prediction of Pharaoh’s obstinacy, he would not have felt any sense of failure. When believers murmur and complain, they forget God’s past dealings and mercy and become blind to His promises. This displeases God and dishonours Him in the sight of unbelievers. Rather, we should pray and depend on God’s unfailing promises. Praying should reflect our faith in God and in His promises. When you have challenges, simply trust God to keep His promises and remain focused. He will neither leave nor forsake you.

Thought for the day: The valiant never surrender to failure.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 101-104