Open Heavens, Monday 19th March 2018

THE LORD’S SEEKERS

 

Memorise: Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. Psalm 40:16

Read: Psalm 24:1-6 (KJV)

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.


Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 2-3, Galatians 2

Hymnal: Sing hymn 2



Message

To seek is to diligently search for or pursue after an object or person of value. The greater the value placed on an object or person of interest, the more intense the labour, time and money that will be expended on the search process. God is the Creator of heaven and earth, yet He loves us so much that He gave up His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for sin so that we may have abundant life in this world and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Having done so much for us, His desire is that we all should seek after Him and His kingdom. God has a reward for those who seek Him with all their heart, but those who ignore Him do so at their own peril. Hebrews 11:6 says,

“…for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarded of them that diligently seek him.”

God wants His children to know that seeking after Him and His kingdom is like acquiring a gem of inestimable value; which is why the Lord Jesus Christ in His parables compared the kingdom of God to seeking a treasure (Matthew 13:44-46).


In as much as God’s desire is for His people to seek after Him, He also is seeking for those who display genuine interest in fellow-shipping with Him (Psalm 14:2, John 4:23). The word always for who He is. He is our Creator, Redeemer, Provider, Healer, the Mighty Warrior and Saviour of the world. We need to show appreciation for His goodness, enduring mercy and great kindness towards us. He is our peace and our shelter in times of trouble. We must seek after God wholeheartedly and with simplicity of heart; we must seek Him continually and without delay. We must also seek Him in holiness and righteousness. Seeking God and His kingdom should be the priority of our lives (Matthew 6:33). When you seek after God, He will offer Himself to you as a gift, just as He did to Abraham (Genesis 15:1). When God gives you Himself as a gift, you have access to everything that belongs to Him, and of course all things in heaven and on earth are His. No wonder the Holy Spirit, speaking to those who seek after God and not men, in 1st Corinthians 3:21b said “all things are yours”. In conclusion, I leave you with the words of a dying father to his son in 1st Corinthians 28:9:

“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.”

Key Point – Open Heaven 19 March 2018

Those who seek after God receive God as their reward.


Sing hymn 2 – I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

I need Thee every hour,

Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine

Can peace afford.



Chorus

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior!

I come to Thee



I need Thee every hour,

Stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their power

When Thou art nigh.



I need Thee every hour,

In joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide,

Or life is vain.



I need Thee every hour,

Teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises

In me fulfil.



I need Thee every hour

Most Holy One;

Oh, make me Thine Indeed,

Thou blessed Son.

Open Heaven, SUNDAY 18TH March 2018

GOD’S FAVOURITE

Memorise: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17

Read: Hebrews 1:7-9

7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.


Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 1, Galatians 1

Hymnal: Sing hymn 15


Message

The word ‘favourite’ is used to describe a person who is preferred to others or who is especially well liked. Treating a certain class of people as favourites is generally considered to be an unfair practice. Why would God then have favourites? Looking at God’s principles of truth and justice through the prism of our human understanding of favouritism makes this question a very tricky one to answer. Indeed, Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us this about God:

“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”

We also understand from John 3:16 that He loves all human beings alike. Likewise, Romans 2:11 clearly state that there is no respect of persons with Him.  However, another truth of God’s word is that He is sovereign and He does as He pleases (Psalm 115:3. Psalm 135:6). To demonstrate His sovereignty, in Romans 9:15 He declared:

“….I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

The choice to have favourites is therefore a manifestation of God’s sovereignty which He says cannot be questioned (Romans 9:20). God has shown this aspect of His sovereignty in the lives of individuals like Abraham, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, Moses, Pharaoh, Esther, Mary and several others. I am happy to declare to you that my Daddy has a special relationship with me that comes with special privileges that are not common to all men. How else can anyone explain my appointment as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, or the phenomenal growth the Church is experiencing even now? What shall we say about the fulfilment of seemingly impossible prophecies, outstanding miracles and great testimonies of unbelievable proportions? How can one explain all these, except that I am God’s favourite?


In Matthew 3:17b, God proclaimed these words concerning Jesus:

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

For those who are born again, it then follows that since we are joint heirs with Christ, and since the Holy Spirit has indicated that as Jesus is, so are we in this world (Romans 8:17, 1st John 4:17), we are truly the beloved of God and are therefore His favourites. I pray that you will begin to walk in the reality of this truth from today in Jesus’ Name.

being God’s favourite surely sounds good, but it comes with some responsibilities. As a favourite of God, you must make holiness your lifestyle. You must dedicate yourself to God in true worship, submitting yourself totally to His will. You are also expected to dedicate yourself to service in the Body of Christ. Are you God’s favourite?

Prayer Point

Father, let it be glaring to the whole world that I am Your favourite in Jesus’ Name.


Sing hymn 15 – NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee;

E’ en though it be a cross

That raiseth me,

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee.



Though, like a wanderer

The sun gone down,

Darkness comes over me,

My rest a stone;

Yet in my dreams I’d be

Nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer to Thee.



There let me see the sight,

An open heaven;

All that thou sendest me,

In mercy given;

Angles to beckon me

Nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer, my God, to Thee

Nearer to Thee



Then, with my walking thoughts

Bright with Thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs

Bethel I’ll raise,

So by my woes to be

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee

Open Heavens, Saturday 17th March 2018

THE UNCHANGEABLE CHANGER

Memorise: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Read: 1st Samuel 2:1-10 (KJV)

1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

6 The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.



Bible in one year: Numbers 34-36, 2nd Corinthians 13

Hymnal: Sing hymn 13

Message

I love to hail my Daddy as the Unchangeable Changer for many reasons. He is unchangeable because He is not subject to variation or alteration (James 1:17). The Almighty God is an infinitely perfect and self-existent Being. He is exalted for above the possibility of change because He is independent and not limited by all the factors that cause change. As a self-existing being, God cannot be changed by forces outside Himself. He is also not subject to change from within His person because He is perfect in nature. He cannot be subject to any form of change at all because He is eternal and independent of time (1st Timothy 6:16). The unchanging nature of God is established throughout the Bible (Numbers 23:19, 1st Samuel 15:29, Isaiah 46:9-11, Ezekiel 24:14). Here is His declaration about Himself in Malachi 3:6:

“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

The moral consistency of our God guarantees His commitment to unchanging principles. Just as His nature is unchangeable, His character is also unchanging. The Psalmist testifies to this truth in Psalm 100:5:

“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

In addition to God’s character being constant, His plans and purposes cannot also be altered by any outside forces. Proverbs 19:21 says

“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”

As our God lives, His good counsel over your life shall come to pass in Jesus’ Name.


God’s unchanging nature is connected to the fact that He is Omniscient. A person usually changes his or her mind because of new information that was previously unavailable, or because of new developments that require a different approach. Since God is Omniscient, He cannot learn something new that He did not already know.

The unchanging nature of God, coupled with His ability to turn any situation around for good is great advantage to His children. Because our God is faithful, you can be sure that every promise in His word to you will come to pass. Remember also that the fact that He has not imposed His promised judgement on workers of iniquity is indicative of His enduring mercy and unchanging grace. Please tap into this grace while it is yet available.

Prayer Point

Father please turn around every unpleasant situation in my life today in Jesus’ Name.


Sing hymn 13 – IMMORTAL INVISIBLE GOD ONLY WISE

Immortal, invisible, God only

wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our

eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the

Ancient of Days

Almighty, victorious, Thy great

name we praise.



Unresting, unhasting, and silent as

light,

Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou

rulest in might;

Thy justice like mountains high

soaring above

Thy clouds which are fountains of

Goodness and love.



To all life Thou givest, to both

great and small;

In all life Thou livest, the true life

of all;

We bloosom and flourish as leaves

on the tree,

And wither and perish, but nought

Changeth Thee.



Great Father of Glory, pure

Father of Light.

Thine angels adore Thee, all

Veiling their sight

All laud we would render, O

help us to see:

‘Tis only the splendor of light

hideth Thee



Immortal, invisible, God only

wise,

In light inaccessible hid from

our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the

Ancient of Days

Almighty, victorious, Thy great

name we praise.

Open Heavens, Friday 16th March 2018

HE STILL RESTORES

Memorise: Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. Luke 7:32

Read: Luke 4:16-21 (KJV)

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.


Bible in one year: Numbers 32-33, 2nd Corinthians 12

Hymnal: sing hymn 3



Message:

When God completed the process of creation, He carefully appraised everything He had created and concluded that they were very good. Genesis 1:31 says,

“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

However, looking at the world created by God today, it is obvious that a lot of things are no longer very good. Why is this so? Through the deception of the devil, Adam and Eve fell into the error of sin, and this brought corruption and degeneration into the world. After the fall, mankind began to worship created things such as the moon, stars, mountains, rivers, trees and animals as God. Because the Almighty God id a jealous God, He responded by cursing the earth, and this led to a situation where these created things began to work against humanity, thereby making life terribly difficult for them. The land refused to yield its increase, weather became contrary, and animals became wild and unfriendly. However, the Almighty God knew that humanity needed restoration: the kind of restoration that only He, the Creator, could provide. This prompted Him, out of love and compassion, to send His only begotten Son on the difficult assignment of restoring mankind to his original state. May God’s Name be praised forever.

During the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, He went about restoring things that had been destroyed by the enemy back to God’s original plan and purpose. Through the Land Jesus Christ, the restoration power of God was released, not only by miraculous healing and deliverance, but also through forgiveness of sin, restoration of destiny, recovery of lost glory, and restoration of communities (Luke 8:39-40). Through His restoration work, a once shunned leper could now freely join other people to worship God, and people who were previously blind, lame and incapacitated became useful members of their society instead of living as beggars. Those freed from demonic possession were no longer feared by their neighbours.


Some even became evangelist, openly testifying to the glory of God. That same Jesus is still in the business of physical and spiritual restoration. I pray that in any way your destiny has become corrupted, the Lord will grant you total restoration in Jesus’ Name. I also pray that in every way perversion has entered into the Body of Christ, to attack and paralyse its operation, the Lord will step in to completely restore His Church in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point

Call on Jesus to restore every good thing that has lost its purpose in your life and community.


Sing hymn 3 – WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SINS

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole

again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.



Chorus:

Oh! Precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my cleansing this I see

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!



For my pardon this my plea

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Nothing can my sin erase

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!



Naught of works, ‘tis all of grace

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

This is all my hope and peace

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

This is all my righteousness

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Open Heavens, Thursday 15th March 2018

CROSSING THE RED SEA

Memorise: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2

Read: Exodus 14:21-31(KJV)

21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.



Bible in one year: Numbers 30-31, 2nd Corinthians 11:16-33

Hymnal: Sing hymn 10



Message

In the Bible, the Red Sea symbolises persistent obstacles and difficult barriers standing on our way to the Promised Land. Within 24 hours of their deliverance from 400 years of slavery, the people of Israel were confronted with an unusual problem. They suddenly discovered that their supposedly dead enemy had resurrected and was hotly chasing after them. they faced a serious dilemma as the army of Egypt was on their tail while the Red Sea was ahead of them. The people of God obviously left Egypt with a sense of victory in their hearts, thinking that the journey to the Promised Land would be fast and easy. They would have felt a sense of euphoria especially after witnessing the way God had dealt with their oppressors. Their focus was now set on getting to the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, without any further hindrance. But here they were at the Red Sea. They would drown if they continued, but they could not retreat because the Egyptian army was coming from behind, ready to slaughter them. To them, it was a totally hopeless situation. What was the state of their faith at this point? Exodus 14:11-12 says,

“And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”



The people of God were so threatened that they verbalised their presence to return to slavery, thereby rejoicing God’s love and abandoning His plan of freedom for their lives. The devil always threatens and harasses people with the sole aim of pushing them to give up on God and themselves. I pray for you today: no matter what you are passing through, you will never lose your faith in God or surrender your dreams to the devil in Jesus’ Name.


When you are passing through a seemingly hopeless situation, you need to recognise that the Lord’s solutions are always bigger than your thoughts can comprehend. Isaiah 55:9 says,

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”


Do you know that beyond your wildest imagination, God has perfected a plan that will launch you into your destiny? All you need to do is stand firm. The Lord will soon destroy your enemies and give you a fresh start on your journey to your promised land in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, please strengthen my faith not to fall in the days of trial and adversity in Jesus’ Name.


Sing hymn 10 – MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamp of Calvary,

Savior divine!

Now hear me while I pray

Take all my guilt away

Oh, let me from this day

Be wholly Thine!



May Thy rich grace impart

Strength to my fainting heart

My zeal inspire!

As Thou hast died for me,

Oh, may my love to Thee

Pure, warm, and changeless be,

A living fire!



While life’s dark maze I tread,

And griefs around me spread,

Be Thou my guide;

Bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow’s tears away,

Nor let me ever stray

From Thee aside



When ends life’s transient dream,

When death’s cold, sullen stream

Shall o’er me roll;

Blest Savior, then in love

Fear and distrust remove;

Oh, bear me safe above,

A ransomed soul!

Open Heavens, Monday 12th the March 2018

Divine Intervention

Memorise: In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. Psalm 86:7

Bible Reading: Psalm 57:1-6 (KJV)

1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.

3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.



Bible in one year: Numbers 23-25, 2nd Corinthians 9

Hymnal: Sing hymn 14

Message

Divine intervention can be described as an incursion of the supernatural into human affairs in the physical world.  The message of the Bible is built on the existence of an invisible spiritual realm and the principle of divine intervention. Many people today, including some who claim to be Christians, deny the existence of a spiritual realm and the reality of divine intervention in the functioning of the universe, due to the high level of learning, knowledge and understanding they have attained, especially in modern science. This is a trick of the devil to get them blindsided to his activities in this world, and to get them to rebel against God’s authority. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the activities of the devil and his cohorts in Ephesians 6:12, saying:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Because the devil and his cohorts operate with invisible weapons of warfare, mankind therefore requires divine intervention to secure victory over them. This is why 2nd Corinthians 10:4 says,

“For the weapon of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;”

Today, the Lord shall deliver you from the hands of your wicked foes in Jesus’ Name. King David was a man who had first-hand experience of deadly battles and was exposed to several evil attacks of the enemy, but he triumphed over them all.


One of the secrets of his success is evident in today’s Bible reading, where he passionately prayed to God for mercy and divine intervention. Rather than rush into a battle in his own strength as an accomplished warrior, he chose to take refuge under the shadow of God’s wings until the disaster has passed. What a wise man he was! David’s recognition and understanding of the activities of the wicked world is discernible in the psalms that he wrote. A more dramatic example that shows his mind-set on divine intervention is his battle with Goliath in 1st Samuel 17. In 1st Samuel 17:47, David sort of removed himself from the scene and declared the fight a spiritual battle against the Lord. it was David’s appeal for divine intervention that was responsible for his outstanding victory over the powerful Philistine warrior.

I hereby decree that the same God who created heaven and the earth, delivered Israel at the Red Sea, turned water in wine, healed the sick, raised the dead, brought water out of the rock, stopped the sun from going down for hours, and who fed the multitude with five loaves of bread and two fishes, will grant you victory over all the challenges of life in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point

Ask the Lord to intervene in every situation that confronts your life and community today.

Sing hymn 14

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

Onward Christian soldiers!

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

Christ, the royal Master,

Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle,

See, His banners go!



Chorus:

Onward, Christian soldiers!

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus,

Going on before.



At the name of Jesus

Satan’s host doth flee;

On then, Christian soldiers,

On to victory!

Hell’s foundations quiver

At the shout of praise:

Brothers, lift your voices,

Loud your Anthems raise!



Like a mighty army

Moves the Church of God:

Brothers, we are treading

Where the saints have trod;

We are not divided,

All one Body we-

One in faith and Spirit

One eternally.



Crowns and thrones may perish

Kingdoms rise and wane;

But the Church of Jesus

Constant will remain.

Gates of hell can never

‘Gainst the Church prevail;

We have Christ’s own promise,

Which can never fail.



Onward, then, ye people!

Join our happy throng;

Blend with ours your voices

In the triumph song.

Glory, laud and honor

Unto Christ, the King;

This through countless ages

Men and angels sing.

Open Heavens, Sunday 11th March 2018

GETTING ANSWERS THROUGH WORSHIP

Memorise: And whatever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13

Read: 1st Kings 18:36-39 (KJV)

36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.



Bible in one year: Numbers 22, 2nd Corinthians 8

Hymnal: Sing hymn 1



Message

Without controversy, my God is indeed a prayer-answering God. In my life, He has proven Himself to be a prayer-answering God over and over again. Not only does He answer prayers, He can also answer them instantly. If there is any example of a prayer that was answered instantly, it is the prayer of Elijah, which brought down the fire of God in today’s Bible reading. In the Name that is above every other Name, God will answer your prayers by fire today. Elijah is one of my favourite characters in the Bible, and I spent three years studying him, I observed something very, very, significant about him: he was a prayer warrior (James 5:17-18). He is one of the reasons why I pray so much. I spent quality time studying his prayer in 1st Kings 18:36-37, and I would like to share with you some of what the Holy Spirit taught me.

You will observe that Elijah started this prayer by calling on the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What is the significance of this? He was first worshipping God by eulogizing Him. When you go through the Scripture, all those who worshipped God got their request granted. You will never find a single example of someone who worshipped God in Spirit and in truth who did not get his or her request granted. In Matthew 8:1-3 tells the story of a leper who was granted his request.

This was someone who had an incurable disease; someone who was not supposed to be found among the multitude. He came to Jesus and the first thing he did was to worship Him. He worshipped Him before he said “I know You can heal me if You want to.” Of course, he had already prepared the ground for his request to be granted. Jesus had no choice but to say” I am willing, be thou cleansed.” A similar story is found in Mark 5:1-15. it is the story of the mad man of Gadara, who when he saw Jesus from afar off, ran to meet Him and fell at His feet. Remember he was mad, but even in his madness; he was still able to worship God. If a mad man could worship God, what is your excuse for not worshipping Him? Read the story very well, he did not even pray to be delivered, but God delivered him all the same. Furthermore, in Mark 5:21-24, how did Jairus get his daughter resorted to life? He worshipped Jesus! Even though he was a great man, in the presence of Jesus, he considered his status to be of no significance.

This is why I feel uncomfortable when I see some so called “great men” who cannot worship God.  Whenever we are praising God and we are dancing and rejoicing, I see some people who feel they are too big to worship the king of kings. This is rather unfortunate because there is no one like God. He is greater than the greatest, higher than the highest, older than the oldest, richer than the richest, and He is better than the best. Worship your way into victory today!



 
Prayer Point

Worship God by eulogizing Him with His attributes you know. Read Isaiah 40:22-25 to aid you.



Sing hymn 1 – NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD

Now thank we all our God

with heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done,

In whom his world rejoices;

who from our mothers’ arms

has blessed us on our way

with countless gifts of love,

and still is our today.



O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us,

with ever joyful hearts

and blessed peace to cheer us,

to keep us in his grace,

and guide us when perplexed,

and free us from all ills

of this world in the next.



All praise and thanks to God

the Father now be given,

the Son and Spirit blest,

who reign in highest heaven

the one eternal God,

whom heaven and earth adore;

for thus it was, is now,

and shall be evermore

Open Heavens, Saturday 10th March 2018

HOLINESS MADE SIMPLE

Memorise: If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

Read: 1st Samuel 15:16-23 (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.
 
Bible in one year: Numbers 20-21, 2nd Corinthians 6:14-7:16


Hymnal: Sing hymn 7



Message

The simple meaning of holiness is complete obedience of God. In Luke 6:64, Jesus said “Why do you call Me Lord when you don’t do those things that I command you?” The evidence that Jesus is really Lord to you in spirit and in truth is doing whatever He commands you, Holiness is obedience: not just half obedience but total obedience. In today’s Bible text, Samuel announced to Saul that to obey is better than sacrifice. While living a sacrificial life in service to God has its place, it is not a substitute for obedience. In Revelation 3:15-16, God says that it is better you obey Him completely or you don’t obey Him at all. He said this because His nature of holiness commands full obedience from these who are partakers of His divine nature.

You cannot claim to be living a holy life if you are not evangelising to win souls. This is so because in Mark 16:15, we are commanded to go and preach the gospel. It is not a suggestion; it is a command. If you are living in disobedience to that single commandment, then forget about holy living. Your evangelism should be a lifestyle. God’s commandment does not stop at evangelism; after evangelism comes follow-up. John 15:16 says,

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”

If you don’t follow up the souls you have won, you have not yet finished the job. Furthermore, according to Matthew 28:18-20, you are not just to win souls and follow them up, you are also commanded to make them disciples of Christ, because your fruit must abide. You disciple them by teaching them the sound word of God and by being a living example of the word you teach. Your work on your convert is not over until that convert has become rooted and built up in Christ (Colossians 2:6-7). Only after doing these can you claim to have finished the job. Let it be settled in your mind that there is no holiness without evangelism, no holiness without follow-up and no holiness unless you make disciples of every nation.

This is the reason why we are planting churches, so that the souls we are winning, following up and making Christ’s disciples can have a place to grow and worship God in spirit and in truth. Our number one goal is to make Heaven, and our second goal is to take as many people as possible with us. Therefore, our lifestyle will be holiness, and holiness means total obedience. Total obedience includes soul winning, follow-up, and the making of disciples. So, do not be surprised if I tell you that no evangelism means no Heaven! This may sound hard to you but it is the plain truth.


 

Prayer Point

Father, please give me the grace to win more souls this year in Jesus’ Name.



Sing hymn 7 – WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

Wonderful story of love;

Tell it to me again;

Wonderful story of love;

Wake the immortal strain!

Angles with rapture announce

It,

Shepherds with wonder receive

it;

Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?

Wonderful story of love.



Chorus:

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Wonderful, Wonderful story of love.



Wonderful story of love;

Through you are far away;

Wonderful story of love;

Still He doth call today;

Calling from Calvary’s

Mountain,

Down from the crystal-bright

fountain,

E’en from the dawn of creation,

Wonderful story of love.



Wonderful story of love;

Jesus provides a rest;

Wonderful story of love;

For all the pure and blest,

Rest in those mansions above

us, With those who’ve gone on

before us,

Singing the rapturous chorus,

Wonderful story of love.

Open Heaven, Friday 9th March 2018

UNSTOPPABLE

Memorise: For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. 2nd Samuel 22:30

Read: Psalm 27:1-6 (KJV) 

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

Bible in one year: Numbers 18-19, 2nd Corinthians 5:11-6:13

Hymnal: Sing hymn 7

Message

The devil’s main objective is to prevent people from actualising their God-given goals, thereby stopping them from fulfilling their destiny. The devil accomplishes this by first separating his victims from the true God through disobedience. He then blindfolds and brainwashes them to become addicted to ungodly practices that are abominable to God and detrimental to their own wellbeing. Such victims develop uncontrollable interests in evil acts such as sexual immorality, night crawling, prostitution, alcoholism, drug abuse, money rituals, occultism and other vices that usually result in a terminated destiny through untimely death. I decree concerning you today; your destiny will not be trapped, and you will be unstoppable in the journey of life in the mighty Name of Jesus.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

If you are a child of God, you need to recognise that the life of God you now possess has made you unstoppable against sickness, poverty, sin, destructive habits, demons and evil powers (2nd Peter 1:3-4, Romans 8:31). Anyone who desires to be unstoppable must first of all be a partaker of God’s divine nature. You become a partaker of the divine nature by becoming born again, which means that you renounce sin and the devil, and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. Those who have the nature of God are shielded from every evil attack that can endanger their destiny, by an invisible covering of God. This truth is revealed in Psalm 27:5:

“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.”

As a partaker in God’s divine nature, there is a responsibility that goes along with it which makes you unstoppable to every onslaught of the devil, and this is the responsibility of being a good witness and a soul winner of Christ. The devil cannot stop a witness for Christ because he or she carries the banner of God’s kingdom into the devil’s territory (Matthew 16:18).

Anyone who goes about telling everyone that Jesus saves, Jesus heals and Jesus provides, will always be victorious, even if all the host of hell should gather against such a person. This was the experience of David when he was fighting the Lord’s battles, which is the reason why he wrote the words of today’s Bible reading. I pray that you also will experience the reality of this truth in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, as I raise up the banner of Your Kingdom everywhere I go, make me unstoppable in every facet of life in Jesus’ Name.

Sing hymn 7 – WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

Wonderful story of love;

Tell it to me again;

Wonderful story of love;

Wake the immortal strain!

Angles with rapture announce

It,

Shepherds with wonder receive

it;

Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?

Wonderful story of love.

Chorus:

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Wonderful, Wonderful story of love.

Wonderful story of love;

Through you are far away;

Wonderful story of love;

Still He doth call today;

Calling from Calvary’s

Mountain,

Down from the crystal-bright

fountain,

E’en from the dawn of creation,

Wonderful story of love.

Wonderful story of love;

Jesus provides a rest;

Wonderful story of love;

For all the pure and blest,

Rest in those mansions above

us, With those who’ve gone on

before us,

Singing the rapturous chorus,

Wonderful story of love.

Open Heaven, Thursday 8th March 2018

 FAVOURED BY MERCY

Memorise: It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Lamentations 3:22

Read: Romans 9:14-16(KJV)

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Read: Genesis 37:19-21

19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

Bible in one year: Numbers 16-17, 2nd Corinthians 4:1-5:10

Hymnal: Sing hymn 11

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Message 

Nobody can succeed in this world if the Lord withholds His mercy from him or her. I pray that God will show you His mercy by granting you divine favour today in Jesus’ Name. One character that illustrates a life operating under divine favour is Joseph.Genesis 39:21 says this concerning him;

“But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

When you consider the events of His life, you will begin to understand the magnitude of God’s mercy available to someone operating under divine favour. For example, from today’s Bible reading, we see that nobody can kill a person operating under divine favour. When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they said amongst themselves, “Let us kill him.” However, they were not able to carry out their devilish intentions because Joseph was operating under God’s favour. When powerful people decide that the time has come for a divinely favoured person to die, they will surely fail. I want to assure you today by the word of the Lord, you will not die before your time in Jesus’ Name. Why am I so sure of this? My assurance stands on the declaration of the Almighty God in Deuteronomy 32:39:

“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”

Based on this declaration, when you are operating under the favour of God, nobody can kill you or terminate your destiny. As a matter of fact, Isaiah 54:17 says this about you:

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

By this word of the Lord, every weapon formed against you shall be neutralised in Jesus’ Name. When you are operating under the divine favour of God, rather than you dying, as wished by the enemies of your destiny and vision, the Lord will strengthen the arms of your spiritual hands to fulfil your destiny. Here is what the Holy Spirit says about Joseph in Genesis 49:23-24:

“The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel: )”

As the Lord did for Joseph, so shall He do for you today in Jesus’ Name.

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Prayer Point

Father, as Your hands strengthened the arms of Joseph to fulfil his destiny, strengthen the arms of my hands today in Jesus’ Name.

Sing hymn 11 – O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST

O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne

Thy saints have dwelt secure;

Sufficient is Thine arm alone,

And our defence is sure

Before the hills in order stood,

Or earth receive her frame,

From everlasting Thou art God,

To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight

Are like an evening gone;

Short as the watch that ends the

night

Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away

They fly forgotten, as a dream

Dies at the opening day.

O God. Our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Be Thou our guard while life

Shall last,

And our external home.

OPEN HEAVEN, TUESDAY 6TH MARCH 2018

LET GOD ARISE II

MEMORISE: Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake. Psalm 44:26

READ: Matthew 13:24-30

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 12-13, 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11

Hymnal: HYMN 11

MESSAGE

The presence of wickedness and the acts of evil perpetrators on earth are indicative of a continuing rebellion against God’s holiness. This poses a constant threat against the people of God, and persistently attacks God’s plan and purpose for humanity. The Lord Jesus Christ, in today’s Bible reading, clearly reveals the source of this situation as the devil. Matthew 13:25 says:

“But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”

Thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit further reveals that we are empowered to pull down the strongholds that the devil uses to perpetuate wickedness in this world (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). The devil and his cohorts are not only against the children of God, they are also strongly opposed to God’s plans and purpose on earth. For this reason, an appeal to God for assistance against these enemies usually yields immediate results. Only God’s mercy and the hope repentance compel God to delay His judgement on evildoers (Romans 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). Nevertheless, when God finally arises, His enemies are scattered and made to disappear like smoke, causing the righteous to rejoice exceedingly.

The joy and celebration of the righteous is understandably great whenever God puts an end to the evil activities of the wicked. I prophecy that very soon you will have great joy, as God will silence all your enemies and detractors in Jesus’ Name. Whenever God arises, it is always bad news for His enemies for many reasons. First, the rising of the Lord is mostly sudden and unexpected by the camp of the enemy. The Lord thereby throws them into confusion and inflicts terrible damage on them. Whenever God arises, He scatters His enemies and violently overthrows their domain without resistance.

No one ever hardens his heart against God and prospers. When God arises, He sits as the Righteous Judge to pass the deserved sentence upon the wicked just as He did to Pharaoh, Haman King Herod, Judas Iscariot and several others. The day of God’s judgement is usually the day of complete and final destruction of ungodly people. However, God arises as an act of mercy to bring comfort, joy and celebration to His people. When God arises, His children are comforted after enduring persecution, injustice, oppression and sometimes prolonged hardship. They rejoice at witnessing the destruction of the enemy and they celebrate the freedom and liberty to continue the pursuit of their destiny. It is usually a time of singing and dancing on the victory march towards the Promised Land. In the Name that is above every other names, you will celebrate with exceeding gladness over your enemies this year.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please arise and let all Your enemies be scattered in Jesus’ Name.

HYMN 11: O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST

O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne,

Still may we dwell secure;

Sufficient is Thine arm alone,

And our defence is sure

Before the hills in order stood,

Or earth received her frame,

From everlasting Thou art God,

To endless years the same

A thousand ages in Thy sight

Are like an evening gone,

Short as the watch that ends the night

Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away:

They fly forgotten, as a dream

Dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Be Thou our guard while life shall last,

And our eternal home.

Open Heaven, Monday 5th March 2018

LET GOD ARISE

Memorise: Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. Psalm 102:13

Read: Psalm 68:1-3 (KJV)

1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

Bible in one year: Numbers 10-11, 2nd Corinthians 1:1-11

Hymnal: Sing Hymn 11

Message

Every call unto to arise in the Bible takes its cue from Numbers 10:35:

“And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.”

At this point in time, the children of Israel spent 13 months at Mount Sinai after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt, and it was time to take their very first steps on their journey to the Promise Land. It was like a journey into the unknown and they were sore afraid of the militant nations that they had to pass through on their way to their destination. Therefore, as they set out on this phase of their victory march to the Promised Land, they had to call upon God for divine support. “Let God Arise” is therefore a call for divine assistance. It is a call for divine intervention, and a call to secure victory over perceived enemies without a fight. Today, the Lord will arise for your sake as a might warrior and scatter all your enemies in Jesus’ Name.

We as children of God today should take a cue from the Israelites of old. They cried “Arise O Lord” in times of trial. Since we must also confront similar trials on our journey through the wilderness of life, we must learn to look unto God alone for help as we call on Him to arise for our sake and deal with everything that stands as an obstacle to our progress in life.  In our daily supplications to God, we must cry “Arise O Lord” so that our enemies will be scattered. The Israelites cried “Arise O Lord” in confident expectation of victory over all their enemies through God’s intervention. Therefore, no matter how perilous the circumstances may be, and no matter how perilous the circumstances may be, and no matter how powerful your enemies are, the Lord will arise for sake if you call on Him with the expectation shall not be disappointed in Jesus’ Name. Note that the Israelites called unto God to arise and scatter their enemies as the only safeguard to their continued existence. Moses never deemed himself and the children of Israel to be secure without the divine protection of the Almighty God. For this reason, he pleaded thus with God in Exodus 33:15b:

 “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”

Even when you are at peace, you must remember that the devil, who goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom to devour, is never at rest. He is ever ready to take advantage of anyone who is careless, carefree or without protection. The devil will not devour you in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, please arise and favour me in the battle that my enemies are waging against my life and destiny in Jesus’ Name.

Hymn 11 – O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST

O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne

Thy saints have dwelt secure;

Sufficient is Thine arm alone,

And our defence is sure

Before the hills in order stood,

Or earth receive her frame,

From everlasting Thou art God,

To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight

Are like an evening gone;

Short as the watch that ends the

night

Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away

They fly forgotten, as a dream

Dies at the opening day.

O God. Our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Be Thou our guard while life

Shall last,

And our external home.

Open Heaven, Sunday 4th March 2018

YOU CAN BE HEALED

Memorise: And said, if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put non of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26

Read: Mark 6:53-56 (KJV)

53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

54 And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

55 And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

Bible in one year: Numbers 8-9, 1st Corinthians 16

Hymnal: Sing hymn 8

Message

Many passages of the Bible make it very clear that the healing power of God is available to heal all manner of sickness and diseases without any limitation.Matthew 8:16 says,

“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:”

Luke 6:19 also says,

“And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.”

It is important to note that in the instances cited above and on several other occasions, Jesus healed all the sicknesses in all the people who came to Him (Matthew 12:15; Matthew 14:36). I therefore prophesy to you that God’s healing power will touch you right now and make you completely whole of everything that is troubling your spirit, soul and body in Jesus’ Name.

However, the plan of healing set forth in the Bible is not arbitrary; rather, it is based on some conditions being fulfilled first. This means that there are conditions for divine healing, and we must understand and conform to the standard of the word of God if we hope to receive divine healing. First of those conditions is repentance and forsaking of sin (Matthew 9:2, John 5:14, James 5:15). This is followed by faith in God’s ability to perform the desired healing. Faith is always required of the individual who is seeking healing, in as much as he or she is capable of exercising it (Matthew 8:13, Mark 5:34, John 4:50). Understanding the cause or source of a sickness can also facilitate healing. The Bible teaches that sicknesses and diseases are agents of death, which came into this world through sin (Genesis 2:17), 2nd Kings 20:1, Romans 5:12).

These agents of death are propagated through nature, Satan and disobedience to God. Some human afflictions are directly traceable to natural causes (2nd Kings 13:14, Daniel 8:27), while Satan also afflicts and oppresses people with sicknesses (Job 2:7, Luke 13:16). Furthermore, many are sick because they disobeyed God’s commandments (Micah 6:13, 1st Corinthians 11:30). The good news is that anyone who completely obedient to God’s word can live a life that is untouchable by the agents of death.

Prayer Point

Father, please give me the grace to live in complete obedience to Your word for the rest of my life in Jesus Name.

Sing hymn 8 – THE GREAT PHYSICIAN NOW IS HERE

The Great physician now is near,

The sympathizing Jesus;

He speaks the drooping heart to

cheer,

Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!

Chorus:

Sweetest note in seraph song;

Sweetest name on mortal tongue;

Sweetest carol ever sung:

Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Your many sins are all forgiv’n,

Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;

The veil ‘twixt you and God is

riven,

Redemption wrought by Jesus.

All glory to the dying Lamb!

I now believe in Jesus;

I love the blessed Savior’s name,

I love the name of Jesus.

His name dispels my guilt and

fear,

No other name but Jesus;

Oh, how my soul delights to hear

The precious name of Jesus!

Open Heaven, Friday 2nd March 2018

GOD FIRST

Memorise: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.Matthew 6:33

Read: Genesis 22:1-18 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Bible in one year: Numbers 5-6, 1st Corinthians 15:12-34

Hymnal: Sing hymn 12

Message

God is most pleased with His children when they put Him first in all endeavours of life. For this reason, He gave the commandment inDeuteronomy 6:5 which says,

“And thou shall love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

God often tests His children to see whether they will honour Him by putting Him first in whatever situation they find themselves. Today’s Bible reading contains a vivid demonstration of this. After God gave Abraham a son in his old age, knowing well that he loved the child so much, God decided to find out whether Abraham loved the boy (the gift) more than he loved Him (the Giver). He therefore instructed Abraham to go on a journey and sacrifice his son, Isaac, to Him. When God saw Abraham’s determination to obey Him, just before he killed his son, God intervened and provided an alternative. You will pass God’s test in Jesus’ Name. After Abraham passed God’s test, God swore that He would bless Abraham the way no human being had ever been blessed before. God’s blessing on Abraham was the first of its kind, being one that is irreversible forever.

When we speak about the giving of first fruit, some people think it is a pastor’s way of making money, but they are making a great mistake. When you put God first, He makes sure you are blessed in a special way and that your blessing becomes irreversible. If you however try to show God that He is not number one in your life. You will not like what may follow. There was a young man who came to me and said, “Daddy, God has answered your prayers”, and my response was “Amen!” I asked him what happened and he said one big chief in Lagos asked him to help him sell a property of his consisting of 13 flats, 12 of which were regular flats. The chief told the young man how much he wanted for the house, and that the young man could have any amount above this as his personal gain. After narrating this, he looked at me again and said, “Daddy, God has answered your prayers; from this deal alone, I will be settled for life!” I congratulated him and asked him to give one of the flats to the church as his tithe, but he lamented that this was only his first breakthrough, and that God could wait for other future blessings. About a week later, after he got a buyer who was willing to pay far above the owner’s asking price, he went back to the owner, but to his shock, the man denied ever asking him to look for a buyer for the house! He lost his blessing because He did not consider it necessary to put God first. May the Almighty God give you a blessing that will last forever in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer point

Father, please give me a heart that puts you first in all areas of life in Jesus’ Name.

Hymn 12 – TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them

move

At the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee,

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing

Always, only, for my King;

Take my lips, and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee,

Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my sliver and my gold;

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect, and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose

Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine;

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart; it is Thine own;        

It shall be Thy royal throne,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure-store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee,

Ever, only, all for thee

Open Heaven, Thursday 1st March 2018

GOOD SUCCESS

Memorise: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.Joshua 1:8

Read: Proverbs 1:29-33 (KJV)

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Bible in one year: Numbers 4, 1st Corinthians 14:26-15:11

Hymnal: Sing hymn 6

Message

Our memory verse today lets us know straightaway that not all success is the same. While some success can be good, others can be bad.  If you want your own success to be good, this Book of the Law, which is the Bible, shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall mediate on it day and night to ensure that you live according to all that it says. The word of God further emphasise the fact that not all success is good success. For example, Proverbs 1:32 tells us that if prosperity is put in the hands of a fool, it will eventually destroy him or her. This means there is a kind of success that brings destruction. We see this today in the lives of many seemingly successful people, especially celebrities and young stars all over the world. I pray that the kind of success and prosperity that destroys it owner will never come your way in the Name of Jesus.

Good success has many facets. It could mean prosperity without adversity.Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow. It could also mean promotion without the possibility of demotion. It is better not to be promoted at all, then to be promoted today and demoted tomorrow. Good success also refers to deliverance without any relapse. It is sad that some people who were once delivered have later relapsed into bondage again (Luke 11:24-26). Good success also manifest as victory without the possibility of future defeat, as well as processing an anointing that never dries up. Good success is salvation without backsliding, and it could also mean several other things. The Lord will grant you good success in the form of a blessing that lasts forever in Jesus’ Name.

For you to experience good success, you must first accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. Then, you must submit to the authority of the Bible as the eternal word of God, through a diligent study of its teachings. You must take the word of God as your absolute guide in all matters relating to human life and existence. Your commitment and obedience to the word of God will bring you to a level of fellowship with God that attracts the assured presence of His almighty power, which enforces the manifestation of good success and prosperity in your life. As you endeavour to live according to God’s word today, good success and prosperity will accompany everything you do, in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, as I submit to the authority of Your word and apply its teachings to my life, please grant me good success in everything I do, in Jesus’ Name.

Sing hymn 6 – A NEW THING

(Tune: There shall be showers of Blessing)

We will soon shout Halleluiah

Because God will do new things

Sinners will be forgiven

Prodigals will come home soon.

Chorus:

Shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

Rivers in desert now flowing

Hallelujah to our king.

We will soon shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

Sickness and sorrow will be gone

Bondage will be forgotten.

We will soon shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

The barren will be faithful soon

Failure will be forgotten.

We will soon shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

Poverty will be forgotten

Stagnancy will soon be gone.

We will soon shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

To all miracles are given

There shall be celebrations

We will soon shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

Many will have testimonies

Of prayer answered fully.

We will soon shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

One of us will chase a thousand

Two will conquer ten thousand

We will soon shout Hallelujah

Because God will do new things

Songs of praises we will sing

Hallelujah to our King.