WED, 10/08/2011 - - GOD'S ABSENCE BRINGS SHAME - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

GOD'S ABSENCE BRINGS SHAME

Memorise: "…The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." (2 Chron 15:2B).

Read: Judges 16:20-21 

God's presence is the source of joy and pleasure (Psalm 16:11). Wherever God is, problems that have defied solution would take their bow. When some men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus in Mark 2:1-12, they met a crowd that was impenetrable and uncaring. When nobody thought it necessary to pave way for them to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ, they too resolved not to give up on their mission. They believed that if they could convey him into His presence, the problem would be over. So they hit the roof and got their miracle! Similarly, where God is, years of waiting are terminated. That was the experience of Abraham and Sarah who had waited for the fruit of the womb for 25 years. Then one day, God paid them a visit and ended barrenness in their lives. Have you been on a queue for a particular blessing? Have you been waiting for so long without seeing God's glory? This season, your waiting has come to an end. As you approach God's presence and talk it over with Him, your situation shall change.

Moreover, you may not be able to appreciate the full impact of the glories of His presence unless you have seen the shame of His absence. One fellow who had a taste of this was Samson. In Judges 16:20-21, when God withdrew from Samson, he observed the following: first, he noticed that he, who once exuded great, immeasurable strength, became a weakling. The absence of God turns the strongest into the weakest. Are you bubbling with the power of the Spirit today and full of energy? Thank God. Do everything to keep it that way. Jealously guard your relationship with God. God is the backbone of the spiritually strong. If He takes His leave, no physical stimulant can fill the vacuum that will be left behind. In the same vein, Samson observed that he, who was completely out of the reach of his enemies, was now a captive of the same enemies. Also, within a moment of God's withdrawal, a divine champion became a blind man. When God withdraws, it is only darkness that you can find. When God withdrew, Samson lost his freedom. He became the laughing stock of the enemies. He began to entertain the same people who once dreaded him. Has God withdrawn from you? Immediately repent and ask for His forgiveness today. If He has not withdrawn, do everything possible to retain Him.

Action Point:

When God withdraws from an individual, his or her ugliness is uncovered. Pray that He never withdraws from you. 

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TUE, 09/08/2011 - - INSTRUCTIONS AND CHILD TRAINING - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

INSTRUCTIONS AND CHILD TRAINING

Memorise: "For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." (Prov 4:22).

Read: Proverbs 4:20-22 

Parenting is one major challenge facing many today. Some people bring children into this world but hardly learn how to be good parents or guardians to them. There are quite a lot of things to learn about raising children. By divine arrangement, every parent is supposed to be a teacher, trainer, instructor, guide or coach to their children. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it". The instructions a child is brought up with, help to determine the quality of life that child would have in later years. What are you teaching your children? Whether your children will love and serve God or not, depends to a large extent on what you have taught them. Proverbs 4:13 places a high premium on instruction to the extent of calling it 'life'. The one who adheres to instructions is preserving his or her life. To what extent do you instruct your children? Or do you say that they are too young to be instructed?

What are some of the instructions that you can teach your children in order for them to become what God wants them to be? Ecclesiastes 12:1 says God must be remembered very early in life. The most ideal time to seek God is when you are young. Matthew 19:14 says, "But Jesus said, 'Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven". Anyone who keeps his or her children from the Lord Jesus will receive a divine rebuke. Children must be introduced to their source at a very tender age. Some young people defer their time to seek God until after they have 'achieved' in life. Unfortunately, some of them may never make it. You cannot 'make it' without the help of your Maker. In Proverbs 8:17, God says He will love and reveal Himself only to those who seek Him. He says He never owes those who seek Him. He ensures they have a good reward for seeking Him (Heb 11:6). He also promises that those who seek Him shall not know lack (Ps 34:10). Teach your children and teens to seek God early and they will never experience lack. Introduce them to know and receive the Saviour into their hearts. Teach them to pray and worship the Lord. Take them in Bible studies. Let them know that God wants to be their friend.

 Key Point:

Children deliver the gold in them when they relate regularly with Jesus. Become a child and ask Christ to carry you.

MON, 08/08/2011 - - WHEN GOD BEAUTIFIES - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Monday, August 8, 2011

WHEN GOD BEAUTIFIES

Memorise: "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time" (Eccl 3:11A).

  

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:10-14 

  

It is one thing for God to hear your groaning and another for Him to remember you. According to Exodus 2:24, God remembered His covenant after hearing the groaning of the children of Israel. The question is: can God ever forget? Isaiah 49:15 says even when, contrary to all-reasoning, a woman forgets her suckling child, God can never forget His children. He never forgets His own. Whenever it appears that God has forgotten you, just remember it's not possible. Why it appears God has forgotten some is because God works according to His own timetable (Ecc 3:1-8). For instance, in Acts 2:1-4, God had to wait for the day of Pentecost to fully come, before He moved. What of Joseph? After interpreting the butler's dream, Joseph begged him to mention his case to his superiors but the butler forgot because it was not yet God's time. If you fail to recognize God's appointed time for a thing, you would go believing it is just any time. No! God does not work with just any time but according to His own timetable. No wonder Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God makes every thing beautiful in his time. This is true! If that situation is yet to receive divine colouration and decoration, it could be because it is not yet time. Wait for your time!

When your time comes, everything will work towards giving you your expected end. A man may see the lady who has been destined to be his wife and not take notice. They may be in contact for years and the idea may not even cross their minds. But when the time comes and the man looks at her, there would be an unusual glow. There would be a force pulling him to her which was never there before. Suddenly, he would wake up to see what he never saw in her. These were there all along but because it was not time, they were veiled somewhat. When Joseph's time came, God gave Pharaoh two dreams that only Joseph could interpret. When your time comes, you shall glow. When it is your time, all attention will be focused on you. Your hidden beauty and potentials will surface. Your time shall surely come. Prayerfully wait for it.

Action Point:

Most times, God's timetable barely agrees with ours but it is the surest. Pray: Father, let me understand the times. 

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SUN, 07/08/2011 - - INDISPENSABILITY OF PRAYER - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Sunday, August 7, 2011

INDISPENSABILITY OF PRAYER

Memorise: "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Lk 18:1).

  

Read: Luke 22:31-34 

  

To succeed in your heavenly assigned task on earth, you would be required to undergo training from both human agents and God Himself. With such training, God's work becomes a lot easier. Are you trained for ministry? Are you trained by man, God or both? However, as invaluable as training is to success in ministry, it is not exclusive. Training is good but not enough. Hence, we still see our Lord Jesus Christ praying specifically for those He had trained (John 17:1, 9-10). If the leaders He raised still needed prayers, then the leaders that are raised by today's human trainers need more prayers. The trend we notice today is that most efforts are channelled towards establishing training institutions, as well as in training men. Nothing more! Unfortunately, no matter how equipped the training institutions are, and no matter how well trained the students are, they may not be able to go too far without solid, concerted and sustained prayers.

The place of prayer in effective ministry can never be over emphasized. Have you been through several Bible colleges and seminaries? Have you gone through various theological degrees up to doctorates? Have you been trained by the Gamaliels of our time? If you say yes to any of these, you still need prayer support. Or do you say that you have been personally trained by the Holy Spirit? Congratulations! The disciples were personally trained by the Lord Himself yet, there was still need for prayer support. Your past experiences and training in your secular or professional background are great but none of these can dispense with prayer, if you must succeed in ministry. If you are an orator, but deficient in prayer, you will not be able to make a success of the office into which the Holy Spirit has called you. You might end up as a motivational speaker. Just imagine where Peter would have been, in spite of being trained for three and a half years by our Lord Jesus Christ, without the Lord's prayers. He might never have recovered from his denial of Jesus. In fact, he could have been the one to have betrayed the Master in spite of his call and training. Put all your experiences and education aside and put on the mantle of prayer. It is prayer that releases oil on your wheel of ministry. How often is this machinery oiled?

Key Point:

Training without prayer negates your entire faith in Christ. Pray without ceasing. 

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SAT, 06/08/2011 - - GOD, NOT IMPERSONAL - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Saturday, August 6, 2011

GOD, NOT IMPERSONAL

Memorise: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18).

  

Read: Isaiah 1:15-18 

  

Part of defining your identity is knowing that you are not an animal. Any time you behave like an animal, you breach the law of kinds and you will not get away with it. In the Scriptures, certain people are described by their peculiar characteristics as displayed in animals. For instance, goats are used to refer to obstinate people and unrepentant sinners. Dogs on the other hand represent fornicators, agents of darkness and wicked sinners. Anytime a human being behaves like an animal, the fellow loses his or her honour as a human being.

In addition to this, you must know that you are not just a number. Although there are about six billion people on earth never accept that you are only one of them. Today, growing computer and technological development is increasingly replacing human beings with machines. As a result, there is a drift towards seeing people as numbers or figures and no longer as human beings. To this end, cards with numbers are now common symbols of people. In spite of this, never see yourself as only a digit of one computer work, because you are unique and individually recognized, provided for and loved by the Almighty God. Even where computers and high-tech gadgets have made transactions so impersonal, you still have a God who craves your personal attention, and He is ready to attend to you personally, for there is no one else in the universe like you.

For this reason, God invites you to come and reason with Him. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa 1:18). Can you imagine that at a time when secular business wants to deal with you so impersonally and out of convenience, God still wants to relate with you personally? Why? You are His treasured possession. He created you and He knows your true worth, even when you yourself and others do not know it. God does not want His investments in you to be wasted. If you have not reasoned with God to the point of surrendering your life to Him, you are wasting God's investment. God loves you, not just everybody. He loves you in particular and He wants to start and sustain a personal relationship with you. Confess your sins, ask for His forgiveness and receive Jesus into your heart today.

Prayer Point:

Father, thank You for making me who I am and not just a statistic.

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FRI, 05/08/2011 - - ATTACK THAT MOCKER! - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Friday, August 5, 2011

ATTACK THAT MOCKER!

Memorise: "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace" (Eccl 3:8).

  

Read: 2 Kings 2:23-24 

  

Anything that mocks God in your life must not be tolerated or else, it will move from a state of tenancy into permanent residency. Sometime ago, we were invited to pray for a man with a deadly cough. On reaching there, we asked him, 'Sir, what exactly do you want us to pray about?' He replied, 'Pray that the cough will be going little by little'. From that response, it was obvious that he was not serious about being healed, and I was not ready to waste my effort. Eventually, he died of the cough. The 'Egyptians' that you tolerate will kill you. When do you want your mockers to take their leave?

Besides not tolerating mockers, you have to attack them. When some demonized children were mocking Elisha, he refused to tolerate them. He even took a step further by attacking them (2 Kings 2:23-24). But some Christians who have a holier - than-thou attitude would say that the Lord asked us to be as harmless as doves. Yet, Ecclesiastes 3:8 says just as there is a time for peace, so is there a time for war. If you carry the banner of peace when you should bring out your armour for war, you will become a victim - an easy prey for your enemies.

Our Saviour Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God as well as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. There is a time to be a lamb and there is a time to be a lion. When your 'friend' is doing all he can to bring you into sin, that is not the time to be a lamb but a lion. When sicknesses have turned you into their headquarters, that is not the time of peace but of war. God is in control of every weapon and in Isaiah 54:17, He says He determines whether the weapon designed against you will work or not. When Samson was taken bound to his enemies in Judges 15:14-15, the Spirit of God came upon him and the Lion in him manifested as he razed down 1000 enemies with the jaw bone of an ass in a moment. Let the Lion in you rise up against every satanic yoke placed on you. Rise up against that age-long ancestral curse operating in your family. Attack the spirit of stagnancy holding back your progress. The Lord will give you victory! Remember that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal and we fight not against flesh and blood. We fight against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Action Point:

List out all the things that are mocking God in your life. Come against them one by one in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

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THU, 04/08/2011 - - BREAKING STAGNATION - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Thursday, August 4, 2011

BREAKING STAGNATION

 

Memorise: "And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men."(Exodus 12:33).

Read: Exodus 12:31-33 

Apart from rising against pain, sicknesses and diseases, when God asked the Israelites to eat the Passover meal, it was meant to move Him to arise against retardation and stagnation. If there were people who knew what it felt like to be on the same spot, it was the Israelites. Today, some people have been on the same level in the office for four to five years. How do you feel when your contemporaries are elevated to the next level while you are left behind? Now imagine being on a spot for over 400 years! For that whole period, the Israelites were tied down by forces they could not challenge. They recorded no form of movement. They kept working as slaves but could not move forward or upwards. At best, they wandered about in circles. They remained on the same spot physically, financially and mentally. They remained underdogs for centuries. But when God was to arise and break their yoke of stagnation, He asked them to eat the uncommon meal. They ate and the next minute, they experienced the greatest movement of their lives! They moved forward physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and financially.

Have you been on the same spot for long? Has it been all motion but no movement? Has your lineage experienced an invisible ceiling over the progress of members of your family? The situation of stagnation shall be broken today in Jesus name. What members of your family could not achieve in previous generations shall be achieved by you. As you take the next Holy Communion, release your faith and the siege over your progress shall be destroyed. If you eat the uncommon meal in retardation, sooner than you expect, you shall be eating in promotion. That promotion that was denied you for years shall be delivered to you on a platter of gold as you partake of the uncommon meal this season. Never take the Holy Communion unworthily because it is no ordinary meal. It is a meal that can change the lives and destinies of the eaters. In every life, there is a night that ends all sorrows. Tonight, the Lord will terminate your sorrow in Jesus name.

Key Point:

When your turning point comes, the enemies who refused to release you for several years will be unable to endure your presence for one second. 

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WED, 03/08/2011 - - YOUR TOMORROW IS OK - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

YOUR TOMORROW IS OK

Memorise: "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isaiah 3:10).

Read: Galatians 6:7-8 

A look through God's unchanging Word assures us that there is no need to worry about the future; even if you are presently undergoing a sorrowful situation; it will not last! Psalm 30:5 says, "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning". Oh! How reassuring! Based on God's unchanging Word, I am bold to say that if you are weeping right now, by tomorrow morning, laughter will fill your mouth. Occasionally, some people are apprehensive about the future. They may say: 'Thank God things are going well now, but I need to be on the lookout because the tide may turn'. But what does God say about this? Proverbs 10:22 says that when God blesses, there is no sorrow added. Are you doing well but you secretly nurse the fear that things may go wrong? Rebuke that thought now! It is not your portion! Things shall get better for you this year.

However, the Bible never said ours shall be a challenge-free journey. Yes, there will be several challenges or difficulties but it is written that we are more than conquerors in all situations through Jesus Christ. This means that even before we confront such challenges, the contest has been decided in our favour. Are you faced with joblessness? You shall overcome! Are you battling with how to fund your business project or your education? You shall overcome! Has your flesh been bringing you into sin on a continuous basis? You shall overcome! In a short while, when you look around for that nagging problem, all you will see is the solution. Moreover, for your tomorrow to be alright, you must be very careful about your actions today. As for your past, as long as the Lord Jesus Christ has washed you in His blood on the day you gave your life to Him, that was settled. Old things have passed away (2 Cor 5:17). Regarding your present, it can only be better especially when you do only what is right, since the law of harvest ensures that what you do today will determine your tomorrow. As the Omega, He controls tomorrow but is interested in knowing how you will use the free will He has given to you to determine your future. Submit totally to God, resist the devil and ensure whatever you do glorifies His Name. Your future shall be alright!

KeyPoint:

Your future is something nobody else but you should determine. What are you making of it today?

TUE, 02/08/2011 - - THE BETTER MEAL - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

THE BETTER MEAL

Memorise: "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come (1 Cor 11:26).

Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 

When Daniel and his three friends ate a simple meal of water and beans, they were physically and mentally better than their counterparts who had access to the king's table (Dan 1:11-17). The best meal is one that boosts you physically and mentally. And there is no better meal that can accomplish this than the body of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 11:24 says, "And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me". The Holy Communion bread symbolizes the body of Jesus. John 6:51 says those who eat His body shall live. They shall be healthy and strong. In the same vein, there is no better drink than the blood of Jesus Christ. Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul". From this scripture, we can safely say that the life of Jesus Christ was in His blood and since Jesus Christ is God, it means the blood of Jesus Christ is God's blood. Also, since the life of God is in that blood, whenever you drink the blood of Jesus, you are drinking the life of God.

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom 8:11). When the life of God comes in contact with an unhealthy body, it transfers divine life and health into it. Are you sick? As you partake of the next Communion, divine life shall surge into you. You shall be quickened. The blood of Jesus will not only make you healthy, but also make you vitally strong, in line with the experience of the Israelites (Psalm 105:37). If you become sick or weaker whenever you take the Holy Communion, it could mean that there is something in your life that violates the rules of partaking in the uncommon meal. The Holy Communion helps to uncover hidden sins in the life of the communicant. This is why you must examine yourself before eating the meal. Has the Communion been bringing you life or sickness?

Action Point:

Bind the spirit of accident and declare our roads and major highways accident free. 

MON, 01/08/2011 - - GROANING GETS GOD'S ATTENTION - - OPEN HEAVENS - - KINGDOM 28

Monday, August 1, 2011

GROANING GETS GOD'S ATTENTION

Memorise: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Rom 8:26).

Read: Romans 8:26-27 

“And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Exo 2:24). Before God sent the children of Israel a deliverer, even though He had promised over 400 years earlier that He would deliver them from slavery, they had to cry and groan. Before God delivers you, He wants to be sure He is not just over zealous. He wants to be convinced you are in agreement with Him. Deliverance is effective only when the desires of the Deliverer and the delivered blend. Does God's will align with yours?

God hears the groaning of His children. To groan is to cry in pain or agony. Isaiah 63:9 says, "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old". If you love someone and the fellow is in pain, you suffer along. So does God suffer with us whenever we go through pains. Whenever you are afflicted, He too is afflicted. Hebrews 4:15-16 says our High Priest is touched by our infirmities. This was the main reason God became a man. As God, He was never hungry but when He took up the form of a man, He experienced hunger. He was so hungry one day that He cursed a fig tree. If you fail to provide food in time for your husband, no matter the level of anointing on him, be prepared for trouble. He also knew pain when He was scourged. Moreover, if you get to a point in your prayer when it becomes difficult to convey your pain in words, you need the Holy Spirit to help you. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered". When you are deep in supplication and let the Holy Spirit help you, it will get to a point when you will be groaning. At such a time, so much spiritual energy is being released. And usually after a woman travails, a baby is delivered. After you groan in the spirit, expect your miracle. Unfortunately, people hardly find time to pray in the spirit up to a point when they will begin to groan. This season, the Lord will hear your cry.

Prayer Point:

Pray against every spiritual bottleneck hindering an effective prayer lifestyle. Ask God for a great harvest of souls and release of His power during this year's annual Convention.