His Presence Our Blessing

Open Heavens Daily Devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye
Friday September 12

HIS PRESENCE, OUR BLESSING

Memorise:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Psalm 23:6

Read: 2 Samuel 6:6-11

6 And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
8 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.
9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
10 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
11 And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.
Message

There are many blessings in the presence of God. This is the key to drawing multitudes to the Lord through His presence in your life. When people notice that God is mightily present in your life, they will seek Him through you. It is not about making noise; it is about the visible and verifiable workings of God. Beginning from today, you will be a carrier of His glory in Jesus’ Name.

The story in our Bible reading today shows us two dimensions about what the presence of God can do among His people. It can bring judgment or blessings. Uzzah touched the Ark with the motive of preventing it from falling off the oxen, but the Lord struck him dead instantly because he was not sanctified to do so. Holiness is very important for accommodating the presence of God in order to attract His blessings. We must understand that toying with sin in the congregation of God’s people is asking for instant judgment which no one can stand. When God is with you, you will begin to get blessings you never bargained for. You will begin to experience supernatural promotion. As a slave, through the presence of God in his life, Joseph became an overseer. Everything in the empire of Potiphar was put in his care. He took over the house; it was he who decided what the master would eat. The presence of God with him ensured his promotion, even in a hostile environment. Psalm 75:6-7 says,
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
In Genesis 39:20-23, when Joseph was thrown into prison, the jailer made him the overseer of all other prisoners, because God was with him. If God is with you, wherever you are, you will succeed. Romans 8:31 reminds us that if God is for us, who can be against us? This also means that if God is against an individual, who can be for him? If the presence of the Lord is with you, let the whole world come against you, they will fall down flat before you. You will do mighty things, and people will want to know your secret. The secret is that God is with you. If God is with you, you may be selling water and yet be better off than someone working at the bank. The moment the presence of God is with you, you will be able to say like David in Psalm 23:4:
”Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Key Point:
The blessing that comes with God’s presence is worth the price of consecration required to attract and keep it.

Wind of Change

Saturday September 13

WIND OF CHANGE

Memorise:
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Acts 4:33

Read: 2 Kings 2:11-14

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Message

When the wind blows, you get new power and there is a symbolic change of garment, as it happened in the life of Elisha. After experiencing the wind of change, Elisha took off his old garments and tore them to pieces. It was only after he tore off the old that he put on the mantle that Elijah had dropped off for him. To experience the new power that the wind of change brings, you must be ready to tear off your old garments and get into new garments.

At the time Jesus was crucified, Peter was a terrified weakling who went into hiding. After the wind blew on the day of Pentecost, this same Peter became the first empowered, bold preacher of the gospel of Jesus. In addition to his power-packed preaching, Peter also spoke boldly the words that brought about the first recorded miracle among the early Christians. This is precisely what all Christians of today desperately need: power and grace. The apostles of the early church had so much power that their exploits for God are still inspiring us today. Besides, there was so much grace upon their lives and ministry that even the authority of the established rulers of their day paled into insignificance. Nicodemus came to Jesus and testified to the greatness of His power in John 3:2:
“The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

This is the time for the wind of change to blow in your life. The Lord Almighty wants to fill your mouth with testimonies. An end has come to all the curses that have been working against you. The anointing of the Lord can break all the curses in your life. This power knows no limitations. The impossibilities on your way have to be removed because God is poised to do wonders in your life. He wants to put a new song in your mouth that will make your feet break forth into dancing and rejoicing. Get ready for a divine intervention that will divinely position you for uncommon breakthrough. You must however settle your account with the Lord and get rid of sin because it can stand in your way to blessing. God wants you to prosper and be in good health, and so shall it be in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:
Pray that the anointing will destroy every yoke in your life and family.

Faith Speak

The Leverage daily devotional by Pastor Segun Obadje
Saturday, August 23
Faith Speaks
2 Corinthians 4:13; Hebrews 11:3

Mark 11:23 "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."" Too few of us have realized that our words rule us. Not only do they rule us, they also determine the outcomes of our lives. Today's realities are yesterday's spoken words. The envelope around our lives is a sum total of the words we speak. Even the kind of people we magnetize or repel is a consequence of our daily speech. The Word declares in Proverbs 18:21: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."" Whether or not we speak life, is our responsibility; our choice. People are not responsible for what we say, we are. Circumstances may pressurize us, however, what we say or do not say is our choice (Eph.4:29). Our words are meant to create our realities. We are not meant to speak words that will create ugly realities we can't put up with. We ought to be wise enough to speak the words we would love to see come to pass. Remember, we were made to create like God. How? By speaking forth words that will in turn become our realities (Gen.1:1􀀂3; 26􀀂27). Why say words that will unsettle you from God's plan? Why say words that will bring disgrace instead of grace? Why give the devil a foothold by saying words that are consistent with his nature? Beloved, you can discipline yourself to always speak the Word, the situation or circumstance notwithstanding. You can yield your tongue to the Holy Spirit as you pray in other tongues consistently; He will help you say the right things. In addition, beef up your vocabulary with God's Word daily.

Other Scriptures for Meditation: Romans 4:17- 21, Hebrews 13:5-6

My Solid Front (Confession)
In the Name of Jesus, I declare that my faith is in the Word of God therefore I speak the word for performance today. AMEN.

Purpose

Monday September 1

PURPOSE

Memorise:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Ephesians 1:11

Read: Romans 8:28-31

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Message

Purpose is commonly defined as the reason for which something is done, or why something exists. It is therefore correct to say that the purpose of a product can only be determined by the creator and maker of that product. God is the Creator and Maker of the Heavens, the Earth, and all that is in them, according to Genesis 1:1. In Genesis 1:27, the Bible says that God created man in His own image and He made them male and female. Therefore, God is the only one who is in a position to speak authoritatively on the purpose for which a person exists.

The Bible is very clear on the fact that God created man for fellowship. The created cannot by any means fellowship with the creator as equals. We are to fellowship with God in holy worship, in absolute reverence and fear, and in total submission to the will of God. This fellowship is so important to God that when it got broken because of the sin of Adam and Eve, He paid the ultimate price of His Son’s sacrifice in order to reconcile us to Himself. This is why 1 Peter 2:9 says:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
God’s highest purpose for you is revealed in this passage as being “to show forth the praises of God who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light”. We are therefore primarily made as agents of worship to glorify God our maker. May you live up to God’s expectations of His glory being made manifest in every area of your life, in Jesus’ Name.

However, many 21st century Christians have erroneously redefined the purpose of existence to mean the same thing as personal ambitions and goals. They are busy working hard in pursuit of ephemeral personal agendas, believing that they are fulfilling the purpose of God. May you not labour in vain. The Bible says that “we are predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of his own will”. This means that no one can determine his purpose in life by himself because it has been predetermined before the creation of the world and therefore not open to choice. The purpose of every human being in this world is to glorify God.

Prayer Point:
Father, please don’t let me misunderstand the purpose of my existence. Let my life glorify you my Lord and my King in Jesus’ Name.

Pencobaan Di Padang Gurun

Yesus ketika dicobai di padang gurun. Matius 4:1-11  Maka Yesus dibawa oleh Roh ke padang gurun untuk dicobai Iblis. Dan setelah berpuasa empat puluh hari dan empat puluh malam, akhirnya laparlah Yesus.
Lalu datanglah si pencoba itu dan berkata kepada-Nya: "Jika Engkau Anak Allah, perintahkanlah supaya batu-batu ini menjadi roti."Tetapi Yesus menjawab: "Ada tertulis: Manusia hidup bukan dari roti saja, tetapi dari setiap firman yang keluar dari mulut Allah." Kemudian Iblis membawa-Nya ke Kota Suci dan menempatkan Dia di bubungan Bait Allah, lalu berkata kepada-Nya: "Jika Engkau Anak Allah, jatuhkanlah diri-Mu ke bawah, sebab ada tertulis: Mengenai Engkau Ia akan memerintahkan malaikat-malaikat-Nya dan mereka akan menatang Engkau di atas tangannya, supaya kaki-Mu jangan terantuk kepada batu."  Yesus berkata kepadanya: "Ada pula tertulis: Janganlah engkau mencobai Tuhan, Allahmu!" Dan Iblis membawa-Nya pula ke atas gunung yang sangat tinggi dan memperlihatkan kepada-Nya semua kerajaan dunia dengan kemegahannya, dan berkata kepada-Nya: "Semua itu akan kuberikan kepada-Mu, jika Engkau sujud menyembah aku." Maka berkatalah Yesus kepadanya: "Enyahlah, Iblis! Sebab ada tertulis: Engkau harus menyembah Tuhan, Allahmu, dan hanya kepada Dia sajalah engkau berbakti!" Lalu Iblis meninggalkan Dia, dan lihatlah, malaikat-malaikat datang melayani Yesus.

Ketika kita menerima Yesus dalam sebagai Tuhan kita, hidup kita tidak akan menjadi lebih mudah dan tidak senang. Ini adalah kita bergumul dengan dunia di dalam roh kita yang diselamatkan. Mengenal Tuhan tidak akan mengurangkan pencobaan dalam hidup kita kerana roh akan membawa kita dicobai untuk mengenalpasti keaslian iman kita. Yesus dibawa oleh Roh untuk dicobai di padang gurun.

Di sana, Yesus diuji secara fizikal dan keinginan tubuh sama ada Dia mampu untuk mengawal keinginan daging sebagai seorang manusia. Dia kelaparan dan kehausan ketika berada di padang gurun. Kita turut dicobai dengan cara yang sama iaitu kemampuan kita mengawal nafsu dan juga keperluan kita setiap hari. Namun, Yesus tetap berjalan  dalam iman-Nya. Dia memilih kehendak Tuhan dan firman Tuhan berbanding dengan roti iaitu kehendak tubuh. Di sini kita perlu ingat bahawa Dia adalah manusia, daging seperti kita yang memiliki keinginan namun mempunyai pengawalan diri yang tinggi.

Apabila iblis gagal memesongkan keinginan daging, iblis cuba untuk mempengaruhi Yesus agar meragui identitinya sebagai Anak Allah dengan menguji sejauh mana Allah menjaga dan melindunginya. Namun, Yesus memilih untuk percaya kepada Bapa yang di Surga berbanding dengan ajakan iblis untuk menguji hati Napa terhadapnya. Dalam pemikiran kita akan ada satu persoalan di mana kita akan mula meragui Tuhan, apakah Tuhan akan menyediakan segala apa yang kita inginkan? Apakah Dia akan sentiasa bersama kita selalu? Betulkah Tuhan itu mengasihi kita? Adakah Dia benar-benar peduli akan kita? Kita menginginkan bukti daripada Tuhan bahawa Dia mengasihi kita. Kita seringkali menguji kebesaran Tuhan dengan terjun ke satu situasi yang sukar yang tidak perlu dilakukan. Dan apabila Dia berdiam tidak menjawab doa kita, kita fikir Dia tidak mengasihi kita. Di sana keraguan mula timbul dalam peribadi kita,  apakah saya betul-betul anak Allah yang dikasihi Tuhan? Bukankah Dia adalah pembekalan kita? Keraguan kita terhadap identiti sebagai anak Allah adalah pencobaan yang pernah dialami Yesus. Sama seperti Yesus, kita mahu memilih percaya kepada Bapa berbanding dengan suara asing  yang mengganggu pemikiran kita. Apabila kita memiliki perhubungan dengan Tuhan secara intim, kita dapat mengenal suara Tuhan.

Iblis tidak berhenti begitu saja untuk mencobai Yesus. Dia akhirnya menawarkan dunia dan juga segala kekayaan yang ada sekiranya Yesus menyembahnya. Namun demikian, Yesus tidak menjawab tawaran iblis itu sekalipun. Tetapi Dia mengenyahkan iblis di hadapan-Nya serta merta dan mengakui hanya Tuhan sahaja yang layak disembah. Kita seringkali ditipu oleh tawaran dunia yang nampaknya megah tetapi tidak berkekalan. Pada waktu kita mula berfikir untuk sesuatu yang kita inginkan dan kejar, kita harus menyelidiki hati kita dan bertanya apakah saya masih menyembah Tuhan sekiranya saya memperoleh apa yang saya inginkan? Jika anda berfikir panjang dalam hal ini, cepat-cepat pendekkan persoalan yang ada dan berdoa kepada Tuhan. Jawapan seterusnya adalah cari di dalam Firman-Nya sebab hanya Injil yang membawa anda kepada terang Tuhan.
Setelah Yesus berjaya menghalau iblis, Bapa menghulurkan bantuan kepada-Nya dan malaikat datang melayani Dia. Kesimpulannya, segala pencobaan yang kita alami adalah berkaitan rapat dengan pilihan yang kita buat sama ada untuk memilih keinginan sendiri atau Firman Tuhan. Iblis mencobai apa yang terkandung dalam hati kita dan bukannya situasi kita. Apakah yang paling kita hargai. Namun, jika kita berjaya memilih kebenaran Tuhan, maka Tuhan akan menghulurkan bantuan pada waktunya. Jika kamu mahu melihat perubahan terjadi dalam hidupmu, cari dahulu kerajaan Allah dan kebenarannya, maka semuanya akan ditambahkan kepadamu.

Doa: Bapa di Surga, saya memilih untuk berkenan dan hidup benar di hadapan Engkau. Bawalah saya ke jalan menuju kepada kerajaanmu dan bukannya memuaskan keinginan saya sendiri. Jangan biarkan saya di dalam pencobaan dan jauhkanlah saya dari yang jahat. Dengan kuasa yang diberikan oleh Yesus Kristus, saya mengenyahkan iblis daripada hidup saya. Amen.

What Type of Wisdom?

Open Heavens Daily Devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye
Tuesday September 23

WHAT TYPE OF WISDOM?

Memorise:
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:25

Read: Luke 14:28-32

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
Message

The Bible in Proverbs 4:7 tells us that wisdom is very important:
”Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
Wisdom is described as the principal thing. In other words, irrespective of what you want to get from God, make sure you get wisdom first. If you are wise, whatever God gives to you will not lead to your destruction. There are three types of wisdom: the wisdom of Satan, the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. Satanic wisdom is corrupted wisdom. Human wisdom is at times called common sense, whereas the wisdom of God is pure and excellent. It is the wisdom of Satan that propels a person to pull down a fellow human being, in order to get favour. This Satanic wisdom motivates people to look for help from secret societies. Such wisdom eventually destroys the seeker. It is the wisdom of Satan that gives riches through devilish means. All these are contrary to the wisdom of God. It is the wisdom of man that produces business lies. It tells you to use ungodly means in achieving your goals. Common sense will not work with God because it will often be contrary to His will. Any knowledge that tells you that you know more than God is dangerous. You cannot use common sense to interpret your Christian walk or the things that God will want to do in your life. That a virgin would conceive does not have a place in modern science. Sometimes, the wisdom of God will tell you to flee when common sense tells you to stay and defend yourself. There are many people who have played ‘James Bond’ with their lives and unfortunately, did not live to tell the story. For others who survived, it is a sad experience.

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
James 3:17
The wisdom of God is holy wisdom. It is neither the wisdom of hypocrisy nor that which you use for character assassination. The wisdom of God shows you how to make Heaven. The wisdom of God makes you understand that all the commandments of God are for your own benefit. It makes you think about Heaven as you relate with people everyday, thereby drawing you closer to God. This kind of wisdom is not limited to spiritual matters alone; rather, it permeates every aspect of our lives. We can obtain divine wisdom for our daily trade, for leadership and for everyday living.

Key Point:
Those who are directed by God will never go astray.

The Word Is Your Life

Monday, September 22
The Word Is Your Life
Joshua 1: 8; Proverbs 4:20-22

Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."" God has given us His Word so we can live by it. Man was created to be sustained by God's Word. No man has a self-sustaining life. The life (energy, vitality) of man is renewable by the Word of God. In view of this fundamental knowledge, we ought to live by God's Word daily if we really have to live. Living is more than mere existence. Mere existence is being without functioning in the power and purpose of one's creation, while living is the exact opposite. There are countless number of people today who just merely exist without living out the power and purpose of God's gracious dream for their lives. They are ignorant of the how to live right according to God's design. Man was created to function in and by the Word of God. God's Word is our life; we live by it. This is one of the great truths to discover in a lifetime. God's Word is bread for our spiritual nourishment; it is water to satisfy our thirst. It is the end to all search and research of man. It is the answer to every question that was, that is and will be. When the questions of life come to the Word, they find satisfying answers once and for all. Beloved, found your life on God's Word and you'll be forever glad you did. This is the way to live big according to God's purpose.

Other Scriptures for Meditation: Psalm 119:103; Jeremiah 15: 16

My Solid Front (Confession)
In the Name of Jesus, I declare that I attend to the Word of God and I incline my ears to it. God's Word dwells in me richly and I enjoy victory as I act on it. Amen.