CHRISTIANITY

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 19TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: A PURE HEART.

MEMORISE:

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

READ: Psalm 24:3-6

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.

MESSAGE

To be pure means to be of only one form, to be completely undiluted. God expects your heart to be pure that nothing aside from Him can be found in it. This is standard for all children of God. Jesus, during His earthly ministry spoke about His purity in John 14:30 thus:

“Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”
Your heart is the most delicate part of your body. The quality of your spirit is dependent on the content of your heart that is why Jesus said in Matthew 15:11:

“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”

And according to Matthew 12:34, it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

You need to guard your heart with all diligence and keep it pure at all times (Proverbs 4:23). Keep it pure against malice, immoral thoughts, evil scheming and the like. It is what you expose the heart to that determines how it will be. If you keep enjoying worldly songs and movies, your heart would be filled with the culture of the world. If you keep having dirty conversations, your heart would harbor dirty images.

The word of God is the cleanser of the heart. David said in Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

The more of God’s word you study and consume, the purer your heart will be. Jesus said in John 17:17:
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

A sanctified fellow is someone with a pure heart and this is impossible without the word of God. Believe me, if you don’t do regular in-depth Bible study, it will be difficult if not impossible for you to have a pure heart.

REFLECTION:

How often do you perform an in-depth personal Bible Study? Draw up a personal Bible Study plan today if you don’t have one and ask the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you as you commit to it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 22-24

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD.
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way;
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

2 Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear,
Not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3 Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss,
Not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.

4 But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5 Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do;
Where He sends, we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT’S MANUAL
LESSON TWENTY-ONE
SUNDAY 19TH JANUARY 2020

TOPIC: LONGEVITY

*SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN*

*1.* O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth.

*2.* O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Thy friend friendship suits me well,
Both young and will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School.

*3.* O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.

*4.* O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.

*5.* O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds be black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School.

*6.* O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?

MEMORY VERSE: “For by me the days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased”. — Proverbs 9:11

BIBLE PASSAGE: PSALM 91:14-16

Psalm:91.14
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
Psalm:91.15
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
Psalm:91.16
With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

INTRODUCTION
Longevity is most commonly used to describe the length of one’s lifetime. The word of God give us straight forward principle that will enable us enjoy long life on earth. Believers should note that as much as God want us to live long on earth, He equally desires that we live a quality life (John 10:10b).

OUTLINES OUTLINES
1. BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES TO LONGEVITY
2. WHAT CONSTITUTES A QUALITY LIFE?

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES TO LONGEVITY

To live long, we must live by divine principles. Some of these principles are clearly stated in the Bible. For instance, it is important to fear God and keep His commands (Proverbs 3:1-2, 7-8; 10:27). Positive confession supported with a disciplined lifestyle is another key (Proverbs 18:21; 1Peter 3:10; Colossians 4:6). Aside spiritual empowerment, fasting can also boost one’s health and prolong life (Isaiah 58:5-8). The Bible also talks about honoring our parents as a secret of longevity (Proverbs 4:10; Ephesians 6:1-3; Exodus 20:12).

In addition, we need to have a balanced lifestyle. Everything may be permissible, but not everything is beneficial (1Corinthians 10:23; 1Corinthians 6:19). Eating nutritious food, exercising regularly, observing good rest and avoiding stress constitute some of the other ways to have a balanced lifestyle.

WHAT CONSTITUTES A QUALITY LIFE?
There are biblical examples of those who lived long. Moses lived for 120 years ( Deut. 3:2; 34:7) Abraham -175 years (Gen. 25:7), Enoch -363 years (Gen. 5:23), Sarah -127 years (Gen. 23:1), Noah -950 years (Gen. 9:29), etc. However, it should be noted that neither Genesis 6:3 nor Psalm 90:10 is God-ordained age limits for humanity. Genesis 6:3 is a prediction of the timetable for the flood. Psalm 90:10 is simply stating that as a general rule, people live 70-80years (which is still true till today).

Believers should know that living long is good but the quality of such life is equally important (Psalm 90:13-14; Jer. 29:11). We should live purposefully (In service to God and humanity) in fulfilment of God’s plan for our lives.

CONCLUSION
Not only foes God and want each one of us to have long life, but also to have a life of abundance spiritually, materially, emotional and physically (John 10:10)

QUESTIONS
1. Mention four biblical principles of longevity
2. What constitute a quality life?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: FRIDAY 17TH JANUARY 2020
THEME: HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU?

MEMORY VERSE:
“Blessed are they which do HUNGER and THIRST after RIGHTEOUSNESS: for THEY SHALL BE FILLED.”Matthew 5:6

BIBLE READING: Psalm 42:1-8
1• As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.
2• My soul thirsteth for God, for The Living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3• My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is Thy God?
4• When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to The Housr of God, with The Voice Of Joy and Praise, with a multitude that kept Holy Day.
5• Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His Countenance.
6• O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
7• Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
8• Yet The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night His Song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of My Life.

MESSAGE:
A. A Hungry and Thirsty fellow is one who is desperate for food and water.
1. Have you ever seen someone who has been stranded on a desert for a whole month?
2. If he sees water anywhere, he would do anything, and I mean anything, to drink it.
3. The same applies to a person who has been deprived of food for many days.
4. In the same vein, God expects us to Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness.
5. He expects us to desperately pursue Righteousness.
6. Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 13:44-46 that the kingdom of God is like a man who found treasure in a field and went to sell all that he had so he could buy that field and own the treasure.
7. Matthew 13:44-46 “Again, The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

B. Again, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
1. Psalm 63:1 says: “O God, Thou Art My God; Early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”
2. You should be willing to give up anything just to remain Righteous.
3. The reverse is the case these days; people are very quick to sacrifice their Righteousness in order to gain some pleasure of this world.
4. Don’t deceive yourself with contemporary Christianity.
5. If you are not desperately hungry to live a holy life, you become easy meat for the devil.
6. You need to be desperate enough to cut off your right hand if that is going to cause you to sin
7. Matthew 5:30 “And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

C. In other words, if SOCIAL MEDIA is the means through which IMMORAL THOUGHTS get into your mind, then you must be ready to DELETE those social media apps from your phone.
1. If you are LUSTING after your secretary, then you must be ready to let go of such a person.
2. If being a staff in that organization causes you to stain your garment of holiness, then resign!
3. Only the violent can take the kingdom of God and they must take it by force.
4. Don’t be afraid to testify when asked why you pursue this Jesus so much.
5. Fear of what people may say will make many lose their Righteousness and consequently, The Kingdom of God.
6. YOU MUST HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS AT ALL TIMES.

REFLECTION:
Is there ANYTHING or ANY PERSON limiting you from being holy? Let go of such now so you don’t lose The Kingdom of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 16-18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: I AM THINE OH LORD.
1. I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
o Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 18TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: BE MERCIFUL.

MEMORISE:

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

READ: Matthew 18:23-35

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

MESSAGE

According to our Bible reading for today, it is unwise for anyone not to have mercy on those who offend them. The mercy you enjoy from God is enormous (Lamentations 3:22-23), how can you then not show mercy, even if just a little, to those who offend you? Jesus expects you to forgive any and every offence that is committed against you. He clearly demonstrated this in His conversation with Peter in Matthew 18:21-22:

“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

It is foolish for you not to have mercy on those who offend you because you are only withholding mercy from yourself. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus taught His disciples thus:

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Another side to demonstrating mercy is to show compassion on others. Many people pray endlessly that God should solve their problems, whereas there are people around them whose problems they can solve, but they refuse to help them. God is saying in our memory verse that it is those who show mercy to others that He will be merciful to. Furthermore, Proverbs 21:13 says:

“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”

So you see now why it appears God does not answer some people’s prayers.

KEY POINT:

Show mercy if you want to enjoy same.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 19-21

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. 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!

3. 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.

4. 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 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: THURSDAY 16TH JANUARY 2020.
THEME: THE MEEK.

MEMORY VERSE:
“Blessed are THE MEEKSF: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

BIBLE READING: Psalm 37:11
But THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH; AND SHALL DELIGHT THEMSELVES IN THE ABUNDANCE OF PEACE.

MESSAGE:
A. The word “MEEK”, within the context of our Memory Verse is best described as STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL .
1. To be meek in this sense then means TO HAVE POWER, YET TO DECIDE NOT TO USE IT JUST FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
2. A meek fellow is ONE THAT THE WORLD WOULD EASILY CALL A FOOL or mumu in my local parlance.
3. A meek fellow is ONE WHOSE TOE YOU CAN STEP ON YET STILL HAVE HIM APOLOGISE.
4. Matthew 11:29 “Take My Yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am MEEK and LOWLY IN HEART: and ye shall find REST UNTO YOUR SOULS.”
5. From the Above Passage, we see that The Yoke Of Jesús Christ is one of MEEKNESS.
6. YOU CANNOT CLAIM TO BE A TRUE CHRISTIAN WITHOUT BEING MEEK.
7. If someone slaps you and you retaliate, CHECK YOUR CHRISTIANITY.
8. If someone offends you and because of that, you decided not to relate with the fellow again or withdraw some benefits from him, CHECK YOUR SALVATION.

B. Hard as it is to be meek in this generation, we must embody it in our lifestyle.
1. The good thing is that meekness has immense benefits attached to it.
2. The first benefit that meek people are the ones who will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
3. No matter how much you cheat them now, they are coming back to be your landlord.
4. Secondly, God fights for the meek. The meek may look foolish because he has refused to fight for himself, but God is watching. A classic example is Moses.
5. God fought for him, so much so that he was the one begging God to have mercy on his enemies (Numbers 12:1-13).
6. Thirdly, THE MEEK receives Divine Guidance from God.
7. Psalms 25:9 “THE meek WILL He Guide in Judgment: and THE MEEK will He Teach His Way.

C. I know it may be difficult, especially with people taking you for granted, but don’t stop being meek.
1. Soon, you will be ruling over those taking you for granted.
2. If you stop being, meek now, you would lose all the benefits of your meekness
3. Just like Moses, who did not reach the promised land because of one episode of anger.

KEY POINT:
GOD FIGHTS FOR THE meek.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 12-15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYM: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.
1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
all I have needed thy hand hath provided–
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 17TH JANUARY 2020

THEME: HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU?

MEMORISE:

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

READ: Psalm 42:1-8

1As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

8 Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

MESSAGE

A hungry and thirsty fellow is one who is desperate for food and water. Have you ever seen someone who has been stranded on a desert for a whole month? If he sees water anywhere, he would do anything, and I mean anything, to drink it. The same applies to a person who has been deprived of food for many days. In the same vein, God expects us to hunger and thirst for righteousness. He expects us to desperately pursue righteousness. Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 13:44-46 that the kingdom of God is like a man who found treasure in a field and went to sell all that he had so he could buy that field and own the treasure. Psalm 63:1 says:

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”

You should be willing to give up anything just to remain righteous. The revenue is the case these days; people are very quick to sacrifice their righteousness in order to gain some pleasure of this world.

Don’t deceive yourself with contemporary Christianity. If you are desperately hungry to live a holy life, you become easy meat for the devil. You need to be desperate enough to cut off your right hand if that is going to cause you to sin (Matthew 5:30). In other words, if social media is the means through which immoral thought get into your mind, then you must be ready to delete those social media apps from your phone. If you are lusting after your secretary, then you must be ready to let go of such a person. If being a staff in that organization causes you to stain your garment of holiness, then resign! Only the violent can take the kingdom of God and they must take it by force. Don’t be afraid to be asked why you pursue this Jesus so much. Fear of what people may say will make many lose their righteousness and consequently, the kingdom of God. You must hunger and thirst for righteousness at all times.

REFLECTION:

Is there anything or person limiting you from being holy? Let go of such now so you don’t lose the kingdom of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 16-18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: I AM THINE OH LORD.
1. I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
o Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.