Open Heavens Devtional for Friday October 31, 2014: DIVINE PROMOTION FOR THE WISE

TOPIC: DIVINE PROMOTION FOR THE WISE

Memorise: The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools. Proverbs 3:35

Read: Psalm 75:5-7
5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Message
Divine promotion is a reward for those who live holy. God is the Judge, and only He can promote you. The devil is not the one who will promote you. There are two types of promotion according to Proverbs 3:35. These are: glory and shame. There is glorious promotion for the wise and shameful promotion for fools. Who are the wise? The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). Those who are wise fear God, and because of this, they live a holy life. They depart from sin. God says that such people will have a glorious promotion. A classical example of a wise man, who as a result of his fear of God abstained from sin, is Joseph in Egypt. He refused to have carnal knowledge of his master’s wife, though it was offered to him ‘free of charge’. In Genesis 39:9, He queried this offer saying: 

Open Heavens Devotional for Thursday October 30, 2014: THE REDEMPTIVE NAMES OF GOD

TOPIC: THE REDEMPTIVE NAMES OF GOD

Memorise: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  Matthew 1:21

Read: Exodus 6:2–8
2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. 

Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday October 29, 2014: THE EAGLE AMBASSADORS

TOPIC: THE EAGLE AMBASSADORS

Memorise: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Read: Isaiah 40:28–31
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
 
Message
God has favourites. Certain animals are viewed as God’s favourites because of the way they were used in describing His character in the Bible. For example, the lion: our Lord is described as the Lion of the tribe of Judah in Revelation 5:5. Another is the eagle: God in Exodus 19:4, used the eagle to describe His character of protecting His own. There is much to learn from the eagle. Because the eagle is the king of birds, it has many characteristics that distinguish it from other ordinary birds. A study of some of these characteristics will enable us know how we ought to comport ourselves, manifest what we have been created to be, do what we have been called to do, and have what Jesus Christ died to give to us. We need to learn about the eagle because all children of God are expected to be ambassadors with royal traits like that of the eagle. Our royalty is described in 1 Peter 2:9, which says:

Open Heavens Devotional for Tuesday October 28, 2014: DEBORAH, THE PATRIOTIC WOMAN

TOPIC: DEBORAH, THE PATRIOTIC WOMAN

Memorise: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10

Read: Judges 4:4–9
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Open Heavens Devotional for Monday October 27, 2014: LIVING BY FAITH

TOPIC: LIVING BY FAITH

Memorise: Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Hebrews 10:38

Read: Mark 11:22–23
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
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.

Message
Faith is part of the nature of God. God lives by faith, and every child of God is expected to live as God lives. Are you a child of God? You are expected to live by faith. You are expected to live to please God and Him alone. Hebrews 11:6 says:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Open Heavens Devotional for Sunday October 26, 2014: SUCCESS BY THE SUPERNATURAL

TOPIC: SUCCESS BY THE SUPERNATURAL

Memorise: But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Proverbs 4:18

Read: Isaiah 1:18–19
18 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.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 

Message
How do you live great and die great? How does a person experience good success in perpetuity? It is by drawing upon the supernatural for good success. How does a man do this? The first thing to do is to know God, the Author of success.

Open Heavens Devotional for Saturday October 25, 2014: CLOSING THE DOOR AGAINST EVIL

TOPIC: CLOSING THE DOOR AGAINST EVIL

Memorise: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Luke 10:19

Read: Isaiah 49:25–26
25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Open Heavens Devotional for Friday October 24, 2014: TURNING WEAKNESSES INTO BLESSINGS

TOPIC: TURNING WEAKNESSES INTO BLESSINGS

Memorise: And said unto him, hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?  Matthew 21:16

Read: Exodus 4:10–12
10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Message
Our God is a God of miracles. He moves in mysterious ways and He still calls people to His side today. Many people have the call of God on their life but do not know. Some people believe they are too weak to be used of God, while some others, who are already in a position of service, are facing frustration or even failure. God is not the author of confusion. He calls His own into blessings and glory. There are times in the service of God when we have to move, and there are other times when we have to wait patiently for His move. Proverbs 3:5 says:

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Are you weak and confused? Trust in the Lord. God has not forgotten the weak. When God calls a person to His service, He doesn’t chose Him on the basis of how clever, talented or educated he is (1 Corinthians 1:26). God had to strip Paul of all his pride vis-à-vis his qualifications, status and achievements before sending him to the ignorant and outcast people called Gentiles (Philippians 3:8). Paradoxically, God used the ignorant and unlearned Peter in proclaiming the Good News to the elite Jews of the Roman Empire (Acts 2:5&14). The good news about weaknesses is that, the Holy Spirit is available to qualify for God’s service, the weak who puts his or her trust in the Lord.


To turn weakness to strength, you should be meek and humble. This does not imply that you should give in to a sense of inferiority complex, self-pity, self-hatred or self-consciousness (2 Corinthians 12:10). Weaknesses and inadequacies can become blessings if they press us to depend on Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9). Another step to turning your weaknesses to strength is to exchange your strength for His strength. To do this, you must acknowledge your weaknesses, limitations and great need for God. You must also present yourself as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1). Learn to wait on God (Isaiah 40:31). Patiently wait for His time. Ensure that you do not take any major decisions or major actions until He shows you that it is time to act (Luke 24:49). Don’t get ahead of God, neither should you lag behind Him. Wait patiently on Him in prayer and fasting (Psalm 69:6). Spend quality time each day to read the Bible and to pray. Finally, you should develop a strong devotional habit and expect opposition and trials. You should know that when you try to go deeper and higher with God, the world, your human nature and demonic principalities will oppose you.


Key Point: When you wait patiently on the Lord, He purges the dross of sin and flesh away from you and His power begins to work in you and through you, with supernatural results.

Bible in one year:1 Kings 7:1-8:21; Proverbs 16:6-19

SOURCE: OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL, VOLUME 14, 2014

Open Heavens Devotional for Thursday October 23, 2014: ANSWERING A MISSIONARY CALL

TOPIC: ANSWERING A MISSIONARY CALL

Memorise:
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Mark 16:20

Read: Acts 13:1–5
1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. 
 

Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday October 22, 2014: READY FOR THE GREAT HARVEST?

TOPIC: READY FOR THE GREAT HARVEST?

Memorise:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Matthew 28:19

Read: Acts 13:38–39
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 
 
Message
Our God has so many wonderful attributes. Some of these attributes, such as omnipotence, omnipresence and being omniscient are unique to Him alone. There are other attributes which God as a wonderful Father, shares with His children. These include holiness, mercy and love. God is love. John 3:16 says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Open Heavens Devotional for Tuesday October 21, 2014: WHO ARE YOU?

TOPIC: WHO ARE YOU?

Memorise: 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:
1 Peter 2:9

Read: Isaiah 6:1–8
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Open Heavens Devotional for Monday October 20, 2014: A CHRISTIAN YOUTH AT HOME

TOPIC: A CHRISTIAN YOUTH AT HOME

Memorise: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Ecclesiastes12:1

Read: Ephesians 6:1–3
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
 
Message
A Christian family is a place for the formation of talents, aspirations and desires. It is a breeding ground of creativity and a place of safety and security. A Christian family is expected to be a place of bliss. It will only be so when the relationship between the parents and the children (especially the grown-up children) is cordial. This is possible when children have chosen the path of obedience. Are you a Christian child, teenager or adult, still living with your parents or on your own? 

Open Heavens Devotional for Sunday October 19, 2014: HERE COMES THE DREAMER

TOPIC: HERE COMES THE DREAMER

Memorise:
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction.   Job 33:15–16

Read: Genesis 37:9–19
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 

Open Heavens Devotional for Saturday October 18, 2014: THE NEW ANOINTING

TOPIC: THE NEW ANOINTING

Memorise: And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
Isaiah 10:27

Read: Acts 5:12–16
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Open Heavens Devotional for Friday October 17, 2014: ANGELS LOVE MUSIC TOO

TOPIC: ANGELS LOVE MUSIC TOO

Memorise: But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3

Read: Acts 16:25–34
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Open Heavens Devotional for Thursday October 16, 2014: READY TO OCCUPY?

TOPIC: READY TO OCCUPY?

Memorise: And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luke 19:13

Read: Luke 19:11–27
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. 

Message
No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang. In the gospels, we see the personal life of our Lord laid bare for us. He spoke frequently of His relationship with the Father, of the motives guiding Him, and His consciousness of the power of the Spirit at work in Him. Jesus, as man, subordinated Himself and gave the Father all honour and glory due to Him. He was the embodiment of humility and did nothing on His own (John 5:30). Jesus as man was the greatest of all teachers and greatest of all prophets. He was crystal-clear in all His predictions (Luke 21:20–24, Matthew 24:6–37). This same Jesus, when He was leaving the earth, promised His disciples that He would return, and He commissioned them to occupy till His return.

The word ‘occupy’ is a military term that means to take charge or take full control of already conquered territories. Christians are combatants engaged in the fight of faith against Satan, sin, the world and the flesh. Ours is a victorious battle. When He said, “It is finished”, our Captain and Lord Jesus Christ, gained complete victory over all these enemies for us. Satan has been destroyed (Hebrews 2:14–15), sin has been put to death (Romans 6:2), the world has been overcome (John 16:33) and the flesh has been crucified (Galatians 5:24). These enemies are therefore engaged in a lost cause, and our responsibility as Christians is to hold the fort by resisting them in faith (1 Peter 5:8-9, Hebrews 12:4).

 Are you a Christian? Are you a child of God? You can live above the devil in your day to day life and manifest the victory of Christ over Satan, sin, the world and the flesh. To take charge of the already conquered territories and subdue the enemy, you should understand your adversary, understand the nature of our fight and use the right weapons. In addition, you should have the mind of Christ and focus on the right objectives. Satan is your enemy. He is unseen (Ephesians 6:12). He is the ruler of wickedness, with other fallen angels (demons) under his control. All the unsaved are also under his dominion (Ephesians 2:2). Note also that your enemy - Satan, is not foolish. Satan is cunning. He is full of dangerous and destructive wisdom. Your enemy was perfect in beauty and wisdom when God made him (Ezekiel 28:12–15). He was made of precious stones. Know therefore that, not all beautiful things are wholesome and holy (Proverbs 31:30). Satan loves jewellery. Lucky stones are the habitations of Satan. Some so called lucky stones are objects of the occult. To occupy effectively, leave the objects of the enemy alone.

Action Point: Satan loves worldly music. To devastate the enemy, remove all worldly music from your home and replace them with gospel music.

Bible in one year: 2 Samuel 16-17; Proverbs 12:15-28

SOURCE: OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL, VOLUME 14, 2014 by Pastor E.A Adeboye of RCCG

Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday October 15, 2014: A YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY

TOPIC: A YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY

Memorise: Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD. Psalm 25:7

Read: Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Open Heavens Devotional for Tuesday October 14, 2014: THE OLD TIME RELIGION

TOPIC: THE OLD TIME RELIGION

Memorise: Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1 Timothy 4:16

Read: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
 
Message
In a world of confusing and conflicting messages, there is need from time to time to check your foundation and the core of your faith as a Christian. You need the ‘old-time religion’ (Jeremiah 6:16). Ours is not dead religion as practised by the world, but rather, a way of life in the Spirit that has its foundation on belief in the Bible as the word of God. We believe in the Trinity, the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His atonement and resurrection, the need for repentance, new birth, justification, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, grace (and the possibility of falling from it), the rapture, the second coming of Christ, the judgments, Heaven and Hell. The believers of old were sticklers to the word of God. They knew that the word of God was good enough and sufficient for them. Joshua 1:8 says,

Open Heavens Devotional for Monday October 13, 2014: JUDAH

TOPIC: JUDAH

Memorise:
Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.  Genesis 49:8

Read: Isaiah 1:1-6
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Open Heavens Devotional for Sunday October 12, 2014: HAVE COMPASSION ON THEM

TOPIC: HAVE COMPASSION ON THEM

Memorise: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Matthew 28:19
 
Read: Matthew 9:36-38
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. 

Open Heavens Devotional for Saturday October 11, 2014: HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL

TOPIC: HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL

Memorise: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

Read: Isaiah 9:6–7
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 
 
Message
One of the names of Jesus is Wonderful. That name denotes miracles. In this name is deliverance. Deliverance from an unclean spirit is a miracle. Mark 1:23–26, tells us the story of a man with an unclean spirit. A single demon inhabiting a man can be a terrible situation. But thank God that He has the power to set the captives free. The man came in contact with the Lord and he was free. The situation becomes more serious when a person is possessed by several demons. Luke 8:2 says,

Open Heavens Devotional for Friday October 10, 2014

TOPIC: IDENTIFYING PRIDE

Memorise: And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:12

Read: Isaiah 14:12-17
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 
 

Open Heavens Devotional for Thursday October 9, 2014: INFALLIBLE OR INDISPENSABLE?

TOPIC: INFALLIBLE OR INDISPENSABLE?

Memorise: Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:4–11
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

How to Manage Your Time Effectively as a Student

Quote: A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times.

We were not born knowing how to manage time but we learn it. One of the unstated but vital tasks of a student’s life is learning how to manage time and self effectively.

Time management is the art of planning, controlling and using time effectively without wasting it. This requires consistency and determination. There is always a price to pay because you may have to cut down some of the events that are pleasurable to you and stick to a more reasonable schedule. This indeed is sowing in tears but at the end of the day, you are sure that you will reap in joy. It is just a matter of discipline, determination and decision.

However, you cannot be a good time manager without battling with procrastination. It is always difficult for a procrastinator to achieve success because as he postpones, life speeds by. In my research, as a teacher on the causes of students' failure in examinations, I have discovered that a greater percentage of the students with poor results do not know how to plan, organize and control their time effectively. They devote more time to activities that are not germane to their academic pursuits and spend less time studying.

NUGGETS AND PRINCIPLES

1. Find out how you spend your time and cut down activities that are not profitable to your academics.

2. Set goals for yourself.

3. He who fails to plan, plans to fail. Make plans on how to achieve your goals. 

4. Never leave ‘till tomorrow that which you can do today. 

5. “Don’t say you do not have enough time. You have exactly the same hours per day that were given to    
     Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and      
     Albert Einstein”.    Jackson Brown

 6. Prioritize your schedules and give yourself deadlines for events, activities, homework, etc.

 Task:

Answer the following time management questions by picking from options 1 to 4.  

1.  How often do you copy notes in the hostel/during prep?
  (1) Everyday         (2) 3 times a week      (3) Twice a week    (4) Once a week

2. How many people constantly interrupt you while studying during the day?
  (1) 6 or more      (2) 4 or more     (3) 2 or more     (4) 1 or none 

3.How many hours in a day do you spend on non-academic activities? [Do not include sleeping time]
 (1) Six or more     (2) Five or more    (3) At least three      (4) Less than two hours

4.  How many hours do you spend socializing?
  (1) Two hours or more      (2) 1 hour    (3) 30 minutes      (4) 15 minutes

5. How many assignments do you always leave undone till the following day? 
 (1) 3 or more       (2) 2        ( 3) 1        (4) Zero

6.  How much time do you spend studying in a day on your own?
 (1) None      (2) Less than 1 hour      (3) 1 0r 2 hours      (4) 3 hours or more

7.  How often do you procrastinate?   (1) Fairly often    (2) Occasionally    (3) Seldom    (4) I don’t

8. How many times in a day do you handle a book or assignment before doing something on it?
 (1) 4 or more        (2) 3        (3) 2        (4) once 

9. How many times do you extend deadlines given to you in finishing an assignment in a week?
 (1) Fairly often        (2) Occasionally       (3) Seldom       (4) I don’t 

10. Do you have a study time table? If yes, how often do you use it?
 (1) I don’t     (2) Seldom     (3) Occasionally       (4) Fairly often 

It is now time for you to grade yourself to know whether you are good time manager or not. Add up all the options that you picked and divide by ten.

 4 - an excellent time manger
 3 - a good time manager, 
2 - a mediocre, 
1- a poor time manager. 

What is your rating of yourself? Is there anything to improve on? Are you an excellent time manager or a poor manager of time. Work more on yourself and do this quiz, at least, once in two weeks. 

To your success,
Akinrinwa Akinbowale

Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday October 8, 2014: FAITHFULNESS

TOPIC: FAITHFULNESS

Memorise: His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:23

Read: Matthew 25:22-30
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
 

Open Heavens Devotional for Tuesday October 7, 2014: PEACE AND HOLINESS

TOPIC: PEACE AND HOLINESS

Memorise: Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Hebrews 12:14

Read: 2 Corinthians 7:1-2
1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.
8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you. 
 

Open Heavens Devotional for Monday October 6, 2014: A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS

TOPIC: A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS

Memorise: Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3

Read: 2 Timothy 2:1-7
1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.
7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Open Heavens Devotional for Sunday October 5, 2014: A PROFESSIONAL OR AN AMATEUR?

TOPIC:A PROFESSIONAL OR AN AMATEUR?

Memorise: And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.  1 Chronicles 12:32

Read: 1 Chronicles 11:11-25
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.
12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.
13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14 And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.
15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.
17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,
19 And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.
20 And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.
21 Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.
22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.
23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.
25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard. 

Open Heavens Devotional for Saturday October 4, 2014: SOCIAL DEVIANTS!

TOPIC: SOCIAL DEVIANTS!

Memorise: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:  1 Peter 4:2

Read: Acts 17:5-9
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

Open Heavens Devotional for Friday October 3, 2014: INTEGRITY

TOPIC: INTEGRITY

Memorise: Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: Matthew 3:8
 
Read: Matthew 7:15-20
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 

Message:
It is pathetic but true: integrity is a scarce commodity nowadays. The unvarnished truth is that almost all nations parade those who plead guilty to fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, immoralities, perjury, making of false statements and other criminal acts. Modern society is in dire need of people of integrity. A person is identified by his or her integrity. Matthew 7:16 says:

Open Heavens Devotional for Thursday October 2, 2014: ARE YOU A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

TOPIC: ARE YOU A SPIRITUAL LEADER?

Memorise: This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1 Timothy 3:1

Read: Mark 10:35-44
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday October 1, 2014: BEWARE OF THIS ENEMY: PROCRASTINATION

TOPIC: BEWARE OF THIS ENEMY: PROCRASTINATION

Memorise: Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Proverbs 27:1

Read: Luke 9:59-62
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.