OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2017
THEME: SINCERITY!
Memorise:
"In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity." Titus 2:7
Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His Knowledge by us in every place.
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
MESSAGE:
A. Insincerity is one of the greatest reasons behind the downfall of many believers today.
1. Some people claim to love God, but the kind of fruit they manifest makes people question the genuineness of their salvation.
2. Loving God is not just by words, it must reflect in all that we do and in our approach to life.
3. The moment we are saved, we should no longer walk as those who are heading for eternal damnation.
4. The Word of God must be obeyed in its entirety.
5. There are believers today who cherry-pick the aspects of The Bible they want to obey.
6. This should not be so! After we are saved, it is expected of us to immediately renounce all the hidden things of dishonesty.
7. 2 Corinthians 4:2 "But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."
8. We cannot afford to be careless in our Christian walk, because we have an adversary.
9. 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
10. To be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, we must be sincere with ourselves.
11. One of the things that gave David victory over Goliath was his sincerity.
12. Although King Saul offered David his armour, David was sincere enough to admit that he had never tried that approach.
13. 1 Samuel 17:38-39 "So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off."
14. His sincerity made him stick to his familiar strategy of using smooth stones and a catapult, rather than wasting his time on an untested line of attack that would not produce results.
B. Today, there are many ministers of The Gospel who have abandoned the true gospel for a social message.
1. They believe that people are not interested in hearing The Truth. This is false!
2. Some believe that if they preach The True Gospel to people, they will find it very hard and most will turn away, hence, they water down their messages.
3. Such ministers need to learn from Jesus.
4. John 6:60-67 "Many Disciples Turn Away Therefore many of His Disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is The Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
5. If Samson had been sincere with himself, he would not have died the kind of death he died.
6. Judges 16:21-30 "Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven. Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!” When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, The destroyer of our land, And the one who multiplied our dead.” So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life."
7. The devil had tested Samson several times and had found out that he had no wisdom.
8. Samson knew he had a weakness for women, but he refused to admit it. He felt things would always remain as they were.
9. Judges 16:20 "And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that The Lord had departed from him."
10. If he was sincere, he would have built a wall of defence between himself and his weaknesses.
11. He kept a relationship he knew God did not approve of.
12. He kept visiting places he should not visit, just like some Christians today who visit bars; even though they know ungodly things happen there.
13. Are you finding it difficult to stop stealing, yet you still join others in counting offering money?
14. Are you finding it difficult to keep your eyes off your female secretary, despite speaking in tongues, and yet you have not eased her out?
15. Are you competing with the grace of God in other people’s lives, despite the fact that God has told you your own area of strength?
16. If any of these describes you, then you are not being sincere with yourself!
Prayer Point:
Father, grant me The Grace to sincerely deal with every weakness in my life in The Name of Jesus. Amen!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 24 and Isaiah 46
AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN: TRUST AND OBEY!
1. 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.
Chorus:
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.
Chorus:
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.
Chorus:
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.
Chorus:
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.
Chorus:
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!
DATE: MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2017
THEME: SINCERITY!
Memorise:
"In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity." Titus 2:7
Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His Knowledge by us in every place.
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
MESSAGE:
A. Insincerity is one of the greatest reasons behind the downfall of many believers today.
1. Some people claim to love God, but the kind of fruit they manifest makes people question the genuineness of their salvation.
2. Loving God is not just by words, it must reflect in all that we do and in our approach to life.
3. The moment we are saved, we should no longer walk as those who are heading for eternal damnation.
4. The Word of God must be obeyed in its entirety.
5. There are believers today who cherry-pick the aspects of The Bible they want to obey.
6. This should not be so! After we are saved, it is expected of us to immediately renounce all the hidden things of dishonesty.
7. 2 Corinthians 4:2 "But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."
8. We cannot afford to be careless in our Christian walk, because we have an adversary.
9. 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
10. To be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, we must be sincere with ourselves.
11. One of the things that gave David victory over Goliath was his sincerity.
12. Although King Saul offered David his armour, David was sincere enough to admit that he had never tried that approach.
13. 1 Samuel 17:38-39 "So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off."
14. His sincerity made him stick to his familiar strategy of using smooth stones and a catapult, rather than wasting his time on an untested line of attack that would not produce results.
B. Today, there are many ministers of The Gospel who have abandoned the true gospel for a social message.
1. They believe that people are not interested in hearing The Truth. This is false!
2. Some believe that if they preach The True Gospel to people, they will find it very hard and most will turn away, hence, they water down their messages.
3. Such ministers need to learn from Jesus.
4. John 6:60-67 "Many Disciples Turn Away Therefore many of His Disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is The Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
5. If Samson had been sincere with himself, he would not have died the kind of death he died.
6. Judges 16:21-30 "Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven. Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!” When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, The destroyer of our land, And the one who multiplied our dead.” So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life."
7. The devil had tested Samson several times and had found out that he had no wisdom.
8. Samson knew he had a weakness for women, but he refused to admit it. He felt things would always remain as they were.
9. Judges 16:20 "And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that The Lord had departed from him."
10. If he was sincere, he would have built a wall of defence between himself and his weaknesses.
11. He kept a relationship he knew God did not approve of.
12. He kept visiting places he should not visit, just like some Christians today who visit bars; even though they know ungodly things happen there.
13. Are you finding it difficult to stop stealing, yet you still join others in counting offering money?
14. Are you finding it difficult to keep your eyes off your female secretary, despite speaking in tongues, and yet you have not eased her out?
15. Are you competing with the grace of God in other people’s lives, despite the fact that God has told you your own area of strength?
16. If any of these describes you, then you are not being sincere with yourself!
Prayer Point:
Father, grant me The Grace to sincerely deal with every weakness in my life in The Name of Jesus. Amen!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 24 and Isaiah 46
AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN: TRUST AND OBEY!
1. 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.
Chorus:
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.
Chorus:
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.
Chorus:
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.
Chorus:
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.
Chorus:
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!
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